Tag: Paul Schneider

Last week’s episode of Channel Zero: Candle Cove ended with Jessica being stabbed to death and Daphne’s body being found at Francis Booth’s basement.  “Guest of Honor” continues  with the high level of creepiness.  This episode  also sees Mike having a slight dental problem as an extra tooth has appeared in his mouth.

In case it has been forgotten, Eddie had an extra tooth “right there” as Mike told a young Jessica previously. He explains that this was how she can tell the two apart.

This new tooth showing up is obviously a portent of things to come, as Eddie tries to come back into this world.  It looks like the “special” twin wants Mike’s body for his own.

A lot of questions are answered in this episode. We learn that Eddie had powers  before the kid’s program  began airing on dead channels.  Booth sacrificed her own son to Eddie and that it was Mike’s twin who created   Candle Cove.

Booth, who seemed to have epilepsy was presumably cured by Eddie in her classroom after school. This caused the woman to worship the twin  enough to forfeit her own son’s life. Now, she is helping Eddie to return.

As the episode begins  Jessica’s body is found in the wading pool. Mike and Lily are having breakfast with Marla and Amy arrives with bad news.

Amy tells Mike of Daphne’s body being found in Francis Booth’s basement and of Jessica’s death. She then asks him  to help her brief the cops down at the Sheriff’s office.

Mike tells his mother he actually thought “it was over.” While talking to Marla, he feels pain in his mouth. He goes into the bathroom and finds a new tooth growing out of his gum.

His wife Erica shows up to collect Lily.

At the police station Amy and Mike explain that Jessica was murdered by children under the age of 12. One cop does not believe it is possible for kids to do this.

Painter explains that Booth could have talked the kids into doing anything. Mike says that as an authority figure  she is able to order the kids to kill.

Mike pleads with the temporary sheriff to allow him to visit the crime scene at Booth’s house where Daphne was found.  Amy keeps saying he cannot as it is “all hands on deck” and Mike asks her to stop. After a moment, Amy allows Gary out of his cell to accompany Mike to the crime scene.

A subdued Gary and Mike go to Booth’s house and Painter finds the props to the kids show. Gary goes outside and finds teeth on a fence post. Mike examines the props and realizes they are not from Candle Cove at all.

As Mike stands looking at the fake props he gets a call from Booth requesting that he meet her alone. The teacher tells Mike that she has “so much to tell” him.

There is a flashback to 1988 and  the young Mrs. Booth goes into convulsions.  Eddie watches the woman thrashing about on the floor for a moment and then says “stop.”  The “fit” ends.

Eddie then tells the woman to get up. This then is how Francis Booth came to follow Mike’s twin. He presumably cured her epilepsy.

Mike gives Gary the slip and goes to where Booth is to meet him. Amy learns from her former boss that Mike has left.  She tells Gary to wait for backup and he replies he will not be there.

In Iron Hill, Candle Cove is playing on the television and the children watching all leave their houses and start walking down the street. Gary goes home and finds Katy missing.

Amy asks Simon to find Painter.  Just as Mike arrives to meet with Booth, Simon turns up.  Mike talks the young deputy into letting  him go into the closed diner alone.  While the cop waits outside he sees a group of children.

Mike tells him to leave the children alone and not go near them. He tells the young cop that they may be dangerous. Mike enters the empty diner and finds Francis’ phone but not her.

Simon goes to round the kids up and send them home.  The children  all grab hold of him and Booth, dressed as Jaw Bone, stabs the cop to death.  Mikes sees the cop die and tries to go to him.

He passes out behind the diner as Booth takes off her Jaw Bone mask.

Erica Painter has an accident while trying to leave Iron Hill with Lily. She sees a group of children in the road and swerves to miss them. Meanwhile Amy sees Jaw Bone on a computer screen and Gary comes into the office frightening her.

Mike dreams of Lily, Jaw Bone and Simon. He “wakes” up and finds that he has strings attached to his body like a puppet. The strings reach up into the sky. James wakes up for real and sees Simon’s dead body by the slides.

Erica and Lily are in a motel room.  Erica is trying to rent a car and ignores a call from Mike. Lily starts to walk out of the room but Erica stops her.

Mrs. Booth goes to Marla’s house and tells her to call Mike. This time, she says, tell him to come alone.  When Mike arrives, Francis calls him the “Guest of Honor.”

Booth implies that Simon’s death was Mike’s fault. She then explains why she devoted herself to Eddie.  Booth also reveals that Mike’s twin was the creator of Candle Cove. Mike was wrong, she says, the television show did not give Eddie his power.  He always had it.

In a flashback, the young Mrs. Booth asks Eddie to show her “that place” again. The boy says he can but he is not strong enough yet. He needs something.  It turns out that she willingly  gave up her son Jacob to Eddie.

Marla is horrified that Francis murdered her own son. Booth reveals that Mike being in Iron Hill makes Eddie even stronger.  Mike’s twin is coming back through him. The dead twin means to possess his brother.

Mike has a vision of Lily returning. Marla calls Mike’s name and he goes up stairs to his daughter. He asks her if she wants to see something cool. Mike then sees something behind Lily and sees a young Eddie as his reflection in the mirror. Mikes moves to kill Lily and he wakes up.

In the hotel room Lily watches Candle Cove while Erica sleeps. The Tooth-Child comes in the room from the shadows. At first the girl is afraid and she hides under the covers.

The Tooth-Child crawls under the bed and Lily leans over to find it. Mrs. Booth goes to an RV parked in the woods. It is full of her special children and she tells them to sleep. “Tomorrow’s a big day,” she says, “They’ll be here soon.”

Mike finds a pair of needle nose pliers and pulls the extra tooth out of his mouth.  The moment the thing is out, the television in his room comes on. He goes in to turn it off and discovers it is not plugged in. The doors in the room lock and Mike is trapped.

He can see Lily on the television. She is in the mouth of the  Candle Cove cave and calling out “Daddy.”

The pacing of this episode was a mixture of high level tension and slow motion creepy.  “Guest of Honor” was ultimately foreboding and unsettling all at the same time.

Clearly Mike will have to go and save his daughter and this will be when Eddie takes him over. (It was interesting to note that  where Lily was standing the entrance to the cave looked just like an open throat.)

It was all too easy to feel sorry for Amy in this episode. With all the deaths and Gary being locked up her day  was one long struggle. The appearance of Jaw Bone watching her every move, the second in as many episodes, must mean that she will soon be another victim of Candle Cove.

By the end of the episode Gary is the only 1988 survivor alive, apart from Mike. The vision that Mike has in the kitchen seems to mean that he will be forced to kill Lily.

This was the penultimate episode of Channel Zero: Candle Cove. The season finale airs next week on SyFy. Tune in and see how this tale ends but remember to watch it with the lights on and someone to protect you…

Cast:

• Paul Schneider  –  Mike Painter
• Fiona Shaw  –  Marla Painter
• Shaun Benson  –  Gary Yolen
• Natalie Brown  – Jessica Yolen
• Luisa D’Oliveira  –  Amy Welch 
• Luca Villacis  –  Young Mike/Eddie Painter
• Cassandra Consiglio  –  The Tooth Child
• Marina Stephenson Kerr  –  Mrs. Booth
• David Brown  –  Tim Hazel
• Gwendolyn Collins  –  Daphne Bell
• Abigail Pniowsky  –  Lily Painter
• Kristen Harris  –  Erica Painter
• Bruce Novakowski  –  Simon Cover
• Tara Koehler  –  Young Mrs Booth