‘The Terror: Infamy’ Recap: ‘A Sparrow in a Swallow’s Nest’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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There was a time when social commentary in horror was a rare occurrence. For back in the day, slashers stuck to their gore, monster movies and ghost stories were all about giving people the creeps and really, any thoughtful discussion about our world was only to be found in the most elite of works from the smartest of directors, and thankfully the times have changed. Because somewhere along the line, someone figured out that horror can truly express a powerful message within the framework of any horror story, and social commentary has slowly found its way into just about every scary story out there. But while it is nice to know that a tale of terror has something more to say, something that goes beyond blood and guts, it still has to do so in quality fashion, or the audience won’t pay it any mind.
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But while some films and shows fall short when it comes to this particular endeavor, there are others that handle it in masterful fashion, and these are the ones we need to celebrate and speak of as often as possible, so everyone can enjoy what it has to offer. And it just so happens that AMC has seemingly stuck gold when it comes to socially relevant horror once again by way of its brand-new series, The Terror: Infamy. For this particular tale, set in the midst of the second world war, will take us inside a Japanese internment camp where innocent people, who are forced to live there against their will, find themselves terrorized by an ancient and vengeful spirit. And while that seems pretty by-the-numbers horror wise, the social commentary present in the overall design of this series is what caught my eye since it has some genuine parallels to our current world.

After all, there are internment camps in America right now, something I don’t think any of us expected to see nearly eighty years after World War II began in America, and while that alone is what hooked me on watching this series to begin with, the power of the commentary present in the season premiere of the series was something that quite frankly, I was unprepared for. But before we dive into that, let’s talk about how ‘A Sparrow in a Swallow’s Nest’ does a phenomenal job of drawing the audience into the plight of immigrants in America in 1941. Since it is quickly apparent that so many of the Japanese citizens on Terminal Island are viewed as second class citizens, whose only purpose is to work hard and make other people money, and they best do so without an ounce of complaint or they will indeed face the consequences for causing trouble and well, one particular moment in regard to all of that is still on my mind a day after watching the opening chapter of this fascinating tale. 

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Because a scene between Henry Nakayama and his boss Stan, provided the commentary I was ill prepared for, since it had far too many real-world echoes. For Stan blamed Henry for losing his job and demanded some kind of restitution for something that wasn’t Henry’s fault in the slightest. But a failure to comply, would have led to a phone call to the United States Government to brand Henry as a Japanese spy and well, in many ways this scene and everything we just discussed, resembles the rhetoric that Hispanic and Latino people deal with on a regular basis in this day and age. Since they’re often blamed for ruining the job market, and are often treated with disrespect and inhumanity and they’re expected to comply with someone’s wishes, or they can expect a visit from ICE and well, all of this really does hit way close to home, and kudos to the series for being bold enough to tackle this topic head on in fearless and earnest fashion.
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However, while there is a lot to chew upon social commentary wise, one cannot forget that this is also a horror story and the good news is, there’s plenty of scares to be found here as well. Because there is definitely a spirit pursuing the good people of Terminal Island, and it is a terrifying and vengeful being and I love how the story used a mix of ‘in your face’ scares and subtle moments to get that point across. For those two elements keep the audience guessing in regard to what the ghost is going to do next and that straight up unsettles you, and it is clear now that I need to go back and watch this episode at least once more to catch all the little tricks present in this story designed to creep you out, since there is a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment with the ghost popping up in plain sight.

If anything, I have to admit that I am supremely impressed with this particular premiere. For it features the perfect mix of commentary and horror, and at times the lines are blurred so well between the two that you don’t quite know what to fear; mankind or the monster, and that’s no easy task to accomplish in a scary story, but this series pulls it off seamlessly. But what truly has me excited for this series going forward, is the distinctly possibility that it is only going to get better as the weeks roll on. Because if it is this polished and this smart one episode into the new season, what kinds of manmade and otherworldly horrors await us down the line? Well the only way to find that out, is to tune in, and I’ll definitely be setting a reminder to be early for this one, because The Terror: Infamy is horrifying and brilliant and I don’t want to miss a single moment of it. Until next time.   

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