NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 2: Good Father
Who is Charlie Manx?
We finally find out in this week’s episode. Uniquely, this also marks the first episode Vic hasn’t appeared in since the beginning of the series. It seems they are trying to break up Vic and Lou, so this gives us a little time until we’re back to that.
Before we get to Charlie, let’s find out what Bing is up to. Now anyone who knows me knows I hate this character, but he plays a pivotal role in the show.
The Wraith
After finding the Wraith, and kidnapping Nathan Demeter, Bing successfully connects the engine to the Wraith. In the process, he kills Nathan. Then, Bing finally gets the call he has been waiting for: the call from Charlie Manx.
Charlie tells him to put a kid in the car and come to the sleigh house to get him. Bing goes and gets Nathan’s son, Mike, to take him to get Manx. He finds Mike locked in a dog cage by his stepbrother Eric, who is always tormenting him when he stays over. Bing offers to kill Eric, but Mike tells him not to, so he isn’t arrested. Mike tells him he would have no one to talk to.
Getting to Manx
Now when Bing tries to start the Wraith, it does not start at first. However, the longer Mike is in the car, the more Charlie heals. Once he is well enough, it starts right up.
As expected, by the time Bing reaches Charlie, Mike is one of the killer children. When they get close to Christmasland near the end of the episode, Charlie kicks Bing out for doubting his return. Bing fights but ultimately goes. He is excited about what he finds, but we will go into that later.
Now for the Main Event: Charlie Manx’s Early life
We learn Charlie was married to Cassie Haber, the daughter of a wealthy man whom Charlie was a driver over many years. Charlie and Cassie return home from seeing Nosferatu and joke around about Charlie being a vampire.
Cassie tells Charlie she is pregnant but is worried about how they will manage if they leave her father’s care. Charlie tells her not to worry, and he has a business venture that is sure not to fail as long as her dad would put up the capital.
Welcome Millie (Millicent) Manx
Millie is born on Christmas Day and not to anyone’s surprise Cassie’s dad refuses to give Charlie any money. Charlie and Cassie fall on hard times, and after Charlie buys the 1938 Wraith we all know and love for $3,000, Cassie decides she has had enough and says she is going to her sister Beatrice’s house with Millie.
Charlie finds his Knife
After breaking down, Charlie says he will drive them instead of them taking the bus. Well, they don’t make it to Beatrice’s as one can expect. He plans on killing all of them, but his power as a strong creative awakens, and so Christmasland is born. In a twist, one might not expect, Millie attacks and eats her mother.
Meanwhile…
Christmasland is failing
The lights went out the minute Charlie’s heart stopped but return when he revives.
Millie just wants her dad to stay forever with her in Christmasland. The look on her face when her dad tells her that he was leaving again tells the whole story. I think she is starting to understand why her mom called him selfish and cares for no one but himself.
In The End
Bing meets up with Charlie in the graveyard of what might be, and we see that Vic’s son, Wayne, is there. Foreshadowing, much?! Things will only spiral from here.
In Conclusion:
This episode had way too much Bing again, but all in all, it was a good episode.
I’m glad to know how Christmasland came to be and what made Charlie who he is today. Obviously, he had issues with his own mom being uncaring and unloving but couldn’t see that the issues Cassie had with him were brought on by his own greed and selfishness.
I can’t wait to see what episode three brings us. I really hope that they don’t break up Lou and Vick because they break up in the books. Sometimes change is really great.
NOS4A2 airs Sundays at 10 pm eastern on AMC.
Ariel B. contributed to this review.
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