Scream Queens “Scream Again” once again starts with a death mid party. It is 1985, Halloween and the hospital is cranking it up. A man with C.O.P.D. is dying and his wife insists he be treated. Dr. Mike assures the pregnant woman they will help her dying hubby.
Instead of actually trying to save the man’s life, he and a nurse plunge the unconscious man into the fetid swamp by the hospital. The doctor drops his costume (which will appear later) onto the dying man’s body and returns to party like its 1985.
Fast forward and Dean Munsch has her own hospital with two hunky doctors and Zayday Williams on the staff. Drs Cascade and Holt are more eye candy than anything else and Williams tells the feminist hospital head that they need more women on the staff.
Cue the returns of the Chanel’s and a quick rundown of their activities since season one ended. It is interesting to note that the music that accompanies this montage is Goody Two Shoes (by Adam Ant). This bit of music was used in the montage at the start of the second cornetto trilogy film Hot Fuzz in 2007.
This could be seen as a homage to that particular film or a complete lack of originality.
This time around Scream Queens moves away from campus academia and goes instead into a hospital training environment. Munsch is not quite the bizarre figure she was in season one and ZayDay seems to be a bit smoother as well.
The Chanel’s have not changed much either. “Hello idiot hookers” still raises a laugh but it is not quite as funny as the first time around. Hester Ulrich is shown being set up by Denise Hemphill, which speaks volumes about Hester’s lack of smarts, and the audience are brought up to speed on events prior to “Scream Again.”
Cecily Strong plays the first victim of a new serial killer. Ms. Hobart has an “incurable” disease, a hirsute condition that leads her to be called “werewolf girl.” The first cure offered is a lobotomy, which says a lot for the type medicine practiced at C.U.R.E. and then Chanel Oberlin triggers a cure by talking to Dr. Holt.
The process works and Hobart loses every single hair on her body. Later she loses her head when the Halloween costumed killer decapitates the bald woman. Meanwhile Chanel #3 screams and screams.
This second season of Scream Queens is funny. However, it feels a tad forced. Leaving the college world behind makes a certain amount of sense. However having an intro so similar to the first season’s (Party – Check. Death – Check. Pregnancy – Check…) sort of lets the side down.
While the whole thing is a bit disconnected right now, it does show promise. Having an excellent cast helps. Having Kirstie Alley as a sort of Nurse Ratched without the saccharine smiles but with an excess of vitriol is a nice touch.
James Earl (Barry from “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life“) is another welcome addition. Stamos is suitably weird as the hand transplant surgeon whose leering grin at Oberlin is delightfully disturbing.
“Freezing” Dr. Cascade is also amusing in a very low key sort of way. Although it remains to be seen if Lautner can really do comedy or not.
Thus far the second season feels like Friday night leftovers. Scream Queens has opted for the familiar, in spite of its new setting and this may hurt the new season.
Is the show still funny?
Definitely.
Just the discussion about the definition of “ghosting” was worth the price of admission. There is still enough quirky humor to smooth the way for the gory end of Ms. Hobart at the hands of the killer.
(Those scaled looking appendages that dripped fluorescent green slime were quite impressive.)
Chanel Oberlin is still picking on Chanel #3. She is also still ready for a good time if the partner is right. Oberlin dropping her trousers for Dr. Holt was amusing. So too was Munsch’s reaction to it.
Scream Queens airs Tuesdays on FOX. Stop by and check the show’s second season out. It is still funny even if it has gotten off to a somewhat shaky start.
CAST:
- Jamie Lee Curtis – Dean Munsch
- Emma Roberts – Chanel Oberlin
- Abigail Breslin – Chanel #5
- Billie Lourd – Chanel #3
- Taylor Lautner – Dr. Cassidy Cascade
- John Stamos – Dr. Brock Holt
- James Earl – Chamberlain Jackson
- Kirstie Alley – Ingrid Hoffel
- Lea Michele – Hester Ulrich
- Keke Palmer – ZayDay Williams
- Niecy Nash – Denise Hemphill
Guest starring Jerry O’Connell as Dr. Mike and Cecily Strong as Katherine Hobart,
