Hollywood doesn’t quite know what to do with the “Friday the 13th” saga these days.
The horror franchise ran for 10 films, plus a “Freddy vs. Jason” slugfest in 2003. The industry attempted a reboot in 2009, but despite a solid box office run, it didn’t reignite the franchise. Subsequent attempts to revive serial slasher Jason Voorhees came and went with nothing to show for it.
Now, it’s Mamma’s turn.
Linda Cardellini plays Pamela Voorhees, mother to the disfigured Jason, in Peacock’s “Crystal Lake” prequel series. It’s no “Bates Motel,” and the body count is modest at the start. It’s still an interesting premise, personified by an actress who too often plays secondary roles.
Not anymore.
Pamela slings food at Camp Crystal Lake, circa 1972. She’s a single mother raising her pre-teen son Jason (Callum Vinson), a lad with a severe facial disformity.
She’s a devoted mom, but raising a child in the cruel, cruel ’70s takes its toll. So does the fact that Pamela’s past holds secrets that aren’t clear at the outset.
(NOTE: This critic viewed the first three episodes of the eight-part first season)
Young Jason is an easy target for bullies, but he makes a friend in the kindly Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom in a complex, endearing performance). Their bond inadvertently sets the stage for disaster.
The lad drowns in the titular lake, leaving Pamela in a perpetual state of grief. She tries to put her life back together, a path that leads her to the kindly lawman (William Catlett). The two share a gentle bond that gives the series an unexpected element.
Tenderness. But there will be blood, and Cardellini’s pretty exterior hides a darkness sure to grow as the episodes wear on.
“Crystal Lake” offers some meaty storylines in the early going, the kind engineered for binge-friendly TV. Grace’s attempt to infiltrate the cool kid club proves heartbreaking. A run-in with a self-help guru feels a bit on-the-nose regarding the past Pamela hopes will stay hidden, but it’s undeniably fun.
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What’s missing in the early going? A genuine sense of tension, let alone terror. This is a horror series after all, and a few gruesome kills isn’t going to cut it. Still, the foundation for future scares is clearly established, and a pro like Cardellini is a fine choice to anchor what could be an unconventional scream series.
It’s hard not to love the imaginative, albeit lengthy, opening credits that capture that mid-70s vibe better than expected. The production design is also first-rate, as are the period fashions and hair styles. You can practically taste the terrible camp food and smell the campfires raging in the distance.
Take a bow, creative team.
The one advantage “Crystal Lake” has moving forward? Modest expectations. We’ve yet to see a great “Friday the 13th” film, let alone a very good one. The saga began as a “Halloween” copycat, and Jason’s villainy has never risen to the level of Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers or Art the Clown.
Jason Voorhees is a personality-free killing machine, and the saga has yet to attract an auteur who can wring something special from the mute monster.
Maybe his mother can show him how it’s done?
“Crystal Lake” debuts all eight episodes on Oct. 15.
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