Giving Birth In Record Time
The Terror Season 2 feels like a show that’s outstayed its welcome and run out of ideas. I mean that in the best possible way of course but The Terror: Infamy felt like it peaked back when the Yurei burned and since then, AMC’s horror anthology has really been spinning its wheels. This week we really see that come to fruition with 40 minutes of drama that result in everything building toward the finale and offering about 5 minutes of plot progression in the process. We begin in January 1945 – leaving day – as the Japanese look set to leave the camp. As they return to Terminal Island, Chester’s family wonder how much of their old life is still intact until they find a desolate wasteland in place of where their home once stood. We then cut forward six months to find Henry working for an american as a gardener. With things looking bleak, Chester phones his Father and asks him for help with the demon, especially given Luz is about to give birth. Hopping on a bus to New Mexico, he apologizes directly to Luz for choosing Chester as they make their way to the house Chester and Luz are currently hiding out in. We’re right on the eve of Luz giving birth too and camped out in the house, with the curtains drawn and doors bolted shut, Chester’s Father berates him for trying to outrun a demon and bestowing misery on his wife. Despite all their precautions, the group let a priest into the room, only to realize Yuko is actually the one controlling him. Managing to hold him off for now, Luz and Chester scramble for the car and manage to make it to an abandoned government building some way out in the wilderness. There, Luz gives birth in the blink of an eye after Chester sets up sound sensors around the building for security. Suddenly, Chester hears the bells going off and investigates alone. When he arrives at the source, he finds a stray rat and breathes a sigh of relief. His father hurries after him and as the two talk, Chester tells him they can save Taizo. He decides to sacrifice himself to save the baby and asks him to watch over the child in his absence. Meanwhile Luz puzzles over why her baby won’t cry and watches as he stares at her and Chester’s mum. Suddenly she realizes that Yuko has possessed the child. Panicking, they deliberate over what to do next until the baby suddenly starts crying. It turns out Yuko has actually possessed Luz’s grandmother. Contorting, she grabs the baby before Chester’s Mum admits the truth to her about what happened all those years ago while she was alive. In the ensuing chaos, Luz and the baby disappear as Chester makes his way back to the room. As the episode closes out, we see Luz has been possessed by Yuko as she carries the baby down the road alone, leaving things hanging in the balance. The one thing I’m really conscious of with a job like this is using my time wisely. When a show deliberately wastes that with a plot that meanders out and drags on longer than it should, I find myself bemoaning that wasted time. While this is nowhere near the level shows like Fear The Walking Dead conjure up, beyond Luz giving birth and Yuko taking the baby, there really is nothing else here worth noting. As I said before, The Terror is still a show I’ve enjoyed watching over the weeks but these past few episodes have felt like Infamy is running on fumes, dragging out one more climactic fight for the sake of hitting that 10 episode quota. It’s a shame too because there’s been some good work done here but between the meandering pace and questionable plotting, Infamy has been a real see-saw show of quality over the weeks. Hopefully the finale can end things with a bang but for now, The Terror: Infamy pales in comparison to its first season, delivering an inconsequential episode devoid of drama and horror and offering 5 minutes of plot progression.
