‘Hysteria!’ Recap: ‘Dance Macabre’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

HYSTERIA! -- "Dance Macabre" Episode 104 -- Pictured: (l-r) Emjay Anthony as Dylan Campbell, Jessica Treska as Judith -- (Photo by: Mark Hill/PEACOCK)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Hysteria!’ To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked at length about the sheer brilliance of the new Peacock and USA Network series, Hysteria!, and rightfully so. For this show is horror at its finest, since it features good scares, good gore and some hard commentary regarding modern America. But sometimes, a horror story doesn’t have to lend itself to higher concepts. It can just explore fear and the world that fear is working to take over and that’s why the next episode of this show is of note. Because ‘Dance Macabre’ mostly left the commentary behind to ponder upon the mysteries introduced in last week’s episode and the grand question… what the hell is happening in Happy Hollow?

As it turns out… it all relates to someone eager to create chaos. For Faith came to learn that her mother is a pawn for someone. Someone that identifies as a reverend and wants Tracy to do his bidding and keep her daughter silent so that whatever plan they have in place, can be completed. In fact, to keep it on track, he had ‘Officer Hartman’ head over to the police station to clear his name. An act that didn’t go well since the chief put him in cuffs for a traffic infraction. But this revealed that someone has plans for this town and none of them can be good in the slightest. But that was all we and Faith received answer wise on that front, and that discovery was enough for Faith… to flex her own muscles and enjoy a little freedom for a change. Such as taking Jordy to the big dance that was coming up soon. 

In fact, the dance was quite the point of contention in this tale. Mainly because Dylan’s desire to go with Judith and continue to feed into her desires for a cult, began to put real pressure on the band. To the point where they avoided one another, and interaction slowed outside of general band stuff. Because Jordy and Spud really believed that she was going to cause great trouble for Dylan, and the band, and they were right. Because she full on tried to consummate her relationship with Dylan in front of cult members, and thanks to the arrival of the chief, this was the weirdest moment of Dylan’s life and has him hot water, and well, that moment and whatever the hell Tracy is up to, spoke to the reality that it appears that someone is trying to shake this town to its roots for reasons unknown.

Something further reinforced by the shock encounter that Faith had when she got home, with the other half of the kidnapping duo that ripped her away from home. But of course, it would seem this push by the reverend and others to scare an American town into thinking evil has come, may have awakened something evil after all. For the rashes continued to break out in this tale and Linda had more harrowing encounters with whatever evil seems to have taken notice of her. Which is a stroke of genius storytelling wise. Because long term, that will speak to how our fear and our ignorance often leads to greater problems, while at the same time, providing us with some wild moments that will make every 80s horror movie proud.

Which means this episode deserves a round of applause. For its quality worldbuilding. For the reveal that there is indeed more human evil at work here than previously thought, and for hinting that something else has been poked awake by people screwing around with things they simply don’t understand. But while we wait to see that backfire, we can also celebrate a damn good story that reflected the high school experience and how hard it is to find freedom as a teenager and how hard it is to make changes to our lives during that era. Which added wonderful depth to an already wonderful story. One that has us eager to continue the journey to see what happens next, now that fear is beginning to potentially feed something dark and twisted. Until next time.

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