After several episodes without them, the monsters returned to the show as Smiley—who hadn’t been seen since the season premiere—chased down Kenny, delivering what was probably the scariest moment of his life. Meanwhile, Henry’s drinking habit is causing him to see things that probably aren’t real. The seventh episode, titled “Best Laid Plans,” opens with a town meeting at the Colony House. Boyd updates everyone on Jade and Tabitha’s story. Still, the residents immediately grill the pair with skeptical questions—especially whether anyone should trust what Jade saw while he was high on mushrooms. They also press the two about whether they might have been in the town before. Boyd vouches for Jade by explaining exactly how they discovered the secret door hidden in the Colony House basement walls. Now aligned with Jade’s idea to enter the tunnels, Boyd lays out his plan to the group.
Meanwhile, Sophia has begun scheming to make the town even more dangerous. Using an egg in a dark ritual, she awakens the dead Roger—whose body is still unburied because the cemetery is full. That night, she stays in the Colony House and chants an incantation that revives him, sending Roger on a rampage against the residents. Elgin quickly stabs him with the totem-headed wooden spear Tabitha had used in the forest. Roger dies once again, but Sophia flashes a creepy smile, clearly indicating her plan has succeeded. Was her goal only to scare the residents rather than kill them?
In town, Boyd pulls Henry and Victor aside and reveals that Tabitha is actually the reincarnation of Miranda—Henry’s late wife and Victor’s mother. Henry explodes in anger, shutting Boyd down and warning him never to speak of it again before storming off to drink. Yet something far stranger is happening with Henry, and it’s giving off serious LOST vibes. In a haunting vision, he sees himself as a frail old man lying in a hospital bed, with an equally elderly Victor at his side—dressed in a sharp suit, looking sharp and intelligent, nothing like the childlike Victor we know. Is Henry catching glimpses of another dimension or a parallel universe… or is the show once again playing with our heads?
At the Sheriff Station, Boyd gathers Kenny and Ellis to lay out his high-stakes plan in detail. Originally, Boyd had insisted on going out himself once the monsters emerged at night, determined to face the threat head-on despite his worsening health. But Kenny, seeing how frail Boyd has become, steps up and volunteers to take his place. Armed with Tabitha’s totem-headed wooden spear, Kenny slips outside into the darkness just as the creatures begin to appear on the street. He lunges forward and drives the spear deep into one of the monsters—only for the triumph to shatter in seconds. The creature casually yanks the spear from its own chest, lets out a bone-chilling laugh, and sends Kenny bolting in terror. By now, the monsters have already sealed off every door of the nearby houses, forcing Kenny into a desperate sprint toward the bus. He’s just about to yank the door shut when Smiley suddenly materializes, grinning that signature nightmare smile, and gives chase all the way up to the roof of the bus. While, back at the Colony House, Fatima can inexplicably see everything through Smiley’s eyes. As the monster rears back to strike Kenny on the roof, Fatima lets out a piercing scream. For some unexplained reason, Smiley freezes mid-motion, giving Kenny the precious split second he needs to scramble inside the bus and barricade the door, heart pounding, safe for the moment.
The seventh episode starts slowly, but the patience is well worth it as the second half kicks into high gear. The blend of sci-fi and horror elements makes it easily one of the most entertaining episodes of the season so far. After introducing time travel early in the season, the show now appears to be teasing glimpses of a multiverse. The monsters are once again proven utterly invulnerable, while the town spirals toward what feels like its most terrifying night yet. Victor has already scared Ethan and Tabitha by revealing the story of the Man in Yellow and how he was forced to live alone as a child. Now Victor is determined to prepare Ethan for whatever lies ahead—but is the boy truly ready?
Final Score - [7.5/10]