Scream Queens followed up its two-part premiere with a rather quiet third episode. The Red Devil uses the titular weapon from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the episode (fittingly titled “Chainsaw”) doesn’t let you forget it. Accusations fly in all different directions, too, which I suspect will merit some small conclusions in next week’s episode.
Zayday take down an imposter Red Devil in a convenience store, and afterward, she and Grace do some investigating in Chanel #2’s room. Denise pops in to reveal that the large stain on the floor is indeed blood, and tells them what we were all thinking last week: “That girl is dead!” She reminds them of Chanel #2’s tweet, where she literally says the Red Devil is murdering her, and that no one is looking for her either.
The audience and Denise are one being at this point! I almost enjoy how Scream Queens plays up the ridiculousness of the show, and makes you say “Hey, that can’t happen” and then just in the following episode a character points out that very thing as if to say “We know! Don’t worry!” I hope they can keep up that silly sort of dialogue for the whole season.
Chanel #5 essentially dumps Chanel #1 after Chanel #2’s body disappears like Ms. Bean’s. Chanel tries once again to get back together with Chad, and they break up, again. We later learn that every girl on campus was “dating” Chad at the same time as Chanel. Chad says that Chanel should pray that her ugly pledges get murdered so they can get back together. I thought for sure that would mean that Chanel would try to murder her pledges (she still has plenty of time), but she decides to give Hester a makeover in an attempt to revamp the Kappa pledges.
Dean Munch holds a not-so-successful “Take Back the Night” rally against the recent “accidents” and “suicide.” She introduces a cheesy new mascot: Coney, an ice cream cone. The Red Devil later kills him in a rather uneventful fight.
In a much more interesting showdown, Chad and the boys get drunk and decide to call out the Red Devil in the middle of the night. It works, but they get double what they were expecting: two Red Devils. Oh no! The fraternity brothers are no match for the Devils and their chainsaws, and one frat bro gets both arms sliced off in some of the most hilarious B-Movie special effects I’ve seen on television in some time. If anyone saw that scene and thought it was horrible, it was supposed to be. Scream Queens is self-aware.
Zayday, Grace, and Denise visit Chanel #2’s house to find out if she really did return home. Her parents haven’t heard from her and assume that she is off somewhere drinking, as they reveal that she is an alcoholic. When they return to campus, Grace finds out her dad is her film professor, and he decides to show Texas Chainsaw Massacre as his first film. Now he gets to be another suspect for the Red Devil. Who isn’t a suspect at this point?
Gigi thinks that the scary movie only makes Wes more attractive, and they set up another date. Munch and Gigi decide to live in the Kappa house for a week to keep an eye on the girls, and Munch calls dibs on Wes.
The double Devils scene poses the possibility of Gigi and Munch working together to kill off the Kappas. However, Gigi and Munch do not really get along during menial tasks throughout the day. Munch sits in on Gigi’s date with Wes. Later, Denise posits that Zayday and someone else could working together as the Devils; unfortunately, Denise is wildly off in her accusation, or at least I hope she is, because Zayday is a gem!
Later on, Grace meets with Pete and apologizes for blowing off his texts (and accusing him of being the killer). The two of them head out on a long trip to meet one of the Kappa sisters from 1995, and Grace doesn’t tell anyone. Smart move for a girl who just thought Pete was a serial killer in the previous episode.
Munch drives Gigi out of their shared room with a terrifying white noise machine. While sleeping on the couch, the Red Devil attacks Gigi, and she puts up a decent fight! Wes jumps in and helps her ward off the Devil, but not without suffering an injury. Munch comes down from her room just as they realize the Devil is gone, and Wes decides that Munch must be the killer.
I expect that Scream Queens will have a decent pacing from here on out. The small jokes are fun and the ridiculous effects are fun, but I am excited to get into the real mystery. The Devil is established, and now I want some serious investigating and terrifying twists. Bring it on, Scream Queens!
[Photo credit: Skip Bolen/FOX]
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