The legacy of ‘Chucky’: Exploring the show’s LGBTQ+ themes and how it celebrates the franchise

This feature contains spoilers for SyFy’s season 2 of Chucky.

Horror films wield enormous power in pop culture, contemporary and older. Their goal is to
frighten us, possibly gross us out, and make us think and face our deepest fears. However, some
films in the genre focus on the bigger picture as well and continue to empower the audience,
particularly the LGBTQ+ community. And no slasher character has more fans and tolerance than
Chucky, aka Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) and Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly).

It all began with films… Then, Don Mancini, the creator of Child’s Play, expanded the story into
a series as the entire world once again fell head over hills with a vulgar, extremely dangerous
criminal who possessed a doll. With the second season premiere, the audience again says hello to
Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) as the trio deals
with the fallout from Chucky’s wrath. The teenagers, now orphaned, must find a way to stop the killer doll before he takes over.

Prior to diving into the series and exploring its effervescent queerness, it’s worth noting that
Chucky and Tiffany have always been extremely tolerant and open-minded towards the
LGBTQ+ community. The murderous duo may gut you out (sic!), but they won’t tolerate
homophobia. It’s demonstrated particularly well in the franchise’s fifth installment, Seed of
Chucky, when the audience gets to see what happened to Tiffany and Chucky’s plastic-filled doll
baby. The story follows the killers as first-and-last-time parents in a sequel to 1998’s Bride of
Chucky. Seed of Chucky, including the first non-binary character of Glen/Glenda, was clearly
ahead of its time from the start. Although Glen/Glenda appeared as one doll at first, they are later
revealed to be twins, living with Jennifer Tilly, aka Tiffany Valentine. Casting Tilly as herself
and Tiffany was downright brilliant, but that deserves a standalone piece of its own.

Mancini further solidifies Chucky’s position not only in the cinema, but also on television, by
creating a series counterpart. The creators remain committed to the LGBTQ+ narrative, casting
Jake as the main character and the main antagonist of the doll, who falls in love with his best
friend, Devon. Devon, a true crime fan and podcast creator, thankfully reciprocates his feelings.
The two, along with Lexy, continue to battle Chucky while dealing with typical adolescent
issues. Additionally, the character of Tiffany adds to the LGBTQ+ representation in the series as
she falls in love with Nica in her own twisted, Tiffany way.

While season 1 welcomed new and returning fans, season 2 adds even more queerness,
particularly in episode 4, “Death on Denial.” The episode is a season highlight, with hilarious
cameos from Gina Gershon, Meg Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and Sutton Stracke. Tilly kills it in both
roles, as the serial killer and Jennifer. In this memorable episode, the woman’s secrets – or one of
the biggest ones named Nica (Fiona Dourif) – are threatened to be revealed. The high point, however, is the first-ever appearance of Glen and Glenda in the show, brilliantly portrayed by Lachlan Watson, known from The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Mancini further delves deeper into the LGTBQ+ narrative. Not only does he not shy away from
applying this subject as one of the main themes, but he also makes sure to develop Glen and
Glenda’s characters and incorporate them into the series’ plot. The audience meets both of them
in the episode as they come visit their mother who continues to have a terrible problem with
killing urges. Just as the twins pass through the door, Tiffany desperately tries to hide a body in
the closet. Unfortunately for the woman, some old friends knock on the door at the same time,
desperate for a true Hollywood party.

Tiffany is dealing (or attempting to deal) with dead bodies, Nica/Chucky’s split personality, and
unexpected guests, but the focus is on the twins. Glen, the feminine twin, and Glenda, the
tomboy, experience ignorance and marginal homophobia while educating the older crowd,
particularly Tony Nappo’s character about gender fluidity. In some ways, their characters reflect
our society, where the majority of queer children still have to deal with old-fashioned, older
family members who ask insensitive questions. Watson gives amazing, layered performances in
just one episode, and gives the ability to spark a conversation about non-binary people and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. It additionally helps that the show’s age-appropriate rating is
16+, which can further help young adults in commencing conversations revolving around
sexuality with their loved ones.

Slasher films and shows are frequently filled with queer undertones. Still, the Child’s Play franchise is
at the forefront of creating memorable, hysterical, campy LGBTQ+ characters. We all deserve to
be represented in all genres and sub-genres. The main character’s sexuality, as well as the
hopefully reoccurrence of Glen and Glenda, are not only needed but also necessary. They
enrich the narrative, give it depth, and open it up to a wider audience. Not only that, the franchise
has a lasting impact on its audience, empowering them as they embrace their characters as they
are. All while following Chucky’s exploits, his clashes with Tiffany, and his unwavering support
for his children and their community.

Chucky is currently airing its second season on the Syfy channel every Wednesday night.

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Zofia Wijaszka

Zofia resides in Los Angeles and is a film and television critic. She has previously written for The Mary Sue, First Showing, Film Threat, In Their Own League, Film Inquiry, and more. She loves the Scream movies, Carol, American Horror Story, and Schitt’s Creek.

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