As a seasoned horror aficionado who’s seen more than my fair share of body-bending, mind-warping tales, I must say that “Teacup” is rapidly climbing my list of favorites. The latest episodes have been a rollercoaster ride of suspense, paranoia, and a dash of dark humor that keeps me on the edge of my seat.
This is exactly what I was afraid of!
Starting from episode three, the scene shifts to everyone waking up peacefully after a tranquil night, bathed in the soft light of the early morning. While it’s understandable that the narrative skips the immediate aftermath of the dramatic events from the previous episodes for convenience, suddenly pausing the sense of urgency and replacing it with calm conversations about personal matters seems rather unrealistic, given the dire situation they find themselves in. It feels more like they’ve been given a reprieve, when in reality, trying to leave could result in their insides exploding.
In the positive light, Teacup manages to introduce several fresh elements in these episodes which makes me optimistic about its ability to sustain the latter part of the series. It’s worth noting that the romantic entanglements among characters aren’t mere “filler,” a term often misused and overplayed. Instead, we are being introduced to the characters more deeply; James and Valeria’s affair serves as an intriguing plot twist that unfolds gradually. However, I find it hard to accept these casual conversations taking place under such unusual circumstances. It seems like the show is making a sudden change in pace.
In any event, Maggie and James awaken snug in their bed, with Maggie presumably having been informed about Claire’s death as she didn’t see it herself (I wonder what that discussion was like?). Meryl has been filled in on the situation, yet strangely enough, her main desire to discuss with her mom is a crush she’s developing for Nicholas. I understand teen hormones can be intense, but dear girl, there are more pressing matters at hand, like the dead bodies! In the kitchen, Maggie confides in James that she knows he was involved with Valeria. Having this conversation here and now wasn’t wise, not only due to the distressing circumstances but also because Ruben was within earshot, overhearing the entire exchange. Even Ellen picked up enough to get a general idea of it.
As Maggie heads indoors to retrieve Donald, who’s been transfixed by his wife’s gruesome corpse in a state of shocked vigil, Ruben and James prepare their horses to examine the boundary of their trap. Given that Ruben has recently learned about James’ affair with his spouse, this partnership seems questionable at best. In the forest, they stumble upon a rattlesnake neatly divided by the barrier, leading them to speculate whether the masked man set up the boundary or merely pointed it out for them. Ruben also ominously remarks that no one would be aware if either of them crossed over that line. It appears James, who I suspect isn’t particularly astute, fails to grasp that Ruben is privy to his secrets and is contemplating harming him.
In the meantime, Meryl and Nicholas are observing Arlo rapidly flipping through a dictionary. After acquiring new words, a voice within Arlo, who now refers to himself as Harbinger, emerges and warns them about an impending assassin. The children must follow him into the forest without informing any adults because there’s no time for explanations. This situation mirrors when Arlo previously ventured into the woods on his own, resulting in a major predicament. Upon entering the woodland, Harbinger locates a crater filled with carcasses and claims it as his own, along with a pool of colorful goo inside it. He explains that the goo is toxic but essential for their survival, which they must consume.
As I stand at the ranch, I’m attending to Donald’s injuries while he mourns Claire, our lost connection, and the family we never got to be. The memory of another lifeless body, the woman from the first episode whom Donald unintentionally stumbled upon, lingers in the woods. Intrigued, Maggie ventures out to examine the scene. Meanwhile, Ruben and James stumble upon a neighboring farm, the Navarros – seemingly caught within the blue border like us. Their fate was grim, as evidenced by the decaying bodies of the family scattered across their ranch, picked at by crows. Among them is Carmen, the unfortunate soul whose lifeless body Maggie discovers. It appears that Carmen had been Harbinger’s final host before passing him on to Arlo, meeting a gruesome end at the jaws of a dog. The rest of the Navarro family lies there, silent and cold.
Perhaps not every member of the family, instead: As Ruben steps into a silo and becomes trapped, James ventures throughout the house. Peering into the basement, he’s unexpectedly grabbed by an unseen hand, concluding episode three. Episode four will only revisit Ruben and James in its closing scenes, so I’ll discuss their current situations since they pale in comparison to the intriguing turn of events introduced in episode three. Ruben discovers a peculiar glittery rainbow tree that seems linked to these extraterrestrial beings, while a neighbor who survived manages to locate James. The young man appears haggard and is unsure if James has come to aid him or to “complete the task,” and he gives him until after finishing a cigarette to persuade him not to harm James.
It’s clear why James’ captor is acting so suspicious. You can never fully trust anyone. At the end of episode three, Valeria and Ellen settle down by the driveway border under a blanket they’ve thrown over Claire’s body. A van arrives, and a man in protective gear steps out, casually crossing the boundary to tell them that getting in isn’t difficult, but escaping is the real challenge.
In episode four, a man referred to as Lt. Olsen suggests he’s encountered similar situations before and offers assistance, but his explanations are disappointingly unclear. Instead of providing clarity on the matter, he assures that he will address it later, stating “We’ll get to that, I promise.” This vague approach is somewhat irritating, yet it becomes evident that Lt. Olsen isn’t intentionally prolonging the suspense surrounding Teacup‘s mystery; rather, he seems to be intentionally evading the truth. In other words, he appears to be talking in circles.
Maggie, emerging from the woods holding Donald’s dropped rifle, senses something unusual. Carmen’s body shows signs of being handcuffed, and Olsen has cuffs on too, claiming he’s pursuing her as part of a task force. He asks questions about anyone who saw her before she died. When Ellen and Valeria reveal Arlo’s strange behavior after an encounter, Olsen seems overly curious. Maggie lures him into a bar while Olsen continues with his false story, saying he’s a cop from Birmingham, Alabama, working with the Army and Marines. He also mentions that the border is like a powerful force that breaks down complex organisms. When confronted by Maggie, Olsen drops his act and tells her she must take him to Arlo to survive, then attacks her. She easily knocks him out using the butt of her gun.
In the forest, after gathering the rainbow slime in a container, the children are heading back. Nicholas confesses that he’s been in love with Meryl since second grade. This admission feels genuine, given Nicholas’s peculiar nature and the idea that he might express such feelings when faced with mortality.
Meryl chooses not to pay attention to Nicholas’ disclosure, which seems reasonable given the situation. She requests permission from Harbinger to speak with her brother once more. Meanwhile, Arlo’s awareness merges back in, repeating what Harbinger had shared earlier. Harbinger is an alien on a covert mission, and the assassin set up a trap for him. Consuming excessive amounts of his rainbow-colored toxin can be fatal, but the right amount allows them to cross the line without experiencing Cronenberg-like transformations. Not long after, they come across another person in the woods – a masked man with a whiteboard who was standing on the other side of the line. Upon seeing them, he writes that they should roll the jar over. When they refuse, he approaches and a struggle ensues, ending with the jar breaking, and Nicholas accidentally stabbing him with his safety knife. They remove his gas mask to allow Meryl to provide first aid. Once his face is revealed, Arlo recognizes him – and the man realizes that Harbinger used to be inside Carmen. He introduces himself as McNabb, stating that he came close to getting Harbinger to a car and safety before, but then Harbinger (or possibly Carmen) escaped and was lost until now.
It appears that McNabb is more of an ally than a suspect, as the culprit behind the crime seems to be Olsen, who’s hidden in Maggie’s hayloft. Valeria, initially perplexed by Maggie attacking someone she believed was there to assist, eventually engages in a discussion about her affair with James. Although this discussion might not seem crucial for the characters in Teacup, Maggie’s sharp rebuke of Valeria makes it valuable. “I thought you weren’t as good as I believed, but then I felt sorry for you because you aren’t as good as you thought you were.” What a zinger!
Maggie steps out of the barn to experience a sudden burst of anxiety, which Donald helps her navigate, showing kindness. Yet, considering that his arm was brutally mutilated and he spent the entire night gazing at the Hannibal artwork that used to be his wife, Donald’s behavior seems remarkably ordinary. It feels unusual for him to talk as if everything is normal, asking questions like, “Is there fun we shouldn’t miss? Has anyone managed to escape this predicament?
Donald casually warned that things were going to get more chaotic. Valeria handed over her guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother who has multiple sclerosis (MS), causing her hands to tremble constantly. Olsen managed to persuade Ellen to come closer, after which he mimicked the same terrified silent scream that Carmen did before passing Harbinger to Arlo. The same eerie rainbow glow appeared in both their eyes. Now under the control of what seems likely to be an assassin, Ellen’s MS symptoms vanished, and she remained calm while shooting Olsen dead and making it seem like he had escaped and injured her.
In these latest Teacup series installments, there are enough twists and fresh components that it appears the show will have sufficient content to sustain itself during its second act. (Provided the characters don’t choose to enjoy a restful night, obviously.) The disclosure that the danger isn’t merely a graffiti line warning “here lies body horror” but also an extraterrestrial capable of taking over anyone, amplifies a sense of paranoia that makes Teacup eerily reminiscent of The Thing. Given that even a budget imitation of The Thing faces high expectations in my opinion, it might be challenging to maintain the alien paranoia for four more episodes compared to a film with a runtime under two hours. However, I’m less concerned now than I was previously – despite the start of episode three making me feel validated.
Over the Line
• I said last week that I was underwhelmed by the body horror of Claire’s death and while I stood by that, the prop of her mangled, burst-open frozen corpse was pretty gnarly and we got a good view of it in the daylight.
Among the bodies James discovered, one was located near a tub filled with water, and there were guidelines on performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) for someone who appeared to be drowning. These instructions were presumably intended for the person attempting to save the drowning individual. The identity of the drowning victim and the reason behind their predicament are not explicitly stated in the original sentence.
• No jokes from Nicholas this week 🙁
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2024-10-17 16:54