Channel Zero - Butcher's Block - All You Ghost Mice - Review: "Keeping Up With The Peaches'!"
23 Feb 2018
Channel Zero CS ReviewsSeason 3, episode 3 was written by Angela LaManna, Justin Boyd and Nick Antosca and directed by Arkasha Stevenson. Starring Rutger Hauer as Joseph, Krisha Fairchild as Louise, Aaron Merke as Nathan, Andreas Apergis as Robert, Diana Bentley at Edie, Olivia Luccardi as Alice, Holland Roden as Zoe, Tyrone Benskin as the police chief and the voice of Adam Hurtig as 'evil' Dave.
We pick up where we left off, last week, in episode 2. Alice and Louise awaken at the buffet in the park, the following morning. The 'delicious' feast is creepy, crawly maggot infested, now and Alice becomes sick.
They've lost time, but still remember everything that happened the night before, everything...
Alice's phone rings and it's 'evil' Dave, the student loan collector, threatening her about her credit score. Come on Dave, Alice has just dined with dead people, you're going to have to try harder.
Alice wants to leave Garrett, but Louise convinces her to stay so that maybe they can do some good. It seems as if the sisters have awakened something in Louise. She's gone from "I'm not your mother, just your landlady" to a real hero and more importantly, a friend.
Luke comes upon them, in the park. Louise reaches out to him; handing Luke her business card: 'Louise Lispector, Reporter.' She can tell that he is just a little 'off.' Luke is not making fun of them, anymore, telling them: "that was yesterday."
This show has an over abundance of beautiful visuals and Zoe lying in a milky white bath with just her face showing is breath-taking. Joseph Peach appears on the edge of the tub; checking up on her. 'She is his responsibility, now.'
Zoe feels sick and weak; like she is 'changing.' Peachy: "you'll feel better if you eat something!" Who hasn't heard that phrase from their mom? This is one of the things that is so genius about Butcher's Block; the Peaches (most of them) can be quite affable.
Back at Louise's house, Nathan, Alice's boss, shows up to lecture her about missing work. Alice finds Zoe in bed, high once again; falling down that rabbit hole.
Nathan questions Louise about her taxidermy, displayed throughout her home. Her response: 'I like silent companions." This lady is one of a kind.
Alice finds that Zoe's leg is bleeding, profusely, and the group takes her to the hospital. The hospital, which is closing because of a lack of funding and is just about empty. Zoe is the last patient. This town is dying, if not already dead?
Luke confronts his father, the police chief about the incident in the jail cell. The chief's response: "shit happens!" One man was eating another man's lungs and that's his response?
He tries to convince Luke to 'let it go.' Sure, just let it go, cannibalism happens everyday, not! Luke is even more disturbed now. How shady is the chief?
At the hospital, in the eerie, empty halls, a smiling Robert Peach appears. He proceeds to do a long, lovely dance through the halls to the music of Mozart. He's good.
Luke meets the group at the hospital and tells them that his dad set a murderer free and he watched two men ascend the marble staircase, the night before.
Zoe and Alice; alone in the hospital room when Zoe asks Alice if she thinks that the universe and everything in it are one big act of violence. Alice tells her sister that she feels as if Joseph woke something up in her head. These girls need help!
In a flashback to Zoe's bath, we see her cutting a chunk out of her leg and devouring it. She is instantly satisfied, but is disturbed, obviously fighting the compulsion, the hunger.
Alice hallucinates a vision of her mother, in the hallway, outside of Zoe's room. Her mother proceeds to repeatedly stab herself. Alice runs when her 'monster' starts chasing her. With his dance completed, Robert chases Louise, Luke and Nathan throughout the hospital. 'A cat chasing his mice!'
He cuts Nathan's throat in front of the others, but Luke is paralyzed and can't shoot him. While Robert is licking Nathan's blood off of the floor, Luke handcuffs him. Okay, I like Aldous, the bachelor brother, much better!
At the same time, a very pregnant, smiling Edie Peach brings a platter of food to Zoe's room. Diana Bentley absolutely 'kills' it as Edie Peach!
Alice is sitting on the floor in another room, flashing back to being told about Zoe's prognosis and her own odds of developing schizophrenia. She takes a handful of pills
Edie introduces herself to Zoe; telling her that there is a place for her at their table and room for her in their home. Zoe seems comforted by this sentiment. "We're just a real special family!"
Zoe asks her why she's dressed like it's 1950 and Edie tells her that was the last time she went shopping. She tries to convince Zoe to eat. Zoe asks what it is and Edie says: "you know what it is, you're hungry honey, now eat."
Edie is so sweet; telling Zoe that everyday is a battle you can't win and that they just want to love her. Okay, I'm convinced. Who doesn't want to be taken care of, sometimes? When Alice returns to Zoe's room, she's gone.
All that's left is a fancy note monogrammed with a 'P':
"Your sister has come upstairs with us, you are welcome, too!"
'Evil' Dave calls again. Alice is dumbfounded: "is this real?" Nothing scares me more than a nasty call from my student loan officer!
After finding a nursery room at the hospital, full of red-hooded, little people; playing and calling for Alice in Zoe's voice, Alice takes off for the park.
She finds Zoe ascending the staircase with Peachy and as they are opening the door, Alice desperately calls out for her sister. But, the door slams shut.
While sitting in the back of Luke's squad car, Robert taunts and teases Luke about not being able to pull the trigger. Calling him a ghost mouse: "your life just doesn't stick! to us, you're just protein."
Robert mentions Tonya and Izzy and how Luke didn't even try to find them; he didn't care? Pushed to his breaking point and coming to terms with who he was before, Luke turns around and shoots Robert Peach and we see the flashes from outside of the police car.
Every week, Butcher's Block takes more chances and they pay off! The visuals, the acting, the directing, the music, the intelligent writing and everything about it is superb! One of the best shows on television.
With Edie being pregnant, do you think she has given birth to all of these disfigured, little persons?
I would love for Butcher's Block to be more than six episodes. "Keeping Up With The Peaches?"
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