This Halloween, executive producer James Wan (The Conjuring Universe) and first-time showrunner Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone) bring horror to the small screen with Teacup. Although it’s loosely inspired by Robert McCammon’s 1988 novel Stinger, the eight-episode series borrows very little from the source material.
Maggie Chenoweth (Yvonne Strahovski) is a veterinarian living and working on a secluded farm in rural Georgia. When we meet her, we see she’s a loving mother to her young son Arlo (Caleb Dolden) and teenage daughter Meryl (Émilie Bierre).
But there’s a palpable distance between Maggie and her husband James (Scott Speedman), implying a recent strain on their marriage for which he’s at fault, though what exactly happened isn’t revealed until later. There’s also some initial tension between Maggie and James’ mother Ellen (Kathy Baker) but it seemingly stems from him, not necessarily any animosity between them.
What appears to be a normal night turns into a nightmare. Arlo wanders off into the woods and goes missing for hours. At the same time, Ruben Shanley (the always amazing Chaske Spencer), along with his wife Valeria (Diany Rodriguez) and teen son Nicholas (Luciano Leroux), arrive at the farm with an injured horse. Maggie springs into action, delegating others to find Arlo while she tends to the horse’s wounds.
Meanwhile, the power goes out, cars won’t start, and all of the animals are unsettled. Things only get weirder when a man in a homemade gas mask, who we later get to know as McNab (Rob Morgan), gives them vague warnings to stay on the farm and not trust anyone. Neighbor Donald Kelly (Boris McGiver) and his wife Claire show up looking for their missing dog and end up trapped with everyone else. When Arlo finally returns home, he’s noticeably different and acting strange. Needless to say, Maggie and James’ marital problems are secondary to the chaos on their farm.
The prevailing theme of the series is dealing with the loss of control. As parents, Maggie, James, Reuben, and Valeria have to look their kids in the face and tell them everything will be okay. However, they have no idea what they’re up against or if they’ll all make it out alive. We’ve seen Maggie in action, taking control and being able to direct others, all while keeping her cool. She can clean a wound and comfort her kids, but she can’t stop this unseen force threatening their lives.
A large part of what makes Teacup captivating is its ensemble cast. Each actor has a knack for communicating emotions through subtleties, especially Strahovski, Speedman, and Spencer. Dolden also delivers a more nuanced portrayal of the “creepy kid” trope.
Although quite a bit happens in the first episode to set the stage, each episode, and the series overall, is a slow burn. Even with 30-minute runtimes, nothing feels rushed. The show really takes its time with introspective and emotional moments, giving the characters (and audience) time to catch their breath. Peacock’s weekly rollout of two episodes fits well.
McCulloch’s goal was to take the “maximalist horror” of McCammon’s B-movie-esque novel and adapt it into a grounded “keyhole epic.” The series’ events take place over 48 hours (with a couple of flashbacks to give us context), one of the many changes from the source material that happens within 24 hours.
Having not read Stinger, I can’t say whether or not the show keeps the essence or explores the same themes. In the book, the story is set in Inferno, Texas, and instead of a tight-knit group of survivors, it’s an entire town forced to band together in the face of a mysterious evil force. However, McCulloch’s story benefits from the rural isolation and fewer characters.
Teacup is pretty restrained when it comes to body horror aspects but the anticipation gives it an even greater impact. Without getting into spoiler-y details, the visuals are similar to the gruesome environmental horrors of The Last of Us, Swamp Thing, and Annihilation, made all the more stomach-churning thanks to the visceral sound design.
McCulloch’s references for the practical and visual effects were “driftwood, bonsai trees, and autopsies,” and those definitely show through the combined work of KNB EFX Group (Werewolf by Night, Fallout) and CoSA VFX (Westworld). For the squeamish, just expect to see a lot of dead animals.
Teacup is a slow-burning, well-acted intimate family drama wrapped in survival horror and sci-fi elements. A minimalist creature feature might not be for everybody, particularly fans of the source material’s B-movie vibes, but it makes for a compelling mystery with uniquely horrifying but restrained gore. And with the finale leaving the door open for more, it’ll be interesting to see just how gruesome the show will get.
The first two episodes of Teacup will premiere October 10, 2024, on Peacock, followed by two episodes weekly through Halloween.
