'Chucky' Creator Don Mancini Talks Season 2 Finale: 'You're An Idiot To Relax'

After the penultimate episode of “Chucky” Season 2, everything seemed like it was resolved. However, Charles Lee Ray still had more murder and mayhem in store for Jake, Devon, and Lexy in the finale. Speaking to USA Insider, series creator Don Mancini explained the decision to structure the story in that way and the loose ends he wanted to tie up. 

By the end of Episode 7, it appears as though Chucky is dead and the survivors who he’s tormented get to go off and live their lives. It would feel like the end of any other “Chucky” movie or season of television, but Mancini noted he wanted to give himself and the writers a new challenge by playing with the eight-episode structure. 

RELATED: What Does It Mean That Father Bryce Was Excommunicated In 'Chucky' Season 2?

“It's just that, seven is such a great episode,” he said. “You know, it's so good. So I was always concerned, not even so much, can we top it? It's just, I'd be happy to just equal episode seven.”

Although Chucky may have been defeated at the end of Episode 7 (Dr. Mixter’s eerie laugh notwithstanding), Mancini noted there was a lot of narrative utility in letting the characters think they won and giving them space to explore other emotional demons. 

“I wanted to bring everything to a boil in seven so that the characters themselves could relax and think they could relax. So, at the same time, the suspense of, ‘Oh, you're an idiot to relax and think that he's done with you.’ But, at the same time, that was in itself sort of suspense-inducing, as a structure. It gave me and the other writers some space to delve into the relationships. Because we leave a lot hanging there.”

That’s why, in addition to Chucky’s latest murder spree and the reveal of his true master plan, the Season 2 finale contains major emotional beats like Lexy reuniting with her little sister, salvaging her relationship with her mother, and addressing her drug abuse head-on. However, the biggest thing Mancini felt there was still left to tackle was the relationship between her best friends. 

“I think one thing that to me feels unresolved at the end of seven is the Jake and Devon relationship,” he explained. “I mean that's pointedly unresolved and the last image we see of those characters [in Episode 7]  is Jake, as they're looking at the fire, the carcass of their enemy burning, Jake looks over at Devon with a look, which what I told [Zackary Arthur] to do, and I think he delivered beautifully, was a look of, ‘Do you still love me?’ Because that's the big question that comes to a head in Episode 7, after everything they've gone through.”

He continued: “To me, the metaphor was there, the two gay dads were fighting over the kid. That was the division between Jake and Devon, their kid issues were splitting them apart. And we leave that unresolved at the end of Episode 7. And so by setting things up in this way, it allowed me to kind of delve into that and resolve that, their romantic relationship, bring them back together so that they're ready to fight Chucky.”

And fight him they did in the climactic conclusion to Season 2. Now, with Lexy, Jake, and Devon all orphaned and unaware their boogeyman is still out there, their story could go in a lot of different directions. Fortunately, Mancini has seemingly countless ideas for what could come next if the franchise gets to continue.

“I can only say stay tuned,” he concluded. 

Catch up on past episodes of the USA Network and SYFY original series “Chucky” now on Peacock.