‘NOS4A2’ Recap: ‘The Dark Tunnels’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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If there’s one thing I truly love about the horror genre above all else, it is the genre’s magnificent ability to examine humanity as a whole. For it often provides us with an objective look at our world and it can show us what is good and bad when it comes to modern society, or it can provide us all with an intimate look at the human condition and dive deep into what makes people tick and the latter of those two storytelling elements, are precisely why I utterly adore AMC’s new series, NOS4A2. Because over the course of its brief run, it’s done a phenomenal job of examining our fears, our hopes, our dreams and the evil that lurks within the hearts of men and once again, this particular series found a way to examine who we are as a species, by diving deep into the power and the terror that accompanies the notion of self-reflection.
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Which made ‘The Dark Tunnels’ a supremely fascinating and powerful episode, because few shows take the time to really slow things down to allow for their characters to look within themselves, but the psych ward setting of this tale, made such a feat possible. Because, it didn’t take long for Vic to find herself in front of a psychiatrist now that she was in the midst of her voluntary hold, and this doctor wasted no time, diving into what exactly brought Vic into his office and that made for quite the uncomfortable experience. Because Vic did indeed have to face the harsh realities about her family and her home life and the abuse that she has endured, and her time with the doc was illuminating to say the least since he more or less opened her mind to the possibility that she will need something more than a mere escape from Haverhill in order to properly heal her ailing soul.

Oddly enough, the answer she needed when it comes to that, arrived in the most unexpected of fashion. For this tale also featured an intriguing twist of fate since Vic had to room with Jolene July, the strong creative that Charlie visited back in ‘The Gas Mask Man’, and this encounter was a special one indeed. Because Jolene and Vic connected quickly, and with a little creativity they were able to escape into Jolene’s inscape, wherein the elder creative was able to reflect upon her own life and some of the mistakes she’s made, the biggest one being; that she never got the chance to kill Charlie Manx. Because had she done so, she would have saved countless lives and done some good in this world. But meeting a strong creative as powerful as Vic, made Jolene realize that perhaps Vic could finish what she started and after showing Vic how to wound and defeat Charlie, she asked our young heroine to put an end to Charlie Manx, and everything she showed Vic, inspired our young heroine in powerful fashion. 

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Because stopping evil, would provide Vic with the peace and absolution she’s been searching for, and she told the doctor exactly what he needed to hear in order to get her release, so she could deal with Charlie. But sadly, this is where the show provided us with an exploration of how reflection can also do us harm. For Vic was hoping that she would have Maggie at her side for this grandiose battle with Charlie, but dear Maggie had a change of heart. Because her time in the hospital, allowed for her to reflect upon the darker side of her abilities and she no longer wanted any part of this nightmare, and she made her way home and abandoned her tiles along the way and while this was disheartening in its own right, it was also brilliant since it bookended Vic’s journey in masterful and logical fashion, and it was supremely relatable since we’ve all shared in moments akin to the one Maggie went through in this tale, where we realize the journey may not be worth it.
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Yet, while this tale ends in epic fashion, with Vic readying for war against Charlie’s special brand of evil, we do need to take a moment discuss the other reflection related exploration that this episode took us through. In that, sometimes getting the opportunity to see and reflect upon a particular person’s journey through another set of eyes, can be supremely beneficial to understanding who they are, and that was handled in this tale by way of a fascinating flashback involving Jolene. For this trip down memory lane allowed for us to see Charlie when he was still a touch more human, and still deeply in love with Jolene and this little segment, and her wonderful attack on the Wraith later on the story, allowed for us to understand that Charlie is nothing more than a lonely and angry little man. One that feels marginalized and ostracized and being able to leverage power over people makes him feel large, and all he wants, is that perfect world where someone is at his side. The kind of person who will always admire him and doesn’t ask questions or mind that he, you know, eats the souls of children and well, seeing him in this kind of light, only engenders pity when all is said and done.

If anything, this was a thoughtful and intimate story, which is no small feat in the horror world. Because often times, this genre examines things in broad and sweeping fashion, wherein the monster serves as the allegory for the topic in question. But in this tale, the characters drove everything, and they did so in brutal and honest fashion and while it may have been uncomfortable to watch here and there, that’s what a good story does. It unsettles you, and it makes you think, and it pleases me to no end that Vic maintained her strength while finding a way to grow when facing the parts of her life she’s not exactly happy with and really, kudos to Ashleigh Cummings and her cast-mates in this tale, for turning in some incredible performances. And I also need to throw a shout out to the writer of this episode, Tom Brady, for weaving together a beautiful tapestry of a screenplay and really, all of these elements just go to show that horror can be more than just jump scares and splatter, it can be relatable and poignant and I really hope that other shows take a page from this series since it truly is the smartest horror series out there. Until next time.     

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