The most well-known example of a TV series indulging in single-location survival is Lost, in which the survivors of a plane crash are trapped on an island where a mysterious entity also lurks. Brimming with palpable tension and fascinating character studies, the series eventually lost its footing to the ever-expanding cast and branching storylines. Add in a full-on horror element, then you get MGM+’s From, another one-location series that turns into a mind-bending puzzle box. But Peacock’s Teacup is playing in a whole new ballgame of horror, so much so that the King of Horror, Stephen King, dubbed it “all killer, no filler,” which aptly describes the one-season pressure cooker of paranoia, body horror and ambiguous mysteries. While it is disappointing that the series never got renewed for future seasons, it does make this show perfect for a late-night binge, if you’re prepared to jump at every shadow afterward.
What Is ‘Teacup’ About?
Teacup is based on the sci-fi horror novel Stinger by Robert McCammon, but instead of an entire town, the series uses the microcosm of a ranch owned by the Chenoweth family. In the premiere, we are introduced to the dynamics between the Chenoweths while being acutely aware that something is amiss on the ranch. The animals are the first to notice, as they often do, and start behaving strangely, leading to another neighboring family, the Shanleys, to hurtle onto the ranch with a horse that severely injured itself.
Maggie Chenoweth (Yvonne Strahovski), a veterinarian, tends to the horse with the help of Ruben Shanley (Chaske Spencer) as her husband James (Scott Speedman) searches for their missing son Arlo (Caleb Dolden). He is also joined by their daughter Meryl (Émilie Bierre), Valerie Shanley (Diany Rodriguez), and Valerie’s son Nicholas (Luciano Leroux), while his mother Ellen (Kathy Baker) stays home. By the end of the first episode, two other neighbors, Donald (Boris McGiver) and Claire (Holly A. Morris), also join the mix, giving us the cast who will be entrapped on the ranch for the rest of the season.
When night encroaches, a stranger known as McNab (Rob Morgan) appears mysteriously on the outskirts of the ranch and paints a blue circle around it. He gives the families two simple instructions: “don’t cross the line” and “trust no one.” Using the metaphor Maggie said in the premiere, the rest of the series unfolds like a tempest in a teacup, where the consequences of crossing the encircling line are a constant threat and the ranch is filled with sacrifice, betrayal and paranoia.
‘Teacup’ Combines a Demanding Pace With Body Horror
As King described, the eight-episode series sets a demanding pace with “no filler” that is easy to immerse yourself in. Storylines evolve in an uncluttered and decisive manner, as each narrative beat flows purposefully into another, making it easy to follow despite the abundance of ambiguity and suspense. By combining this tightly-woven direction with the plethora of questions evoked in the first half of the series, Teacup creates a taut horror-styled tension as we anticipate danger around every shadowy corner in this electricity-robbed ranch. It makes the series a perfect candidate for a binge, as we eagerly await the answers to our burning questions while being transfixed by terror elicited by a seemingly innocuous blue line, a masked man, and a boy speaking in riddles.
However, the show also masters gruesome and queasy body horror, whose messiness starkly contrasts the show’s crisp direction. With James Wan, credited on the team behind Saw and The Conjuring, on the team as a producer, it makes sense that Teacup manages to strike that precarious balance. The second episode showcases one of the most grisly, graphic, and straight-up scary deaths in recent TV, allowing every awful detail of it to be ingrained in our minds. While the scene only lasts moments, it becomes a permanent threat and promise of what awaits if someone crosses the blue line, fueling the already taut atmosphere with dread. By dancing between bloody mayhem and taut tension, Teacup demands our unwavering attention, making it all too easy to consume in one sitting.
10:45
Related
‘Teacup’s Creator “Went Too Far” Crafting the Horrific Death Scenes
Creator Ian McCulloch and co-stars Chaske Spencer and Rob Morgan discuss crafting characters and deaths for this mysterious Peacock series.
Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman Deliver Devastating Performances in ‘Teacup’
Like in Lost and From, it is the characters and their relationships that drive Teacup forward and make the show so easy to invest in. Creator Ian McCulloch‘s experience on the team behind Yellowstone, a show known for its complex relationships and nuanced characters, definitely bled through to Teacup, as the family dynamics are riveting and often stressful to watch. Between secret affairs and harbored resentment, the cracks in the relationships are exacerbated by the closed, dread-laden environment. And, of course, it also doesn’t help when trusting someone you have known for years could lead to your death in this breeding ground for anxiety.
At the front of this are performances by Strahovski and Speedman, each reflecting the systemic descent of chaos unfolding around them. Strahovski becomes our rock at the beginning of the series, as she plays Maggie with a calm, unflappable demeanor in the face of panic, but slowly, this talent for keeping her head under pressure is replaced with pure terror. Next to her is Speedman, as he plays James as someone who strives to be a good father and husband despite his internal conflicts. However, in the last two episodes, these two deliver the most devastating performances on the show, becoming the epitome of the idea of sacrifice (not in the way you expect) and driving the series home with a gut-wrenching slam. Between the tension, body horror, and performances, Teacup is an overwhelming series in the best sense, not allowing us a reprieve from its undulating stress and riveting developments, or in other words, “all killer,” making it perfect for a binge session.
