Linda Cardellini brings Pamela Voorhees back to Camp Crystal Lake in Peacock's chilling new Friday the 13th prequel, exploring the origins of one of horror's most infamous families.
It has been almost 50 years since the world was introduced to Jason Voorhees and his mother at Camp Crystal Lake in the 1980s Friday the 13th. Since that day, there have been a total of a dozen films made, and the franchise has grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. However, just when you think the world has finally laid Jason to rest, Peacock has created an eight-part series called Crystal Lake that takes audiences back to the beginning while adding a new twist. Starring Linda Cardellini (Scooby-Doo) as Jason's mother, Pam, this version pays homage to the franchise's roots but veers off in somewhat new directions.
The story takes us back to the early 1970s, when Pamela Voorhees is the cook at Camp Crystal Lake, where her son Jason (Callum Vinson; The Night Agent) is a camper. Jason was born with physical deformities and is mercilessly teased by the other campers. While the counselors are away having sex in the supply shed, Jason attempts to swim to the middle of the lake to retrieve a ball that was thrown but drowns, as he is not a good swimmer. Distraught, Pam goes to the lake every day and stares out into the water, hoping Jason will miraculously reappear. Meanwhile, almost a year after his drowning, the headlines announcing Jason's death catch the attention of people from whom Pam and Jason escaped, bringing a danger into Pam's life that she has eluded for almost a dozen years.
Cardellini is well cast as the lead character, as she displays a range of emotions throughout the eight episodes that make up the series. Vinson is also very good for being so young and for being covered by what I can only imagine is an uncomfortable prosthetic and plenty of makeup. William Catlett (Abigail) portrays widower and town sheriff Levon Brooks, who tries to help Pam without knowing the whole story. The rest of the cast is decent and certainly helps to move the plot along.
One of the things about shows created for streaming platforms is that the production values are some of the best out there. It is obvious that no expense was spared on the costumes and set designs for Crystal Lake, as they help transport the audience back in time to the early 1970s and a world of bell-bottom pants, music of the era, and "free love." From the hairstyles to the wardrobe and everything in between, the behind-the-scenes crew has done a fantastic job. Also included in that group would be the special effects team, who turned a bear-ravaged human body into a disgusting, bloody clump of flesh and muscle.
The writing is mostly well done, except for the occasional weird line here or there. The scripts are cohesive and move the story along at a decent pace. Like most limited series, though, there is a slump during the middle few episodes, and the writing and directing team try to stretch the plot out just a little bit longer. However, for the most part, the writers and directors did a solid job here. I, for one, was mostly engaged and sometimes scared from beginning to end.
With Cardellini leading a great cast and Brad Caleb Kane (It: Welcome to Derry) as showrunner, the series has some talent behind it and is definitely worth watching.
If you are a fan of the Friday the 13th franchise, I think you will find value and entertainment in this series that has been put together by A24 and will air on Peacock. Timed perfectly for the Halloween season, this slasher show doesn't disappoint in gore and plot development and will offer more than a few jump scares along the way. It also makes me wonder what Kane will conjure up next.
Grade: B+
