"Channel Zero" is the horror anthology series by Syfy. The Syfy horror series are based on popular creepypasta stories. The first season of "Channel Zero" is based on the creepypasta story "Candle Cove" by Kris Straub. "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" is said to be the best horror show in TV this year! This review contains spoilers as it tackles the whole season of "Channel Zero: Candle Cove", read at your own risk!
"Channel Zero" is the Syfy horror series created by Nick Antosca. Syfy announced that the horror series will be two six-part self-contained seasons. The first season, "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" aired from October 11 to November 15, 2016.
"Channel Zero: Candle Cove" is based on the popular creepypasta story by Kris Straub entitled, "Candle Cove". In the original creepypasta story, "Candle Cove" is the subject of a forum post where a member of the online forum asks about remembering a television show back in the 70's or 80's called "Candle Cove". Other members quickly share that they do remember seeing "Candle Cove" when they were children and adds descriptions and details about "Candle Cove".
As the forum post lengthens, the forum members remember a particularly disturbing episode of "Candle Cove" wherein the characters were just standing and screaming for no apparent reason. The creepypasta story, "Candle Cove" ends with one of the members sharing that during his visit to his mother at the nursing home, he asked his mother if she remembered the children's show "Candle Cove". Surprisingly, his mother remembers him[forum member] talking about watching "Candle Cove" when all along he'd just turn on the TV and watch static for thirty minutes.
The first six-episode season of "Channel Zero" kicks off from the premise of the creepypasta story "Candle Cove". In "Channel Zero: Candle Cove", the horror series revolves around child psychologist, Mike Painter, who returns to his hometown to investigate the disappearance of his twin brother Eddie and other children in 1980s, and how it is connected to a bizarre children's show that aired during that time.
The past repeats itself as children in the present time are slowly getting possessed and brainwashed by the same bizarre children's show, "Candle Cove". It culminates with the abduction of Mike Painter's daughter Lily. But the slow build leading to the last two episodes of "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" has perfectly wrapped the audience in a sense of dread and foreboding for the Mike Painter and his family. It also builds up the horror of the story as it introduces scary characters of "Candle Cove" like the Tooth Child and the Skin-Taker.
"Channel Zero: Candle Cove" then shocks its viewers by revealing that both Mike and Eddie Painter were born with telepathic insight but it is only Eddie who had his consciousness taken over a being called the Skin-Taker. The then-pious Mrs. Booth recognizes Eddie's growing power when he cured her of her epileptic seizures. By sacrificing her own son Jacob, Mrs. Booth initiates the start of Eddie's insatiable evil power.
In order to grow more powerful, Eddie creates the children's show "Candle Cove" which he uses to mesmerize the children of the town before killing them. Mike, realizing what Eddie is doing, kills him to stop Eddie from being too powerful.
But it seems, Mike was unsuccessful in vanquishing evil Eddie as thirty years later, Eddie has become more powerful to that point that he can take on the form of a monster made up of children's teeth and possess kids through "Candle Cove". Eddie's ultimate plan is to take over Mike's body and return to the living world.
Ultimately, "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" ends with the fight between brothers. It is bittersweet as it is shown that in order to stop Eddie, Mike had to sacrifice himself by trapping his self, his brother, and the Skin-Taker in the netherworld.
"Channel Zero: Candle Cove" deftly delivers a perfectly created horror story with stunning visuals. It has also neatly tied up the loose ends of the story but still delivers the messages of self-sacrifice, love of family, and good overcoming evil.
Try to binge-watch "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" and discover this awesome horror series. Watch out for its second season, "Channel Zero: The No-End House" coming Fall 2017.
