NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 4 Review: The Lake House
Paul Dailly
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Charlie Manx is closing in, and everyone should be afraid.
NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 4 proved that the villain would go to any lengths necessary to enact the next part of his plan.
No matter where Vic and Lou take Wayne, there's always going to be that risk that Charlie, or one of his minions, will not be that far behind.
If you watch NOS4A2 online, you know Vic has been struggling to cope. While she may look like a selfish mother to some, we need to consider how emotionally and physically taxing it would be on someone to be living with the fear that Charlie could pop up at any moment.
The most striking aspect of NOS4A2 Season 2 is how the roles have reversed between Vic and her parents. Chris, in particular, has turned over a new leaf, and maybe if he did it when Vic was a kid, they would have a better relationship.
Still, it is nice to see that Chris wants to be there for his daughter, but he probably never anticipated they would be making homemade bombs to keep everyone safe.
Charlie knows Vic's relationship with her parents has never been the best, and we know how he despises parents that don't do their best to give their children the best start at life.
Eight years, and the first thing we do together is build a bomb.
Chris
The reason he's probably let her parents live is that he thinks she's against them. If he gets an inkling that she's building a connection with them, he won't hesitate to take them down.
If it comes to that, I anticipate Linda will be the first to go. It would destroy Vic knowing that she could have covered all of the bases, but she let her mom slip through the cracks.
On top of that, Vic always chooses her father. The guilt she would feel if her mother died would destroy her. There are so many ways this could go, but Charlie seems intent on taking Wayne to Christmasland, and we could be gearing up for a big season-ending battle at that location.
Wayne can tell when something is off, and that's likely why he started to open up about what was happening near the end of the hour. Charlie doesn't look like a villain to Wayne, and he's doing his best to build a connection with the youngster.
Come play with us, Wayne.
Psycho Kids
Wayne is slowly turning against Vic because of the way his mind is being poisoned by Charlie. It will all come down to whether the kid is able to fight back.
We can't rule out Wayne having an ability, either. As far as I can remember, I don't recall there being any explanation about whether it could be hereditary, but it's not like Chris and Linda have one.
I'm conflicted on whether it would be too predictable to have Wayne save everyone just when it seems like Charlie's wicked plans are about to come to fruition.
Did anyone else feel like Maggie and Tabitha saying goodbye temporarily would be their last-ever meeting? All signs were pointing to Tabitha being killed after her stupid decision to not wait on backup, but I can't deny that those scenes were tense.
Get the gas, Bing. It's time to load up the Wraith.
Charlie
Going into a situation with someone as unpredictable as Bing and an otherworldly vampire, the odds were certainly stacked against Tabitha.
She's fearless, and now that she's survived her first brush with death, she's going to change the way she thinks about the case. I predicted in my review of NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 3 that there would be tension between Maggie and Tabitha.
While there was some, it wasn't as severe as I thought it would be. Tabitha clearly cares about the wellbeing of Wayne, but I hope she starts to make better decisions.
What I found to be strange was that the car lit up when Charlie was shot. It certainly hinted towards Tabitha being knocked down, and I have no clue why Charlie would allow her to get away.
They could have finished her off and still escaped. We know the car can -- and will -- knock people down. It almost killed Maggie on NOS4A2 Season 1.
There has to be a reason why Tabitha lived to tell the tale, and that should be addressed on NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 5.
I'm unsure where this leaves Maggie. Until now, she's been desperate to keep Wayne safe, but now that her loved one has been put in harm's way, her mindset could change somewhat.
Through four episodes, NOS4A2 Season 2 is already shaping up to be a cut above NOS4A2 Season 1. Instead of relying on cheap tactics to scare the audience, the series is zeroing in on the psychological aspects of what is happening.
It's working very well, and I can't wait to see what the addition of the man with the hourglass will do to the narrative.
What did you think of Tabitha surviving? Should she exercised restraint and waited until the backup arrived? Who do you think will die next?
What will Maggie do now that someone close to her has almost died?
Hit the comments below.
NOS4A2 airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
