S03.E02: The Demon Of Memes

[formerlyfreedom]

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Kristen, David, and Ben face the horrors of the internet as they investigate a Slender Man-style meme that scares teens into committing blasphemous acts in order to avoid death. Leland trains Sheryl in the fine art of online trolling.

Dropping Sunday, June 19, 2022.

[Snazzy Daisy]

The Demon of Memes

[goldilocks]

Andy’s last trip is not going to bode well. 

I was going to ask if they ever said what was in those cans of Kristen’s or whether it’s a running gag that we don’t know. And then they showed one close up when the daughter had to drink an alcoholic drink. Now I remember that they were Margaritas. Blind Fox Margarita. Even Lynn didn’t like it. 😂

[AnimeMania]

Did anyone see David deliver the Bible like he was told to?

[Annber03]

34 minutes ago, goldilocks said:

Andy’s last trip is not going to bode well. 

Nope. No, it is very much not. And here we thought he dodged a bullet now he was home for good... 

I lost count of how many times this episode made me gasp/my jaw drop, good lord. First the LeRoux home being one of the places related to that creepy meme*, then the reveal that that weird guy Sheryl and Leland have been hanging around with is the one offering all that money to Andy for the business (and that Sheryl and Leland are in on this ruse besides, because of course they would be), and finally the mention of Grace at the end. Oooooooh. So many intriguing/unnerving callbacks there. 

*I know Ben and Kristen resolved the mystery of that meme, but I also can't help feeling like LeRoux's home being one of the homes targeted can't just be a mere coincidence. When his name popped up, I actually thought those homes were also going to be connected to LeRoux's murder spree, but of course, since a couple of the homes were the scene of suicides, that rules that out. But still, that would've made for an interesting twist...

I also liked the way Lynn tried to help Ren, and her deep concern for him. It was interesting seeing how far she was willing to go to help him out and to save her own family, or to at least try in her own way to do so. 

And I liked how the case Ben and Kristen worked paralleled David's weird little mystery game he was dealing with throughout the episode, having to do his own series of "licks", as it were. I can understand him deciding to participate in this, but I very much liked that he demanded some answers and explanations at the end before he went any further with this weird series of assignments. He's right to be very wary, even with the insistence from Victor that his mission is a good one, but I do genuinely hope this is a good mission he's on. It'd be great to see Grace again, and I'd like to see what other people he could help as well, even if he has to go through all these bizarre hoops to do so. Certainly a more exciting task than his usual day to day priest work seems to be, that's for sure :p. I loved his reaction to some of the confessions people were coming in to share, LOL. 

(Also, on a purely shallow note, David looked really good in that whole scene at the hotel with him doing the last rites and all. The priest look works on him. And I'm sure that's not exactly the most proper thing to say about a priest, but...yeah :p.)

But oof, the way his little mission is further adding to the distance between him and Kristen and Ben. I'd wondered how his job was going to affect his relationship with the other two, but I certainly wasn't expecting this particular curveball. I wonder how long it'll take before he lets Kristen and Ben in on what he's really doing, if he does. 'Cause the more he keeps sneaking off like this, the more they're going to want to know what's going on, and the more they'll snoop and/or pester him for an explanation. Honestly, all the stuff with Andy getting this offer of a huge sum of money and Lynn and David each wanting to do these little dares because they felt it was the right/necessary thing to do, it all reminded me of an episode of the 1980s version of "The Twilight Zone", called 'Button, Button'. A stranger appears to a down on their luck couple, offering them a button. He tells them they would get a huge suitcase full of money if they pressed said button...but if they do that, then someone they don't know will die. It was also a short story, and I think there was a movie version of it as well. But yeah. The dilemmas in this episode reminded me a lot of the dilemma in that episode, seeing how far people will go when presented with a tough choice. 

It was fun to see Ben and Kristen working a case together, though. The bit with them wandering through that creepy house was legit tense - I was bracing for some kind of jump scare moment :p. And I liked Ben helping to figure out the toilet situation at Kristen's house, too - seeing him with her and the girls, he really is part of the family now, isn't he? It's nice to see how natural and comfortable he is with them. And speaking of family, it was nice to see Karima again, too. 

And speaking of that toilet, yeah, so all that red stuff coming out was disturbing and gross. I'm afraid to speculate on what else might come out of there. 

I really liked this episode. 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Annber03

[jada]

I wonder if they are going to kill off Andy or have him join the demon gang. 

I'm not sure if this case is truly solved. And I'm still not seeing any larger picture with this programme, what happened to the map with the symbols again? Now we have David playing spy games for some reason. 

[Chaos Theory]

Both stories were a little disjointed but that might be the point.  Without the entire threesome working together things aren't quite......working right.  They were both interesting stories and I like that the oldest daughter was in the forefront this time,    Lynn and Renn were an interesting idea and wouldn't  mind seeing him in the future.   Considering the LeRoux story is still showing its ugly head that idea that Lynn is in fact growing up but still needs to tell Kristen the truth when bad things happen     But the ending to the story just kinda fizziled pretty quick so Kristen and Ben could have their moment at the end.  

Speaking of David and is adventures in the Priest frat.  I wasn't sure what to make of that and like the idea that it is leading somewhere but it still isn't working for me because he is off on his own and that is going to lead to trouble.  Plus the story was a little boring.

So Sheryl, you are the one who keeps me going down the rabbit hole of doom and despair of internet horror. You should be ashamed....or proud.  But the idea to get Andy out of town for awhile was a clever one by offering him almost a million dollars for the business only if he traveled with it for 3 months.  Yeah I am pretty sure the dude isn't coming back.  

Edited June 20, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Lynn and Renn were an interesting idea and wouldn't  mind seeing him in the future.

I wonder how much of Renn's interest in Lynn was because he had to "sleep with a virgin" as one of the "Licks". They were probably close, but the "curse" would have made him obsessively target her, if not several others as well.

[phalange]

Of course Sheryl and Leland are behind the purchasing of the climbing business. They're really determined to get Andy out of the picture. I imagine this trip isn't going to end well for him.

Flushing that demon head down the toilet is definitely coming back to bite them.

Now David has yet another secret he's keeping from Kristen and Ben. I bet the mission is more sinister than just finding Grace, though. 

[Megras]

I was convinced that David's "Friends of the Vatican" was a hazing rite for new priests.

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, phalange said:

Of course Sheryl and Leland are behind the purchasing of the climbing business. They're really determined to get Andy out of the picture. I imagine this trip isn't going to end well for him.

It might just be a way to keep Sheryl living in the Garage and babysitting the kids. Sheryl has full access to the house and she is 100% committed to Leland's cause. 

[ferjy]

18 hours ago, goldilocks said:

Blind Fox Margarita. Even Lynn didn’t like it. 😂

But she’ll get used to it. 😉

I like how through all that chatter, the girls actually understand each other. lol They reply to each other as if they were having a normal conversation.

[HerkyJerky]

20 hours ago, Annber03 said:

all reminded me of an episode of the 1980s version of "The Twilight Zone", called 'Button, Button'. A stranger appears to a down on their luck couple, offering them a button. He tells them they would get a huge suitcase full of money if they pressed said button...but if they do that, then someone they don't know will die.

I DO remember that episode & I LOVED it!

[Anela]

Last week, I was glad that her husband was still alive. I can't see him getting through this trek alive, unless they use him for something bad, and he can't get out of it, so he ends up keeping secrets from Kristen. I know that Sheryl has no love for him, so she won't be upset if he dies. 

This had a halloween feel to it. I liked it, and I'm glad that her daughter didn't get very far with the list. I also hope that she didn't lie to her mother. 

I can't remember the names of her daughters. Poor little daughter, dealing with visions of blood coming out of that toilet. Sod the grandmother for bringing that crap around her grandchildren. I'm sure that she put it under a bed, when she received it, but I thought it was her own. 

@Annber03 You reminded me of something I meant to add. I love that David asked questions! There are shows on which someone has been about to confess something, and the other person says, "I don't want to know." Well, *we* do! ;)

@jada The actress who plays Kristen, linked to a map on instagram, but I don't know if it's on her main feed. 

[Annber03]

32 minutes ago, Anela said:

I can't remember the names of her daughters. Poor little daughter, dealing with visions of blood coming out of that toilet. 

Laura was the one who first made that discovery :). She was way braver than I would've been, investigating that weird noise like that, but given the household she's grown up in, well... It's par for the course with this family to investigate weird stuff :p. 

21 minutes ago, Anela said:

@Annber03 You reminded me of something I meant to add. I love that David asked questions! There are shows on which someone has been about to confess something, and the other person says, "I don't want to know." Well, *we* do! ;

Exactly! I love David's natural curiosity and need to know things. Both because, like you said, it's important for him, and us, to know a lot of this stuff, and also because it's a neat aspect of his character, his constant search for answers and understanding and certainty about things. On the one hand, he's very secure in his beliefs and his faith, but on the other hand, there's still so much more he feels he has to know, needs to know. I think that explains his general humility - he's confident in his belief, but is also willing to acknowledge he doesn't always have all the answers. 

[tennisgurl]

It was inevitable that this show would find some sort of Slender Man style case, and this one certainly took some turns, I got some serious shivers when they ended up at the LeRoux house. I liked all of the plots, much like last week I wish we could have gotten more of the main case plot as it was really interesting, but all of the plots were solid. I think its because they have split up the main trio more, which means more subplots, but it also means less time with Ben/Kristen/David, which is too bad because their chemistry is one of the best things about the show.

Of course Leland and Sheryl are behind the climbing gym, this is such classic demon squad, it has their hoof prints all over it. Things are not looking good for Andy, and if something happens to him, that just leaves Kristen and the girls more vulnerable to Sheryl. I think I might actually hate her more than Leland now. Leland is a monster who I am sure has done way more evil things than Sheryl, but she's the one messing with her own family, including her adorable granddaughters she's supposed to love, and that just makes everything she is doing worse. Its bad enough doing terrible things to random innocents, but doing things to hurt your daughter and grandkids is just so much more stomach turning.  

I always love when Ben gets to interact with Kristen's family, he and her daughters are so adorable together. That toilet was all sorts of gross, like the bloody elevator from The Shining, but a toilet.

I am so glad that David actually asked some questions about the game, it would have been out of character is he just went along with this without follow up, even if I don't see this ending well. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

The Visiting Jack’s case is kind of meh and the way it’s being solved is a bit anticlimactic with almost no involvement from David. Malindaz’s Challenge in S1 was way more compelling and daunting.

Am not really excited about the Friend of the Vatican storyline because it feels like a Jason Bourne’s knock-off and it takes away David from his team. Their interactions and funny banters make the show. But am glad that we will be seeing Grace again and her story isn’t forgotten.

Has Andy done a background check on Edward/Eddie? His 800K+150K offer is way too generous, why can’t Andy see that? Andy is a lousy husband but I don’t want anything happen to him.

So far, nothing interesting with the Demon Trio working in the Demon office. I want to see more evilness and creepy creatures. Come on show, do better‼️

[AimingforYoko]

16 minutes ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

Am not really excited about the Friend of the Vatican storyline because it feels like a Jason Bourne’s knock-off

See, to me it seems more like it's cribbed from a Dan Brown novel.

[Anela]

5 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

See, to me it seems more like it's cribbed from a Dan Brown novel.

I used to enjoy the beginning of his books, but then they would get really over the top. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Once upon a time…

Current situation...

Edited June 20, 2022 by SnazzyDaisy

[Norma Desmond]

On 6/19/2022 at 7:57 PM, phalange said:

Of course Sheryl and Leland are behind the purchasing of the climbing business. They're really determined to get Andy out of the picture. I imagine this trip isn't going to end well for him.

Yep. I feel Andy is not long for this world. :*(

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Things are not looking good for Andy, and if something happens to him, that just leaves Kristen and the girls more vulnerable to Sheryl. I think I might actually hate her more than Leland now

Sheryl is just evil and despicable. I truly despise and hate her. Leland at least makes me laugh. Like here:

[steph369]

On 6/19/2022 at 11:40 PM, Anela said:

visions of blood coming out of that toilet.

Those pipes! When is that head going to pop up already? 

Was anything ever mentioned about the daughter’s names all starting with the letter “L”?  Lynn, Lexis, Lila, Laura. Could be coincidence but with this show there could be a meaning. Hidden or otherwise. 

[ferjy]

8 hours ago, Norma Desmond said:

Sheryl is just evil and despicable.

But she’s not. She’s possessed. She was normal at the beginning of the show. There was an episode where she was taken over. I can’t remember the particulars. Anyone recall? Or committed enough to the cause to go through all previous episodes? 😄

[blixie]

Quote

but it also means less time with Ben/Kristen/David, which is too bad because their chemistry is one of the best things about the show.

I know the Kings like to keep things shaken up, but it reminds me of Sleepy Hollow, with the same racial dynamics in play and thanks I hate it. WE like the show because of the chemistry between, in this case all three leads, why are we fixing what isn't broke by splitting them up? We don't have a Juliana Margulies/Archie Punjabi sitch here so like let us have them all together. I am hoping it was possibly just a Covid protocol thing and having to just deal with two of them in scene meant the set had less people over all, but even that doesn't make sense since they keep staring with all three and then splitting them up. Having said that I do like the idea of David's storyline I just hope he stops keeping it from Ben/Kristen and they help him manage Le Conte.

[Chaos Theory]

You know you are watching a weird show when the (mostly) kind caring and supportive husband/father is the one in the way of the sexy OTP pairing of his wife and the priest she has the hots for who has the hots for her.

Edited June 21, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[kwnyc]

I don't trust this "Friend of the Vatican" thing one bit! Especially because David was told to "tell no one," even Sister Andrea Martin. Frankly, I think she's the ONLY one he can trust. And now every time David and Kristen talk, I wonder if it's the succubus.

And when they were offering what's-his-name One MILLION Dollars (in Dr. Evil voice), maybe I'm just over leaping for things that are too good to be true, but the initial offer of $80K for the business from his partner was a good one; and while they want to renovate the house, they don't NEED all of the money up front. And when Andy (that's his name) gets a new job, their income will go up, and they will also have the credit to borrow on the remodeling. (But then, I am too damn logical sometimes).

Money shouldn't make people blind: at least not Kristen and Andy. They have a home, they have kids in good schools (with a discount because of Kristen's job), health insurance and a steady paycheck. All of this is by way of saying that I agree Andy is going away and Never Coming Back.

And David should NOT work for the "friends of the Vatican" and definitely keep Siste Andrea Martin in his back pocket.

[Snazzy Daisy]

9 hours ago, ferjy said:

But she’s not. She’s possessed. She was normal at the beginning of the show. There was an episode where she was taken over. I can’t remember the particulars. Anyone recall? Or committed enough to the cause to go through all previous episodes? 😄

Sheryl changed after that flaming sex with Leland. Remember a scene where she chose a fiery red dress among all the black outfits that she has in the closet?

Alternatively, Sheryl could be in a deep undercover within the demon organization just to protect Kristen and her granddaughters while eliminating Andy for good and keeping her eye on Leland. Remember the cannibal dinner in S02/E13 when she said this:

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"If I do this, I want you to remember. This is not about your word. It's about something much more real. If you ever hurt one of my granddaughters, I'll cut off your dick."

[blixie]

Quote

Alternatively, Sheryl could be in a deep undercover within the demon organization just to protect Kristen and her granddaughters while eliminating Andy for good and keeping her eye on Leland. Remember the cannibal dinner in S02/E13 when she said this:

This is for sure what I think, now her worship of Eddie? Got no fuckin' idea. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Some of us have to get our hands a little bloody sometimes!🩸

[ferjy]

On 6/21/2022 at 5:00 PM, SnazzyDaisy said:

Sheryl changed after that flaming sex with Leland. Remember a scene where she chose a fiery red dress among all the black outfits that she has in the closet?

Alternatively, Sheryl could be in a deep undercover within the demon organization just to protect Kristen and her granddaughters while eliminating Andy for good and keeping her eye on Leland. Remember the cannibal dinner in S02/E13 when she said this:

Ah thanks. And I like your alternative! I’m one of the few that like Sheryl. I think there is more going on with her. 

On 6/21/2022 at 6:17 PM, blixie said:

This is for sure what I think, now her worship of Eddie? Got no fuckin' idea. 

Maybe she thinks Leland is spying on her and it’s for his benefit? I can’t remember what she was praying for. 

[goldilocks]

On 6/21/2022 at 4:05 AM, steph369 said:

Those pipes! When is that head going to pop up already? 

Was anything ever mentioned about the daughter’s names all starting with the letter “L”?  Lynn, Lexis, Lila, Laura. Could be coincidence but with this show there could be a meaning. Hidden or otherwise. 

I never even noticed. I wonder if there is something to it. Now you have me wondering! 

[ferjy]

On 6/21/2022 at 4:05 AM, steph369 said:

the daughter’s names all starting with the letter “L”?  Lynn, Lexis, Lila, Laura.

“Miss L. Bouchard?” 

“Is she calling you? Is it me? No, it has to be you.” {{{chatter, chatter, chatter}}} as they all reply at the same time.

[snoopypez]

It's so predictable for Andy to die or otherwise...vanish, so I've been expecting it from the start, but I still hate it. I LIKE Andy, and while I do think Sheryl legitimately adores her granddaughters, I definitely think he's better for them than her. I also actually think he and Kristen are really cute together when they're like, allowed to BE together and she isn't maybe-possessed. 😛

Lynn seems like such a good kid. also the girls' solution for punching a teacher was pretty clever! Also-also, any scene and moment of any of them with Ben is always ALWAYS a win. 

[millennium]

who sees a severed head in the toilet and just flushes it?    even if it was a knee-jerk reaction (although it didn't seem like that because he paused to consider it for a long moment), who would chop the head up when it didn't flush the first time?  then who would refrain from saying anything afterwards?  who would go on to have a serious business discussion with their spouse but fail to mention finding a jar of stinking fluid under the bed containing a severed head and flushing it down the toilet??? 

[Anela]

bump. It was this one (with Lynn and a boy).

[Paloma]

On 6/20/2022 at 1:17 AM, Annber03 said:

On 6/20/2022 at 12:40 AM, Anela said:

I can't remember the names of her daughters. Poor little daughter, dealing with visions of blood coming out of that toilet. 

Laura was the one who first made that discovery :).

I know she discovered it, but did Kirsten or any other daughters see the blood? There wasn't any blood when Ben came to investigate and they were all there. I don't know if there is any significance to Laura being the one to see the blood.

BTW, has anyone noticed that the daughters seem to be aging inconsistently with the timeline of the show? In Season 1 they all seemed pretty young, and I thought Laura (the youngest) was supposed to be around 5. There seemed to be about 2 years difference in age between each daughter--maybe 5, 7, 9, and 11. I thought only about a year is supposed to have passed (based on how much time Andy was supposed to be gone on each trip). But Laura now seems to be developing breasts, which would probably make her at least 11, and the oldest girl looks to be at least 13. 

I realize that the writers can't control how quickly the young actresses grow, but does anyone know what the timeline is supposed to be from Season 1 to now?  

[Dani-Ellie]

Not sure on the exact timeline but Laura had just turned 7 in season 1. The first episode features Laura's birthday and Laura says as much when she's talking about having the dream about her teacher punching her in the face ("I'm seven years old and what's the point!").

Lexis is 9 as of the djinn episode because Kristen mentions her age while telling Mathilda that her daughter has the same tea set.

Lynn is 14 as of the last episode of season 3.

Lila is the only one whose age hasn't been expressly stated (if I'm remembering all this right) but there should be a bigger gap between Lila and Lexis than the gaps between the other girls because Kristen has a miscarriage between them, which was what led her to RSM Fertility.

I'd probably put their ages as the start of the series as: Laura, newly 7; Lexis, 8; Lila, 10 or 11; Lynn, 12.