The Big Picture
- A key moment in the
Chucky
Season 3 finale involves a touching reunion between Jake and his late homophobic father. - The scene highlights reconciliation fantasies many gay men have about deceased fathers who mistreated them.
- Devon Sawa praised Zackary Arthur for his performance in the emotional father-son reunion scene.
In all the madness and mayhem of the Chucky Season 3 finale, an emotional reunion between two characters hit queer fans deep in the feels. Syfy Wire explains that the scene within the episode, “Final Destination,” features one of our queer teen heroes, Jake Wheeler (played by Zackary Arthur), coming face-to-face with one of his biggest foes in the afterlife: Not Chucky, but his late homophobic father, Lucas Wheeler (portrayed by series mainstay Devon Sawa).
Chucky showrunner, Don Mancini, spoke to Syfy Wire about the “beautiful” moment and how closely it relates to an experience many queer people hope to experience in life, but often don’t. “I love those scenes,” the openly gay director admits. “I thought that it was ultimately really beautiful because I think that that’s a fantasy that lots of gay men have about reconciliation with their dead fathers, who, you know, didn’t treat them so well. I thought they both played it so beautifully.”
What Happened During Jake and Lucas’ Surprise Reunion In the ‘Chucky’ Season 3 Finale?
After administering a drug from the duplicitous White House fixer Warren Pryce (Gil Barrows) to stop Jake’s heartbeat for five minutes, the young man awakens in the Spirit Realm. He’s there to take on Chucky for one last battle of wits in hopes of uncovering the truth about Caroline, the younger sister of Lexy. Before he can, however, he catches a glimpse of a familiar face. Just steps away from his position stands Lucas Wheeler, just as angry and drunk as Jake remembers, smashing a doll structure not unlike the one Jake put together in the very first episode of the series, with a baseball bat.
The father and son confront each other, with an apologetic Jake trying to calm his father down and Lucas blaming his son for his murder. “Do you have any idea what it’s like being electrocuted,” Lucas growls at Jake while still holding his baseball bat. “It wasn’t me, Dad,” Jake tearfully pleads. “I didn’t do it.” “But you wanted to,” Lucas fired back. “You wanted me dead. Admit it.” Jake relents and answers honestly: “Only after you started hitting me.”
Fans will recall in Season 1 of Chucky the extremely tempestuous relationship Jake had with his alcoholic father. Ashamed of his only son for being gay, Lucas often treated the young Jake with disdain and disgust. A scene in the series premiere episode, “Death by Misadventure,” sees Jake violently being assaulted by his dad. As heartbreaking as it was to witness, we learn in “Final Destination” that there was another reason for Lucas’ actions – loneliness after the loss of his wife and Jake’s mother.
“This is the only thing that kept me sane,” Lucas claims while holding a bottle of whiskey handed to him by a sneaky Charles Lee Ray. After he downs the entire bottle and smashes it, he approaches Jake for one final blow. Just as he is about to strike, Jake says three small words that change the dynamic instantly. “I forgive you.” The sentence stops Lucas dead in his tracks – no pun intended. “I know you were doing the best you could,” Jake continues. “I know you loved me. And I love you too, Dad.” Jake then runs into his father’s arms, hugging him with all of his might. After a deep breath, Lucas slowly and lovingly embraces his son.
What Did Devon Sawa Think of The Touching Moment?
Actor Devon Sawa, who played three different characters in Season 3 of Chucky alone, including Lucas Wheeler, also shared his feelings about the father/son reunion while giving massive praise to the talented Zackary Arthur. “He crushed it,” Sawa said. “He was so focused and so into what he had to do for that back half [of the season]. And he absolutely killed it. Coming from being a young actor, you could see that [Arthur is] getting into that artist stage of his career and he would take moments before, and he would stay focused. It was a beautiful thing for me to see.”
To date, no word has been given on a Season 4 renewal. All episodes of Chucky, including the now-completed Season 3, can be streamed on Peacock.
Chucky
After a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets.
- Release Date
- October 12, 2021
- Cast
- Brad Dourif , Alyvia Alyn Lind , Alex Vincent , Christine Elise
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Seasons
- 3
