The frustrating problem with this episode is that the problem that kills it isn't the plot or the acting or the writing (all of which were...adequate if not particularly memorable.) The real problem is far more basic -- it was a terrible choice for a 1/2 hour episode of TV. The events progress far more quickly that a reasonable suspension of belief can deal with. From the mother witnessing what happened in the woods (avoiding spoilers here) to her calm, almost blase acceptance of the story as she sits drinking with the ladies in the backyard, to her descent into evil and then into pure psychopathy...it developed so quickly that it was impossible to take seriously as a story, or, for that matter, as character development. This episode might have worked over the space of an hour, laying the groundwork and allowing the characters to evolve naturally at the shocks of each new revelation. But in the short amount of time allotted? It simply didn't work.
And, no, the mother expressing general dissatisfaction with moving to the country in the beginning of the episode didn't remotely justify how quickly and blandly events transpired afterwards.
It had promise, but couldn't possibly overcome this very foreseeable flaw.
And, no, the mother expressing general dissatisfaction with moving to the country in the beginning of the episode didn't remotely justify how quickly and blandly events transpired afterwards.
It had promise, but couldn't possibly overcome this very foreseeable flaw.