'Chucky' Creator Explains Decision Behind That Big Season 2 Death

Without a doubt, one of the biggest upsets of “Chucky” Season 2 was the death of newcomer and fan-favorite character, Nadine. Speaking to USA Insider, series creator Don Mancini explained why it was always the plan to make viewers fall in love with the character only to brutally snatch her away. 

For those who need a refresher, Nadine was defenestrated at the hands of Good Chucky in a stunning shocker that showed the world Chucky’s new good guy persona may have all been an act. The death came shortly after the character, who was introduced this season as a loveable kleptomaniac, bonded with her roommate, Lexy, over their circumstances at the Catholic reform school. 

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While it was gut-wrenching to both watch and deal with the aftermath, Mancini believes viewers experiencing those emotions is simply part of the horror genre. 

“Yeah, we planned that all to a T,” he told USAInsider. “That's one of the things we like about the horror genre is the emotional highs and lows that you go through. I think, in a lot of ways, the horror genre is about loss. It's about death and blood and everything, but the emotional ramifications of death as well as something that's very interesting in the horror genre. That's what we wanted to do. We wanted to take these two characters, Nadine, who's like a little angel on Earth, and Good Chucky."

He continued: “It's like, who's the most unlikely lovable character you might encounter in the ‘Chucky’ world and put those characters on a collision course and the worst happens. That not only do we lose Nadine, but it was at Good Chucky's hands. He himself says, ‘what have I done?’ As a horror fan, I want those feels, you know? And it seems like most people like it. There are always some voices like… I get death threats and sh**.” 

Mancini joked that he wants to remind all the viewers that, as real as it may seem, this story is a work of fiction.

“Fiona Dourif is fine. Bella Higginbotham is fine,” he says. “Bad things happen to good people in the horror genre. It's not just about the a**holes getting theirs. Sometimes good guys go down.” 

Clearly Season 2 of “Chucky” was a love letter from Mancini to horror aficionados. Not only was it packed wall-to-wall with references to classic scary movies, but its religious setting spoke to what the creator noted was a surprising overlap between fans of the genre and lapsed Catholics like himself.

“I don't know if that's like a thing in horror, because I've talked to a lot of journalists, but also on the show itself, people in the writer's room, on the crew, the actors, there’s a lot of lapsed Catholics,” he said. “It's interesting, and in a way, it's not surprising that we have this interest in this bloody genre.” 

He concluded: “It's like ... Christianity, those stories are f***ing epic. The bloodshed, sadism, and craziness that happens in that book, you know?” 

Catch up on past episodes of the USA Network and SYFY original “Chucky” on Peacock right now.