THEM: The Scare – Season 2 Episode 2 “The Devil Himself Visited This Place” Recap & Review

The Devil Himself Visited This Place

Episode 2 of THEM: The Scare shows us that Bernice Mott has 25 fractures and the coroner thinks it is because of a train or a trash compactor. McKinney still insists that Malcolm killed her. 

At school, Kelvin is smoking under the bleachers with another Black girl, Natalie who goes on about police brutality. She catches him being nonchalant and he hastily agrees that he too has experienced it.

The Southside Slayer strikes again but Dawn thinks it is Mott’s killer and investigates it. At the crime scene, Dawn spots Curtis, a Black man grinning. He runs when she approaches him and a chase ensues. The locals are not cooperative as she barges into their home to look for him.

She finally finds him in his house where she sees him with his son. He claims he was running because he was scared. McKinney arrives and goes on about drugs, beating Curtis and uncovering the window and mirrors. Dawn begs McKinney to stop but he doesn’t listen till a Black male cop shows up. 

At home, Edmund is choking himself while trying to find someone but it is a bust. Rhonda calls next and tells him to audition for a slasher film as the killer. His smile drops when she suggests it may not be his cup of tea since he is too sweet.

Meanwhile, Kelvin arrives home and checks if his room is extra tidy as he left it. In the kitchen, Athena again hears Bernice and she is shocked to see her photo among Dawn’s case files. That night, Dawn meets with a colleague, Reggie and they hook up.

Elsehwre, Curtis uncovers his hidden stash of drugs under his kid’s crib. He suddenly hears the cops and he hides everything before opening the door. There is no one but he now hears a baby laughing in his kid’s room. 

Curtis is found dead the same way as Bernice, bones broken and stashed inside his hidden cubby. His distraught mother believes it is the work of the devil.

Dawn insists that it is a serial killer but Lt. Schiffer and McKinney tell her to pipe down as there is most likely a link between Bernice, Malcolm and Curtis. As she leaves she sees some White detectives only investigating Black people for the Southside Slayer murder.

She comes home to see Kelvin watching the news about police brutality. She explains that it is messed up and happened to her friend when they were kids. This is why she chose to become a cop, to stop the racial prejudice. With the higher-ups refusing to act, Dawn tips off LA Weekly about the serial killer.

The Reeves clock stops at 3:15 am just like Bernice’s broken clock. Kelvin sees that the TV is on and glitching while playing the news of the police brutality case. He starts seeing things like his mother smiling, a shadow behind him and a mask on his face.

Meanwhile, Edmund rehearses for the killer with a bunch of costumes before he tries to choke himself again. He seems to be in a daze as he heads to the arcade. he puts on his mascot costume and then roams the floor with a knife. Everyone runs off and he is fired but he simply smiles at the end of THEM: The Scare Episode 2.

The Episode Review

Well, Edmund definitely has a kink but is that a clue or a red herring? And we suppose Edmund got into character at the arcade to prove to Rhonda he is not sweet like she says. THEM: The Scare Episode 2 explores the mysterious happenings further. However, one thing is clear, something is messing with their heads, whether it is psychological or paranormal. It has now expanded to Dawn’s family and the victim, Curtis. 

Along with the mystery, the horror anthology continues with the theme of racism. Both Dawn and Edmund face different types of racial prejudice. But we do wonder when both these characters cross paths. Or is Edmund getting into his role as a killer foreshadowing something sinister?