Into the Dark: Treehouse assembles an excellent cast (fans of The Resident and Psych especially will be happy to see all the familiar faces that pop up) and even a notable director in James Roday (Psych, A Million Little Things) for a fun 90 minute hour of horror that succeeds in being slightly better than some of the other episodes Into the Dark has produced.
Unfortunately, Treehouse fails to be much more than that. I was more entertained watching it than I had been by the New Years or Valentine's Day episodes but so much of Treehouse is awkward, hokey, and entirely too heavy-handed. It's the shows attempt to say something about the #MeToo movement rather clumsily. Some of it succeeds, but some of it is so cringe-worthy in how over the top it is that I found myself finding it hard to enjoy.
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| Photo by: Richard Foreman, Jr. SMPSP/Hulu |
The episode incorporates some of my favorite supernatural elements and a vicious revenge streak against a man who has caused so many women to suffer. If you're looking for a frothy, light, and wickedly wild story about a bunch of women banding together to teach one dangerous man a lesson, then look no further.
Although there were some very out of place racial stereotypes thrown in the mix that put a damper on the attempts Treehouse was making to hone its female empowerment message. That and several loose plot threads that are never tied up adequately.
It's a wonder how Into the Dark can continuously make needlessly long 90-minute episodes and yet still leave such big unanswered questions and gaping plot holes in the story. Again, Treehouse didn't need to be nearly as long as it was. Once you reach the crescendo, one that is fairly predictable aside from a few engaging twists, the story drags along and loses its momentum.
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| Photo by: Richard Foreman, Jr. SMPSP/Hulu |
The initial shift in the story's tone is actually very creepy. I found myself chilled to the core in one scene during the middle of the episode, right when the horror begins, but then Treehouse loses steam after that and never quite recovers.
Into the Dark: Treehouse premieres Friday, March 1st, on Hulu.
