Episode one of NOS4A2 shows us the shorter way to Christmasland

NOS4A2 recap – courtesy AMC

When Vic is inside the covered bridge, static interrupts the perpetually-playing Christmas music on the radio, and Manx perks up and takes notice, saying, “Hello…who do we have here?” Throughout the road trip, Danny has been looking more and more sickly, and as he grows weaker, Charlie is getting younger. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on here, does it?

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During a Fourth of July party, Vic hangs out with Willa and her wealthy friends. As they all talk about their college plans, Vic clearly feels uncomfortable. She is even more uncomfortable when Willa’s well-meaning mother gently suggests that Vic and her mom go to a women’s shelter to get away from her abusive dad. Either Vic didn’t know that Dad abuses Mom, or she blocked it out, but she later walks in on an argument that clearly included a smack, and takes off for the Shorter Way Bridge.

This time, she ends up at a roadside sub shop, where it turns out her Dad lost his watch. One of the servers gives it to her, and she hops back on her bike and zips through the bridge. This time, she ends up unconscious in a friend’s front yard, after experiencing a headache and a blood spot in her eye.

When she comes to, her Dad is in her room, and she gives him his watch, also confronting him about his abusive behavior towards her Mom. He won’t promise to quit drinking, and her mother tells her later that evening that Dad has left them for another woman.

NOS4A2 recap – courtesy AMC

Sprinkled throughout Vic’s and Danny’s stories, we have been slowly introduced to purple-haired Maggie, who can tell the future through the use of a magical bag of Scrabble tiles. She knew Danny and his mom, so she wants to help the local police find the kidnapped boy. Her tiles spell out “Wraith” and “The Brat”, which indicates that she’ll be meeting Vic soon enough.

Manx tells Danny that he’ll be dropping him off at Christmasland, where he will learn to play a game called Scissors for the Drifter with the other children. While he’s learning to play this terrifying-sounding game, Charlie will be paying a visit to a little place called Haverhill.

A lot happened in that first episode of NOS4A2, didn’t it? Although the story dragged at times, I love the cast, I thought that opening scene was fantastic, and I’ll definitely keep tuning in.

What do you think, readers? Are you looking forward to paying future visits to Christmasland? Let me know what you thought of the first episode of NOS4A2 in the comments section.