So we’re getting a prequel series to Friday the 13th that tells us the story of how Jason came to be and how Pamela Voorhees went crazy. That’s an interesting idea and especially today where its safe to say that the slasher icons aren’t at their strongest in popularity. People want different things out of their horror movies than they did in the 80s but Crystal Lake gives a bit of that. The Slasher series kind of laid the groundwork for how to do a slasher movie over the course of a season of television.
Creator and writer Brad Caleb Kane is definitely a fan of the original movies. You can see that in any interview he does and even with this series. It stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, Callum Vinson as Jason, and also features William Catlett, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, Danielle Kotch, Cameron Scoggins, and Joy Suprano. Over the course of the eight episodes, we slowly learn a mystery surrounding both Pam and Jason. The town of Crystal Lake has more secrets to hide as well. While I normally detest the eight-episode format for TV, it works well here. We get two electric episodes right off the rip and then the final two are as strong or stronger.
What really comes up though is the world that’s built out from that first movie. We’ve had plenty of sequels to Friday the 13th, but Brad Caleb Kane and Co. have really made Crystal Lake a fully fleshed-out place with interesting characters and intrigue. The series isn’t just about Pamela Voorhees and her mania, which is refreshing.
A Rocking Debut And Finale
The debut episode of Crystal Lake pays homage to the movies with its credits in a big time way. That’s fun to see as a long-time fan, but I’m watching for more than just nostalgia. So while the first episode brings us all up to speed on the main players like Pamela, Jason, Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom), Claudette (Danielle Kotch), Rita (Joy Suprano), Chief Brooks (William Catlett), and Dorf (Cameron Scoggins), we get more meat to the characters in the second episode. It is a bit of a shock that the second episode is much more character-focused, but the only character work we have with Pamela Voorhees outside of this is the film, where she’s already gone past the point of no return.
The series does run into some issues in the middle section of the season, though. It sags under some of the weight of that world-building. We do get some info and teases about what’s to come in the final two episodes, and William Catlett’s Chief Brooks is a real highlight, but it just feels a bit like a bog. There’s a mystery about if people are going to find out about the introductory killings that Pamela commits, but that’s not strong enough to carry the middle section of the season.
Even If I Loved The Last Two Episodes, They Are Possibly Divisive
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The final two episodes here are worth the price of admission. But for longtime fans, they might cause a stir. It does change some things fundamentally about the “lore” of Friday the 13th. There’s some stuff that goes on that’s slightly confusing, they give backstories, introduce new characters, that will change how we view Jason and Pamela Voorhees. Its a big swing that ended up working for me, but I can see how it wouldn’t work for others. That’s really what the central tenet of Crystal Lake is. This is an eight-episode TV series based on Friday the 13th. Outside of a hard cider commercial, this is the first appearance we’re getting from Jason in some form or fashion since the remake in 2009.
That by itself, is slightly miraculous. And while the show is a bit confusing, it’s muddled in the storytelling and bogs itself down a bit. I was captivated nonetheless. There are things here that are certain to piss people off. I didn’t personally feel that way though. Linda Cardellini is a force in the series. She drives the entire show on her back and carries it extraordinarily. Callum Vinson actually gets you to feel for a young Jason. The young performers like Gwendolyn Sundstrom and Danielle Kotch add a lot.
My favorite part of Crystal Lake though is just the feeling of the series overall. It captures that vibe of the 70s with the aesthetics, the look, the music, the costumes, and everything else. The penultimate episode might be the best of the whole thing, with an entire episode devoted to what made Pam who she is.
Overall, Crystal Lake is a bit messy, its a bit confusing at times, it feels like its going everywhere, and yet it works through it all. There are some bumps along the road, but it really brings it home with the final two episodes. Like so many other Friday the 13th projects, this isn’t perfect, but it has some of the hallmarks of the series that has made it fascinating since the very first film. Friday the 13th is not a clean and squeaky series. It has twists and turns, sharp edges, and questionable decisions, so Crystal Lake fits in perfectly.
Crystal Lake premieres on Peacock with all eight episodes on October 15th.
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