This show is creepy and scary; it's also a bit slow and
dream-like. I like the first aspect, but not so much the
second. It has a low budget feeling to it.
Channel Zero is a new Syfy anthology series. Like "American
Horror Story," each year will feature a different
season-length story with, presumably, different actors and
characters. This year is "Candle Cove" which was a series of
short Internet drawings and stories.
Famous child psychologist Mike Painter (Paul Schneider)
returns to his hometown after he gets out of the mental
institution, where he apparently was in for a while after
having some sort of breakdown (we see him stabbing himself a
lot in flashbacks). He stays with his mother (Fiona
Shaw), who seems a bit cold. It's obvious they're not close.
We soon learn that Mike and his twin brother were bullied as
children, and the twin brother, and other children,
disappeared and were found dead later, with their teeth
missing. The grisly murders were never solved. Mike
meets up with some other old friends, Gary (Shaun Benson)
and Jessica (Natalie Brown), and then one of their children
goes missing. We soon learn that an old TV show from the
70's called "Candle Cove" may have something to do with the
murders. They all saw this, but apparently only
children could see it, and it's quite disturbing.
Mike has a lot of weird dreams, and he may or may not
sleep-walk, and he sees some very strange things. Some
people think he may be the murderer, but if he is, I don't
think he knows himself if he is or not. The show is a bit
confusing sometimes, but I think that's intentional.
Now, "American Horror Story" has a lot of violence, blood,
gore, and torture. It's hard to watch, and it's more
horrifying or lurid than it is scary. This show is very
scary, as far as I'm concerned. I hope I don't have
nightmares after watching this first episode.
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