Dramedy Stars Elevate ‘Fear Itself’: In Sickness and In Health
Wedding Dread
The fourth episode of Fear Itself, director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and writer Victor Salva’s (Jeepers Creepers) “In Sickness and In Health,” surpasses the previous episode called “The Family Man,” thanks to Maggie Lawson’s nicely understated performance as the gullible bride and her Psych co-star James Roday’s ability to tone down his familiar Shawn Spencer antics and show his serious side while portraying the suspicious groom. Their combined efforts help create an hourlong thriller that oozes suspense and “WTF?” moments.
The real-life couple portray fictional engaged couple Samantha, nicknamed Sammy, and Carlos. Sammy’s bridesmaids, her childhood friends Ruthie (Sonja Bennett) and Kelly (Christie Laing), immediately alert viewers to a big problem with the impending nuptials — it seems Sammy has a long history of short relationships with men, and this wedding has been staged following an abnormally brief courtship. But Sammy swears Carlos is the man for her, and she persists with that attitude … until she’s handed a foreboding note that warns, “The person you are marrying is a serial killer.”
Uh-oh… Now how do you react to that? Sammy responds surprisingly well, continuing forward with her marriage, despite deep reservations and the clear support of her girlfriends, with whom she refuses to share the contents of the note. Saying the vows only works as a temporary fix for her anxiety, however, and before Sammy can make it to the wedding reception, a few more spooky incidents escalate her concern into outright terror.
From the casting of William B. Davis, the actor who played The X-Files‘ iconic villain the Cigarette-Smoking Man, as the elderly priest marrying the couple, to the mood-appropriate shadowy sets and nighttime scenes outside, “In Sickness and In Health” does everything possible to keep viewers from accurately guessing what’s going on. My interpretation of clues, such as the “stink-eye” looks the bridesmaids give Carlos and the priest’s cluelessness that he repeatedly blames on poor hearing, was so far away from their true significance, I’m actually embarrassed to admit what my theory was.
Suffice it to say that, fortunately for audience members, the episode’s ultimate explanation of the note and accompanying events is a thousand times more clever than my guess was, and the final scenes deliver a huge shock to boot. When I first heard about Fear Itself, this is exactly the kind of experience I hoped for, so “Bravissimo!” to everyone involved with “In Sickness and In Health.”
The Verdict: A-
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Fear Itself currently airs Thursdays on NBC at 10pm EST
James Roday and Maggie Lawson/Fear Itself photo courtesy of Chris Large/NBC
