'Channel Zero' Recap: 'You Have to Go Inside'

​Written by Scott Edwards

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

When it comes to finding new television shows to watch, I either have to go by word of mouth or just trust that the commercials for it are legit for the story that is going to be told. I loved watching the trailers for Channel Zero, it looked like something fresh and new, so what the heck, I figured I might as well give another Syfy Original a shot and this time I was far from disappointed. When you get to refer to a creepy television show from the eighties (when I grew up), with creepy puppets as well (I hate puppets for this reason), you get to see what is actually happening inside of someone’s head and the mind games that are about to start in this series look like they are going to be downright terrifying.

Child psychologist Michael Painter is shaken up after receiving a call on a talk show asking why he has not returned home years after his brother disappeared. Wanting to find answers for himself and his missing twin Eddie, Michael surprises his mother with a visit and he is welcomed home with open arms. Heading down to the police station, Mike sees that his old friend Gary has become the sheriff of Iron Hills and would like to get some information about the child disappearances that happened during their childhood. Thinking that this is strange, Gary will agree to the request, but he will need something from his friend as well and invites Mike over for dinner with the family and friends.

Even though Mike feels out of place, being in a room full of childhood friends is good for him and the stories bring a smile to his face once again. Heading down to the bathroom, Mike runs into Gary’s daughter who is glued to the television set and sees a blast from the past. Asking the young girl what she is watching, she has found Candle Cove, the show that scarred Mike as a child. Returning to his friends, Mike asks if they remember the show and they all have fond memories of it with the exception of Jessica who had nightmares of all of the puppets screaming for no reason. Mike also knows that there is something different about the show, since its air dates corresponded with the disappearances of five children along with his brother back in 1988. Needing to excuse himself for the night, Mike is awakened by something and sees Captain Jawbone in the same vision he saw as a child the night his brother went missing.

As his sleepwalking has never gone away, Mike finds himself roaming the town and when he returns home he talks to his mother about his troubles. Having nightmares once again, which he had not had since he was a child, Mike wants to get his mind right before heading back out into the world. But before that can happen, Mike hears that young Katie has gone missing and he knows that it has something to do with the show. Searching the part of the woods where the children were found before, Gary and his force come up with nothing, but Mike might have a better idea where she is. Talking to her little brother, Mike finds out that Katie wanted to find the crow’s nest and he knows exactly where the little girl is hiding. Running into Jawbone in the woods, Mike gives chase but is unable to capture the perp that has taken the child. Finding Katie right where she should be, Mike is able to return her to her family, but being the hero doesn't seem to matter since the entire town knows about his troubles and that he has been roaming the streets at night.

A very interesting opening to a series that I know very little about. I guess it was a web series before it was picked up by Syfy and I might need to give that a shot to see what else I could have been missing out on all this time. Mike is on the road to discovery by returning home and trying to find out what happened to the five missing kids back in 1988.  With clues scattered all over the place, he just needs to put them together, but his mind may not be right as we find out at some point he was in a psych ward for a few weeks after a breakdown. Getting to know Mike seemed to be the basis of this episode since you got to see a ton of his childhood and how the relationship with him and Eddie evolved, especially after seeing the show Candle Cove. The changes in attitudes towards friends and family seem to already be happening and when Mike finds out the biggest bombshell of all, he may have to start to question his own sanity. Well, this is a weekly show, so I will have to find a time to pull it up every week and let it take me on a ride into the darkness of Iron Hills and a tooth monster that seems to like children. Stay Scared.

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