Channel Zero: Butchers Block
Channel Zero: Candle Cove was my favourite new series of 2016 other than Stranger Things.
Based on Internet creepypastas, I could not wait for the series to come out and the first season delivered an excellent cast, one of the best story lines and can be described as a cross between American Horror Story and The Twilight Zone.
Initially having to wait until Halloween season (Sept-Oct), The SYFY Channel has dropped the first episode of the newest season, Butcher's Block. If you have not gotten into the series yet, each season contains only six, 40 minute long episodes, each season is a new creepypasta-based story.
Butcher's Block already begins with a much darker mood than No End House, which I felt was pretty tame story-wise, though it did have some wonderful aesthetics. I think it fell flat because it was based on one of the most terrible creepypasta stories, I wasn't sure why they chose it but I believe they were trying to ride off the coat tails of AHS' first season Murder House.
Butchers Block begins with two sisters moving to a new town, this town is immediately established as a mysterious town, full of urban legends and missing people. The sisters seem to be escaping a mentally ill mother, but it seems that mental illness runs deep in the family.
The first episode delivers exceptionally with setting the scene, mood and characters of the series. Butcher's Block definitely takes some Gothic horror roots of inspiration from Don't Look Now, but with accelerated with folklore, mystery, and intense characters with small-town secrets. I'm particularly interested in their landlady.
I also have a big thing for mysterious silver foxes ;3
I feel this season will be much more ambitious than the second and we all know the unwritten rule third seasons are usually some of the best. I didn't want to ruin the first episode with too many screen shots but I will review the series as a whole once it is all released. Thank you SYFY, I'll be looking forward to getting through the new series. I can only hope they make an adaptation of Borrasca, one of the best creepypastas written.
Needless to say I'm very excited. As you should know from Don't Look Now, beware little people in red hoods.
Screenshots from episode taken by me.
Beginning images taken from web