Expectations for prequels tend to place a heavy burden on creators to not only deliver something that isn’t pointless, but also makes sense in the grander scheme of interconnected storytelling. Horror villains like Pennywise and Norman Bates are prime examples of deep dives that yielded creative, successful prequels. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
The Friday the 13th franchise has indisputably established Jason as a cultural icon — with or without the hockey mask. His walk, signature sound, supernatural strength and penchant for killing lusty teenagers make up 46 years’ worth of lore, so doing his backstory justice in a prequel TV series brings… high expectations. Crystal Lake, which premieres on Peacock on Oct. 15, makes a strong case for itself based on its talent and premise, but not all of the narrative choices come together in a way that makes sense for the legendary slasher or his mother.
This gory psychological thriller explores how Jason became Jason and what his protective mother, Pamela Voorhees, went through. It humanizes these characters and paints them as worthy of sympathy. The show starts off great, yet by the end, I found myself asking, “WTF just happened, and is this really how we got here?”
More from CNET
Friday the 13th fans know about the town of Crystal Lake, the non-idyllic ground zero for Jason and his mother’s murder spree. Introduced in 1980 with the debut of the first movie in the franchise, Friday the 13th, its campground has been a hotspot for summertime violence ever since Jason died in a drowning accident. In the film, it was revealed that Mama Voorhees was responsible for the massacre at the New Jersey camp as payback for neglectful camp counselors who didn’t save her son. Taking that detail and spinning it into an eight-episode season, this new Peacock series centers on Pam, and Linda Cardellini does a superb job in the role of Jason’s unraveling mom. The opening shot of her covered in blood demands you hear her when she asks herself, “What did you do?”
To understand the tender parent-child relationship here, we meet the family: Jason (Callum Vinson) is an adorable and kind young kid who plays with toys, hates summer camp and loves his mom. He has head and facial differences that make him a target for bullying, and Pam often comforts him. They’re both at Camp Crystal Lake together because she needs her kitchen job there and she can keep an eye on him. He dies in a tragic drowning incident, and the sad scene of Pam frantically trying to save him harkens back to what happened in the 1980 flick.
Struggling with loss and shady events from her past, she starts to embrace a different side of herself that’s fueled by rage, fear and grief. Cardellini’s performance nails the various sides of Pam’s nature, which are equal parts terrifying, nurturing and needy. Pam becomes gifted at masking and murdering, a chilling point made in an episode 2 confrontation when she says, “Some of us are meant to wear masks.” Her behavior affects the friendliest, most unassuming people around her, too, including the town’s police chief, Lee Brooks (skillfully played by William Catlett) and Jason’s friend, Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom).
Crystal Lake creator and showrunner Brad Caleb Kane (who worked on It: Welcome to Derry) intentionally reworked parts of the story to set it in the early 1970s. He also intentionally filmed it in Blairstown, NJ, where the first movie in the franchise was shot. Homages and characters seen in films are woven into the series, with Barry, Claudette and the creepy “Crazy Ralph” among those we meet in the woods, and tiny details like little Jason’s clothes, what whisper sound and a rattlesnake moment offer more nods to the stories fans may already be familiar with. The show also takes its time with innovative, visceral kills that are a hallmark of Friday the 13th, feeding viewers blood-soaked close-up shots that leave a shocking aftertaste. No skimping on the horror!
Easter eggs and tributes aside, the dive to explain Jason’s true origins — and perhaps the beginning of Pam’s descent — swerves into outlandishly weird territory. While not predictable (which is appreciated), it’s an arc that feels a little untethered and, at times, unbelievable for the franchise king we’ve come to know over the past 46 years.
It’s spooky season, however, and Cardellini and the residents of Crystal Lake do a solid job of making this series a watchlist addition, but prepare to have more questions about Jason Voorhees once the credits roll. Crystal Lake will stream all eight episodes on Peacock on Thursday, Oct. 15.
