As we swim into the deeper waters of Below’s second episode, we find that the show seems to be racing through the greatest hits of your average Jaws rip-off – but with a twist. We already know that a sizable species of squid seems to have targeted the remote town of Snook’s Arm and already claimed a smattering of victims, but as the body count steadily grows this episode, we find that the show has added something of a wrinkle within the usual water-logged antics.
Whether the show is preparing us for a sudden deluge of supernatural scares to go with the usual predator/prey stuff is unclear at this point – but while those “Widow’s Bay minus the laughs” comparisons aren’t about to go away any time soon, it seems like Below is actually leaning into them with local legends and even a sea hag coming into play. What can it all mean? Well stay tuned, because things are about to get darker the deeper we go…
After the “accident” that saw a local fisherman sliced in half by a fishing cable, the coastal town of Snook’s Arm gathers together to offer support; but it’s tough to feel safe when things like a partially digested moose heads show up in peoples fishing nets. While the locals wonder what the fuck could swallow a moose, Calvin’s experiencing major concern is his son, Wade, who was witness to the bisection I mentioned earlier who can’t seem to remember what actually happened. Maybe it’s all the magic mushrooms still in his system, but beyond being obviously traumatised by the event, Wade is not only suddenly knocking back a substantial amount of drinking water, but he’s sporting a worrying large mark on his back that looks awfully like a sucker print. However, worse of all, the boy is having creepy, sinister hallucinations involving a drenched woman stalking around his room and visions of a huge, god-like iceberg.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the Come Home Year celebrations that are going underway despite the recent tragedy, but while everyone is having fun, Calvin and marine biologist Fonda have made some shocking discoveries which include CCTV footage of what looks to be a giant squid yanking two holiday makers to their doom during a hike. Rushing back to town to warn people, it seems that the damage may have already been done as other members of Snook’s Arm seem to have the same symptoms as Wade.
However, the most curious thing of all involves the earlier disappearance of Portuguese fishing trawler that we all assumed has been claimed by the giant cephalopod. But if that’s true, and the severed foot in Fonda has back her lab belongs to one of the crew, why is the owner of that leg tied to a chair in a dark room with a dripping woman standing over him?
Below isn’t wasting any time when it comes to delivering all the expected beats we normally find in a killer animal property. If the first episode delivered all the creature teases and character introductions (plus a satisfying kill to end the episode on), ” Crown And Anchor” sets itself the task to escalate matters while muddying those sinister waters. The most surprising thing here that that close contact with the squid either brings on a nasty bout of brain-frying visions that might derive from some sort of neurotoxin, or even weirder yet, the colossal serving of calamari is some sort of harbinger of something far more Lovecraftian. Now, bearing in mind that this could be a massive bit of misdirection, the fact that a unifying vision seems to be that of some sort of sea hag from local legend instantly stirs up memories of a similar, soggy crone that popped up on Widow’s Bay – but while I’m betting that this one doesn’t kill you by sitting on your face, it still whips up quite the mystery that keeps things interesting.
It’s probably just as well, because the show’s already decided to reveal one of it’s bigger hands (or tentacles) by confirming that our initial suspicions were correct and we are, in fact, dealing with a giant squid (as if there was any doubt). But while the installment forgoes the graphic gore of the last episode, we do get to see the tentacled terror take out a fish farmer and pluck two Air B&Bers and a moose off dry land and into the water, and it’s this weird, pseudo-supernatral, two-pronged attack that’s keeping Below feeling far fresher than it should. The bad trips experienced by Charlie Heaton’s character means that we are graced with some impressive cinematography that delivers some striking imagery you don’t often find in an eco-horror featuring a killer squid. Elsewhere, it seems that the spreading effects of drinking with contaminated ice could cause some sort of mind control conspiracy as those poisoned by the squid’s presence seem to be acting all Bodysnatcher-ish.
But while all this trippy malarkey is going on, the episode also ensures that many of the show’s tentacles remain firmly on terra firmer as Josh Hartnett’s blue collar hero gets to do the whole, classic “get out of the water!” act. While some plot threads, such as Rohan Campbell’s Jay owning money to some guys, are starting to feel a little extraneous, the small town banter still continues to give the show a much needed voice and a bunch of character that a lot of Jaws wannabes tend to overlook. It’s also fun how the episode is burning through a lot of the moments you tend to find in these sorts of things incredibly early. Usually the big town event that the sea creature is threatening occurs near the end of the story, but here we blow through it already and while skeptics can’t usually seem to agree what the danger is in these kinds of things, both Calvin and Fonda has not only already figured out that we’re dealing with a squid, but they’ve even got video footage of the fucking thing gobbling up tourists like popcorn.
There’s a very real danger that this hallucination/sea hag/mind control plot may be a massive red herring (pun not intended, believe it or not), or something that’s not what it seems, and that would be a shame, because ripping off Jaws is one thing, but ripping of Jaws and then throwing zombified slaves in at no extra cost is actually pretty cool. But whatever happens, Below is showing continuing promise as it strives to break free of the crushing pressure of its influences and head for slightly more original waters.
Healthy body count, potential mind subjugation, a bloody great squid and Charlie Heaton getting his arse out for the ladies? If this is any indication, I guess it’s safe to say that Below has a tight grip on the set-up portion of the show. I’m immensely curious to see where things go next, and if we cross over from Jaws territory into Widow’s Bay, then that’s cool too, I guess. But try as I might, I can’t fault the inclusion of the quietly threatening strains of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” to really lay down those rustic-tinged creeps.
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Where to watch Below – Season 1, Episode 2: Crown And Anchor: