S01.E08: The Possession

[AnimeMania]

Season Finale

Natasha decides to give the baby exactly what he's after amid growing concerns from her father Lyle, Bobbi, and Mrs. Eaves, who each go to great lengths to ensure her survival.

Airdate: June 12, 2022   (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)     HBO

[Brn2bwild]

Good, tense finale.  

Why didn't Mrs. Eaves try that a few victims ago?  And why didn't the baby ever try to attack and kill her the way he seemed to so easily attack everyone else who tried to get between him and "mummy"?

I'm guessing there won't be a Season Two.  Even though the baby is not gone, he is probably done with Natasha.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Brn2bwild

[LADreamr]

9 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Good, tense finale.  

Why didn't Mrs. Eaves try that a few victims ago?  And why didn't the baby ever try to attack and kill her the way he seemed to so easily attack everyone else who tried to get between him and "mummy"?

I'm guessing there won't be a Season Two.  Even though the baby is not gone, he is probably done with Natasha.

Yeah, they were calling it the series finale, so I think they only meant it to be this one season. 

I'm glad it seemed to end happily for everyone (until the next victim - and I didn't believe for a second, that they were getting rid of him that easily), but I felt like it still had a lot of unanswered questions. Everything you mentioned, plus why is she MRS Eaves, and where is that other person?  Was the baby born inherently evil, or did it come from circumstance?  Why did he have a houseful of stuff, and yet still never changed clothes?  Natasha seemed to believe that his mother's death had to do with his evilness, which would mean he wasn't trying to replace her, he was just trying to kill mothers and everyone around them.  But what we saw of her history and death didn't really look like that.

Also, I think they meant for it to be an allegory for motherhood and the difficulties it brings, but really it was just about this evil kid.

Anyway, I still really enjoyed it, and would even have watched another season, if they had meant for there to be more.  It was just these few things that it would have been good to have more insight on.

[SHD]

I liked the first and last episodes and was kind of bored by everything in between. Not really the show for me, obviously. LOL

[Blackie]

10 hours ago, LADreamr said:

Anyway, I still really enjoyed it, and would even have watched another season, if they had meant for there to be more.  It was just these few things that it would have been good to have more insight o

I liked it enough overall.

2 hours ago, SHD said:

was kind of bored by everything in between.

ya a couple of the in between episodes that tried to build a wider story dragged because really it was that damn baby that had me hooked! I was totally under his spell and could not look away 😆 In fact I nominated the Baby for a Primetimer award, "Favorite Lead Character" so I hope we can get him some votes!!

20 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Why didn't Mrs. Eaves try that a few victims ago?  And why didn't the baby ever try to attack and kill her the way he seemed to so easily attack everyone else who tried to get between him and "mummy"?

She had been chasing him down for years but the Baby was always able to use the "mommy's" to keep him safe from her I guess. Maybe he couldn't kill her because he knew what he was (?). A lot of bad things did happen to her, she was a pretty resilient old buzzard.

I'll miss that baby!!

[LADreamr]

4 hours ago, Blackie said:

ya a couple of the in between episodes that tried to build a wider story dragged because really it was that damn baby that had me hooked! I was totally under his spell and could not look away

Me too!  I even rewound several times to see what he was doing.  Glad I wasn't alone in being mesmerized. 🤣

[Mothra]

I loved the underwater sequences, just visually if nothing else.  I noticed that she was "Mrs." Eaves with no mister, but it didn't really bother me; I finally assuaged my concerns (such as they were) with the idea that it was a sort of honorific Mrs. rather than a literal one.  I think she didn't get so involved with any of the previous mothers because none of them got the idea of what the baby was after--Natasha was determined to give the baby what it needed and so was in more spiritual danger than any of the earlier victims, who were all in physical peril--maybe there wasn't really any way to save those women?  But the baby not only took over Natasha's soul--he took over her mind so completely that she was willing to commit murder(s) for him, even murders of people she loved.

The one thing that did bother me, that I haven't been able to explain to myself, is the role of the baby's father.  Did his repulsiveness have anything to do with how that baby turned out?  I guess you could make the case that the repulsive father was so totally repulsive that there's no way in hell *anyone* could give him unconditional, boundless love, and that was his contribution to the baby's genome.

Overall, imo, a glorious series and one that left me with a smile.  Agree with posters who said "like we didn't see *that* coming" when the baby survived and crawled on in search of a new mother.

As for deeper meaning--well, for me, who cares?--but the utter neediness of the baby and the total control of his mother's life was reminiscent for me of the first six months of my first child's life, when I sat rocking the little bastard for hours, him clean and fragrant, fed and happy in my arms while I sat there with baby shit caked in my hair, BO to kill a horse, and practically peeing myself because I didn't dare get up to go to the toilet because if I stopped rocking he would cry.  My poor husband would come in after work to be handed that baby when all he wanted was to sit down with a martini but instead was greeted by a hysterical, filthy woman who ran out of the room sobbing as soon as he got home.

[blixie]

Well let's give it up to Mrs. Eaves: heart attacks, beat with a rock, choked out, drowned, she takes a lickin' and keeps on TICKIN'. 

I was so so happy he crawled up outta the water, like bitch please I am a TERMINATOR without the rationality or programming. I don't know that this needs a second season, it's sort of perfect right there but that kid cracks me up so I'd be up for another one. 

I was also happy Natasha is still a bit salty, even if she is slightly better adjusted and she makes it clear she/Bobby are "working" on getting their relationship back. The only hanging chad is if her mom's claim that her dad asked her to leave was true or bullshit. I wish we'd had a big more of Lyle in the main though and I think mommy was lying. 

 

Quote

 why didn't the baby ever try to attack and kill her the way he seemed to so easily attack everyone else who tried to get between him and "mummy"?

I think they are absolutely connected, Nour has aged but she seems unkillable much like him, I think he knows she is only real connection to Helen. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by blixie

[blixie]

Quote

Also, I think they meant for it to be an allegory for motherhood and the difficulties it brings, but really it was just about this evil kid.

I thought it was an allegory for parenthood sure , but also just about generational trauma, these things we carry with us whether from our parents or the "world" as Natasha decided. That things aren't easy to get over and resolve that they live with us and in us, the frustration of not being able to fix something/someone. He's a metaphor for how little control we have over our lives. It's why I don't care too much about the baby as story point, as I said above I think the reason he never offs Nour is because she is his true "life line" and if she dies so does he, in the same way he gets all these women bonded to him, he is bonded to Nour, and remember Nour is the one who wanted a baby, when Helen had no interest.

[Mothra]

I'm not sure I'd want a second season, either.  This just seemed perfect (or nearly so) within itself.  I'd like to see more shows created by this crew, for sure.

And for toughness, for sure Mrs. Eaves takes the cake, but what about Bobbi, sitting there in the damn closet for god knows how long with a plastic bag over her head?  No credit to the baby because *of course* drowning isn't in his vocabulary. 

Edited to add:

Plus:  the twins who played the baby so perfectly will be a year older, and who knows how they will turn out?  They might not look so identical as to be usable, for one thing, but more important, will they maintain that deadpan yet somehow malevolent look about them?  They might grow into happy, gurgling little bundles of non-stop giggling--perish the thought!  And who knows if such a pair of perfect miniature thespians could be found, so you probably can't risk replacing them with a new set of twins.  Who know what little scenery-chomping hams you'd turn up.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Mothra
further thoughts on looking at a picture of the baby

[hatchetgirl]

On 6/14/2022 at 12:47 PM, Mothra said:

I'm not sure I'd want a second season, either.  This just seemed perfect (or nearly so) within itself.  I'd like to see more shows created by this crew, for sure.

Agreed - more from this group and yes, 1 season is perfect.  BUT - I want more about Natasha and Bobbi!!!  I think they could do a second season of paranormal hijinks surrounding them and their mom and dad.  Still call it The Baby, but no baby to be had.  

[raeb23]

On 6/13/2022 at 9:15 AM, LADreamr said:

Everything you mentioned, plus why is she MRS Eaves, and where is that other person?

Eaves is probably Helen's maiden name. She told Nour she inherited the house on the beach from her aunt, Lizzie Eaves. I'm guessing Nour took Helen's name as a tribute.

I just binged this in a couple of days. I liked the premise & the main characters. The baby actors were great. But the plot was a bit lacking for me, and I wished the tone was more evenly balanced between comedy & horror.

[LADreamr]

On 9/21/2022 at 6:05 PM, raeb23 said:

Eaves is probably Helen's maiden name. She told Nour she inherited the house on the beach from her aunt, Lizzie Eaves. I'm guessing Nour took Helen's name as a tribute.

I just binged this in a couple of days. I liked the premise & the main characters. The baby actors were great. But the plot was a bit lacking for me, and I wished the tone was more evenly balanced between comedy & horror.

Oh, that totally makes sense.  As many times as I watched it, I can't believe I missed that comment.  I liked a lot about it, but agree about the plot problems.  That was an unfortunate setback in an otherwise intriguing premise.