TV Show review
Review basis: 3 seasons, 24 episodes · through May 1, 2024
October 12, 2021 · TV-MA · Canceled
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Chucky is a horror comedy TV series about a killer doll who arrives in a suburban New Jersey town and sparks a wave of murders that reveal local secrets and hypocrisies. The show follows teen Jake Wheeler, a gay aspiring artist who buys the doll and develops a romantic relationship with classmate Devon while battling Chucky alongside friends. It centers the gay teen protagonists and their relationship, includes Chucky and Tiffany's non-binary child Glen/Glenda played by a non-binary actor, and features creator statements about intentional LGBTQ representation for gay horror fans.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Chucky.
Woke representation / casting
The show prominently features gay teen Jake Wheeler and his boyfriend Devon as central characters with an ongoing romantic relationship and identity-focused story arcs. Non-binary characters Glen and Glenda are recast with non-binary actor Lachlan Watson. Creator statements confirm intentional emphasis on queer visibility in prominent roles.
Woke political dialogue
Chucky tells Jake he has a "genderfluid kid" and is "not a monster" for accepting it. Teens discuss acceptance, bullying tied to being gay, and family rejection. Dialogue serves character and plot but includes explicit ally-style affirmations and identity talk.
Identity-driven story themes
Jake's primary character development revolves around his gay identity, coming to terms with his sexuality, romantic relationship with Devon, and conflicts with homophobic family and town. The Glen/Glenda storyline continues non-binary identity exploration. Bullying and teen arcs are heavily tied to sexuality and acceptance.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Season 2 includes a Catholic school setting with satirical takes on religion and authority figures. Small-town hypocrisies and family dysfunction are exposed. Season 3 places action in the White House for absurd horror effect. These elements function mainly as horror-comedy backdrops rather than sustained modern activist critiques of institutions, patriarchy, or Western culture.
Woke character or canon changes
Glen and Glenda originated in the 2004 film Seed of Chucky as gender-fluid twins and are expanded here with non-binary emphasis and casting. The core Chucky lore and legacy characters remain consistent. New lead Jake Wheeler and his story are original creations, not ideological alterations to established canon.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Online viewers on Metacritic, Reddit, and YouTube have called the show "woke crap," a "woke teenage drama," and criticized the heavy emphasis on gay romance and "homosexual talk" as agenda-driven or detracting from the horror. Comments frame the focus on sexuality and acceptance as liberal or woke. Backlash is recurring but largely confined to fan forums and niche commentary rather than broad cultural debate.
Creator track record context
Don Mancini, the creator and showrunner, has a long history of intentional LGBTQ+ inclusion in the franchise, including the gender-fluid Glen/Glenda in Seed of Chucky and centering gay teen leads here to reflect personal experience and connect with gay horror fans. Most other writers, directors, and producers have minimal or no documented activist or identity-driven records.
Production
