Complete The Story 23 of 198

 "Deal?" he said, extending his hand toward me. I hesitated, then reached out and shook his hand. He thought he was getting the better end of it, but there was something that he didn't know. Johnny thought that all I had to do was tell the other guys he was coming and it'd be that easy. As if I could go up to Gabe, Mitch and Clark and tell them that little Johnny Blu the dweeb was gonna ride with us to the lake next Saturday. Mitch might not give a shit. As long as he has plenty of booze, weed and women, he usually doesn't. Gabe and Clark on the other hand are different stories. Gabe is all about image. Everything he does and all the words he says are to impress other people. He won't buy a pair of jeans unless he knows they are in. Hell, he won't even let a song play on his radio until he is 100% certain that the other popular kids at school like it. His entire life is constantly checking in. Clark is the trend setter. I haven't the slightest clue what it is that makes everyone gawk at his every move, but they do.  Every girl at school wants to be with him & every guy at school wants to be like him. He moved here two years ago with a scruffy face and long hair. We all started to grow our hair out, head and face. The son of a gun then walks into school one day with all of his hair cut off & a clean shaven face.  Lloyd our town Barber had more business that week 

I Could have been a Farmer

 Adulthood. When exactly does that begin? It's all a matter of perspective. I would say it's also a matter of position. For those interested in politics or eager to light up a cigarette without having to worry who's watching, that day comes upon the 18th birthday. For others it all centers around legally consuming alcohol or gambling. That day comes upon the 21st birthday.  For me, I didn't think of myself as an adult until I graduated college & was out on my own. That was exactly 13 years ago today. I went from living with my mother & Barry to moving up to Iowa City & living with my first two roommates Dennis & Ratko. 

A lot has happened in the past 13 years. I got stories that could literally be a series of books. I can't say much in the terms of success, but it sure has been interesting. I've experienced some shit the past decade plus that even I have a hard time believing it even though I lived it. This isn't at all where I thought I'd be at this time in my life & having the vivid imagination that I do, I often like to sit and wonder what life would be like had I gone in a different direction. 

It started off as a conversation between me & my girlfriend Ashley and later in the evening it became a conversation between me & my friend Ali. Both Ashley and Ali laughed at the idea when I told them I could have gone into farming. I don't blame them. I laughed too.  The idea of me, Stephen Stonebraker being a farmer is quite humorous. Matter of fact it's asinine, but it is indeed a direction that I was at one time offered. 

My mom married a farmer when I was 10 years old. She had began dating him when I was 9. He was always willing to take me out to the farm & teach me anything I wanted to know, but I was often reluctant to go.  Most of this had to do with my Dad. My Mom and Dad had a bitter divorce & hated one another with a passion. I was very close with my Dad back then & I felt that spending time with Barry & learning anything from Barry would be in defiance of my Dad.  The last thing I wanted to do back in those days was disappoint my Dad. 

I did help Barry a few times though. I think Barry saw me as a very scared and timid child & truth is, I was. Barry & my Dad had the polar opposite approach on learning things. When I was little my Dad was always yelling & screaming at me that I was going to hurt myself if I tried anything. I'd cut my finger off or I'd crush every bone in my hand.  Then when I got a little older, he was convinced if I hit the books, studied hard & got a college education that I'd make enough money to where I could hire someone to do the work for me.  Today in his eyes, I'm just a flippin' F'in idiot that doesn't know how to do anything. Barry on the other hand was the type that would hand me a wrench or a screwdriver & sit there waiting for me to see if I couldn't figure out what to do with it. When I handed the tool back to him, I think Barry thought I was being lazy. I wasn't being lazy, it was fear. I had in instilled in my head that I was too careless. That I was too stupid.  I'd do something that would either ruin the machine or I'd blow us all into smithereens. 

It didn't help matters any that one of the times I did decided to help out on the farm, I watched my Uncle Terry whack off part of his thumb. We were building a new silo. He was messing around with a chain trying to get it hooked up to a backhoe properly when the chain straightened and off went part of his thumb. I sort of surprised myself by reacting as quickly as I could. He was screaming, holding his thumb in his shirt, blood everywhere.  We didn't have a first aid kit, so I grabbed some black tape & went to work.  I put his thumb back together as well as I could with what I had. 

Nevertheless that incident with Uncle Terry really scared the crap out of me. I remember going to get togethers afterwards with Terry showing everyone his thumb & how other farmers were laughing at him saying, "oh that's nothing!" as they showed him their missing fingers, thumbs, ears and eyes.  If I wasn't already against the idea of doing farming for a living, I was now. 

Over the years I helped out on the farm a few other times, but nothing too major. I've helped Barry feed the pigs or the cattle. I've done other little menial jobs like haul a trailer full of fertilizer behind a pickup. Nothing too major or important. 

Truth is the thought of me being a farmer is like picturing Little Jimmy Dickens doing gangsta rap. It just doesn't make any sense. The idea of me dusty and dirty every day, dealing in bushels, talking about crops & how badly we need rain, it's absolutely asinine. 

Of course there would be benefits. I'd know my place in the world. I'd have a farm vehicle. A guaranteed pay check. The farm would have helped me to get my own home.  Yet I'd also have to live in either Sigourney, Webster, Keswick, North English, South English or Kinross. Nothing against any of the towns, but they aren't places I want to live for the time being.  Maybe Sigourney when I'm old and retired, but not now. 

Truth is even if I would have decided to go that route & try and follow Barry in his footsteps, I just don't think it would have worked out. I don't have the personality of a farmer.  I don't think any amount of trying would have ever led to me fitting in. There are parts of it I think I would have been good at. I think I could have learned to have ran a tractor, a combine & I think above anything else, I would have enjoyed hauling grain in the semi to Cedar Rapids & Muscatine.  Yet let's say I had a time machine & I went back to explore this option.  It wouldn't have been me. I would have spent most nights in a tractor or a combine or whatever else it is farmers do wishing I had gone a different direction with my life.  I'd have sat around at farmer get togethers with the other farmers the sore thumb that obviously didn't belong.  

I write this now mainly because of how made up it seems. To think of me going the farming route & being a farmer. I can't say it without laughing. God, is that absurd. Yet it oddly enough really was an option for me at one time.  I admire and respect the Hell out of farmers. They feed America! Hell, they feed the world!  It's often a thankless job that doesn't get near the credit it deserves.  Nor does it ever get the recognition that it deserves for how tiresome and neverending it is. I envy Barry that he has no one to answer to but himself. I envy that he does things his way. Yet on the same hand, there's so much he has to worry about too.  Responsibilities.  He doesn't have to rely on other people all that much, but he does rely on the weather, on markets. He sometimes deals with numbers that would give me a heart attack.  Certain times of the year, he starts working before the sun comes up & he's still working long after it has gone down.  

Me a farmer...God that's a funny thought. 

Possible Returning Characters to CHUCKY

 Let's face it CHUCKY Season One was a hit. There's going to be a season two & like COBRAI KAI there will be plenty more seasons after that.  Also like COBRA KAI the thought of returning characters from previous installments is almost a given. As to who exactly will and who exactly won't be returning, that's a bit more of a mystery.  Here are my thoughts. 

KAREN BARCLAY 

The character deserves closure and transparency. She stood up for her son and did everything she could be protect him. She's the epitome of what a loving mother is. She deserves her vindication, she has earned it. To think that she spent time in a mental institution & that she was kept from her son for all those years because of Chucky. She deserves to have her moment of vengeance. 

MIKE NORRIS 

I can tell you exactly how I would like to see the character of Mike Norris come full circle.  In partial he's to blame for Karen's incarceration as well. His denying everything that happened and lying about it caused the Barclay family a lot of grief. In a dying effort I would like Detective Norris to make up for it. Give the character a chance to redeem himself and earn his forgiveness while at the same time allowing Chucky to make good on his word that he would get Norris back for killing him while he was still Charles Lee Ray. 

JACK SANTOS 

The chances of seeing Detective Jack Santos back are slim to none. In fact, I'd say they are none. Nevertheless I'd love to see him make an appearance to get whacked by Chucky. Such a snood creep. "Yeah, but who's gonna believe me?"  You just know that he was the one that talked Mike Norris into denying everything and making the mom out to be a completely looney.  Worried so much about saving his own ass without any consideration to what would become of Andy. Yeah, I wanna see this character make a come back and get what he has coming to him. 

EDAN GROSS 

It would be just for shits and giggles but I think it'd be so much fun to get Edan Gross to do a cameo.  For those of you don't know he was the voice of the actual GOOD GUY doll. The "Heidi Ho, Ha Ha Ha."  The chances of Gross doing it are...he's not going to, but man what fun it would be. 

JUSTIN WHALIN 

Along the same lines I think it'd be fun to see Justin Whalin make an appearance in CHUCKY. Again wishful thinking and the star that would grant this wish burned out a long time ago. He quit acting nearly 15 years ago & I can't see him making a return. Then again I never thought they'd get Thomas Ian Griffin back for COBRA KAI either, so maybe...never say never.  I think what would be fun is for Jake, Lexy or Devon to mistake whatever character Whalin is playing for Barclay (Alex Vincent) and for Barclay to respond, "You honestly thought that was me? That guy looks nothing like me!" 

TYLER 

I would say for the simple fact that Don Mancini was never crazy about the Tyler character to begin with that most likely we won't be seeing Tyler again. However he did say that he liked Jeremy Sylvers so I wouldn't rule it out completely.  

DE SILVA 

With Kyle and Nica already on board, as well as Lexy & the possible return of Karen, I'm not sure if CHUCKY really needs another heroine or not. Regardless I would LOVE to see the return of De Silva. 

JESSE AND JADE 

You know what? Why not? What the Hell? I think in essence if you look at Chucky and Tiffany as in early 80's through all of the terror that they have caused, Jesse & Jade are nothing more than one of the many couples the two terrorized over the past 40 something years. All that makes them special is that we got to see their story unfold in a feature length film. I do find the characters interesting enough to see them make a come back. If nothing more, two more on the long list of Chucky victims. 

JOHN 

Raise your eyebrows? I mean, why not? If Chucky can come back 10,000 times from what John taught him with the power of Damballa, who's to say that John couldn't have done the same thing for himself? It's not that farfetched of an idea.  Furthermore what I think would be extremely clever is for one of the characters to discover the power themselves. In fact it's how I would end the series. I would do a complete reversal. Make it seem like Chucky & Tiffany will win. Make their victory seem inevitable.  Kill off Jake, Devon, Lexy, Kyle, all of the characters, even Andy. Make it seem in this case that evil wins. Then at the last second reveal that they all survived due to the power of Damballa.  What better way to see Chucky defeated once and for all in what would be the series finale. His own voodoo coming full circle to bite him in the ass once and for all. 


===

Glen/Glenda are already known to be making a return for sure.  

With that said, I am looking very forward to season two!! 

CHUCKY TV SERIES: SEASON ONE REVIEW

 

CHUCKY SEASON ONE 

Sat down and binge watched the first eight episodes of CHUCKY with my girlfriend over the weekend and I have to say that there is a lot about this show that I love. There's just enough about it that I'm not crazy about to where I have to give it a B+ rather than an A, but still the good outweighs the bad. Being one that likes to get the negative out of the way first so that I can concentrate on the positive, here's what I'm not crazy about. 

Gore takes precedence over suspense and build up. It seems when you discuss CHUCKY with anyone there are to sets of fans. Those like me who really enjoyed CHILD'S PLAY, CHILD'S PLAY 2, CHILD'S PLAY 3 & CURSE OF CHUCKY and then those that really enjoyed BRIDE OF CHUCKY & SEED OF CHUCKY.  I think CULT OF CHUCKY was going for a mix between the two schools of thought but aligned itself more with the latter than it did the prior.  What I love about Child's Play & Curse is the buildup and suspense of Chucky's actions. The kills are still brutal but the thought that goes into them is the focus. In Bride and Seed it's all about shock value & trying to gross you out. I don't need extremely violent, bloody kills. I don't need a lot of blood and guts. I could stand to see less of that and more clever, funny kills.  In other words I'd rather see, "How's it hanging Phil?" than I would a room splattered in blood and guts. 

To be quite honest I'm not digging the Main character Jake Wheeler. I'm not sure if it's because of the way he's written or if it's due to how Zackary Arthur is playing him. I want so bad to fall in love with the character. I was really hoping that he'd attach to my interest the way Nica did when she was introduced in CURSE OF CHUCKY. It's not happening for me.  It's not that I don't like him. I do.  It's just that I find the supporting cast to be more interesting. I find it easier investing in them than I do in him.  To be quite honest I even find Jade & Jesse from BRIDE OF CHUCKY to be more intersting. He's the main focus and he is who I feel the least invested in. Hopefully in season two there are improvements and I can warm up to him more. 

I also find the character of Glen to be rather annoying. Is the character supposed to be autistic? I'm not understanding how someone as old as she is acts like a two year old. It just isn't making sense and I find it irritating.  "I want Chucky!!"  Character could use some more depth.  Seems way too one deminsional and lazy to me. 

Ok, enough with the bad! Let's talk about the positives! 

It goes without saying that I love the return of Andy & Kyle played by Alex Vincent & Christine Elise. To see the characters picking up where they left off all the way back in 1990 is very rewarding.  I can only hope they become more of an intricate part of the series as it progresses. Andy may be treated as a secondary character for the time being but he is Chucky's #1 enemy and nothing will ever change that. 

I find the story arch between Tiffany and Nica to be rather interesting. I'm anxious to see where they go with it and how it develops in season two. At first I was thinking that Nica would be one of the heroes seeking vengeance but it's obvious that she will be used as a plot device to give the edge to Chucky and Tiffany. 

I have to comment on the character of Lexy and say how well her transition was done. A credit to both good writing and good acting on the part of Alyvia Alyn Lind.  She went from an unlikable sociopath into a likable empath and it was done in a natural and believable way.  It would have been very easy for the character to have came across as self serving. Only cooperating in order to save her own skin & for the sake of her own interest. Instead it comes across that she's actually made a change of heart and that she is truly a changed person. Whereas I feel the character development of Glen leaves much to be desired, I appreciate the depths that the writing staff has gone to in order to showcase Lexy's transformation. 

I really enjoyed Devon Sawa and the characters he played. It's amazing to see how much he's grown as an actor and how talented he has become. That's not always the case with child actors. Makes me realize how old I've gotten.  Sawa isn't that much older than me. Anxious to see this third character that he will be playing in season two. 

I like where they went with the Junior character but I feel it was kyboshed prematurely. The idea of Chucky manipulating and influencing someone is quite intriguing. I understand that Junior had a purpose, that he served it and now the story has moved on. I have no problem with that.  I also have no problem with his redemption. I'm all for the reveal that he wasn't really evil, he was just a victim of Chucky's trickery. It's simply that I feel that storyline was done too quickly and it would have benefited from a bit more length. That's all. 

I really, really like the character of Miss Fairchild. I like the way she is written & I enjoy the way Annie Briggs plays her. I was hoping to see more of her in Season One & I'm anxious to see how much or how little she's involved in Season two. 

As to the other characters...

 I think I like Chucky more than I do Mayor Michelle Cross. When it comes to evil people, I have to say I have more respect for an upfront monster than I do an undercover one. Sociopathic types like her just drive me up a wall. Fake, fraudulent, phony people who only care about themselves.    

Devon seems pretty cool, but underdeveloped. As his mother Detective Evans was starting to grow on me that's right when she was killed.  

Michael Therriault as Nathan Cross was quite the juxtaposition from his Dr. Foley character in CULT OF CHUCKY wasn't it? This surprised me, in a good way. It's fun to see the range and versatility that actors have. 


Thoughts for season two??? 

Well with the overabundance of deaths in season one, we know we're going to have an assortment of new characters in season two. Is this going to be like COBRA KAI and we can also hope for some returning characters too?   That would make my day. (I'll be making another post about this later) 

Don Mancini would probably kill me for saying this but I think what the series could really use to go from a B+ to that A I know it can get is Tom Holland. Mancini is such a genius and has such great ideas but he has no one to reign him in. Creative people are their own worst editors. They have an ability to create but no ability to revise. That's where Tom Holland would come in. I think Tom Holland's help is why CHILD'S PLAY was the success that it was. I think he could help out CHUCKY too. I really do. 

Those are my thoughts on the series.