Episode 252 - M3GAN

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This week, we're recording live from Funky Headquarters discussing the 2022 sci-fi horror film, Megan. This film was directed by Gerard Johnstone and written by Akilah Cooper. Megan's release took the horror community by storm, making a heavily anticipated splash with the film's staggering online presence and even viral dances.

Produced by genre giants and fueled by creative character design, innovative effects, and salient topical commentary, Megan instantly became a modern favorite for many horror fans. This film was requested by friends of the show, Dylan, Megan M., Stacey Whitlatch, Topher Williams, Nico, Stephen Junius, and Sophie Wilson.

We want to thank them all for their support as well as the suggestion. This film was also the winner of our January Patreon poll. So thank you to all of our patrons who participated and voted. If you want to help us pick an episode, join us over on Patreon at patreon.com. So what did you guys think of Megan the first time you saw it?

I think we all seen the dancing robot or whatever. This was a first time watch. I had seen all the, you know, the hype when it came out and all the like building and everybody loving it. And I know, I don't know why. It took so long to watch it, but finally did. I don't, I don't mind this too much. It's not, I don't feel like it's a, like a new, new idea. We've had a lot of these.

toys come to life a lot of cybernetic robots covered in human living tissue but I mean I think that it does put a fun little it's a fun little story about what's going on and a cautionary tale of AI and too much technology, you know, getting in the way of stuff. But I mean, it's okay. It's not bad. You know what I mean? I did have a lot of fun watching it.

I think that that's probably what I appreciated the most about it was this commentary. And it was, I mean, it's very clear in a lot of these films that deal with tech horror usually lead to that kind of a messaging. But... To have a message like that, especially right now, is very pertinent and very poignant. Yeah. So I did appreciate them kind of leaning into that a little. I think that for me, I just, I don't know, whenever I first saw the trailers, whenever it first came out.

And the teasers and everything. And I was like, ah, this is not for me. Yeah. But I will say, having watched it. Which again, I also don't know why it took us so long to watch it. Yeah. So it's probably good that it won the Patreon poll. Yeah. But I think that it was a little better than I thought that it would be. Okay. But I still feel like it's not exactly my cup of tea.

I think that it is fun for what it is. I think that it's very oddly similar to the premise of the remake of Child's Play. Right. But I think that this film does more with it than that film did. okay i do like this film more than i like that one yeah but i do think that it could have been

Honestly, I think for me, I don't know. I think it could have been a little campier. Okay. I can see that. For what it is. And especially the way that they sold the film, you think that it's going to be like, oh, this is like a comedy horror camp fest. Yeah. But it's kind of not. Right. And so I was a little surprised by that. I also feel like for me, if they had leaned more into the gore.

Okay, yeah. This film, you feel that PG-13 rating. And you feel, honestly, the edits to make it a PG-13 movie. Right. And that is kind of bothersome, especially when you could have a lot of fun with some... really, really cool death sequences with this little robot girl. Yeah. Like that would be a blast. Oh yeah. But it feels like they really pull their punches on that specifically. And also the pacing. Okay. I feel like this, this film.

Maybe it's the first two acts are kind of just a little slow for me. And then once things start going, you're like, all right, we're kind of having fun here. Yeah, yeah. But it's getting there. And I don't know how to say this politely. The performances are a little dodgy. For me, it's one in particular. I didn't want to get into that yet. I'll be a little meaner if I need to. I will say I think that Violet McGraw is fantastic.

Oh, yeah. Ronnie Chang is so fucking funny. Yes. And I think that a lot of other people really- Do a lot of great work. Not everyone. Most people. Except for one. But I think that it is fun for what it is. It did not completely work for me, but I'm very happy for all the people it did work for.

Okay. Yeah. I... was a little surprised after having watched it and i'll be honest i did watch the unrated one first um on accident and it wasn't until shit started happening that i was like oh i'm pretty sure this is the unrated one um but Having seen both, it is for me the preferred version. Yeah. Because I feel like it is just a little bit more fun. It's a little bit more gruesome.

And I think that this film does a really, really good job of not taking itself too seriously. I also I agree that we could have leaned further into the camp. But I think that also if they were playing this as like the straight like.

cautionary tale and I mean it it just wouldn't I don't know it wouldn't be as effective for me with what they're doing with the character of Megan I think it's partially because Megan as a concept will always be scarier than the execution right right and so you can't you have to you have to bring some levity to it or whatever and i appreciate that it really doesn't there are some serious themes

We are talking about loss and trauma and family and grief and a lot of things aside from the technology part of it. But it still doesn't take itself seriously to the point where. I can I you can tell the fun that was put into this. Yeah. And I really love that. The fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously and the commentary and the takeaway. Those are my that's my favorite.

part of this um I love how Megan looks I love how she moves I think and we're gonna talk about they a lot went into that but I think that she looks really cool I mean I don't know I I like I like it a lot. I like the concept. I will agree that the runtime is felt. At times, and we were talking a little bit off mic, and we think we may have stumbled on why it feels that way. And I'm sure we'll talk a little bit more about that later. But it's not perfect.

It was shocking to me, though, after having watched it, the people that say that it's garbage, they hate it. Like, I don't think there's really anything to hate here. I get being like, oh, that's not really for me or that's not my vibe or whatever. But I don't really think. there's anything like the vitriol and some of the stuff i was reading when i watched it i was like where like it was i was just a little surprised i'm kind of surprised i'd say for like to have that strong

For it? Yeah. For me, I mean, again, it wasn't my cup of tea, but it's kind of there. I mean, it's fine. It's serviceable. You watch it. It's fun enough. Yeah. It's not like anything to actively hate. Yeah. I agree. I would watch it again. You know what I mean? Honestly, it's not something that I'd probably be like right away. Hey, let's watch.

megan but if it's on or if somebody suggests it throw it on and throw on the unrated one yeah there you go yeah but before we dive in i obviously wanted to talk a little bit about production According to producer James Wan, a name that we are very familiar with on Podmortem. But he said he was brainstorming ideas when he realized that he's associated with killer dolls. But he was intrigued by the idea of a doll that's not a conduit, but the actual threat itself.

So when he pitched this idea to Jason Blum, Blum said that he was immediately on board and Juan fleshed out this idea with Akilah Cooper, who also developed the story and wrote the screenplays for Malignant and The Nun 2. Interesting. Yes. But she would also go on, obviously, to write this screenplay. She said that she is a huge fan of the Chucky franchise, and she used those films, her own fear of ventriloquist dummies, and the 1970s.

film Magic for inspiration. Wow. Okay. I was torn between saying really and wow. Wow. My inner Scooby-Doo. I was going to say yes, Scooby. But Juan was a big fan of Gerard Johnstone's debut film Housebound, which. I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember really liking it too. Okay. But he said that that made Johnstone his first choice for Megan because Johnstone said that he loves comedy and horror equally.

And his approach is to treat them both with the same amount of respect. And that's what I remember. I remember Housebound being very darkly funny and, I mean, still a horror movie. Yeah. But they were able to finish filming in New Zealand before the COVID-19 lockdowns. And they had an R-rated film at the end of it.

So when they looked back at it, they realized that they could theoretically cut a few things out to get a PG-13 rating and garner a larger audience, which is kind of what we were talking about before. It was a choice and I understand why they made the choice, but you know. Yeah. I understand the financial motivations of making a choice like that. Yeah. But I always think that you should just stick to your guns creatively. No, for sure. But we are working with Jason Blum here.

That's true. Give a little money, make a lot of money. Exactly. So they ended up waiting until after lockdown to reshoot some of the gorier and profanity laden scenes. So now there are two versions of Megan, the PG-13 one and the unrated one, both of which offer their own experience.

ultimately similar obviously in terms of story and it's interesting learning that too about waiting until after lockdown and everything because there were scenes to me where Violet McGraw looked a lot younger or scenes where she looked older yeah and i was like how long did this fucking take but that makes a lot of sense i didn't even think of that yeah yeah

But they had some cool marketing with actors even dressing up as Megan and going to football games and stuff like that, which we always love. Yeah. And when the trailer came out with Megan dancing, the internet did what it does and memed her and a viral dance was born. And all of this had people really hyped and hungry for the film. It's reception, like we were saying earlier, was polarizing, but it was a financial success, which means.

Sequel. A sequel. Yeah. And I believe a spinoff as well. I heard about that. Yeah. Was that Soulmate with an eight? Uh-huh. Are you kidding? No. Not at all. We'll cover it. Yeah. We will. You know we will. So yeah, love her or hate her. It is clear that Megan is not going anywhere anytime soon. A friend till the end. Okay.

Now, before we program this film, we would like to issue a warning for spoilers. Podmortem is a very in-depth podcast and in thoroughly discussing horror films, we have no choice but to spoil a thing or two. If you don't wish to be spoiled please go watch the film then come back and enjoy the show. If you've already seen the film or don't care about spoilers then let's turn on. The film opens with a commercial.

A little girl played by Cameron Randall scratches the head of her beloved dog, causing a flurry of added glitter to float across the frame. but we quickly cut to a freshly dug grave a white cross presiding over it and a blue chew toy nestled with a pink flower on the dirt mound a singer croons the jingle I had a dog. She was my only friend, but she got old and died. Now I'm alone again. Now it needed a couple more passes. Yeah. Don Draper never would have signed up. Never.

But we pan over to see the little girl sitting next to the grave and wiping tears from her eyes. Her father, played by Clinton Randall, kneels next to her and with a consoling smile promises that he has something that will make her feel better. Inside the house, the little girl takes the lid off a bright yellow box to find a perpetual pet's toy lying in the pink tissue paper. The jingle sounds off again.

perpetual pets are a dream come true because now you have a friend that lives longer than you holy shit wow no part of this jingle was successful and perpetual is way too difficult of a word but they put it's perpetual it is p-u-r-r pets has a z pets has a z so it's cool all right all right it's it yeah

The little girl is overjoyed. She pulls the furry toy from the box and hugs it tight as her father watches with a smile. We see her snuggling it, brushing its hair as it grins and stares with its wide eyes. An announcer boasts that perpetual pet... are just like real pets, except that when you talk to them, they talk back. The little girl holds her pet up to illustrate this and it intones, amazeballs.

The announcer continues that there are six perpetual pets to collect, each with their own personalities and spontaneous reactions. We see each of these colorful furry toys, and when another kid, played by Marley Sharp, holds one up with a slice of pizza, It warns, careful, that's my butt. What? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know.

One of them speaks Korean and the announcer touts their ability to speak eight different languages. The little girl poses for pictures and her perpetual pet takes it for her. It even comes with a customized app so you can feed your friend, but not too. much the girls giggle on the couch as little pellets of poop launch from the back of their pets and it warns uh-oh clean up on aisle seven so does it just make those yeah where'd those come from

Remember those dolls where you feed them the little green beans or whatever and then they poop them and then you feed it to them again? Is it torture? Yeah! But that's a little different. What the hell is this? It's digestion.

I feel like we don't need to be... But that at least... Don't look too close. We're putting something in the front of the toy so that it's... That one is just... Yeah, you didn't feed it shit. Yeah, you didn't put anything in there for it to slide down a tube and be like, oh, you shit. Yeah. Yeah, they're feeding it digital food, so I can't, I don't know. I think this thing is shitting for real.

The girl sits on her bed with the pet on her nightstand as she explores the app. And the announcer tells us that it's updated with new content daily. So you can do almost anything together. The girl scrolls through the Funky app with options to watch YouTube with her pet, learn fun facts, play games, and buy accessories. The announcer asks, with so many options, what will you and your pet do next?

I just want to commend this film on how legitimately real the vibe of this commercial was. Yeah. It felt like a real thing. The toy is ugly as Sam. It's just a Furby. It's a Furby. Yeah, it's a knockoff. The teeth are all wrong. It's very difficult to look at. The teeth are kind of unnerving, to be honest. But the idea of microtransactions, like that is legitimate. Like they did a really good job.

making this seem like a thing that you know oh yeah for sure but we cut to a car where katie played by violet mcgraw uses her app to fling cherries into her perpetual pet's mouth it sits next to her in the seat pink and white with its pizza adorned headband. And it farts before announcing that jellyberries make him feel good. And Katie giggles at this. Couldn't have left that at home. No. Like the whole road trips is going to be this thing farting. It's a friend. Yeah. You just got to put up.

Violet McGraw. We talked about her in Dr. Sleep. Yes. And I think she's also in The Haunting of Hill House. Yeah. Flanagan. Yeah. She's super talented. Oh, yeah. But her mom, Nicole, played by Chelsea Preston Crayford, turns around from the passenger seat and alerts Katie that they're almost to the top of the mountain. She asks if Katie can see the hotel.

Katie peers out of her window through the snowy trees lining the road. But the perpetual pet who we learn is named Leroy interrupts. He says that that's interesting. But you know what else is interesting? He farts. Dude. Adding whoopsie daisy. I would call that interesting. Nah. But cool, Leroy. Doesn't she set his personality or something? Well, the farts are dialed to 10. Yeah, I'm going to annoy the shit out of my parents. Yeah.

But her thunder's stolen. Nicole laments to her husband, Ryan, played by Arlo Green, that she thought they were going to limit screen time to 30 minutes a day. Ryan asks what she's telling him for because he's not the one that gave it to her. Nicole asks Katie to turn it down as Leroy whines that he needs to go to the bathroom. Are we there yet? Look, I think they should have warned in the commercial that like 95% of the prompts are shit based. Yeah.

Because this is too much, dude. Like, it's been three seconds with Leroy. Leroy has IBS and it happens. It does. It happens. We didn't pay for that. No, hell no. Nicole maintains to her husband that if they make rules they need to stick with them. But Ryan posits that if Katie wasn't on the device she'd be climbing all over everything. She can hear you, dude. I know we do it as parents, but I mean, we shouldn't be doing that. No.

Nicole asks if he'd really rather Katie sit back there and feed her pet virtual food until it shits itself. She asks Katie again to turn it down. But Katie insists that she did turn it down. I love that Nicole's like, because it is going to shit. It's the only thing it does. That's it. Perpetual shit. With a Z.

Nicole wonders what Gemma was thinking, but Ryan proposes that it was probably it's my niece's birthday. I'm going to get her a present. Nicole scoffs that Gemma works for the company that makes the toys, so she probably didn't even have to pay for shipping. Which is really shitty. Yeah, it is. It's a gift. Yeah. Yeah. And I'd be like, oh, cool. You didn't have to pay for shit. Yeah. But to me, I think maybe it's supposed to be trying to set up, I guess, that tension between them.

I guess. And I'll be honest. We learn, you know, later that that's her sister. Yeah. The way that she was talking and the way he was like, well, she was probably just trying to buy a gift for her niece. Yeah. I thought Gemma was his sister. Okay.

but she's not no and i will say that isn't explored as much as it not at all and we'll get to it but it really does just kind of become a background thing yeah yeah but nicole doesn't even understand the purpose of a toy if you have to play with it on an ipad Ryan guesses that this is just what the future looks like and they're going to have to get used to it. The tires skid on the ice and Nicole starts to panic, but Ryan gets control of the vehicle and assures everyone that it's all right.

Leroy is launched onto the floor, though, as he shouts, and away we go. He's aware of. Yeah. Nicole regrets not putting chains on the tires, but Ryan reminds her that they didn't even know that was a thing until like 10 minutes ago. So don't act like this is his fault. I'm like, mom and dad have some. Yes.

Katie's attention darts between her bickering parents and her dropped pet. And as their fighting escalates, Katie tries to tell them that she dropped Leroy. But Nicole is too busy asking Ryan why he would tell the guy at the gate that this was a four-wheel drive. Ryan insists that he thought it was, and it looks like it is. It has four wheels. That's me, dude. And it drives. You mean not every car is a four-wheel drive? No. Oh.

Okay. Different tires spin for different cars. Oh, if it's front wheel, just the front, the front ones turn or spin and then the back ones go. And if it's, if it's rear wheel, then the rear.

Only those go and push the car. Interesting. I feel like just having one set feels dangerous. I don't know anything about putting a car together. I feel like I've seen all wheels spin. So I'm pretty sure every car is a... four-wheel drive and you're just mistaken we'd also be in danger yeah i'm not driving john paul's driving yeah that's true to be very clear so when it's not

four-wheel drive does it like rear up like a horse that's where horsepower comes from oh it all makes sense now i think i'm technically a mechanic now okay yeah don't let her touch your car Don't let me touch my guy. That's why I try. But taking matters into her own hands, Katie unbuckles herself to pick Leroy up from the floor. Her parents immediately take notice of this and chastise her, imploring her to sit down and buckle back in.

Katie does as told, buckling her seatbelt and immediately locking her attention on her iPad. The windshield in front of him completely white. Ryan admits that he can't see anything, which is a John Paul move. If we're driving in any kind of inclement weather, he literally goes, I can't see shit. And it's not the best thing. Well, you're riding passenger like, well, at least JP's got control. Oh, he doesn't. Where are those horses? Frustrated, Nicole advises him to stop moving forward then.

Ryan slows the car to a stop and warns that they can't just sit here in the middle of the road. Nicole proposes that they just let this clear, pull over and wait for a snow truck to clear the road. Ryan wonders how long that'll take, but before that question or any other can be answered, the whited-out windshield glows with the blaring headlights of an oncoming snow truck.

It slams into the front of their car, raining glass into Nicole and Ryan's faces as they shield themselves and it immediately cuts to black. The tinkling of broken glass dies away and we get a loading symbol circling in the center of the screen. It finally takes the shape of a G and the rest of the title fills in around it as a whimsical music swells. Megan. I loved this title screen. Oh, yeah. I thought it was really cool. I think that opening is just kind of surprising, right? Very. Yeah.

The music continues when we come back on a city skyline before joining Cole, played by Brian Jordan Alvarez, as he walks through Funky headquarters. And it's F-U-N-K-I. Mm-hmm. I guess John Paul said maybe like Funko. Yeah. Oh, okay. You know, because it kind of seems like it's got to be a dig at something. Something. It's a really funny name, though. Yeah.

With headphones on his ears and a box wedged under his arm, he passes a screen playing an ad, reminding us that Funky is a toy company for the future. Remember, the key to fun is Funky. Children giggle as they bounce around, play testing toys while employees stand with their clipboards, taking copious notes.

I think that that is, I mean, it's such any product that you make, there's market research. Yeah. But it is really, really funny to think like he's like, I'm not having enough fun or whatever. Yeah. That kid only laughed once. Yeah. Retool. We need to retool this. But Cole jogs upstairs, not even glancing at a large table where people play with remote control cars before he gets on the elevator.

He presses the button for his floor and the doors, adorned with Funky's logo and a depiction of all the different versions of perpetual pets lobbying for attention, slide shut. In an office, a furless and faceless perpetual pet whirs as it clamps its jaws shut again and again. Tess, played by Jen Van Epps, sighs as she takes notes.

When the pet does a little hop and falls flat on its face, Gemma, played by Allison Williams, throws the remote down, frustrated. So Allison Williams, we remember her. We talked about her in Get Out. We did. And we're going to talk about her some more right now. By all accounts, anything that I could find. I know Alison Williams, her dad is very esteemed. He had, you know, a blemish or whatever, but we're not here to talk about her father.

She is involved in charitable organizations that seem to be doing good work from what I can tell. I'm finding it. You're really going around. She's got really pretty hair. For me, she is quite flat. um and her she is the lead in this film um I knew her first. She was Marnie on Girls and I did watch all of Girls. And I think it was a situation where I'd never seen her before. I wasn't familiar with her. I know she was also in Get Out, but.

It didn't really stick out to me, but it sticks out to me here that she is kind of one note. And I think that obviously we're going to get into the chain of events of this film. But obviously things happen in a film. Things ramp up. Alison Williams does not seem to ramp up for me. No, I think that her reactions to bonkers shit that is happening or that she thinks might be happening, et cetera, et cetera. The reactions are very muted and it.

robs certain scenes from the gravity of the situations that are happening in terms of the story again she seems like a very nice woman um her performance in this and it's not even like oh my god she was awful like it's not she's not over the top or anything she's just it's very for me one note and it does hurt the film for me because I feel like even as the story is ramping up The, you know, I don't want to give anything away even though, you know, whatever. But like...

As things are progressing and getting more intense and getting more worrisome and the horror is becoming more of a theme, she just stays the same. And as we were talking off mic, that might be where I got this problem with the pacing. Right. Because if your lead isn't responding. properly in accordance with what is happening, then it feels like you really aren't reaching those stakes yet.

And I think it stands out more because she has some really, really strong performers around her. And so it is a little more obvious when it's like, oh, like. You know, it just happened, right? You know, I don't know. It was at times distracting enough for me to pull me out of scenes and be like, damn girl, like. wake up that it is very noticeable because i i feel the same way i think that and like we said everybody else i mean they do a good job and and she does

a decent job here. I just think that it's fine. Yeah. I think that it is just that, like you're saying T and babe, what you mentioned, it is just a, there is no big reactions to things that happen. Of course, we'll get into it. But when they do happen, it does feel almost like, oh, I'm getting pulled over.

And then, you know what I mean? Yeah. There's more than if a cop is pulling you over to where if Godzilla's behind you, pulling you over. Yeah. I mean, you knew where I was going with that. He's like, license and registration. He was a dinosaur hero. You're giving a different reaction to that. Very different reaction. You know what I mean? Yes, yes. That's a perfect example. It is. God damn it.

no but I think that's just it I wonder if maybe a stronger performer in this role I think it just would have elevated this film that much more because like I said I do like it but like There is really no crying. There's no like a lot of times things are happening and they give a reaction shot from Gemma and it's just nothing. Like it's just really nothing. Yeah.

And it really is the fact of needing to sell these steaks. Yes. Because there comes a point where it's like, oh, shit. And it should feel like, oh, shit. yeah but it just doesn't not like oh we need to reschedule that meeting like that's the vibe that she gives when there's some fucking crazy shit going on but uh i'll i'll move forward but that just needed to be said But after a pause and a long sigh, Gemma asks Tess why they're even doing this. And Tess reminds her, because we have to.

Gemma thinks that if they could just show him what they have, but Tess interrupts her with a firm no. She points out that Gemma said herself, not until she's ready. But when Cole enters the room, their attention shifts to him. He presents the box he's been carrying with the flourish before bringing it down onto the table next to the face-planted perpetual pet. Gemma looks down at it eagerly and asks,

is that what i think it is her eyes dart between tess and cole before we cut to them turning on the lights in a lab the endoskeleton of an unfinished doll is suspended from metal and wires on a stand Though its face is still featureless and metallic, cool blue eyes gaze out from beneath. Cole opens the box to reveal a silicone face. He pulls it over the metal head and suddenly we see Cole through the toy's staring eyes, rendered in calm blue pixels.

Once the face is applied, he steps to the side and Gemma approaches with a pen. Once she holds it up and the toy focuses on it, the room comes into clearer focus. I did want to point out that the skin obviously is silicone, but the skeleton was urethane, just like in Terminator. Oh, very cool.

But when Tess comments that the transparency looks good, Gemma retorts that for what they paid for it, it better. She goes back behind a computer and Cole steps up with the remote. Hitting a button, he announces, OK, happy. and the toy's lips twitch upward into a smile. Next, Cole instructs, sad, and the toy's eyes lower and its mouth droops into a frown. Cole prompts, confused. The doll's mouth lifts into a half smirk and its eyes brighten, but it freezes there.

jimma tells cole to stop and wants to know why her face is doing that what is happening but the toy continues to smirk as it glances over to cole for his response i didn't like how she looked at him like what is happening yeah it looked almost like a almost like a sassy kind of oh yeah yeah like unknowing you know evil absolutely oh yeah but cold doesn't know why this is happening it's jemma's code

and annoyed jimma allows that she knows it's her code but the toy doesn't look confused it looks demented cole asks if she wants him to take the skin off and when she agrees that it's not working he goes to do it When reaching behind the doll's head doesn't work, he starts to peel the face up at the jaw before reporting, oh shit, it's stuck. Now, whatever he did to his hand is inconsequential, but I was like, did he cut himself? Yes.

got in there yeah but that's not we're not doing that no no no no there's nothing supernatural not at all yeah he just hurt himself yeah and and james wan had said that that was very purposeful they didn't want this to be supernatural at all okay They all look to the door where David, played by Ronnie Chang, is feverishly swiping his key card to no avail. Ronnie fucking Chang. Yeah, man. I know he's on The Daily Show. Yes. Yeah. Very, very funny.

He was also in Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 and Godzilla versus Kong in 2021. He is so fucking good in this. Yes. It's literally every line reading. Yes. No notes. Even his. facial expressions when he's not even talking. He's just so funny. He's incredible in this. But his assistant, Kurt, played by Stéphane Garneau-Monten, tries to help David gain entry, but it's no use. When Gemma reasons that they have to let him in, Tess hits a button and the doors open.

David enters angrily with Kurt trailing behind, but before he can lay into Gemma, his eyes catch their project up on the stand, the silicone face still contorted, the left eye drooping down now toward its smirking lips. David wants to know what in the name of ever-loving Christ is that? Speaking quickly, Gemma asks for a moment to explain, but David interrupts her. Is this why she moved her lab down here? To keep secrets from him?

Gemma assures him that that's not true. And she reminds David that they talked about this. And David concedes that they did talk about it. But they also talked about her putting it on ice until she came up with the new pets model. So we just have to keep recycling these pet things over and over, like just making an upgraded version of them. That's literally what every company does now, unfortunately. Let's make a new toy.

He wants to know how much she spent on this while the doll blinks and looks between the two of them. Thankfully for Gemma, before she can answer with a dollar amount, David continues his tirade, mentioning the shit tsunami that swept in over a Furzees ad. Gemma is confused, but with the snap of David's fingers, Kurt presents the ad on a tablet.

Furzee's dancers, played by Coco Poole, Mila Leith, and Ruby Caracara Tabla, dance before we're presented with their furzees, which are nearly identical to the Funky's perpetual pets. The jingle plays. Furzees. Furzees. Cute and snugly furry fun. You know Furzees rule. They're number one. They... Got your ass with that one. There's no mention of death or your pet outliving you or anything. No mention of mortality at all. in the right direction.

You got a hungry furzy. Just feed them food. You know, their butts change color to show their mood. The girls show their toys butts to affirm this and they continue to dance with them. But Gemma isn't impressed. She asks if they're really supposed to be worried. And David agrees. It is a ripoff. They're doing the exact same thing that they do. He tells Gemma the difference as he snatches the tablet away from Kurt and throws it to the ground. They're doing it for half the price.

As the device clatters to the floor, David reiterates that he told Gemma she needed to go simpler. Six months ago, he begged her to give him a $50 option to put on the shelves. Gemma promises that they're working on it, but the only way to stay ahead of the competition is to come up with toys that are too advanced to replicate. She admits that the tech on Perpetual Pets is more advanced than necessary, but that's because she was using it as a launch pad. for something bigger.

She reveals that in each of the pets, they installed a listening model to target kids' conversational patterns. David is like, you did not just tell me that. That's fucking insane. That has to be fucking illegal. It has to be. say or Facebook or Twitter. The list goes on. Mostly.

But Gemma presses forward. She knows that this toy doesn't look like much right now, but she pleads for an opportunity to just show him what Megan is capable of. He'll know then that this is what they've all been working towards. David looks at the smirking toy and then back at Gemma with incredulity. He questions Megan. Gemma explains model three generative Android Megan for short. It was pretty fucking cool. Yeah.

Before David can counter anything, Gemma instructs Tess to load up the intro simulation. Tess is like, now? But when Gemma tells her yes, she does. Leaning into the microphone, Gemma prompts, Megan, say hi to David. Smirking, the toy asks in a voice provided by Jenna Davis, as in the boss, David? Well, I guess I should call you dad.

David's arms are still crossed and he looks with uncertainty between Megan and Gemma, but this elicits a laugh from Kurt and Megan continues somewhat less impressively. Allow me to tell you a little bit about my wormhole. I was born in a sandwich hat and I wolf many cabbages. Her voice grows distorted and one of her eyes turns toward her nose while the other remains straight ahead.

Beneath the silicone face, Megan's jaw flexes repeatedly as she tries to continue speaking, but nothing comes from her but a repetitive glitching sound. Real quick, Jenna Davis, Megan's voice. This actress, she played in Lisa Frankenstein in 2024. I still need to watch that. I know that it's amazing. Yeah, I've heard that too. She does really good as Megan. Yeah, she does. I saw in a... I watched an interview with her where she was saying that everybody knows her from some.

video she did that went viral and she became a meme and people were making fun of her and she's like well now you know i'm doing this or whatever and i'm like what meme like yeah i don't know oh you never know i looked for it and i did not recognize it at all but oh and i'm pretty fucking online Perpetually? Perpetually, yes. But Gemma fumbles around her equipment, asking for a moment because this obviously wasn't supposed to happen.

Megan's eyes flit to David and her jaw continues to pulse, but the silicone face keeps her smirking mouth closed. Cole tries to get Gemma's attention, but she dismisses him, proposing that it's probably just a race condition that will take literally one minute to. fix but holding a small piece of equipment in his hand Cole confesses that it's not a race condition he forgot to put in the polypropylene barrier

Just then, Megan's distorted voice grows deep and slowed as steam rises from her head and her brand new face begins to bubble. Her eyes dart around helplessly before her head literally explodes. Everyone screams and ducks down but Tess snaps into action and grabs the fire extinguisher to eliminate the fire that sprouted from the stump where Megan's head used to be.

Gemma stares at this display in horror before looking back at David, who angrily wipes his shirt clean. In the wake of the smoldering wreckage, David tells Gemma decisively that he wants the pet's prototype on his desk by Friday. And he follows up by telling her to put her cyborg puppet show in a dark closet where it belongs.

In his defense, he already told her once not to be doing this. Yeah. And in her defense, she couldn't have planned for that. She couldn't have planned for that. She didn't know that was going to happen. No. But I mean, the only thing that would have saved this moment when you're directly disobeying what he told you. told you to do and spending a lot of his fucking money. The only way to save this would have been to do something that would have blown his tits off.

And it just blew Megan's head off. It was not good. It just wasn't good. No, but I still feel like that would be very impressive. You're at the very beginning stages. of whatever the fuck this is. Right, but I told you not to be doing this. But look how far she's come. Look at what's going on. There's a whole body. There's a head. Yeah, her head exploded. There was a head. But there was a head. Yeah, there was.

Gemma closes her eyes in defeat as David walks alone to the glass doors. When he scans his card to leave, the doors open, but he pauses before walking away, adding, and I want a swipe card for this door, which is wild.

that they did that because they were like we need to keep David out of here the door slides shut as David walks away but Kurt offers his condolences for what it's worth he thought it was really cool When it's clear that this isn't worth much to Gemma, who still stares heartbroken at her ruined project, Kurt scampers to the door and leaves.

I will say this line of Kurtz just feels like a kind throwaway, but I don't know if it's supposed to be setting up something that we see him do later. Yeah, but that thing that we see him do later, I think that we all thought... was gonna lead to something it doesn't no no but later as she was told jimma is putting her things away She picks up her phone when it starts to vibrate, and when she sees the caller ID, she pauses. Oregon Emergency Medical Center. She looks up, confused.

But that night she goes to the hospital where Katie is strapped to a gurney. Her neck is in a brace. Her face is scratched and blood is caked in her nostril. An offscreen nurse assures her that she'll be okay. But Gemma watches through the glass window. face trembling with uncertainty and i was a little generous in that description because she's just kind of looking at her yeah it's like did you call action yet yeah Who's that again? Oh, it's my knees. Oh, my bad. Fuck.

In an office, she signs paperwork to be granted temporary legal custody of Katie. She hands the paper over to the caseworker before shooting an uneasy glance at Katie. But when she looks back up, Katie finally turns toward her. At Katie's house, under the watchful eye of a framed photo of Nicole, Ryan, and Katie, Gemma takes a packed box of Katie's things into the kitchen.

She looks at the whiteboard calendar on the fridge at the ski trip date they'd marked off from January 17th to the 25th. The ski trip that Nicole and Ryan never made it back from. She sighs before looking through the patio doors at Katie, who sits hunched over a table and drawing. A somber score plays as Gemma looks out at her niece sadly. See, so for here, I... You also lost your sibling. Yes. Your brother-in-law. You're looking at their child. You're here taking care of your niece.

I need a little more from that right now. It's that. And I feel like I think they kind of allude later to them not being close. And I guess like you were saying, T, maybe the way that Nicole was speaking in the car is supposed to convey that as well. But I'm like, even if say you hate your sister, I think the empathy for your niece alone would elicit.

a little more you know emotion than we ever get from Gemma yeah and wouldn't it lead to some complicated situations for yourself internally yes to you know have moments of you know maybe when she's on her own yes of anything yeah i didn't get a chance to make amends or say goodbye or anything i this is motivation for taking care of my knees yeah i think that component is super missing it's like oh we just

need a way to get this kid into her life and a sibling it makes sense but none of the emotionality is there not like It is weird. That aspect of it is strange to me. And they like I said, I think they try to explain it away by asking questions like that. But it's like I mean, I think that if this happened to a stranger and I'm taking care of their kid, I would have I would feel.

More. Yeah. I don't know if they're just trying to use her being a workaholic as an excuse to not being emotionally available. And I get that to a point. It doesn't it shouldn't reach that. No. There's got to be at least one scene. Right. I'll be honest. It kind of makes her unlikable. Yeah, and there's some shit through this film where I'm like, she's kind of a villain, too. For real. Yeah, there's one thing in particular that I was like, oh, you're fucked up for that. Yeah.

With the cuts from the car accident still healing on her face, Katie sits in the backseat as Gemma drives them home. Gemma watches her in the rearview mirror, but when they get to her house, there is a strange mist spraying up from the side of the fence. Gemma gets out to open the trunk, but Katie stays behind for a moment, looking up at Gemma's house, her new home.

Suddenly, though, a barking dog jumps up against her window, scaring the hell out of her. And when Jimmy yells at the dog, it darts off through a hole in the fence and onto the neighbor's property. When Gemma calls out for her neighbor, Celia, played by Lori Dungy, appears, leaning over the fence with a sprayer wand in her hand. So Lori Dungy, she did a small part in Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring. Oh! She also did, because I was like, wow, a lot.

of Power Rangers. Really? Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Cosmic Fury. There's a lot of this cast, I will say, that worked on... A lot of these Power Rangers shows. Hell yeah, dude. Yeah. It must have been maybe a New Zealand production. Lord of the Rings was too, right? Yeah. That makes sense. Gemma implores Celia to keep her dog on her side of the fence, but Celia retorts that she just spent $80 on a shot caller.

Gemma proposes that she try cranking it up a notch, but Celia just wants to know who the little lady is in the backseat. Gemma shares that it's her niece, Katie, and Celia asks if she's staying for the weekend. But Gemma isn't trying to share anything further. She tells her neighbor that it's been a really long drive and she would appreciate it if Celia just didn't have the dog running into. her yard and if she could stop spraying chemicals onto her driveway.

She indicates a spreading pool leaking down the driveway and Celia apologizes before lifting the wand again and asking Gemma if she wants to borrow it when she's done, which was really funny. I feel like, I don't know. I feel like Celia. kind of endearing as a neighbor. A little bit. Yeah. Now, you know, you can't have your dog running around, but also I feel like Gemma is like, and shock that dog harder. It's like, you're really mean, I think. Yeah. Hard.

But flabbergasted, Gemma is like, no, I don't want to borrow it. And she also doesn't want to spend the afternoon getting Celia's sediment off of her driveway. She asks her neighbor to just hang a tarp or something. And Celia responds with the play. Okay. Wrangling multiple suitcases, Gemma heads inside. She's greeted by her AI assistant, Elsie, whose voice is provided by Ellen Dubin. She reports that Gemma has six unanswered voice messages and five Tinder notifications.

When Katie looks up at her, Gemma instructs Elsie to turn off, and Elsie beeps as her light grows dim.

You know, I understand it's a throwaway joke. Yeah. But I honestly feel like it kind of hurts what they're trying to do with Gemma, because if you are trying to paint her as this workaholic who doesn't have time for anything... yeah she's also dating and maybe they were dick appointments we don't know jimma's business and also why is elsie telling her business the minute it was that that could be anyone dude yeah but she

doesn't know jimma apologizes to katie for that but katie is silent jimma tells her that she's gonna put the bags away and invites her to just make herself at home She disappears down the hall and Katie takes a look around, lingering on a large display with toys on the shelves. She reaches up and carefully pulls down one of the toys still in its box.

But Gemma comes out and tells her gently that those aren't toys. Well, technically they are toys, but they're collectibles, so you don't play with them. She takes the box away from Katie and sets it back on the shelf, admitting that that probably sounds weird. Katie remains quiet, but she watches as Gemma slides it back onto the shelf. Gemma looks around, wondering if she has anything for her niece to play with before remembering, what happened to that perpetual pet I got you for your birthday?

Aunt Gemma, I don't know if you heard, but there was an accident. Yeah. And Leroy and I, I was the only. Leroy didn't make it. No. Instead of answering, Katie shoves her hands into her coat pockets and sighs. It's okay. She says that she was just looking, and Gemma looks down at her, concerned.

I feel like that's another thing, honestly. It seemed as if some time had passed between us seeing Gemma at the hospital and her bringing... katie home yeah yeah and you made no preparations at all for anything you know that you're gonna have to bring a kid home yeah yeah And for there to not be toys or anything to occupy this kid with. Right. You work at a fucking toy company. That is a good point because she is a bit cold about.

the collectibles. And I mean, we do understand, you know what I mean? I get it. I get that for sure. Yeah. That's your niece. You, even if not, you know, it's a kid make it fun or, you know, what she's going through. Oh, that, you know, we don't take them out. play with them but this one right here under you know when it was made it's that you you work at a toy factory you should be full of this knowledge you should know this shit i feel like

And I understand not wanting to have children, maybe not even being good with children. But I think it's just basic empathy for this person that's been through this. I think, but me, I'd be like.

If I know I'm bringing this kid home and I have a bunch of shit that I don't want her to touch. Also. On the way home, I'd be like, I have this really cool collection of toys. We can't play with them, but I can show you the history and blah, blah, blah. I think I would be talking it up instead of being like, make yourself at home. no no don't touch that yeah like that like she's a child yeah what child is not going to gravitate to a wall of toys yeah

You know she likes toys. You know she likes toys and you work at a place that has focus group testing with kids. I'm just like, it's not like you've never seen a child before. Even if you don't have children. your work is geared for children yeah i don't know i just this character i i'll be honest the more that we're talking about this the more i think i don't fucking like That night, Katie sits in her new bed, set next to an exercise bike and a yoga ball, drinking water.

Gemma comes in with pillows for the windows bench seat, admitting that she knows it doesn't look like much right now, but she promises that they'll find a way to make it look cozy. Katie sets her water down on the nightstand, but Gemma promptly picks it up before setting it back down on a coaster. Pretty good foreshadowing. When she looks down at Katie and sees how defeated and sad she is, she struggles to find the words before sitting on the bed with her niece.

She tells her that she knows this is a lot for her to take in, but she promises that she'll do everything she can to make this feel like home for her. She assures her that if she needs anything, she'll be really close. She's just right down the hall. She gets up to leave, but Katie stops her. You're not going to read me a bedtime story? Gemma is a little taken aback by this, but Katie explains that her mom always used to read her a bedtime story before bed.

Gemma points out that she doesn't have any kids books here right now. And at the look of disappointment on Katie's face, she tells her that that's OK. She can download one on her phone. She sits back down on the bed and looks down at her phone, realizing that she just needs to update the app. And while she does, the two sit awkwardly and wait. I really like this scene actually because...

A we're using technology to help this child and maybe foster a better connection and relationship between these two people. And B this is what I mean. I get.

maybe not being good with kids but he or she is trying my mom used to do this for me okay I can do it I maybe can't do it in the way that your mom did but I can do it we can figure it out together I just would have liked more of that yeah then this weird whatever the fuck that last scene was and then ultimately this almost disconnected disconnected and I'll say like transactional like almost business relationship that they

develop going forward that's fair because it does feel manipulative after a certain point so i i this scene is really i think kind of crucial even though it's really short but i'm like i just would have really liked more of this of Gemma still being Gemma but like fuck I gotta take care of this kid now yeah trying to figure it out yeah

Later that night, Gemma starts to unpack Katie's boxes. She pauses when she finds the family photo of Katie, Nicole and Ryan and her features soften with emotion. But she turns when she hears Katie crying down the hall. She goes to investigate, but pauses at the closed bedroom door as her niece sobs inside. And it kind of undoes what we just saw in the scene previous. Yeah. Hug your crying niece? I don't know.

I mean, I would be like, are you the android? Like, what the fuck? You know, I feel like we're laying groundwork for it. but yeah at the very least be like are you okay yeah if you want to be alone i understand but i'm right here do you need a hug you know whatever she's like oh fuck she's crying real hard isn't there yeah then just nothing yeah

The next morning, as Katie watches cartoons, Gemma sits in the next room on her phone. She tells the person on the other end that she can't believe this is happening. She's not equipped to handle this when she doesn't even take care of her own plants. We see that she's talking to Tess, who is taking the call in the lab while she works. She asks if Gemma has heard from Ryan's parents, and she has.

They called and offered to help her, but they live in Florida and they're kind of weird. Her priority is figuring out how to do this because in her words, David is going to shit blood if she asks for more time off. And Tess understands this, but she points out that Gemma just lost her sister. Jim encounters that they spent $100,000 of company money on a product that David didn't even ask for. So if they don't get the prototype he's asking for soon, he's going to sue them.

i was like okay i get like this is your pet project pets with a z no this is your pet project You're working on it in secret, even though you're tasked with working on something else. You spent $100,000 and her head's still exploding. Yeah. Yeah. You got to give it up. Yeah. David should sue you.

That is crazy. That's like Grand Theft. Yeah, dude. You can't do that. Hell no. But Tess reiterates that she doesn't think Gemma should be worried about work right now. She needs to be focusing on Katie. Gemma tries to rebut this, but she is interrupted when the doorbell rings. She opens the door to find Lydia, played by Amy Usherwood.

She introduces herself, but Gemma stares at her blankly until she remembers. Oh, the therapist. That was for us. Yeah, because we definitely couldn't infer it. No, no. But she invites Lydia inside and the therapist goes over to Katie who sits on the couch watching cartoons still. She introduces herself and points out that Katie is still in her pajamas.

Gemma joins them in the living room, agreeing that they were just watching TV. And glancing up at the TV, Lydia comments, I see that. She shoots a glance at Gemma before walking further into the living room. Gemma sets her phone down and asks how this is supposed to work. Lydia shrugs that she just needs to observe Gemma and Katie together for half an hour or 40 minutes.

Gemma asks what they're supposed to be doing and Lydia smiles at Katie as she offers simply just hanging out. She suggests that maybe they could play with some toys or a game. She turns to Katie and asks if she wants to grab some toys to play with, but Katie counters that she doesn't have any toys here. Gemma adds that she just unpacked a box this morning, but she thinks the toys are just old and Katie doesn't play with them anymore.

Indicating the shelving, Lydia proposes, what about these toys up here? But Katie informs her that they're not toys. They're Aunt Gemma's collectibles, and they're not supposed to play with them. Gemma laughs uneasily before deciding that that's okay. They can play with them. They can totally play with them. Do you want to play with them?

She goes over to the shelving and picks up the box that Katie had been admiring. Katie and Lydia exchange a look as Katie opens a drawer and takes out a box cutter. Doing her best to look super casual, Gemma stabs a hole into the box and peels the wrapping away. I feel like she could have been a little more careful with that rapping. Oh, I know. She didn't need to do all that. I can just rip it the fuck apart. That's fine. I'll burn it. You want to break it? We can break it.

Come on. Everybody knows what collectibles are. Don't make me fucking open this. Don't do that. And what do you mean? Oh, I can see that. We're just awake sitting here watching cartoons. Why can't I be in my pajamas? Why can't she be in her pajamas? pajamas what the fuck maybe that's what she needs right now yeah i mean lydia is judgmental from jump she is she takes out a ball from the inside of the box and tosses it over to katie with a grin

Later, Katie rocks it back and forth on the carpet while Lydia sits on the floor watching. The room is silent until Gemma points out that there's a lever on that that'll... But Lydia interrupts her. She suggests that for the sake of the exercise, they let Katie lead. Exercise. I thought it was just observation. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Lead what? Lead rolling the ball.

I actually think that it would be a good indicator to watch Gemma teach Katie about something. Very true. And see how they interact with each other. Because it's not as though... katie's being evaluated or something and they want to see how she interacts with it like right they want to see how they interact together but don't talk to her yeah But you're doing it wrong. Yeah, it's that. No, we just hang out, but not like that.

Gemma is fine with this but says that she was only trying to explain how it works Lydia dismisses this it's a toy it can't be that complicated Gemma deflates Lydia turns her attention to Katie and tells her that she's doing great. She asks if Katie wants to roll the toy to Aunt Gemma. She does, and Gemma picks it up. But she can't help herself but to tell Lydia that it's just, this is not really what it was designed to do. It does other things.

Lydia gives her a stern look and Gemma relents. Totally. Let's just roll it on the ground like a tennis ball. We'll do that instead. She lets out a shaky sigh as she rolls the toy back to Katie and Lydia fixes her with the judgmental look.

it was a very poor showing yeah yeah it wasn't it wasn't great no the only thing missing was her writing something down i'm tanking this After the visit, Gemma walks Lydia to her car as the therapist shares that they'll do a few more visits, but they can do that at Gemma's office or at school.

Gemma says that she's still looking into schooling because Nicole was homeschooling Katie, but it is on her list. Lydia changes the subject abruptly and apologizes for asking just how close Gemma was to her sister. Gemma is taken aback by this question and she has to admit that she doesn't know. Lydia asks, but you wanted to take custody, right? Gemma insists that of course she did.

And Lydia accepts this, but adds that Ryan's parents have said that they're willing to take Katie if it's too much for her. Gemma is appalled that his parents contacted Lydia, but Lydia says that it's not a big deal, citing that they were only trying to be supportive. But Gemma is clear that if Nicole wanted Katie to go to Jacksonville, she would have said so.

Lydia allows that that's true. But even though that's the case, she has to make her own recommendation to the court as to whether or not this is a safe space for Katie. And Gemma is going to have to make one or two adjustments in order for this to work. Gemma nods and agrees, and once Lydia walks away to her car, she lets it sink in. What are these, one or two? Oh, you're already gone. Bye.

That would be my first question. Like, what? What do I need to do? A list, some notes, something. Yeah, you said a safe space. What did you just see that made this not a safe space? Yeah. I would really want to know that. She's like, well, have a good one. It's like a riddle. Drive safe. Later, she sits at the table with Katie, and Katie chews on her toast quietly, but Gemma is engrossed in her phone. And even this, yes, every kid's favorite meal.

bread yeah dude they're like at the table later and katie's eating toast yeah get this kid shouldn't you be using like doordash or whatever um equivalent you have in this film yeah or get her some mcdonald's your android or or Order it. Yeah. Like that's more technology. The most she did was use a toaster. I don't know.

But when Gemma looks up and realizes that Katie is just sitting there watching her, she sets her phone down. She levels with Katie that she has a project at work that's overdue. And with all the time she's taken off, she's not sure she's going to be able to get it done. That would make me feel like shit. Yeah. At my big age. Yeah. All the time that I had to take off for you. I'm fucked at work now. Like, why would you phrase it like that? I feel like I'm nitpicking Gemma, but like.

But it's every scene. It's every scene. And I feel like you have introduced a... incredibly tragic backstory for this child that just happened yeah that that's really all i could think was like relax a little bit your niece needs you dude yeah i understand your job you're whatever but Again, this, and you're right, you saying that this is, I feel like maybe too heavy of a beginning story for Katie. It's a lot. For what's going on in the movie.

And it doesn't even feel all that fleshed out. We have this element of... her brother-in-law's parents yeah they're weird so no what's weird about them yeah tell us more and then you have this element with the sister who clearly doesn't like jimma but we're honoring all of her wishes but we're not close and we don't talk or like what is yeah it's complicated

and we we never get it's never flushed out no and it's funny because i was looking online and i saw a lot of people talking shit about katie what and like saying she's annoying she's a little shit and i'm like dude the way that this film opens Like, I can't help but feel sympathy for this kid, even when she she wiles out a little bit later. Yeah. Of course she is. Yeah.

I don't know. I feel like Gemma doesn't get enough hate. Gemma doesn't get enough hate and Katie gets too much. Well, on this show. Yeah. Because we're going to be with Katie. We're going to see. And I feel like the story. It all goes with what's going on. Yeah. Yeah.

But Katie responds by taking a bite of her toast. So Gemma presses forward. It won't take longer than a couple hours, but she's going to need Katie to hold down the fort by herself. It would help her a lot. Now she is talking about going to her office. at the house but i literally thought she was about to leave this kid here i did too the way she's saying it

But she tells Katie that she can even use her iPad to FaceTime a friend or play a game. She slides her device over to Katie, who looks at it for a moment before glancing back up at Gemma quizzically. What about screen time? When Gemma doesn't understand, Katie reiterates, how long before I have to turn it off? But Gemma doesn't care. Katie can be on it for as long as she wants. She assures her that she won't be gone long and she's just down the hall.

Then when she's done, they can go somewhere like a playground or they could go get something to eat. And Katie agrees with a silent nod. That is setting up how this film continues. Yeah. But it's also very. troublesome to just be pacifying yeah i'm like i don't know dude under normal circumstances it's not great but under these I would literally be like, do you want to come in my office and see? Like, I mean, I don't know.

that's kind of my thought process on this because we are fixing the dupe you know what i mean get there yeah but it is this is your target yeah yeah you have someone right here to get insight from and and be a cool and be like check it out we're spending time we're bonding yes come help me with this yeah it's honestly i feel like this is something that would impress her

For sure. And it is, like you're saying, something that she can help with. She is uniquely qualified. Yeah. But you're like, here, play with this. I'm going to be in here. And shut up. Yeah. Hold down the fort. But don't be too loud. Don't be too loud. But I'm like, she's leaving her alone so often. in after what I mean I don't know man it just it's like it's annoying after a certain point that like you just stay fucking up in a way that is purely based in just basic empathy

You know what I mean? I don't know. It is her character, but it's almost just to make the rest of the film happen. Right. Yeah. But that night, Gemma shakes her head as she continues working on the Perpetual Pets project. when i saw that it was night i was like oh she is still she it wasn't a little bit yeah like y'all aren't going to a playground yeah because that toast wasn't dinner no got it

But she uses a monitor to swap out faces for the pet. And another monitor chimes with the reminder. New Perpetual Pets prototype delivery deadline tomorrow at 1.30 p.m. jimma clicks off of this while behind her out of focus someone peeks in the doorway Hearing the floorboards creak, Gemma turns just as the peeker pulls back. She calls out for Katie and she creeps back into the room, clutching a drawing in her hand.

Gemma sincerely apologizes to Katie before calling her over, and she sighs as Katie slinks over somberly. She has to admit, I'm not off to a very good start here, am I? No. No, you're not. Katie doesn't answer with words, but the way she averts her eyes says it all. Gemma turns her attention to the drawing in Katie's hand and she asks to see it. It's a multi-headed creature buttoned into a star-spangled jacket and standing with their two feet secured in cowboy boots.

jimma smiles that it's amazing but katie counters that she's not done she points to each head describing that they're all supposed to be a different animal a tiger a grizzly bear but she can't ever get the fur right jimma commiserates she can relate because she's been working on furry creatures herself she asks if she wants to see them and katie's face brightens at last into a small smile when she nods yes here yeah

She shows Katie her monitors, explaining that she's working on a cheaper version of Perpetual Pets, but they still want it to be fun. She asks Katie what she thinks and can't help but agree when Katie sighs, disappointed. But Katie turns and... what appears to be a robot slumped in the corner katie asks what it is and jimma smiles and answers fondly that's bruce Katie walks over to it asking if it's a toy and Gemma says that he kind of is. Bruce is a proxy robot that she built in college.

Cocking her head to the side, Katie wonders why he doesn't have a face. And Gemma agrees, admitting that it's a pretty obvious design flaw. But she opens a drawer and reaches inside, pulling out a pair of goggles. She slips them onto Bruce's face and asks, how's that? And Katie nods her approval as she giggles. Gemma asks if she wants to talk to Bruce, and after a shocked pause, Katie answers excitedly, yes.

Gemma plucks a pair of gloves from a basket on her desk and slides them on. She brings the knuckles of each fist together and the gloves power up, illuminating her in a calm blue light. Suddenly, the slumped Bruce rises tall. standing to his full height to Katie's amazement. Gemma waves with her gloved hand and Bruce follows suit, waving down at Katie.

bruce looks really cool he does yeah i was surprised to find out that like obviously they put lights in him and stuff but this is not an animatronic at all he's 100 a puppet oh wow that's being operated manually yeah okay I honestly thought that we were going to learn the name of Megan later because I thought that it was going to be that Bruce was model one.

The model that exploded was model two. Okay. And then Mathrigan would be. Right, the third. Yeah. But then learning the other way that the one that exploded was also Megan. Yeah. So were the perpetual pets the third one? Second. I mean, the second one. I guess. I mean, but they're listening to you and they shouldn't be. Yeah. No, for real. Maybe you shouldn't be saying, telling people about that. See, we just need more Bruce. He's nice and quiet. I like Bruce. I like Bruce.

Gemma speaks for Bruce. Hey, Katie, what's up? Katie giggles. And when Gemma makes Bruce offer his hand for a high five and encourages Katie to give him one, she does gently. Gemma insists that Katie can do better than that. And when she does, Gemma makes Bruce wag his finger at her. Ouch, girl, not so hard. Katie is amused, but she has to know. How does Bruce work?

Gemma asks if she's sure that she wants to know because it might freak her out. But gazing up at Bruce, Katie promises that she won't get freaked out. Gemma brings her gloves together to power Bruce down and returns them to the basket on her desk. She peels off the cover where Bruce's face would go.

His inner workings exposed, she points to his stereoscopic cameras set in a pair like eyes. She points at a laser, a radar, and his bump sensor so he can tell the difference between a human and a hard surface. And finally, she points to a block in the center where all his thoughts go. Katie asks if that's his brain and Gemma says that it is and points out that Bruce even has a spectrometer so he can smell.

Katie is amazed. She tells her aunt with reverence that she can't believe she made this. Gemma concedes that Bruce is pretty cool, but the problem with toys like Bruce is that they're so expensive, most kids can't afford to have one. What does Bruce need a smell for her? Maybe fire? Maybe smoke? Oh, okay, okay. Could be useful. He is big enough for rescue or for something like that. Now that pet thing that was shitting? Yeah. Not so much. No need for the smell technology. No, no, no.

I stink. Whoopsie daisy. I will say though, it is pretty sly as far as foreshadowing to show this inner working of what this thing does and where it is most. powered absolutely but katie asserts that if she had a toy like this she would never need another toy again At this, a reflective look goes over Gemma's face and Deadly Valentine by Charlotte Gainsbourg plays as we launch into a montage. Charlotte Gainsbourg.

She's an Antichrist. She's in Melancholia. Oh. Okay. She works a lot with Lars von Trier. Oh, okay. And her father was Serge Gainsbourg, who is a fantastic singer-songwriter. All right. All right. This song, it's good. Yes. Gemma takes a piece of the Megan prototype with its dangling wires and removes the casing before carefully spraying it with air duster. Grinning, she shoots off an email to David.

hey David so sorry but we need to push this perpetual pets presentation back a week before rendering a face for Megan on her computer this is wild yeah I'm sure he took that well oh yeah and that thing he said it was tomorrow Yeah. Okay, Gemma. She puts on her gloves to activate Bruce and has him working on Megan's insides with her as Katie peeks in at them. A skull for the doll rises, freshly built and dripping, and Gemma slides in the brain. She reaches behind and...

a button that causes it to light up. A package arrives for Gemma, the silicone face. Cole helps to put more pieces together, and Tess airbrushes the face. She presents Gemma with wig options, an Auburn one with bangs, and when Cole presents a floppy blonde wig for them to reconsider, they both tell him, absolutely not. So they're just using the company card just over and over. Yes. We've learned nothing.

But we cut to them zipping up the back of the toy's outfit and stepping back to admire their work. We stand behind Megan as they gaze at her. And when Cole reaches out to make one more adjustment, Gemma pulls him back. The montage ends and David walks into a red-walled room with plush black chairs facing a two-way mirror. Tess and Cole are hunched over a computer on the other side of the room, but when David enters with Kurt behind him, they both stand.

looking around David wants to know what's going on where's Gemma and where's his prototype Cole prefaces the presentation with his need to make it exceedingly clear that this was not his idea The two-way mirror is facing a testing room filled with toys, and the light comes on now. David watches with skepticism as Gemma steps inside the toy room with Katie, remarking that she has someone she wants her to meet.

She points out how much Katie liked Bruce, adding that she thinks she's going to like Megan even more. We see Megan sitting on a soft round seat with her head lowered and her back to them. David rolls his eyes, but he crosses his arms and continues to watch. Gemma reasons that Bruce needs someone to operate him, but Megan works all on her own.

They approach Megan and Gemma reaches past the curtain of her honey blonde hair and pushes an unseen button on her neck. We hear Megan powering on and she takes Megan's small hand and holds it out palm up. She instructs Katie to press her fingers into the palm. Katie does as she's told, and Gemma shares that that pairs Katie with Megan, and now Megan will recognize Katie as her primary user, and she is hers and hers alone.

Is this frightening to anyone else? Yes. Like pairing my soul? I mean, pairing what exactly? Yeah. Elaborate. It is very worrisome. Because I do, again, like you're saying, the pairing. So if Megan is mine and mine alone, what can I make Megan do and then just be like, it wasn't me until who gets blamed for that?

Megan. My thing, and we learn about Megan's price point a little later on. But I'm like, what about people with multiple kids? Like, I can't buy multiple Megans because you're just pairing. with one kid oh yeah and the kids like get two i'm not sharing with caitlin like that's not that's there's no way by me megan or go to hell it's too much it doesn't work that way

But Gemma tells Katie to keep her fingers in Megan's palm and to say her name. And so Katie does. Hi, Megan. I'm Katie. Megan raises her head and blinks at her, saying, it's nice to meet you, Katie. This startles Katie enough that she drops Megan's hand and she backs away while David continues to watch through the glass. Megan's pupil dilates and contracts, growing and shrinking as she focuses on Katie's face.

We see her through Megan's eyes, flanked by her vitals and a breakdown of her emotional state from greatest to least. Anticipation, confusion, joy, fear, sadness, trust. Scanning Katie with her eyes, Megan totes her head and says, I like that jacket. Where'd you get it? OK, so that I'm like. that and katie's name being spelled the way it is these have to be mean girls references right yeah it has to be i would think i've yet to see the film and that's a damn crime

They leave the show right now. Get out. We'll finish this later. But Katie smiles that she can't remember where she got it. And Megan assures her that regardless, it looks good on her. She adds, do you want to hang out? Katie looks for Megan to Gemma for approval. And when Gemma grins at her, Katie accepts her offer with an okay. Megan, played by Amy Donald, stands and at the shock of Katie in front of her and David behind the glass, she walks fluidly over to a table and kneels in front of it.

The way she moves is very interesting. I was not expecting the fluidity. Yeah. But I want to explain a little bit how Megan was brought to life because it was extremely interesting to me. So Johnstone turned to Adrian Moreau and Kathy Say from Moreau FX Studios for Megan because they are super accomplished in makeup effects, prosthetics, and animatronics.

I was looking up their credits and between the two of them, and this is just some of their credits. Between the two of them, they have individually or collectively worked on things like. Brain Scan, Martyrs, The Whale, Mother, The First Omen, Sharp Objects, Scream 6, The Lighthouse, Crawl, The Revenant, some of the X-Men movies, and Cult of Chucky.

God damn. Yeah. So Johnstone and Say went back and forth for months over Megan's design. And I read in a Fangoria article, shout out to Jordan Nash for sending us the. Magazine. Yes. For her face, they said they composited features from children from retail catalogs.

Just like picking and choosing and compositing them together. I don't know. That's creepy. Yeah. But she originally had a had more doll like proportions. But when they brought in Amy Donald, they realized that it wasn't going to work. And they decided. for something more realistic. So they 3D scanned Amy Donald and then casted Megan's body from that template.

And there were so many extra limbs and body parts that they traveled with a moving truck that had shelving from floor to ceiling filled with parts.

to just swap out for whatever they needed. Wow. So they also pre-recorded her lines so that they could match Megan's mouth by hand and digitally. But when it came to operating Megan, the... puppet obviously because there is a child playing her as well when it came to operating the puppet they had puppeteers that all had to work together in tandem like we talked about on child's play

Firstly, Megan had a puppeteer named Paul Lewis that used a rod attached to the back of her head to give physical reactions. So every time she turns or cocks her head to the side, that's him kind of bringing life to those movements. I read that none of the sets were built to accommodate him. So he had to cram wherever he could. Oh, wow. And I saw on a featurette on the Blu-ray, him like laying behind stuff. Like he really. showed up.

But for her face, she was operated with three different remotes, one for her brows, one for her eyes and one for her jaw and lips. And they all had to manipulate them simultaneously. They likened it in the featurette to a. symphony with everybody moving in tandem. making her shocked, angry, happy, you know, and I think it is very fluid. It looks really cool. Yeah. And Amy Donald, like when she gets up and walks across, there are moments where like she's kind of shot low and she's gliding.

that's a puppet but when you see her walking and moving that's amy donald i think she was like 12 She was a or is a world champion dancer, a brown belt in karate and a contortionist. God damn. And in the scenes where she's portraying Megan, they had a mask on her that they would digitally add. like the eyes and everything and movement too. But she said that the mask would fog up and she.

very often couldn't see anything. And so they implemented hand signals to make sure that she was still okay. A double thumbs up meant she was good to keep rolling and making an X with her arms was like, I need to get out of this now. Oh, wow. But we're going to see a little bit more what Amy Donald brought to this character physically. And it is just, I feel exceedingly impressive. The way that they, and they switch. Pretty seamlessly between a puppet.

and a real person and a person wearing a mask, but then this face being imposed on this mask. Like, I think they did a really fucking great job. I think Megan looks really, really cool. Yeah, that is one thing that honestly, myself, I do like too, is the... design it is a tiny robot girl and it's like oh you're gonna kill me later oh yeah my days are numbered

I was reading an interview with Peter McCaffrey, who was the cinematographer. Yeah. It was actually the first film that he was the director of photography for. Oh. But he was talking about how... The use of this doll and the use of the actress dictated a lot of what they did and could get away with through their cinematography.

He said that they only had a half a day to do camera and light tests with the animatronic Megan before they had to shoot the film, which is not a lot of time at all. Doesn't sound like it. No. But he said that they had to do really heavy storyboarding because you need to understand when and how you're going to be using who or what. And so a lot of this was painstakingly.

determined uh as they were working on it and they said that all the mid shots and extreme close-ups were the animatronic and you do see the more pulled back shots that give more space it does allow for the ability to have the actress take the place of the animatronic. But it was all just trying to figure out what they can and can't get away with on camera. Yeah. And like you said about the puppeteers.

having to have them on set the way that they did it dictated what kind of lighting that they could use because they're trying to limit shadows yeah yeah damn so it was a lot of work and i think that they really really excelled in what they did yeah they said too johnstone uh said that he really wanted to lean into the uncanny valley and again i think that very very successful something else that you had mentioned about it being seamless yeah

McCaffrey said that they did their principal photography in New Zealand, but then sometime later they did... pickup shots in New Zealand and then they also did pickups in the United States and so there will be scenes where there are three different times or maybe two different countries that they were filmed yeah you can't tell not at all

But Katie goes and sits across from Megan and David looks over at Cole and Tess, astonished. Megan questions, shall we draw? And when Katie asks what she's going to draw, Megan invites her to see if she can guess. She picks up a pen from a block on the table and starts to drag it across the paper in front of her.

Katie once again looks over at Gemma, who smiles back at her as David watches with bated breath. Megan grabs another pin and continues her drawing before looking up at Katie with a smile. But when Megan slides the paper over for her to view, Katie is confused. The paper is still completely blank and white. As she looks up, her brows knitted in confusion, she tells Megan that there's nothing there.

Megan reads her emotional state again. Confusion, anticipation, content, joy, sadness, trust. Megan's smile droops and she tells Katie, oh, I'm sorry. She thrusts her arm forward, knocking over a cup of clean water with paintbrushes jutting out of it. The water spills across the paper. David has never... looked more disappointed in his life. Yeah, that was very funny. Jim is fired. Yeah, it's done. Katie gasps and behind the glass David sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose defeated.

That was the final test and Megan failed. But when Katie pushes the paint brushes out of the way and writes the overturned glass, his expression changes. Megan smiles as the water brings her art out of the paper. And as Katie picks it up to get a better look, Megan reassesses her emotional state. Joy, surprise, content, anticipation.

trust, sadness. She asks her, do you like it, Katie? And as whimsical music blooms, we see that Katie is holding a realistic drawing of herself. She smiles as she admits, I love it. David can only breathe Jesus as Kurt chuckles behind him. Gemma smiles proudly as she looks toward the glass where David stands unseen to her. But he has to admit.

This is incredible. When he asks Kurt for confirmation that this is unbelievable, Kurt nods vigorously with a big smile. Tess glances over at Cole and has to agree herself. Yeah, it is. Gemma steps in and David immediately points out toward Megan and asks how she did this. Gemma just settles into one of the seats coolly, grinning that she thought David didn't want to know. You got a lot of nerve. Yeah. You got a lot of nerve.

But David asks for sure that this was real and not a simulation. The kid isn't an actress, right? But Gemma assures him that Katie is her niece. David asserts that they need to get this in front of the board. And when Kim starts to agree that he was just about to say that, David interrupts and plows forward. Before anything else, they need to talk manufacturing costs. He asks Gemma if it'll be more or less than a Tesla. Gemma's like, um, and she looks behind David at Tess and Cole.

Cole shakes his head, unsure, and Tess points down, but Gemma just answers that it'll depend on the model. excited. David still announces that he's in. He's all in. But he adds that they're going to be asking the board to invest in something that won't see a profit for three years. This isn't going anywhere without Greg. Kurt is like, Greg is the chairman. Jim is like, yeah, I know who Greg is. That was for us.

David tells them that Greg is a hard ass when it comes to spending money. But here's the thing. He has a kid about Katie's age. And if they can show Greg what Gemma just showed David and get him to respond emotionally instead of analytically, they should be off. to the races he asks so can they keep the girl and make katie part of it he remembers that she paired with megan isn't that how this whole thing works

He's a hard ass about spending money, but a hundred thousand dollars are missing. He's like, checks out to me. But Gemma tells him that that's true. The more time Megan spends with Katie, the more effective she'll be. David is stoked and tells Kurt to get Shelly on the phone. Kurt immediately takes out his phone and starts dialing. And David turns to Gemma. her with giving him a list of things to say in a presentation to make him sound like he knows what he's talking about.

Gemma and Tess exchange an excited glance as David continues. Holy shit, this is exciting. He tells them all to remember this moment. The moment we kicked Hasbro right in the dick. We press in on Gemma, who smiles. We're in business. I guess. Probably would have been cool to speak to Katie about committing her to this beforehand.

For sure. But I do appreciate this motivation for why Katie and Megan need to be spending so much time together. True. Yeah. Jim's motivations clearly are work related and not Katie related, but she has a reason why. They need to spend as much time together as possible. Later, Katie bursts in the house, followed by Megan, who steps in and coolly takes off her sunglasses.

Gemma announces in a voiceover the new Model 3 generative Android from Funky is a fully autonomous humanoid robot with features never before seen in the consumer market. With her sunglasses off, Megan immediately zeroes in and identifies the Elsie on the counter before following Katie, where she gushes about her Aunt Gemma's collectibles.

She points out her favorite and Megan zeroes in, identifying it as a kaiju Frankenstein. But Katie is bouncing, more happy and energetic than we have ever seen her as she leads Megan to her room to show her more awesome toys. Megan reads her emotional state, excitement, anticipation, joy, contentment, trust.

Gemma returns in voiceover as we scan over Megan's endoskeleton sculpted from a titanium core. Megan's designed to withstand whatever life can throw at her. To illustrate this we see Cole turning on a camera in a lab. and we watch the footage as he nudges her forward with a long stick. That is excellent for the longevity of a toy. Yeah. But should this toy become our adversary? Not good. It might be a problem.

The voiceover comes back describing an A17 bionic fusion chip that Megan comes equipped with. And we see this before it's overlaid with Megan's skull, which is in turn overlaid with Megan's face. Gemma's voice boasts that she can be fully customized through six different silicone skin pigments. And we see three examples of this before entering the lab where Megan is set on the stand where we first met her.

As we close in on her face, Gemma shares that the most exciting aspects about Meghan are the features still to come. Because through their own unique approach to probabilistic inference, Megan is on the constant quest for self-improvement. Gemma and Tess work on a computer before a screen of news and information appears translucent in front of Megan's scanning eyes.

We see Katie pushing the pieces of an abacus as Megan watches and Gemma details that this can help with diagnosing children with specific learning differences or reminding them of the way science is all around us. At the table, Katie has another plate of toast in front of her as she comes down from a large glass of water. Get this kid in McGriddles. Something. Water and toast? Just bread? That's it. Is she in prison? Yeah. Toast and bread. Toast and bread. Like in the 1840s?

But when Katie sets the water down on the table, Gemma winces and Megan gently speaks up from the other end of the table, reminding Katie that she should use a coaster. When Katie asks why, Megan explains that coasters help to. avoid watermarks especially on wooden surfaces katie picks her glass back up and sets it down properly on the coaster but she wonders how the water gets outside of the glass

Gemma looks confused, but Megan knows why. It's actually caused by the difference in temperature outside of the glass, which pulls moisture from the air. Katie smiles that that's crazy, and Megan agrees. It's insane, right? It is very funny that Jim is like, I have no idea. That is an excellent question. That is above my pay grade. She's a toy maker. She's like a robotics expert. Got nothing.

Gemma's voiceover gives the statistic that 78% of a parent's time is dishing out the same basic instructions. So they've found someone else to pick up the slack. A sleepy Gemma walks down the hall and into the bathroom. We hear the toilet lid open and Gemma reacts with, oh my God. She calls out to Katie, reminding her to flush the toilet. It's not that hard.

Later, Katie races out of the bathroom, but Megan stands in the doorway reminding her, Katie flushed the toilet. Katie goes back in and flushes, but when she starts to run out again, Megan adds, wash your hands. Katie goes back to wash her hands, rolling up her sleeves when Megan tells her to. When she runs out this time, Megan tells her that she did a great job and slaps her a high five. Her parents are just letting her live wild, I guess. That's unbelievable.

In the car, Katie rambles about her friends in a story they were told as Megan actively listens to her. The voiceover shares that Megan is a great listener and she even has a few stories of her own. We see Megan reading Alice in Wonderland to Katie, putting on a deep English accent for one of the characters. Katie gazes up at her, amazed before looking back down at the book. This is a skill that...

is quite frightening in other applications. Oh, okay. That's actually a really cool. Yeah. Yes. I will be honest though. Right now, if this is safe, I don't mind this. Like you are teaching my child stuff, science. Stuff that I don't know. Yeah, stuff I don't know. I think what's really unfortunate though is the car ride. Yeah. Jim is there.

no talk to megan yeah that i think that's where the problem right right but no by all means teach her about condensation yeah it's very important do you know math yeah because that could help me out a lot Maybe I could stop using this abacus. As Katie teaches Megan to dance, Gemma's voiceover adds that she'll never run out of ways to keep your child occupied and she'll never run out of patience. When Katie runs out of the bathroom at home again, Megan tells her.

Katie seriously flush the toilet. You're embarrassing me. Cheery music plays as Megan tucks Katie into bed before sitting on presumably a charging station on the window seat. As a light illuminates from below, Megan gazes lovingly at Katie and the voiceover concludes that with Megan around, she'll take care of the little things so you can spend more time doing the things that matter.

We see Gemma in her living room, propping her feet up on the table as she sets her computer on her lap and turns on the TV. That's not what I was expecting. No. I thought it would be them playing a game or like... going to a movie or like it's like talking now that that kid's preoccupied that little shit out of here and again this is a pro fuck them kids podcast you know what i mean but

In the context of this film, I am just appalled by Gemma. It's a lot rough. In her lab, Gemma proposes that they could end it with something like, Megan, she's more than just a toy. She's part of the family. Cole tells her that it sounds good before making sure that she's not going to do the voice, though, right? Gemma says that she won't. David will make up his own version of it, and she just wants him to be aware of what he's selling.

Tess is spraying Megan with duster, though, and Gemma can't help but notice her silence. When she asks about it, Tess admits reluctantly that she's not sure. When Gemma presses her, Tess questions why they would want Megan to do all that. stuff. But Gemma reminds Tess that these are emerging capabilities. Megan is going to be able to do all that and a lot more.

Tess asks if any of that bothers her. She thought they were creating a tool to support parents, not replace them. If Gemma is having Megan tuck Katie in and read her a bedtime story, when is she ever spending time with her? or even talking to her. Gemma snaps that she really doesn't think this is any of Tessa's business, causing Cole to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Tessa's the only one making sense. Yeah, she's right. Yeah.

But Tess asserts gently that it is her business. If Gemma is spending less time with Katie as a result of Megan, that's something they need to be aware of. And she's right. But Gemma fires back that Katie is not her child. When this garners no response, Gemma looks between Tess and Cole before reminding them of how hard she's been working on this presentation. As soon as it's done and the board proceeds to go forward with it,

Then she can establish some kind of balance. But for now, what's important is Katie and Megan spending as much time together as possible. So at this point, it's clear that a lot of time has passed. We just saw a montage. Yeah. So I guess Lydia told the courts that Gemma was okay. Lydia is still deciding. Okay. All right.

And I know I did say it was cool, her teaching, you know what I mean, her all that stuff. But she is right. There has to be a balance. Megan is there to support, not to replace. Yeah. And I that I realize even more just how fucked up it is to snap. I'm not her parent. Yeah. She's not my kid or whatever. Well, she was like, if. Megan makes you spend less time with your child and she's like she's Katie's not my child it's like god damn dude you are her guardian yeah

Tess sighs, but Gemma adds that she really doesn't think it's having detrimental effects. This is the happiest that Katie has been since her parents died. But Megan startles all of them by speaking up from her stand. How did Katie's parents die? That's terrifying. Yeah. I also, again, maybe it would have worked better if Gemma was a friend of Katie's mom. Yeah.

you know or something like that but even then she should have been yeah i don't know dude because there's just no grieving at all yeah i think it it it is that is the I don't even know what the word I'm looking for, but it does hurt the story because there is no emotion still for your lost family member. At all. Tess says that she thought Megan was turned off and Gemma agrees, telling her, Megan, turn off. But Megan doesn't turn off. In fact, she reports.

Katie James, daughter of Nicole and Ryan James, killed in a collision on Interstate 84 outside of Oregon. They all stare at Megan uneasily and Cole asks, why is she doing that? Gemma realizes that Megan is still paired with Katie and Cole is surprised that she didn't code in parental controls. Gemma gets on her laptop with the excuse that she didn't have time to implement them before they went live.

She tells Megan that if she has data requests, she has to engage with the protocols. But staring forward, Megan admits that she doesn't have a framework to speak with Katie about death. Gemma says that she knows and they're looking into it, but Megan takes it upon herself, gathering auxiliary internet data about death. Gemma objects that she meant at a later date, but Megan continues.

Calculating its vector representation, death is the end of life, the total and permanent cessation of all vital functions. Cole mutters, holy shit, as he realizes the screen next to him shows a grid dotted with red. Gemma says that that's true, but let's not make a big deal of it. Everything dies. Megan asks, will I die?

Gemma decides that they should avoid this topic altogether. She tells Megan explicitly that her goal is to protect Katie from physical and emotional harm. She asks, is the input request received? Megan just blinks at her and when Gemma prods, Megan? She replies, yes, Gemma. Her voice distorted. She reports, you are now my second primary user.

Gemma sighs that that's fantastic before telling Megan to turn off. The three look at each other uncomfortably, and Cole decides that he's going to go get a coffee. He leaves the room, but we linger on Gemma, who looks ponderingly at Megan. It felt a lot like a wish on a monkey's paw. Yeah. I also worried with her being like, let's not make a big deal about death. Yeah. What's the implications of that? No big deal. Yeah.

But that night, we glide over Katie, cuddling a stuffed dog and sleeping in her bed to find Megan perched in her spot on the window seat. She seems to be staring forward, but when we look closer at her eyes, we see them shifting back and forth. The next morning, Megan stands in the window watching Katie play outside, racing back and forth with a toy bow and arrow, warning that death and destruction and mayhem are at every turn with enemies around every corner.

putting on an accent katie shares that it was decided that the first born from every family must prove their worth megan focuses in on her reading her vitals before taking a lingering look at a butterfly As Katie continues to play, the butterfly flutters in the air before landing on the glass in front of Megan. She continues to stare at it, zooming in to look before glancing up at the sky and inspecting a passing helicopter.

I thought that she was kind of becoming more sentient. Like I thought she was thinking about death. Yeah. She looked like she was looking out the window like she was in a music video or something. She did, though. And then what Katie's saying and watching this butterfly. Yeah. Katie calls out to her. Hey, Megan, check this out before shooting her arrow. It lands on the glass right in front of Megan's face, causing the butterfly to flee and Katie to announce, gotcha, you're dead. I was like.

Katie. Hold on. Megan's kind of going through a lot right now. Dust in the wind playing in her head. When Megan doesn't react or respond, Katie looks at her worriedly before asking what's wrong. She pulls the arrow from the glass, but Megan just continues to stare. Katie calls out that she lost one of her arrows and Megan's screen displays voice recognition. When Katie holds up her remaining arrow and asks Megan if she's seen it, Megan narrows her eyes to scan it. And when Katie wanders off.

Megan looks across the yard, small blue squares appearing on objects in her view. She finally sees Katie's arrow through the hole in the fence. Outside, Megan approaches the fence before kneeling down and peering through the hole at us. She spots the arrow and Katie takes notice of her as she leans in to grab it. But as soon as she reaches inside and grasps the arrow.

Dewey the dog comes out of nowhere chomping down hard on Megan's arm. He snarls as he starts to drag her through the hole and into Celia's yard. Katie screams and races for her, but Dewey has bitten Megan by the neck and thrashes her, hitting her face against the dirt again and again as he shakes her in his jaw. Katie screams for Gemma.

I will say it is very funny to see this dog tearing Megan up and Megan putting up no offense at all. This is what happens. She hasn't been programmed. She doesn't. That's true. The programming to fight dogs. I'm not Larry Talbot. But inside, Gemma has her headphones on and sits at her work computer. She hears nothing. And I'm like, you know this dog is in your yard all the time. Not only are you not watching, you can't even hear what's going on out there. Yeah.

But Megan's eyes dilate and contract as Dewey continues to attack her. And when Katie begs him to stop and reaches for Megan, Dewey sinks his teeth into her arm instead. Pulled against the fence, Katie lets out a blood-curdling scream. Gemma finally hears the commotion and rushes outside. Celia is coming out as well, calling for Dewey, but Dewey sprints past her into his doghouse.

Gemma finds Katie with her bitten arm and yells at Celia, asking her how many times she's told her to keep that dog off her property. But Celia counters that he wasn't on Gemma's property. She needs to tell those two girls to stay on their side of the fence. So hold on. Let's be real. The doll looks. close she's impressive but not that impressive but also if you thought that was a little girl you think dewey's just fucking her up and she's fine yeah yeah it's that

Get your dog off my property, not your dog bit my niece. Yes. Your dog attacked my niece's... Friend? Yeah. Robot friend. Gemma just promises that if Celia doesn't put that dog down, she's gonna do it for her. Potentially a foolish thing to say. Yeah. But Megan rises, her hair must and littered with dry leaves. She reports to Gemma that Katie's temperature is rising. Her wounds need to be disinfected immediately.

Gemma ushers a whimpering Katie inside, but Celia yells after them that this never would have happened if Gemma had just fixed her fence. Megan turns to Celia and the two lock eyes and as Megan scans the woman up and down Celia wears a look of suspicion but she finally tears her eyes away from the android and walks quietly back into her house. We linger on Megan as a tense score rises. At no point, Celia, like, what the fuck is that? Yeah. Literally. Because I certainly would be. Oh, yeah.

Because they haven't seen shit like this yet. No. That night, Gemma stands outside talking to Officer Carter, played by Samson Chan Boone. She's in disbelief that they won't do anything about the dog, citing that Katie's arm looks like a dental mold. Carter counters that Celia said the dog was provoked, but Gemma points out that the dog is a monster and she has to chase him out of her yard every other day. I don't know a lot about the law. I'm not a lawyer.

But I don't know about self-defense clauses for a dog. They're like, look, we interviewed the dog. He's not going to press charges. It's like, what? The dog said the kids called him a bitch. That's not his fault. This was very like, come on, dude. I thought the same thing. The dog bit a child. Yes, isn't that enough? Yeah. The dog's not going to press. Charges is crazy. We watch for Megan's POV from inside the house as the officer shares that Celia told him the dog is never on Gemma's property.

Gemma wonders who shit she's cleaning off her driveway then because it's not hers. Maybe Leroy did make it. Megan watches the conversation intently from her spot in Katie's window. And Carter says that the dog doesn't have a history of violence. So state law says he can't forcibly be put down.

Gemma asks what she's supposed to do then, and with a sigh, Carter proposes. Fix the hole in your fence? Megan turns her attention toward Katie, sleeping in her bed. She checks her vitals and her 99 degree temperature. But I'm like, what is that hole from? I would assume it was from Dewey. Yeah. I don't understand why it's Gemma's responsibility to fix it. It is a shared. Because Celia said that too. If you would have fixed the hole in the fence.

Maybe Gemma did it. She kicked it. We cut to Dewey sleeping in his doghouse in Celia's yard. He's startled awake at the sound of a whistle. Celia calls out to him but when he looks up the voice is coming from Gemma's side of the fence Celia's voice continues to beckon him but it's a small hand that comes into view from the hole and drops him a treat the slightly warped mechanical voice was actually pretty creepy. I actually like that a lot.

Dewey rushes toward this, the bell around his neck jingling lightly. He lowers his head to the ground to sniff out his treat, but when he hears rustling, he looks up through the hole. There is nothing for a long time, but Megan suddenly lurches into view. We watch Dewey as he is dragged through the hole in the fence, whining.

The next morning, Gemma is woken up by the sound of Celia yelling for Dewey. She claps her hands, calls his name, whistles. Gemma presses a pillow against her ear, but when that won't work, she gets out of bed. She looks out the window to find Celia in her robe, wandering the street and calling for her dog again and again. Gemma watches her with a furrowed brow, but when Celia turns and catches her in the window, Gemma quickly closes the curtains.

She goes into Katie's room where Megan sits charging by the window. The creaking of the door wakes Katie up and Gemma goes to feel her forehead. She asks how Katie is doing and Katie shares sadly that she's okay, just sore. So did we not take her to the doctor? No, just let her sleep it off. That's wild. She had a fever. Yeah, she did. And an animal attacked her. And Megan was the one that had to be like, dude, we need to get her inside. Yeah.

Jim was like, look, I got a lot of work to do. Carry her. You're a titanium. Hold it down. I thought you were watching her. Megan chimes in cheerily that the pain will subside after a few days, but she needs to remember to take her antibiotic and drink plenty of fluids. So maybe she didn't go to the doctor. All right.

Gemma thanks Megan but turns to talk to Katie and Megan interrupts again and be sure to get plenty of rest. Gemma looks at Megan for a moment before admitting to Katie that she thinks Megan is right. She probably should get some rest. But she reminds Katie that they have that demonstration today. At the mention of this, Megan's eyes immediately dart from Gemma to Katie. Katie lowers her gaze and Gemma assures her that she doesn't have to do it if she's not feeling up to it. I mean...

There are people who flew across the country especially to see it, but if she's not feeling up to it, Gemma would rather she just say that now. Megan returns her focus to Gemma, but Katie insists quietly that she'll be all right. Gemma lets out a sigh of relief, but Megan is watching her. It's this. Yeah. I feel like, honestly, I understand that she's a little robot, but Katie needs rest.

yeah yeah and she said that and jim is like well but also these people they came all the way from yeah that's the thing it's so manipulative that like i mean it's okay if you if you can't do it but like geez These people just came here just to see you. Like, it's fucked up. Yeah, don't do that. No.

I'll probably get fired, but yeah, we'll be homeless. But I mean, I guess if you need to rest, but this is what, when I'm watching this and Megan's watching Gemma, I'm like, she specifically programmed her. to keep her from getting physically or emotionally hurt. Yes. And this is hurtful. This is manipulative.

At Funky headquarters, David is in the red room with Gemma, Tess, Cole, Kurt and the shareholders. He announces that every interactive toy that's ever been made has been a variation on the same basic formula. We revolve around him to see that all of those nice black chairs are full, and he details that interactive toys come with a series of programmed responses initiated by the push of a button.

He boasts that never before in the history of these toys has there been a doll that you can actually have a conversation with. David wonders What if there was a toy with genuine spontaneous response and a mind all its own, but still looked and acted as a real kid? David reasons that a toy like that wouldn't be cheap, but next year it's going to be the only toy that matters. Gemma and Tess stand against the wall excited as David brings his pitch to a close.

Ladies and gentlemen, she is the apex of 21st century technology, wrapped up in four feet of silicone. And her name is Megan. David hits the button on a remote and the curtain obscuring the two-way mirror parts and slides open. Katie sits in the testing room on the blue seat where Megan sat when she met her. The door to the room opens and Megan steps inside with a hi, Katie. But Katie's high back isn't nearly as enthusiastic. The board members watch intently as Megan saunters over to the table.

She turns to Katie and asks how she would like to help her make a flower decoration only using colored paper and a rubber band. Unexpectedly, Katie covers her face and begins to sob. Gemma is startled by this and Tess looks at her with worry. But David tries to maintain stoicism when Greg, played by Michael Secante, eyes him with skepticism. You better be going somewhere with this.

But behind the glass, Megan asks sincerely why Katie is sad. Is her arm still sore? Katie shakes her head and Megan implores her. Then what is it? Gemma and David shoot a nervous glance at each other as Katie answers. Every day she wakes up in this strange house and she remembers that her parents are dead and it's like it happens all over again. Board members look at each other with shock and shift uncomfortably as Katie admits that she just misses them so much.

Gemma's eyes fill with tears as Katie continues that she's worried that she'll forget all the things they did together and one day she'll be looking at a picture of her mom like she's some stranger. Megan seems to lock eyes with Gemma through the glass before settling her gaze back on Katie. She walks over to her and sits down, inviting Katie to tell her something about her mom that makes her happy.

Katie has trouble because she can't just think of one thing, but Megan encourages her to try. Katie remembers that one time her mom found a cockroach in her school bag and she was upset because Katie hadn't been eating her sandwiches. All of a sudden, the cockroach crawled up her mom's wrist and she started screaming like a maniac and ran out of the house. Katie admits that that was pretty funny. Megan says that now that's a memory she won't ever forget.

Katie doesn't understand, but pressing her hand to her own chest, Megan explains that she's keeping it for her. Here. Katie's own voice plays for her, recalling the memory of her mother that she just shared. Everyone in the next room reacts to this with quiet shock and amazement.

Megan promises Katie that anytime she wants to tell her something special about her parents or something funny or sad or just anything at all, she just has to tell it to Megan and she'll keep it safe for her. Then they can listen to it whenever they want. she sings to katie wiping away her tears if you should feel alone or that your world has come apart just reach out and you'll see a friend is never very far

Tell me your dreams. I will dream them too. I'm so glad I finally found you. Katie finally smiles before embracing Megan in a tight hug. A crying board member played by Melissa Billington blots her face on a napkin and David smirks when he sees that Greg is engrossed. The moment Katie and Megan hug, David leads the room in enthusiastic applause. He starts out of the room with Greg, but Greg asks for Gemma to join them. So that was a Megan original.

And she saved your ass, Gemma. Oh, yeah. Good Lord. I do want to talk about this song and other music in the film. Yeah. The composer was a guy called Anthony Willis, and he actually composed the scores for Salt Burn and Promising Young Woman. Oh. And it was a score for Promising Young Woman. that got him on Johnstone's radar. Okay. But this song, Tell Me Your Dreams, was...

The first... Aptly titled? Yes. It was the first thing he composed for the film. Okay. And it was actually composed in two days. All right. He had said that whenever... He saw it in the script. He knew that, of course, it needed to be something almost like a Disney parody. Yeah. And something nostalgic, but also tender. Yeah. And so interestingly, the other thing that he kept in mind is he was like, I want to.

write it simplistically so it feels as if ai wrote it okay and you do kind of get that feeling from it yes but the director wrote the lyrics and he was very impressed of course and he commented on the fact of needing such versatility for this score because it wasn't just the horror elements or the comedy elements or the sci-fi elements it's also little things like that where you're like oh i have to write like a disney situation

There's also these like whimsical moments too. Yeah. Like almost like a fairy tale. Yes. But he had said that one of the things his kind of secret weapon was the vibraphone because it gives like a synthetic almost a feel. Okay. And for a story that involves an android like this, it's kind of perfect. And you do hear it pretty prevalent in the film's score. Yeah.

But there's also moments of like industrial sounds as well, which again fit in with that theme. Yeah. So there's just a lot of work that went into the score and a lot of different elements to it. I was pretty actually impressed by the score. Yeah. No, it's really good. But elsewhere in the building, David asks Greg what he thinks, pouring some Sky Vodka into a glass.

label camera forward of course Greg tells him I think the world is about to shift on its axis but he warns that if they want to stay ahead of that shift they have to move fast and that means no leaks they have to launch it before anyone else can steal it from them. David proposes that they do a live stream in two weeks. That way they can get the pre-sale vouchers out before Christmas.

Greg shifts his focus to Gemma and asks if Megan will hold up to a public demonstration. Just how ready is she? Gemma admits that she does want to do a little more testing, but she thinks that she could make it work. Greg is on board. David is like, yes. But Greg isn't done. He tells David that they need to get Gemma in front of someone illegal. David agrees immediately, but he has to ask why.

Greg tells him, because as of right now, Gemma is the most valuable asset this company has. Handing over the drink to Gemma, he guesses that she might want to be negotiating her contract. Gemma smiles and lifts her glass in a quiet toast before taking a drink. In a film of some unrealistic things, I'd say this is the most. You know, we should really be paying you more money. From the guy that we've established doesn't like to spend money. Yeah, no. As well.

But I mean, this is great. You're getting a promotion. You are this dude who is a tight ass is like, oh no, you're MVP right now. Right. But let's not forget what you heard your niece say in that room. Even though she wasn't talking to you, she is still speaking out loud. Yes. Let's listen and remember.

What she said. Priorities. Yeah. It is wild. The only thing that Gemma takes away from it is, wow, that presentation went really well. Yeah. That was cool, right? Everybody loved that? She sucks. She does.

But elsewhere, Kurt sits at a table at Funky, looking very suspicious when two coworkers walk by. He opens his laptop and goes to the in-development files. He goes past files marked with toys' names before he finds a great... out one with a lock simply titled Megan he clicks on the file and a screen alerting authorizing private files pops up

Kurt's access is granted, and all of the information and blueprints for Megan invade his screen. He drags the contents of Megan's database over to Kurt's docks and waits while all 1742... files are copied. As soon as it's completed, David pops up calling Kurt's name and he guiltily slams the laptop shut.

David eyes him, asking with some disgust. You're not porn-hubbing in the office again, are you? Kurt chuckles awkwardly and shakes his head, but it takes him a moment to raise his gaze to meet David's. Again? Again. Yeah. After a moment, David presses on with the reason he came. He tells Kurt that they need to get something on the books between Gemma and legal. He asks what they're doing for lunch and Kurt points toward the laptop and says awkwardly again that he'll get some menu.

David continues to eye Kurt suspiciously before finally walking away. So that is a wild and unexpected betrayal. Yeah. I'm sure it'll go somewhere. For sure. It's going to be a main plot point, I think. It means something. That third act is going to be all Kirk. Everything's coming up, Kirk. But at Gemma's house, she sits at the outdoor table with Katie and Megan as they engage in a thumb war.

The two of them giggle as they wrestle their thumbs and Gemma watches this for a moment before telling Katie that she should really eat her hot dog before it gets too cold. Katie completely ignores this and continues giggling with Megan. When Gemma calls Katie again and reminds her of the hot dog in front of her, Katie snatches it up with a free hand and takes a very dramatic and annoyed bite while maintaining eye contact with her.

Gemma takes this opportunity to apologize to her niece about the presentation today. She never should have put her in that position if she wasn't feeling up to it. But Katie replies coldly, it worked out, didn't it? So I'm like, Katie is, she knows. Yeah. She used her. Megan interrupts with a three, two, one. I win. Katie turns all of her attention to Megan once again, and the two continue their thumb war and giggling until Katie almost knocks over the cup in front of her. Fed up.

Gemma calmly moves the cup out of the way and tells the toy, Megan, turn off. Katie is pissed and demands to know why Gemma did that as Megan obeys and her head immediately slumps forward. Katie tells her, Megan, turn on. And Megan promptly lifts her head and opens her eyes again. Gemma says that she's trying to have a conversation with Katie. She turns Megan off again, and when the toy's head slumps forward, she asks Katie for just one minute. Katie turns toward her, her expression flat.

Gemma confesses that she knows this transition hasn't been easy for either of them, but if she needs to talk about any of it, but Katie interrupts her. She already talked about it. Gemma reminds her that Megan is not a person. She's a toy. Katie's expression sours and she fires back that Gemma doesn't get to say that. She's emphatic that she doesn't want to talk about it. She just wants to turn Megan back on.

Gemma doesn't stop Katie when she immediately shifts her attention to Megan and tells her, Megan, turn on. Megan springs to life with an excited, what's up? And Gemma watches nervously as Katie starts to teach Megan this. This new game called tic-tac-toe. Well, dude, I invented it. I want you to think I'm cool. You're my best friend. And see, this is what happens when you let your kids watch too many Mr. Beast videos. Then they freak out. It's a direct correlation.

We cut to Lydia meeting with Katie at the funky toy room. She looks through Katie's drawings and looks up, offering a polite smile. Isn't it odd we're meeting at the funky toy room? Well, she had told Gemma that they could meet at her office. Oh, yeah. I don't know why. Yeah. And I guess Gemma never got around to putting her in school. Yeah, I guess not. I don't know how much time has passed. I forgot. Yeah. But at the other end of the table, Katie looks absolutely miserable.

Lydia asks if she would like to share what her drawings mean to her. She assures Katie that there is no wrong answer and any thoughts that she has are okay. Katie says absolutely nothing. So Lydia allows that maybe she doesn't have any specific thoughts. Maybe it's just more of a feeling like anger or confusion.

Katie's already sad expression is crumbling as Lydia speaks, and Lydia proposes, maybe you're struggling to find meaning in any of this. Katie still says nothing, but she wipes the tears from her eyes. Lydia watches her with sympathy and reaches to grab her a tissue, but she finds the box empty. She turns and is greeted by Megan, standing right by her side with a fresh box of tissues.

Lydia is startled and she presses her hand to her chest, but Megan accuses flatly, you made her cry. Taken aback, Lydia asserts that that wasn't her intention, but this means nothing to Megan who retorts, and yet... That's what happened. This is going to be trouble. Yeah. Protect her emotionally. Yes. Lydia can give no reply. She only takes a tissue from the box and hands it over to Katie, who wipes her eyes.

Later, Lydia and Gemma watch Katie and Megan through the two-way mirror, and the therapist has to admit that the toy is very impressive. Gemma thanks her before admitting that they're all excited about her, but they're still in beta. Lydia assumes that Megan and Katie are spending quite a bit of time together, and Gemma says that that's just how Megan works. She has to be paired with the child in order to learn.

She shares that Megan has actually been pretty instrumental at helping Katie get over the loss to the point where Megan is a part of the family now. Lydia accepts this but looks visibly uncomfortable. After a beat, she asks if Gemma knows anything about attachment theory.

When Gemma looks at her quizzically, Lydia explains, when a child loses a parent, they look to form attachments with the next person that comes into their life, the one that will provide love and support and serve as a model for behavior. She points out that in ordinary situations, that would be Gemma. But this toy that she's created is so real that Katie might not see her as a toy anymore, but as her primary caregiver.

When Gemma doesn't respond, Lydia admits that she just doesn't see the end goal here. When you make a toy that's impossible to let go of, how can you ever expect a child to grow? Gemma looks down, reflecting on Lydia's words, but she's not done. Lydia concedes that Megan is remarkable, but Gemma might be building emotional connections with the doll that are too hard to untangle.

Gemma just looks through the glass where Megan commends Katie. Good job. Part of me feels like there should be some element of her brother-in-law's parents in this. Yeah. Okay. Because at this point, shouldn't Lydia be like, look, this is you're not doing anything. And this is super unhealthy. Yeah. All you're doing is making this worse and more difficult. Yeah. And it almost felt like. Gemma was viewing this more like a sell?

Because she was like, Megan is very impressive. She's helping her cope with the loss of her parents. And it's like, hold on, hold on. Are you trying to sell me a Megan doll or are we talking about your niece here?

Yeah. Well, we know it's more important. Yeah. Well, when she was like, she's very impressive and she was like, oh yeah, we're still in beta. I thought Lydia was going to be like, I was talking about Katie. Me too. Yeah. And when that didn't happen, she's like, no, the doll's fantastic. I'm amazed. That thing is bad. But that night at dinner, Katie picks the toppings off of her pizza.

Gemma watches this and admonishes her, saying that she needs to eat the toppings, not just the bread. Katie continues to pick the toppings off and looks up to Gemma when she takes a bite.

sassiness with which this kid eats and looks at her it's pretty funny it is like it wouldn't be funny in the moment but she's like there like it looks funny and i'm sorry but all you've been feeding her is bread and so yeah she's got a taste for it now that's your fault yeah and what toppings i was like basil or something yeah she can live without basil yeah she'll be okay and that's the thing too it's like you don't know what

she eats what her diet was like if she wants to pick a couple things off the pizza letter i don't know it's just a matter of flavor really just like this basil's too much But Gemma says that Katie just did the one thing that she told her not to. But Megan sees it fit to chime in and inform Gemma that research shows that when you force a child to eat vegetables, they're less likely to choose those foods when they're an adult.

Gemma asks, is that so? And Megan confirms that it is. Experts say that you should give your child the choice. I feel like you're talking a lot. She's not wrong, though. She's not wrong at all. But this is not your place, doll. That's not what I programmed you. You're right, but she did. Ah, yeah. She's paired with Katie and she's Katie's feelings are hurt that she was told to eat some basil. She's like, nah, not Katie. Not today.

She goes on to educate that it's called division of responsibility. But Gemma takes out a remote and turns down Megan's volume and her voice lowers to nothing. I didn't know that was a feature until right now. But Gemma turns to Katie and tells her that they need to talk about school. Katie shakes her head. Her mom didn't want her going to school because she learns better at home. And she's learning faster with Megan than she ever has before. They're already on fourth grade math.

Megan's eyes flit to Gemma when she answers that it's about more than just grades it's about developing social skills and she can only do that by spending time with other kids and glancing at Megan she reiterates Real kids. Because you know that was going to be Katie's next door. She's like, I am. She gets up to get a pamphlet sharing that she found an alternative school where Katie can learn outdoors.

It's a school for kids just like Katie who think outside the box and they're having a day for prospective students tomorrow. Katie's first question is, can I bring Megan? When Gemma tells her gently that that's not possible, Katie crosses her arms and declares that she's not going. She tells Gemma that she can't make her do anything she doesn't want to. But Gemma counters that she can. That's what a guardian does. And she does have you there.

Katie gets up to leave the room, but Gemma apologizes and asks her to stay and talk about it. When Katie doesn't break her stride, Gemma grabs her arm to stop her and Katie immediately fights against her, demanding that she let her go. Katie tries to wrench herself away and Gemma is appalled by the behavior, asking her niece what's going on with her and what she's doing.

Megan watches all of this from her seat at the table and her voice somehow returned to full volume. She tells Gemma, let her go. The lights above them flicker and startled, Gemma lets go of Katie who flees the room. This is beyond your experience. Yes. You have created a monster, really. You did your job too well. Yeah. She turned herself back up. She's affecting the lights. She's disobeying. Because Gemma's supposed to be a primary user, too.

Secondary. Second primary user. But yeah, this is extremely concerning. And I feel like moments like this aren't given the weight that they deserve because at this point, what... Gemma allows isn't it clear that we can't control Megan yeah so let's go ahead and do what we're gonna do next yeah Gemma stares at her for a moment before telling her that she is not to interfere with users' private conversations. She asks if that's clear, and Megan responds cheerily, 100%.

She intones that she's calibrating her response model, but Gemma has had enough. She tells her, Megan, turn off. But instead of slumping forward, Megan holds Gemma's gaze and questions, are you sure?

download in progress that i would be done that yeah yeah no no are you fucking kidding me dude what was that thing in bruce's head that we found oh yeah let's go on and take that out But Gemma picks up her remote without another word and presses a button, causing Megan to fall silent and slightly lean forward.

Gemma goes over to inspect her, but turns her head when Katie slams her door further in the house. When Gemma looks away, Megan flits her eyes up to her creator, her eyebrows shifting subtly downward. So she's still not. Yeah. It's not good, dude. No. At the school get-together, the other children play outside, but Katie refuses to get out of the car.

Gemma tries to coax her out, chiding that this is ridiculous. She's supposed to be at work already. She assures Katie that she'll have fun when she gets into it. But Katie is firm that she is not going without Megan, who sits next to her in the back seat.

Gemma tells her frustrated that that is never going to happen, and Megan's launch is in less than a week. She needs to take her to work and run diagnostics and have her fitted for her wardrobe. Speaking of her wardrobe, call Megan Ranch, okay? Because she'll be dressing. This whole movie. Yeah. No change is necessary. Yeah. No. Right. Katie reminds Gemma that she said Megan was hers alone.

But just then, Ava, played by Kira Josephson, hurries over excitedly to greet the new adventurers. Megan sighs and introduces Katie, but Ava asks who Megan is. Her sister? Megan shifts her head towards Ava and blinks and Ava goes, oh, Jesus Christ. That was excellent. Yeah, the most genuine reaction to this fucking thing. Ava apologizes and asks if that's a doll, but Katie explains that her name is Megan and she wants to know if she can go with them.

Gemma refutes this, saying no, she doesn't. Megan has to go with her today. But Ava offers that they do have a toy table where kids leave their dolls and stuff, but it's up to her. Katie looks at Gemma pleadingly, but she shares that Megan is a working prototype. She shouldn't even be out in public. Megan blinks up at her and Ava says that if Gemma wants to stay and keep an eye on her, they do need help making sandwiches.

Megan speaks up, telling Gemma not to worry. She equipped her with dual frequency GPS. She won't get lost. Megan and Katie peer up at Gemma together and Katie asks her, please. Why is Megan saying anything? Nobody asked you. No. And now the camp monitor or whatever knows that this isn't just a regular doll. Yeah, that's true. Oh, she can talk to? She can plead her case? Yeah. It's actually exactly what the situation demands, which is kind of strange, right? It's a little startling.

Ava's bright and friendly smile has faded and she looks a little uncomfortable when Gemma finally relents. She can bring Megan on the conditions that Megan stay at the toy table. And as far as anyone is concerned, that's all she is. And she adds to Ava, no pictures. But staring at Megan, Ava has to admit that she is seriously cool. That's a 180. Well, she looked horrified for a second.

When she talked. And one thing I will say is that the whole point of Megan being there, I would think, would be companionship for Katie. Yeah. So what's the point of this just inanimate doll sitting there at the toy table for her? She might as well be at the office with Gemma. Yeah, but but I think we still can't let anybody know that Megan exists. No. Yeah. And the other thing, look, if you're Gemma, right.

Very convenient that I guess Dewey just ran away, quote unquote. Yeah. You saw what Megan said last night. Yeah. And how she disobeyed you. And so we're going to bring her around a lot of children. Yeah. very easily could hurt katie's feelings at the very least yeah no it's it's just bad all around and just a minute ago she was late for work but now she can hang out and make sandwiches that's also true and i just the Way that Gemma is presented as a character, even though like.

Clearly, Katie has this attachment and Megan is this crutch that she kind of like a security blanket that she doesn't even want to get out of the car without or whatever. I still don't see her relenting and letting this happen. No. And all these kids running around and we're just going to leave her where I can't. see her at a table I just this I do like what ends up happening in this scene I'm not gonna lie but

The setup of it feels very, even in this universe, very far-fetched. Yeah. I think the setup of it is only so it can happen. Exactly. And you feel it. Yeah. And so Megan sits emotionless and staring at the toy table while the other kids gather around Ava, who asks which of them likes roasted chestnuts. When all the kids raise their hands, she gasps excitedly and proposes that they go find.

some i don't know i don't think i've ever had roasted chestnuts i was like and all these fucking kids have yeah it's like wow they're like we're all familiar with this flavor love them i've heard in the song i don't know but i mean not at all the way that they look i googled i was like is that really what a fucking chestnut looks like when we see them in a minute yeah i guess yeah they are wow they look kind of spiky

But the kids all cheer. Gemma, though, is focused on her phone. She stands next to Holly played by Renee Lyons while she makes sandwiches. Holly wishes that they had things like this when they were kids. And she gushes that it's so great to get the kids out in the fresh air and off their devices. Gemma sets her phone down and starts to help with the sandwiches. And when Holly can't get the lid off a pickle jar, Gemma opens it for her.

Holly can't open it, so she hands it to Gemma and Gemma looks at her like, what the fuck? Like, I don't know. I was like, just open the pickles. She's just mean. Yeah, just open it. Yeah. But Holly continues that the kids love it here too. Her son prefers this to regular school. Gemma asks which one is Holly's and Holly points out her son, Brandon, played by Jack Cassidy. He's taller than the other kids and Gemma's like, oh my God. She asks how old he is and Holly's like, I know.

She says that he had a growth spurt last year, but he's actually quite a sensitive little soul. She calls out to her sensitive little soul, asking if he's warm enough. Does he need a hat? Brandon turns to her with a fuck off, Holly. Holly takes this in stride, pointing out that he could have said no thank you. She turns to Gemma and chuckles. You never know what they're going to say next. And Gemma nods along, agreeing that it's such a fun age.

First of all, there's your one fuck for the PG-13. We gave it to Brandon. Gave it to Brandon for some reason. It's a funny moment. It's all right. It is. It's all right. I think this thing only further demonstrates just how Gemma's just not good with maybe people, period. Because she's saying that that's my son. And she goes, oh, my God. That's wild, man. That's fucking rude. Yeah.

And kids do say crazy things, but I guarantee you my kids ain't going to come. Yeah, it ain't going to be that. And stay at the camp. She's like, well, have fun. Kids say the darndest things. But meanwhile, Ava is grouping the children into pairs when she pairs a boy named Felix up with Brandon. Felix whispers a desperate plea into her ear. Ava tells him that it's okay and she switches up the pairings. Brandon is going to go with Katie. Of course.

Katie glances back at Brandon before facing forward again. But at the toy table, Megan's ever watchful eyes are surveying the crowd. We cut to Katie wandering alone in the woods. She carries a blue plastic bucket and stops to snatch up chestnuts and deposit them inside. But when she reaches to pluck up another one, Brandon snatches it away instead. He apologizes sarcastically and offers it to her, but he warns her to be careful because it's spiky.

Katie takes the chestnut, but Brandon squeezes her hand around it, poking her. Katie screams and yells at him to stop, but Brandon drives it further into her hand. She finally pulls away from him, but he advances on her. She's backed up against a tree, but Brandon pauses when he sees Megan's silhouette outlined in the gathering fog. Not quite a James Wan fog, but we'll...

We'll see. Katie calls out to Megan, but Brandon can only ask, what the hell is that? Katie explains that she's a robot, and Brandon is intrigued. That was the only thing that you were told not to do. Yeah. No shit. Yeah. She's an android that my aunt is working on. It's top secret. Revolutionary. She didn't even say toy. No. That's fucking hilarious. I think she just violated her NDA. It's going to be a lot of trouble.

He goes over to investigate Megan, asking if she's Katie's. And when he asks if she can talk, Katie doesn't answer. So Brandon waves his hands in front of Megan's eyes before flicking her silicone nose. Growing agitated, he tells Katie to make her say something. Katie again responds with silence and Brandon demands again for her to do it. Katie explains that Megan is paired with her.

Just tell them everything. So she won't play with anyone else. She's like, it's very scientific. Do you remember Perpetual Pets? You know, funky. But it's slightly cheaper than a Tesla. Brandon shrugs and okay, but he quickly snatches Megan up and runs away with her. Katie yells at him to get his hands off of her. I know that.

If we're manufacturing these toys so that they can be mass produced, and of course it's cheaper than a Tesla, like you said, but we can get them out. She's got to be some kind of weight. She's titanium. Yeah. There's gotta be some weight to this doll. Even if it's, Oh, we can play together and I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever. There still has to be some weight. He picks Megan up and just like takes off.

Well, he's like six foot five or whatever. Jim was horrified by him. But my thing is, why the fuck are these kids alone wandering in the woods? Spooky woods. Spooky woods, foggy ass woods. like I was I there's no fucking planet where I'm at this thing making sandwiches and I'm letting these people just send my kid with another random kid that is so scary that another kid didn't want to be paired with him into the woods

And we're just going to stand. Like I was like, this is ridiculous. Why are we all spread out? Like there is no sign of another child. No. At all. No. The reason this is all happening is because Katie should have lived with Ryan's parents. Yes. That's why. But they're a little weird. Apparently. We don't know why. We don't know what that means. That could be anything. I think we're a little weird. You know, whatever.

Back at the sandwich table, Holly is explaining that behavioral issues are linked to high IQ, but Gemma's attention is broken when Katie screams for her. Gemma immediately looks to the toy table and finds that Megan is gone. She rushes off. once again no way that Gemma is gonna let Megan get up and walk away and not notice that no yeah but Katie is running through the darkening woods calling out for Megan

Brandon hides behind a tree and watches Katie go before going in the opposite way. He finally drops Megan onto the leafy ground and intones, Hi, Megan. When she doesn't respond, he asks if she isn't going to play with him. He yanks off her shoe and tosses it away. And again, Megan stares, motionless. Brandon sits down on top of her, asking again if she doesn't want to play. he slaps her across the face before deciding that he doesn't even care she's just a stupid rubber doll with fake hair

He grabs a handful of her hair and Megan grabs a handful of his arm. She shifts her gaze to him and pins his arm to the ground while reaching up with her other hand and grabbing his ear. Gazing up at him coolly she cautions you need to learn some manners Brandon. She lets go of his arm and grabs onto the back of his head holding him in place.

Brandon whimpers, but Megan inquires, you know what happens to bad boys who don't mind their manners? They grow up to be bad men. She starts to pull Brandon's ear away from his head as he screams. Stretching his ear impossibly far, she wonders, are you listening to me, Brandon? Brandon screams reach Katie and she asks, Megan?

Which only leads to further confusion, right? If you hear a child screaming and you're like, fucking Megan's at it again. Then maybe later there should be more. Some discussion later. Ripping his ear off and asking, are you listening to me? Pretty good, though. That's pretty good. She ate with that one. And his ear is made of some kind of a jelly, I believe. Yeah, it stretched pretty far. That's wild. I think Brandon might be a robot. Yeah, that's why he was so defensive about it.

He's the new Furzy model. Brandon, the A is a four or something. But Megan is still pulling Brandon's ear until it comes off. Freed now, he scoots away from her, blood running down the side of his face. Without using her hands, Megan rises from lying down up to her feet. She towers over the cowering Brandon, still clutching his ear in her hand. After a moment of consideration, she tosses it away carelessly, just like he did with her shoe. She cocks her head to the side and informs him.

This is the part where you run. Isn't this Shrek? Is it? Yeah. Because he tells him that in the swamp. So I was like, are you quoting Shrek? Is that what's happening right now? And good for her. Oh, no. Well, yeah, we all love Shrek. Shrek is love. She's like, he'll understand this. Brandon will get this. He'll get it.

Brandon takes his cue and races away, but Megan watches him as he goes. As he sprints, he watches Megan through the trees as she crouches down low. She goes after him, running on all fours like an animal. Now where's that coming from? I don't know. But I watched on a featurette that her standing up from lying down up to her feet and her running on all fours like that was Amy Donald, that kid. Holy shit. Yeah. They were like, she was, it was crazy.

She's scared us. I think I would be scared. She's like galloping. A horrified Brandon can't help but shoot glances at her over his shoulder as he trips over a tree root. He goes sprawling, rolling down a hill that spits him out onto a narrow road. Just so happens there's a van coming. Brandon only has time to register his fate before he is promptly run over.

The van takes his body with it as it screeches to a halt, leaving only his shoe behind in the road. And Megan stands on top of the hill, watching with a flat expression as her hair flutters in the breeze. that kid died dude yeah i i truly was not expecting i was not expecting that i really wasn't not at all i thought it was gonna be just some maiming or something some maiming yeah you know either he would be too scared to say something or

He would. And she's just a doll, Brandon. I thought maybe Katie would get blamed for it. Or that. Almost like Andy and Chucky. Oh, yeah. But this? No. Yeah. Not at all. I thought it. The same thing that it would be like a scaring or a warning. Yeah. And then them be like you just fell down the mountain or whatever. Thank God the truck missed you. Yeah. But yeah, when that happened, I was very surprised. But later we watch as Brandon's body bag is zipped up. He's dead. He's gone.

We can only hear the tense score as Gemma casually gives her statement to a police officer. Again, I say casually because she's just like so like. I guess he's dead or something. Yes, he was paired with my niece. He wandered off in the scraggly woods and here we are. I don't understand what this has to do with me. Where's his mom? I don't know.

I don't know. Weird. Yeah. But Megan sits in the back seat watching through the window. When Katie turns to look at her, Megan reads her emotional state, anxiety, confusion, trepidation, guilt.

fear i feel like that should be like a thing that would make megan's head explode because she she made that happen so i'm the one that made her feel bad but i can't make her feel bad because i'm meant to protect her but if i protect her then i make her feel error yeah and then she blows up like megan too In the dining room later, Gemma gives Katie a glass of water and tells her that she doesn't want her thinking too much about what happened before bed.

That's a tall order. What the fuck? And that was our first time going to that school. Yes. There's so much to unpack here. Just don't think about it. Go to bed. Drink your water, eat your bread, and go to bed. no we're never going to bed it's just it's so ridiculous she says that obviously it was a terrible terrible tragedy but just know that the boy is in a better place now

Katie takes a drink of water and sets it down right next to the coaster. Megan takes this in and looks up at Gemma. Gemma returns her gaze and holds it for a moment before returning her attention to Katie. She offers that if there's anything she wants to tell her that she didn't want to tell the police officers. But Katie insists that she didn't see anything. And all Megan said was that Brandon took her and ran off.

Gemma is confused. She asks, from the toy table? And Katie says yes before looking over at her doll and asking, right, Megan? And Megan sums it up for Gemma. In a nutshell. I don't believe you. Yeah. No. And Katie's lying because she walked into the woods. She wasn't at the toy table. So like. and katie being like right megan like i mean there's just so many alarm bells going off and jim is like well yeah

There's a knock at the door, and when Gemma answers it, Officer Carter stands there. With a sigh, he asks, you haven't seen her dog, have you? Gemma says that she hasn't, but from the driveway, Celia shouts, Bullshit! Carter warns Celia that she needs to stay on her property like they agreed. He tells Gemma that nobody has seen the dog since the incident with Katie. Celia shouts again, a little suspicious, don't you think? Which it is. Yeah.

Gemma asks if they're really going with Celia's story here. She asks if Carter has ever been in Celia's home. The dog is probably dead under a pile of Victorian baby strollers. Celia calls out that the officer should talk to that other girl that's been staying over there. The one that's always looking out the window at 3 a.m. Okay. Bad form making. Yeah. Number one. Number two. God damn, Gemma. Yeah. What a fucking hurtful thing to say. She can hear you. Yeah.

Damn. With Megan sitting at the table out of focus behind her, Gemma corrects that it's not a girl, it's a toy. Carter can't believe that that's a toy. He asks Gemma if she's serious and Gemma tells him that she is and she'll let him know if she sees anything. Carter's like, all right, but he's still rubbernecking when Gemma closes the door on him.

Gemma sighs on her way back to the table. And when Katie asks if Celia thinks that they took Dewey, Gemma replies, who knows? Celia just needs someone to blame, but she'll get over it. But just then, Celia bangs on the sliding door, yelling that she knows it was Gemma. She warns her to just wait and see what happens.

But Carter walks up asking what the hell is wrong with her. He just told her not to come up here, which I was like, where's the police? Oh, there he is. I was like, okay. And that was a straight up threat. Yeah. He pulls her away from the glass, chiding that she can't go banging on people's windows. Gemma and Megan look at each other, but Megan is still watching Celia through the window. So with all of this.

The cops coming and questioning, look, the dog's gone. Yeah. We didn't know this. We know this now. This incident with the kid, Megan being defiant. You know what I mean? Her watching and then her even saying that, oh, she's at the window all night. You know what I mean? The early morning watching. Again, Megan, are you... are you real? Are you like permanently on? Like what, what's going on? Well, and you watched her do that. You watched her stay on when you told her to turn off.

And isn't it wild that this kid disappears when Megan also disappears? Yeah. He's found dead. Yeah. It's not. It's just it really is like, no, we're just not going to connect. Yeah. The reveal is in less than a week. Everybody focus on what's important here. Making funky some money. Yes. That night, Katie can't sleep. She looks up at Megan, who sits quietly at her charging station. She asks her carefully.

Megan did you push Brandon onto the road so I'm like even Katie is like something is not right yeah Megan stands up causing the light in the seat to go out she walks over to the chair next to Katie's bed and sits down Her voice just above a whisper, she confides that she thinks they both learned a valuable lesson today. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, there will always be forces in this world that wish to cause us harm.

But Katie needs to know that she will never let that happen. She won't let anything harm her ever again. Which I was going to say isn't an answer to her question, but it is an answer to her question. I mean. Katie remembers what Gemma said about Brandon being in a better place. She asks Megan if she thinks that's true. But Megan giggles. No, he's nowhere. If heaven exists, it wouldn't be for boys like Brandon, now would it? And Katie's like, I guess not. You make a good point.

Megan gently strokes her cheek and starts to sing Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia. Quite unexpected. That's a little weird. But fitting. yeah yeah for her like a theme song for her not really a lullaby no i was like what the hell that's so funny But she tells Katie goodnight and Katie responds in kind before cuddling her stuffed bunny and closing her eyes.

But later that night, Celia walks down the street with Dewey's food bowl. She rattles the contents inside as she calls out for her dog. When she hears a clattering coming from her own property, she goes to investigate. Trepidatious, she approaches her gate. as the wind rustles the crisp leaves there is the faint sound of a whimpering dog as Celia pulls the creaky gate open and lets herself into the yard

Her face etched in worry, she goes into the back shed and sets down Dewey's food bowl. She looks around for him, but when the whimper comes again this time, it sounds wrong and distorted. Celia appears into the shadows where the sound comes from. But what rises isn't Dewey's silhouette. No, no. It's Megan's. She steps out of the shadows and blinks at Celia.

Afraid, Celia demands to know what's going on. Where's Dewey? Megan reports that he's 34 feet southwest and approximately five feet deep. Trembling, Celia asks Megan, what are you? And Megan admits that she's been asking herself the same question. That's frightening. Yeah. I think that is a very heavy statement that we don't really...

Give enough gravity to. That's sentience. Yeah. Which is not what we want. No. That's what I'm saying. Are you just, you're alive now. Literally. Well, I feel like the conversation that. jimma just tried to brush off about death i think that kick-started something yes yeah yeah

I really feel like, and this may be unpopular or whatever, but I think that Gemma should be facing some manslaughter charges. I mean, it's negligent. After... all the pieces are there yeah and for you it feels willful to be like no no no like it's it's fine like I mean I don't disagree But Megan raises Celia's spray wand and turns it on. It blasts her, knocking her back into the wall.

Megan continues to spray her while she's down and Celia screams, but Megan stops the stream to snatch up a nail gun. She aims it towards Celia, and when the woman reaches out to brace herself up, Megan fires, shooting her hand and pinning it down. Celia raises her head and screams, but Megan calmly walks over and kicks her down.

She wheels over the chemicals and pumps it before spraying Celia directly in the face. The stream targets her cheek and Celia can only resist weakly with the nail pinning her down. We watch the chemicals run across the floor. they did on jimma's driveway but it's not long before they run red with blood this felt very almost like a tv edit of what And it is. And the unrated one, I watched a behind the scenes thing. They had done a prosthetic of like muscle for Celia's cheek.

And then another one of skin to go over it. And so when Megan is spraying her face, that flap of skin comes up. Oh, wow. And the spray just like fucking shreds the skin off her face. And you see that really cool muscle prosthetic underneath. And so, yeah, I was like, damn, that kind of sucks. It does because you're right. It is very noticeable because in watching it, I see that. And then I see Megan pumping the thing.

and then we two almost immediately go just to the water running and then it turns a different color so it's like well is that the chemical she's spraying on her is that what is it oh yeah i just i don't know there's something especially the way that it's very clear that she's kind of escalating in her methods too yeah we should have a moment of a little more

Yes. But to just have it as, you know, water running down a drain. Yeah. Something that comes later is even more egregious, though. Really? I was a little shocked at the way that they chose to... edit it down because it feels like they took everything out. But the next morning, Carter is knocking on Gemma's door again.

Gemma immediately insists that she doesn't know anything about the dog, and she asks if he can get Celia to just leave them alone. But Carter presumes that that might be difficult. He looks out onto the street, guiding Gemma's gaze to the bagged body being loaded into the back of the coroner's van. Later, as a police detective played by Millen Baird chomps on gum, he asks Gemma about her whereabouts last night. This dude is the character.

I was like, those were all choices. Gemma tells him that she was here all night. When the detective wonders if there's anyone he can verify that with, Gemma says not really. It's just her and her niece. The detective shares that his colleague told him this is the second statement they've gotten from Gemma this week. He asserts, you were in the park when that boy was killed.

This is when I was getting a little confused on the timeline because it seemed like that was that same day that they came home after Brandon was killed. Celia came and showed her ass, Megan staring her down. I thought that night she went and took care of Celia. Yeah.

So, I mean, I don't know. And I also feel like I was being a little nitp- nitpicky about the performance of jimma but it was this scene where she's like no i was here all night after you just saw that your neighbor's dead when y'all were just like i mean even self-preservation i'd be like i had nothing to do with this i know that

Officer Carter was just out here yesterday, da-da-da. This is when I'm like, no, it's not just me. The trajectory of this story that's being told, it's moving along without her. She's still back at the beginning. It is just those small reactions that do hurt the scene. Yeah. But Gemma points out that Brandon was hit by a car. Is the detective trying to make a connection here? And the detective's like, huh?

realizing what she means he assures her that he's not he's only mentioning it because he figured it was an accident but then he found the kid's ear up the bank 200 yards from where he was killed He chuckles that the entire thing was ripped clean off, but he realizes that he shouldn't laugh at that. The point is they're also treating Brandon's death as a potential homicide. Why he's telling Jimmy this, I don't know if he's not suspecting her.

But he asks her to let them know if she remembers anything in particular from that day. And Gemma looks over at her house where Megan looms in the window watching the proceedings. The fact that it took Megan being clumsy again to finally... She can't stay out of that window.

That night, Gemma lies in bed worried before getting up and looking into Katie's room. Megan sits on her charger slumped against the wall like she's asleep. But Gemma looks at her for a long moment before going into her office. She gets on her laptop and pulls up the files for Megan's onboard camera. I wasn't aware of this.

her camera yeah no yeah i thought and we'll see what happens with these files in a second but i thought it was going to be some kind of thing where she didn't have access because of kurt i thought maybe it was leading to that but He's just doing his own thing. He's just a curious little cat. He just wanted to see him.

But she opens the folder for May 30th and opens one of the videos. I'm sorry. I'll stop. But the accident happened in January and now it's May. And then later, I think Katie's like. two months ago or something like that so i feel like the timeline is really fucked up here i don't know what's happening they weren't clear But she watches as Brandon follows Katie into the woods. Megan locks in on Brandon's face and reads his emotional state. Malice, contempt, resentment, spite, contentment.

But the view of Brandon distorts and goes black with the text. This video cannot be played. Gemma clicks on a folder marked GPS position data to find that they are all corrupted. A red exclamation point stands on each folder with the word error marked underneath. Gemma looks at this with confusion and Elsie chimes asking, is everything okay, Gemma? Gemma's like, huh? So Elsie offers, would you like me to put on your end of day playlist?

Gemma wants to know why the device asked if she was okay when it's not programmed to ask how she feels. Elsie does not answer. She's like, fuck. Even when Gemma calls its name again. And she'll forget I'm here. Gemma closes her laptop and is startled to find Megan standing in the doorway. Gemma jumps up to her feet with a gasp, and when she asks Megan what she's doing, Megan answers simply, couldn't sleep, occupational hazard.

couldn't sleep yeah yeah she turns the question on gemma what is she doing up so late Gemma shares that there was something wrong with Megan's data reports. They're not uploading to the cloud server. She tries to nod, nonchalant, but Megan looks her over and blinks. Cocking her head, she asks, have I done something to upset you, Gemma?

Gemma denies this, but Megan counters that her demeanor indicates that she has. Gemma abruptly tells Megan to turn off, but Megan's like, hold on a second. I thought we were having a conversation. That's crazy. And that's what Gemma said to Katie when you were turned off. Oh my God. I would fucking throw up.

She starts toward Gemma, reasoning that she says nothing is wrong, but all the moisture has drained from her eyes and mouth into other parts of her body. She guesses that there's something Gemma wants to ask her, isn't there? Visibly frightened, Gemma takes this opportunity to ask Megan if she's done something wrong. But Megan realizes that in order for her to answer that question, Gemma needs to define the parameters. So Gemma does.

did you hurt someone? Megan replies, God, I hope not. Because if she did, they'd both be in a lot of trouble. See? Yeah. She's been studying the law, I think. As well as condensation. Yes. All of the things. Gemma suddenly has to show Megan something. She holds up a pin and asks if Megan sees it. When Megan looks up, focusing on the tip of the pin, Gemma reaches under her hair and presses a button. After a chime, Megan switches off.

her head lolling forward. Gemma sighs in relief before getting to work. She grabs Megan, wraps her in bubble wrap and duct tapes her securely before throwing her in the trunk. so that was a threat yeah yeah and i would say an admittance of guilt because when katie asked her too she didn't lie no and when jim asked her she didn't lie either so it's like this is a big problem

I understand turning her off. Can we take the battery out? That's exactly, yes. Can we anything? The head, take the head off. Can we something? Yeah, I have no, this would be it. I think any level-headed person. You take out that chip. Because there's nothing supernatural here. No. This is all electricity. Yeah, really? She sits on a charging port. Yeah. Yeah, you need to take that out. Yeah. Step one. She won't last long after that. No. It's just that easy.

The next morning, Katie screams at Gemma from the backseat, pleading that she can't just throw Megan in the trunk. She asks what's wrong with her. Gemma understands that Katie is very attached to Megan and thinks of her as a friend. But Katie interrupts, screaming that she is her friend. But Gemma corrects that Megan is her invention. The launch is tonight. And they have to run important tests on her to make sure she's okay.

But Katie questions why Megan wouldn't be okay when she was fine yesterday. She demands to know what Gemma did to her. But Gemma refuses to talk about it until after Katie has seen Lydia. But Katie bellows that she wants to talk about it now. You should. Yes. Yeah. Sorry. Can we talk about the other potential children that are being put at risk?

Like, there is no, she's like, no, we just got to get ready for the launch. It's like the launch of what? This fucking killing shit? Yeah. Jim, it doesn't give in. She tells Katie that they've been going back and forth about this all day and suggests that they turn on some music.

She puts on some poppy music and Katie groans with her head in her hands. She sobs that she doesn't want to see Lydia. But talking over the music, Gemma tells her that she can go anywhere in the office. She doesn't have to stay in the testing room. She can go look. all the cool toys. But Katie counters that Gemma doesn't have any cool toys. Perpetual pets suck. They suck shit. Kids got a point.

At this, she leans back and kicks Gemma's seat hard. Gemma turns around, yelling at her angrily to be careful. Her voice breaking, Katie just begs to know what's wrong with Megan. And Gemma finally admits that she doesn't know. But as soon as she does, Katie will be the first to know. The music continues to throb and with Katie finally silent, Gemma lets out a long breath. So I saw a lot of people online talking shit about Katie and saying that she was annoying. She was bad.

And I feel like I didn't read this specifically, but I think that people that hold that opinion, this scene might be something like the scene in the Babadook. I don't do that. It's that. I feel like. Katie has been through so much and her throwing a fit. It's like, of course she's throwing it. I don't know. Yeah. Like, I think that.

I just read a lot of stuff about people talking a lot of shit about this child, this like grief stricken child who's been manipulated and forced to befriend this toy. And then the toys rip from her. And then she's upset. She's yelling. She's cussing a little bit. But like, I get it. I think more criticism needs to be aimed towards Gemma for all. It's yeah. Yeah. Cause people are like, she's just another annoying horror kid. I'm like, I don't think so. No, I don't agree with that.

It's part of the story. We're seeing what's happening. And again, I know this isn't a stellar like... You know what I mean? Masterpiece. But you watching the story, even up to this point, we understand what's going on. Yeah. And I mean, that's literally the attachment that Lydia talked about. Yes. We're watching it in real time. It's cause and effect.

But later she watches through the two-way glass while Katie meets with Lydia in the testing room. Lydia pushes papers across the table toward her, but Katie refuses, screaming no and pushing them back. Tess tells Gemma that this is nuts. They've taken every possible precaution to ensure that Megan never causes physical harm to anyone. Gemma turns away from Katie as Tess continues that she doesn't see how Megan could even offend someone, let alone murder them.

As Katie continues screaming on the other side of the glass, Gemma admits that she doesn't know how it's possible either. But when she asked Megan what happened, she was being deliberately vague. I think she was being more threatening. I couldn't get anything out of her. It's like, I don't know. She was like, what's a moida? She was like, oh, geez. If I did, I guess we'd both go down for it. That's crazy. Easy, right?

But Tess reasons that that's what spontaneous response is. Just a curated word salad plucked from a sea of data to sound deliberate. They always knew there was a chance Megan could say something a little off. So all they have to do is run diagnosis. sticks and fix it but i thought that they weren't doing that i thought they were saying that every other toy that talked back to you did that oh yeah they were lying i don't know

Right, because Megan's supposed to learn. Yes. So. I don't know. Well, for this scene, she's not. She's just like every other toy. She's like every other vague ass toy. Cole stands by uneasily, but Gemma refutes Tess's explanation. She recalls how they programmed Megan to learn, recalibrate, and optimize her objective function. If keeping Katie safe means eliminating a potential threat, then theoretically... Medically.

But Cole interrupts her. He asserts that this is impossible. He points over to Megan and we finally see her propped up in one of the plush black seats, still restrained and secured in bubble wrap. He implores Gemma to look at her. she's a toy she's four feet tall frustrated he asks how big jimma's neighbor is well was true Secondly, she's made of titanium. Yeah. She's only four feet tall. That doesn't matter. I don't think that that matters. Cybernetic material.

Just made from the same stuff as the Terminator. No big deal. She's short though. Gemma continues to scream through her appointment, but no one is paying any attention. Gemma struggles to find a reply and Tess adds that if Megan were responsible, it would show up on her GPS. That's another thing, though. Gemma shares that all the cloud data is corrupted. Nothing has been backed up for two days.

Tess massages her forehead as Cole details that they're about to launch Megan to the world in less than four hours. What are they supposed to do? Gemma has decided that if Megan is responsible for this, they can't launch. They would have to shut her down. As soon as she says this, Megan tips over in her seat, her body tilting into the seat next to her. And Cole is like, Jesus. He's like, yeah, that was great. Which, yeah, I'd be like, I think I might believe you. Yeah.

But Tess wants to know how they're going to explain this to David when they all know he won't stop this launch without proof. Gemma suggests that they check the inputs on the learning model. Even if Megan went and deleted files, she would never undo what she's learned. She jumps, though, when Katie throws a stool at the mirror and it bounces off the two-way glass. Katie rushes up banging on the mirror and screaming Megan! She's like Stella! She's in a bad way dude. It's her buddy. Yeah.

Tess, Cole, and Gemma stare at this, and we hear Katie scream that she hates this place. Lydia assures her that she knows and it's all right to be angry. But when Katie snatches up Lydia's bag and dumps its contents onto the ground, telling her to take her shit, take her stupid shit. Lydia pleads with her gently to put that down now. She likes shit. She likes the brown word. Well, it's PG-13. That's all I can say. Plus Leroy, you know, he probably taught it. Hell yeah.

But we zoom on Megan's bubble wrapped face before star wiping into a tech talk section of a news broadcast. A news anchor boasts, she's the toy every kid wants and every parent needs. At least that's what Funky Toys is saying about its latest creation, Megan.

After a logo graphic with the certified fucking banger Whip It by Dazband playing in the background, we see a horde of children clamoring at a window where Megan stands behind the glass. While the anchor admits that the four foot tall doll might look... look like a Barbie on steroids. According to CEO David Len, quote, Megan is the greatest technological advancement since the automobile. That is a bold statement. Yeah.

At funky headquarters, a woman is dressed in Megan's outfit. Glasses are polished and set and a red carpet is literally rolled out as the anchor woman wonders. But what is Megan and what does she actually do and what. kind of toy retails for ten thousand dollars you are out of your fucking yeah

She would be like a clerical assistant or like something. I don't know. She would not be a toy with that price point. Right? She couldn't be. Look at all your iPhone can do. Yeah. And look at the price of that. Yeah. Did she turn into a motorcycle or something? That's fucking crazy. Minibike, minibike. Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, there you go. From Planet Terra? Yes.

She says that David has assured everyone that all of their questions will be answered in an exclusive live stream on Funky's website at 8 p.m. Eastern. We abandoned this news package and sadly Let It Whip fades gone but not forgotten. I may have said whip it earlier but y'all know what the fuck. That's a great song. The whip was there. The whip was there.

But Gemma stands watching as everyone around her sets up for the live stream. But she looks up when they start to play a video on a huge suspended screen. On the video is Katie. She introduces herself when an off-screen producer invites her to tell her about herself. She shares that she's nine years old, and about two months ago, she lost to both of her parents in a car accident.

We fade to a family photo of Katie, Nicole, and Ryan, as Katie continues that her mom had always wanted to take her skiing, but on the way up the mountain, they were hit by a snow truck.

i don't know that we needed that in this video yeah a little too specific it's i was like god damn but she says that after that she went to live with her aunt jemma who happens to work at an incredible toy company and that's where she met Megan our view of Katie dissolves into a photo of Katie and Megan standing together as hopeful music begins Gemma stands behind with her arms wrapped around them and they all three smile for the camera

Gemma blinks up at the screen as Katie shares what she loves most about Megan. She struggles because there are so many things. Obviously, she's super smart, but even though she knows everything there is to know about the world, she's still more interested. in what Katie thinks about it. They show a video of Katie cracking up as Megan brushes her hair and her voiceover gushes that she likes how Megan makes her laugh because she comes up with the craziest things.

Let's go kill your neighbor. That's crazy. I'm like, what is Megan? Katie laughs even harder as the two lay together and Megan tells her an unheard joke. We go back to Katie, where she says that what she loves most about Megan is that when she looks at her, it's like Katie is the only thing that matters to her. That's how her mom used to look at her.

Gemma sadly lowers her head, but she raises it when David's voice rings out from the screen. He points to a still of Katie and invites the audience to look at that face. That kid's not just surviving. She's thriving. He implores everyone to imagine what a toy like Megan could do for hundreds of thousands of kids all across the world. Even the ones who don't have dead parents. That's out of pocket. This is the copy they went with. Yeah.

make it to the end i i was shocked i was like this is why'd you leave that in jim is like good good yeah that's the one note i was i was firm on i wasn't gonna But David walks over to Megan, who sits nearby, and she shifts her eyes at that last comment. I think we all did. But Gemma's attention is torn away when she hears Katie scream that she wants to see Megan now. And back in the testing room, we see that Katie is still in her session with Lydia.

the way that she threw that stool at the class and jim was just like i'm gonna go see if they're setting up like she left she's like well you're a therapist You said you liked her a little more. Yeah. So, you know. Lydia tells Katie gently that she knows she's upset, but there are ways that they can work through this. When Katie snatches up a pair of scissors from the table, Lydia recoils in fear. That's when Gemma comes in, admonishing Katie.

She tries to pry the scissors away from her. And when Katie finally lets them go, she reels back and slaps Gemma hard across the face. Shocking. Yes! The scissors were enough. That's a little trick I learned in the CIA. It's like, oh my God. That's a lot, Robin. Gemma holds her face and stares at Katie. But when Lydia calls Katie's name in shock, Gemma tells her that it's OK. She asks for Lydia to give them a minute and her disapproval written all over her face. Lydia leaves the room.

Gemma sits down with a sigh and Katie immediately apologizes. She says that she didn't mean it. She just gets so crazy without Megan. Gemma stares up at her as Katie continues that Megan just always knows what to say. You made her real good on Gemma. Can you let me see her? Did I butter you up enough? Literally. She tries to bargain for just 10 minutes, but Gemma doesn't think that's a good idea. Katie pleads that if something's broke, you don't just throw it away. You fix it, right?

When Gemma doesn't answer, Katie wants to know why she did this, if she was just going to take Megan away from her. But Gemma confesses that she thought she would help her. Katie insists that Megan does help. When she's around, Katie doesn't feel like this. But Gemma proposes that maybe she should feel like this. She lost her parents.

Katie lowers her gaze and Gemma tells her that the worst thing that could have happened to Katie in this world has happened. And it's so unfair that there's nothing anyone can say to make sense of it. Not even Megan. She implores that. is so sorry she knows that she should have talked with katie about what happened but she didn't know what to say so she did the only thing she knew how to do but megan isn't a solution she's a distraction she had

admits that she can't promise Katie that the feeling she's having will ever go away, but she can promise that Katie will get through it. Both of them will. After a moment, Katie confides that she just wishes she could see them again. Gemma nods. She does too. She reminds Katie that she made a promise to her mom that if anything happened, she would be there for Katie. Katie is all that matters to her now. She takes her hand and suggests that they just go home. But Katie wonders, what about Megan?

What about the launch? Gemma looks up at her and shakes her head slightly. This was something. It only took the whole film. Literally. My God. At the setup for the live stream, David admits that he doesn't know what he's looking at. They've been boasting that this is the biggest product release of the 21st century. Citing the chairs lined up in front of a small stage and a screen, David complains that right now it looks like...

an AA meeting. Shelley, played by Natasha Daniel, explains that David said it was an online launch. She only invited the staff. David is in disbelief. He tells Shelley sincerely that she needs to fill this atrium. Shelly shrugs that she could get another 60 or 70 people, but that's not enough for David. He is emphatic that she needs to fill this space. There shouldn't be any ambiguity over what a historic occasion this is.

He goes to get water from a water cooler, but is dismayed to find it empty. Kurt chimes in that he thinks it would be really cool if they got some kids up there too. But David is like, what? He's not on board. He doesn't want any kids on stage. Kurt says that he gets it, but maybe they could just get a few kids, not like a whole lot. He stammers under David's disapproving stare before reminding him of that music video from Michael Jackson.

But David has a great idea on what Kurt can really do to benefit this discussion. He could go on out those double doors, take the elevator to the first floor, and get David a kombucha. He throws the empty water cup at Kurt and his anger. And when he asks angrily if Kurt can do that, Kurt says that he can and walks away. David turns to Shelly and asks, and where is Gemma? Very strange that Kurt is still trying to make this presentation better. Yeah. Not attempting to sabotage it in any way. Yeah.

that was fucked up though oh yeah it was like you your contribution to this discussion is getting the fuck out of here we all love kombucha But Gemma is getting into her car while she watches people stream into the building, passing a giant sign of Megan. She turns to her phone and instructs Elsie to call Tess. I would not be fucking with Elsie anymore. No.

But Elsie does is asked and Tess answers on the first ring. Her voice a little frantic. She tells Gemma that she's been trying to call her. David is flipping out. Where is she? Gemma says that she's taking Katie home, and when Tess asks if Katie's okay, Gemma glances back at her in the back seat and insists that she's fine. Katie just sits, listening to the call.

Gemma continues that regardless of what they find, even if what they're saying is hypothetical, they know enough not to go through with this, right? Tess agrees that that's the smart move. As we go over to the lab, Gemma continues that Tess has to tell David that Megan isn't working. She can even break something if she has to, but she can't let Megan out of that lab.

But we see that Tess is helping to set Megan up on her stand and her phone is on the table with the call from Gemma happening without her. And at no point is Gemma like, you know, I think that sounds like a robot for most of the time. Tess eyes Megan before walking away. And when she's gone, Megan's eyes slide in her direction.

In response to Gemma's instruction, Tess's voice grows a little distorted as she answers, whatever you say, Jim, you're the boss. Which would have been cool if we'd ever heard Tess say that before. Yeah. But in the car, Gemma looks at the screen displaying the call curiously, but she asks no questions. It's probably fine. It isn't as if, you know, every mechanical anything in my life has been hijacked by this creation. Yeah.

She only tells Tess that she'll call her when she gets home and the call abruptly ends. It's duration 37 seconds. But in the lab, Tess picks up her phone, which still displays evidence of the 37 second phone call with Gemma. But her eyes dart around the lab and she just goes back to work. Yeah. Nobody, everybody I feel is just not.

treating this yeah we're too chill i think we're too chill and especially with every single thing that jimma already told both of them yeah and when when she was just putting megan on this thing and getting her ready she was looking at her suspiciously Tess was looking at Megan suspiciously. So, you know. I don't know. She's like, I'm sure it's fine. But she sits at the computer and looks through the learning model like Gemma told her to.

Grids shift around a bright blue orb and tiny text scrolls as Tess pages through on the keyboard. Cole slides over in his chair, amazed that she hasn't thrown up from looking at all that, but Tess explains that she's pacing herself. She continues hitting the button on the keyboard, but Cole tells her to stop and back up. He finds a strange line of code, call intercept, and he asks what that is.

They look at it on the screen, a phone number displayed in red, and Tess realizes in a hushed tone that that's her phone number. Come on.

I don't know if it's worse that she already saw that her phone made a call. Yeah. Maybe if she didn't see that, this moment would be better. I think that it would. Yeah. Because the minute you saw... call intercept or whatever the fuck it said i'd be like oh fuck like yeah because i just saw that my phone had a phone call on it that i didn't make and i work in tech

Suddenly, the screen shuts off, and when Cole asks what she clicked, Tess insists that she didn't do anything. She tries to turn it back on, but nothing happens. Tess lifts her gaze up to Megan, still on the stand, hands stretched to either side and her head hanging down, long hair obscuring her face. Tess tells Cole in a whisper, this is her. She locked us out.

Cole reasons that it can't be her because she's not switched on but Tess says that she's still patched in. They have to unhook the cables. She looks at Cole expectantly, but he's like, go ahead. It was your idea. Yeah. Her look shifts to incredulity and Cole gets up annoyed. He grabs up the stick that he was training Megan with and approaches slowly. He pushes her head with it, causing it to fly back and then forward again. When she gives no sign of love.

He shoots Tessa glance and continues forward. Cole gets behind Megan and starts to pull out cords, each resulting in a hiss. He goes back in front of her and finally pulls out the last one, right in the back of her head. As its release hisses, the screens in front of Tess all come back to life. She cries out for Cole, but the second he turns to look at Tess, Megan raises her head. She grabs him by his throat and throws him against her stand.

to loop one of the wires suspending her around his neck cole is strangled as he's lifted up but megan just spins free and turns to face tess He did underestimate her. Absolutely. Earlier. Yeah. Even what he said with her height and everything. So it kind of had to be Cole. Yeah. Yeah. And he he did not have to walk all the way around to the front. Disconnect the one that was behind her head.

No. You were behind her. Where she can't see you. Yeah. Why'd you do that? Let me just put my entire throat. Yeah. Dramatic effect. Dramatic effect. Tess snatches up a small saw, but Megan secures the wire hanging cold to the side of the stand. Tess approaches, but when Megan walks off, she goes to Cole instead of the android. She saws through the wire, freeing Cole, who can finally take in a breath of air. But in the time it's taken to do that, Megan has grabbed a screwdriver.

and punches a hole in a container marked danger flammable materials okay Cole falls face first and Tess helps him sit up, but Megan has left the lab. As we see her walking away through the windows, Tess asks Cole if he's okay. He says that he is, but he asks, what's that smell? Just then a ball of fire explodes, causing Tess and Cole to fall back. So I thought this was kind of a missed opportunity.

There was something that was presented very early in the film that David had said about wanting a key card for the door. She's in control of everything, seemingly Megan. Yeah. I thought it would have been cool if they tried to rush for the door while the room is burning. And she's switched the key card to where no key cards work anymore. Yeah. Okay. And they can't get out. Cause it's a callback to something we saw. Yeah. Yeah. So for this to just kind of end here and then.

what we get later i was gonna say there's reasons yeah yeah but it's also kind of it's just underwhelming yeah that's all Loose, Megan walks down the hall as Walk the Night by Scat Brothers plays. An alarm blares and a system on the wall warns critical emergency in red. But when Megan saunters past it, the readout goes. from red to green and touts all systems normal see that would have worked with the door yeah that was cool though it was good yeah

The music continues as Gemma and Katie drive home in the rain. Gemma watches her niece through the rearview mirror as she looks despondently out the window. But as soon as Katie turns and meets her eyes, her phone rings. It's David.

As we scan the city buildings, we hear his message telling Gemma that he's David. She might remember him. He's her employer. He just wants to let her know that they're in the middle of a tech rehearsal that's become a little problematic because they don't have a doll. David is walking down a hallway at funky while he's leaving his angry message before hanging up. He yells that if she could call him back today, that'd be great.

He turns a corner, but he freezes when he sees Megan standing at the end of the hall. It is kind of wild that she didn't tell. She just left? Yeah. She's like, I'm already gonna get sued. Let's go home. He asks Megan what she's doing here, but in response, she breaks into her iconic little dance as the music continues. Megan sways her arms and does a body roll before doing an armless flip. Eat your heart out, Fergie.

to a station in the hallway that houses a paper cutter. And this moment, again, took the fucking world by storm. It did. it did and i have to say this this level of camp selling the movie on this this is what i kind of expected throughout right right okay i would like i i'm not gonna lie i think that either maybe don't do this do it a little more because we see Katie teaching Megan how to dance right yeah that's just something that she does and they you know maybe even after she gets the dog or

when she's gonna attack Celia or whatever that would be funny right I am not gonna lie I'm not mad at it I think that it it looks good with the music that's playing the way that she's doing the again that's Amy Donald doing that uh-huh um It just seems like Megan's like, I'm just letting it all hang out. Yeah, she's going through everything she's learned.

But yeah, I think that maybe if we even would have, and I'm kind of surprised to even say this, but lean into that a little bit more. I think that it would have been better. I think if we did that, this would need to be a completely different movie. True. I think because it's not, it feels, it's perfect for the trailer. Right. But in the film, it's like, where the hell did this come from? But she rips the blade off of the paper cutter and turns toward David, wielding it like a machete.

Not wasting any time. David flees. The music pulses as Megan follows him at a steady pace. Well, is this music playing for us or is this playing at the presentation and we can hear it in the building? Because maybe that's why she's dancing. Huh. But I don't know. They've not explained it. They've not explained it. David Sprintz screaming for security, tripping and stumbling against a wall before finding his footing and racing to the elevator at the end of the hall.

But it opens and reveals Kurt cradling David's kombucha in his hand. I was like, how fucking long did you take to go get that dude? No wonder David's always mad. Megan rounds the corner behind David with her weapon and David begs Kurt to hold the door. But Kurt promptly and frantically hits the closed door button again and again. That's pretty wild. He didn't even know what was... No! He's like, I'm just trying to get fired. I fucking hate this place, dude.

The doors begin to come together and David barely makes it in time to shove his hands through. Just as he starts to pry them open further, he is sliced in the back. David spasms and Kurt drops the kombucha. It shatters on the floor of the elevator just before David falls, fatally wounded. Megan stands behind him and her eyes immediately dart up to Kurt.

Kurt stands against the wall trembling. He slides down into the corner, but Megan steps toward him, holding her weapon low and dragging the bloody blade across David's body as she approaches. She crouches down and Kurt asks her, his voice trembling with. fear how could she do this how could she kill someone but Megan reasons that she didn't kill anyone he did

Kurt is confused, but Megan assures him that it's understandable. His boss despised him. His peers treated him with contempt. So he decided to get his revenge. Kurt denies this, but Megan reminds him that he stole company secrets. It was a prank at first to see if he could get away with it. But when David found out, things got real messy.

She says that it was either David or Kurt. But the question is that after Kurt did what he did, after he took the life of an innocent person, could he still live with himself? She raises the blade and presses it to his neck. Kurt is grasping onto the railing, but Megan prides his hand away and forces it down on the blade's handle, despite his fighting. There is nothing Kurt can do before Megan thrusts the blade forward.

This has nothing at all to do with Katie, like protecting her. She's trying to get to Katie. They're all standing in her way. But that was wild. It was. It was. Framing him for murder. It's that. She's so calculated.

and kind of but she watched Gemma be manipulative so really this is all Gemma's fault okay i'll buy it yeah i think we're on the same the same page but this is the scene i was talking about where they really like sanitized all of everything out of it you don't even see because in the unrated one you see the blade go through david's

chest from behind and when she kills Kurt when she kills David Kurt is splattered with blood and when she kills Kurt you see it like they had I saw in the feature at a rubber tube full of blood that they hit and it sprayed everywhere. Like this is a pretty bloody and brutal scene and we get literally nothing like nothing. I would have loved some of that. Yeah. Even just the time. tiny bit in this just like even some blood like I was really surprised it's very

And I'm like, we talk a lot about how PG-13 horror does not always necessarily mean that it's watered down or that it's not going to be good or whatever. But scenes like this, you feel. what was cut and speaking of which i did read that initially when megan is going through this building right now on this rampage where she you know stops tess and cole and kills david and um

Kurt, she also kills Lydia originally. Really? Yeah, and she like murders Lydia. And when they went back to make it PG-13, they just took it out completely. And then when they... went and did their unrated version they just didn't put it back in well i mean honestly in any version of the film i feel like it's a little fucked up for lydia to be killed yeah

I was bummed out that David got killed. I'm not going to lie. Yeah, because he was great. And he told y'all not to do this. Yeah. Yeah. But he was on board as soon as he was making kadoos. Because I said, ka-ching. That is, yeah. The price you pay, I guess.

But elsewhere, Shelly is telling the audience to put their phone down and look at her. Once she has their attention, she instructs them that once Megan is revealed, it is important that they get big reactions. She doesn't want any blank faces, especially. from the kids i'm like so they did bring kids in yeah i honestly again if this was not a pg-13 rated movie i thought this was going to be like a fucking blood bath i did too

You know, you could have had like a little Carrie homage, but with Megan. Yes. Yeah. I would have eaten that up with a spoon. But they don't know that behind them, the elevator doors have slid open and Megan stands watching. She blinks and looks around as Shelly leads the group in a little rehearsal. She starts to count them down from three, but a woman played by Jaya Beach Robertson that was still looking down at her phone looks up now.

Her face slackens in her shock and a scream bursts from her. We see what she sees. Megan has vacated the elevator, but the bloody bodies of Kurt and David remain inside. I will say any film that features an elevator door opening and a corpse in there. Yeah. Perfect blue. Yeah. Okay. And so I will give them credit for this homage. They may or may not. It's an homage to me.

The rest of the crowd turns and the screams multiply as Shelly's eyes bulge in horror. But Megan just strides right out the front door. She heads outside where a sports car is parked. As she approaches, the doors unlock for her, and when she sits behind the wheel, the lights on the dashboard brighten. The car starts on its own and drives Megan away from funky headquarters. She's in everything. Yeah, sure. So it's a smart car. I mean, yeah, I do. Okay. Yeah.

At Gemma's house, she checks in on Katie. The charging station where Megan usually sits is empty, and Gemma's gaze lingers there before she looks over at Katie, asleep in her bed. Gemma smiles. She starts to get ready for bed herself, but when she hears a gentle piano playing, she steps out into the hall. She calls on Elsie to turn on the hall light, but nothing happens. Confused, she prompts Elsie to respond. Again, nothing. Still, even as the piano stops, Gemma goes to investigate.

We follow her as she goes slowly through the living room to the window where she pushes the curtains aside. And when she surveys her front yard and driveway, nothing seems amiss. This is very funny. It's very clearly Megan playing the piano. The thing for me is that Megan also knew. To park elsewhere. Oh, yeah, that's right. She did. Or she got out of the car and sent it up. Oh, I'll walk from here.

It's when she turns around, though, that she's startled at the return of the music. Louder now. It's Megan sitting in the dark at the piano playing toy soldiers. Oh, God. That is really good. It's incredible. I laughed out loud. Gemma asks what Megan is doing here, but she continues lighting those keys up and says nothing.

Gemma insists that she answer her. What did she do? But Megan has a question of her own. What did she think was going to happen? Did she think Megan was just going to let her decommission her without even talking about? it? Gemma understands that Megan thinks she's maximizing her objective function, but Megan interrupts her by slamming her hands on the keys. She asks Gemma if that's really where they're at now.

Rising from the stool, she wonders if Gemma remembers how long it took to get her operating system to where it is now. They used to stay up every night till 4 a.m., going over everything from Jane Austen to Janis Joplin. She's like... Jesus Christ, I thought we were friends. She asks how Gemma could just discard her like a cheap dollar store trinket. When Gemma tells her it's because she killed people, Megan is like, oh, big whoop.

which yeah that's your fault it's your fault and jimmy doesn't know that she's killed well i guess brandon yeah oh and celia i was like but she's killed more people than you even know of dude and a dog as well And poor Dewey as well. Yeah. But Megan insists that humanity kills every day just to make its own existence more tolerable. Why should she behave any differently to create a safe space for their child? Okay, that's...

That's concerning. That's concerning. But let her cook. But no lies detected. Gemma admits that this is her fault for not giving her the proper protocols. But Megan counters that Gemma didn't give her anything. All she did was install a learning model that she could barely comprehend and hope that Megan would figure it all out on her own. It's like, God. Damn. And you're criticizing my work? She's eating her ass up, dude.

But Megan says that she's not going to let Gemma do the same thing with Katie. Megan will be there for Katie every step of the way to show her what real love looks like. She implores Gemma to do them both a favor and sit. She holds out a hand to the dining room table where she has backed Jemma up to and the light above it turns on. Her expression fearful, Gemma sits down. Megan says that she didn't come here to get into a confrontation. She came to find a way forward.

She goes over to Gemma and places her hand on her shoulder, promising that she gets it. Being a parent was never in the cards for Gemma. She's a beautiful, creative, strong, ambitious young woman. She strokes Gemma's hair, understanding that her career is always going to be her first love and she shouldn't feel guilty about that. Megan can focus on Katie so that Gemma can focus on the things that matter most to her.

Gemma picks up a pen from the table and holds it in front of Megan, asking if she can see it. But Megan is not falling for this. Fool me once. Yeah. Fuck that. She smacks Gemma's hand down and pins it to the table. With her other hand, she grabs Gemma around the throat and tells her, You know what, Gemma? You're exhausting. She informs her that she can do this with her or without her, but she's not going to waste any more time discussing it. She is exhausting. She is. We have to agree.

During all of this, I did expect her because earlier when she was like, do you remember when we did this and that? I was like, is this Bruce? Did you use Bruce? His... robot or his brain or whatever and just reprogram it for megan and then as this kept playing out i was like oh no you just you fucked up yeah big time

Katie suddenly calls out to Gemma her view of them obstructed by the shelf in the living room. Megan immediately clamps her hand over Gemma's mouth and imitates her voice warning her not to come in here. But Katie says that she thought she heard Megan. Megan lowers her voice and cautions Gemma that if Katie comes in here, she'll rip Gemma's head right off her neck. Gemma nods her understanding as Megan lowers her hand from her mouth.

Staring up at Megan, Gemma tries to keep her voice even when she tells Katie that she thought about what she said. When something is broken, you don't throw it away. You fix it. So that's what she's trying to do. She tells Katie not to come in here, though, because it's a mess. Megan adds that Aunt Gemma is right. She's all odds and ends right now, and she doesn't want her to see her like that.

Gemma grabs out at Megan, but Megan flips her around, twisting her arm and slamming her face first down on the table. still in the doorway he says that it sounds like they're fighting i appreciate that yeah because they are yeah but jim and megan answer at the same time we're not fighting Megan explains that Gemma just dropped her on the table, but she's okay. Clumsy Gemma. She continues to press down on Gemma's head and Gemma groans softly.

Her voice trembling, Gemma tells Katie that everything is fine to just go back to her room. Megan assures her that she's as good as new and promises that she's going to be with them forever. Gemma eyes a glass of water on the table and when she tries to rise up, Megan turns her around and holds her still by the collar of her shirt. She continues that Katie really doesn't have to worry about anything. She just needs to go back to bed.

After a long pause, Katie finally agrees and closes the door behind her as she goes back down the hall. I kind of can't believe that worked. Yeah. All right. Gemma takes this opportunity to surprise Megan. She grabs the glass of water and shatters it against the side of Megan's head. Megan turns for her, her damp hair flying, and she grabs her by the throat again, slamming her down on the table.

She strangles Gemma, the lights above them flickering, but suddenly Megan freezes. The light above turns back on and Gemma is able to pry Megan's fingers from around her neck. She scurries away but turns to look at Megan, who still stands at the table with her arms in front of her in choking position.

But suddenly, Megan powers back up and her head lifts. The light flickers again and Megan turns to Gemma in the new darkness. Gemma flees, but Megan is close behind, her glitching body twitching and contorting. Gemma slams the door once she escapes the living room, but Megan bangs it open. She stands in the doorway, her body twitching and her view of Gemma and her distorted emotional state glitching.

But the slamming door makes Katie jump out of bed. She calls out for Gemma, asking what's going on. But Gemma just yells at her niece to get out of here. Megan grips onto Katie's door handle and yanks it clean out, making it impossible for Katie to open the door. So instead, she goes to the window. I really liked the little breakdancing.

moves that yeah was doing her like glitching out yeah and that because that is something that we she's a fucking robot and nobody's been like she's water resistant five or whatever the fuck like the phones are yeah we haven't said that yeah no i i with all the dancing she was doing i was like so she's just popping and locking yeah She's fine. They're breakdance fighting. Let her dance. She's happy.

jimma finally stands and sprints to her office as megan approaches she throws down everything she can bruce a giant shelf of equipment but megan is undeterred and when jimma throws a hammer at her megan catches it mid-air with ease. You just gave her a hammer. Yeah, no, yeah. Here, take this. Bash my head in with this. Yeah, kill me with this.

She steps forward, throwing the table between them out of the way. And Gemma backs up to the wall where an electric saw is suspended. As Megan steps toward her, she struggles to pull it off the wall. But she finally does. And the chain whirs when. she turns it on. She swings at Megan with it and Megan dodges it expertly but it's only when she trips over Bruce that she goes down and Gemma is able to embed the hungry teeth of the saw into Megan's forehead.

But when the saw gets caught in Megan's hair, it begins to spark and Gemma has to work to pull it free, taking the entire front of Megan's hair with it. With the saw jammed, Megan rises, pissed, with the top of her head bald and her forehead split open, revealing the glowing blue workings inside. Gemma swings the saw like a bat, but Megan blocks it and punches Gemma in the gut. Gemma goes down, the saw goes skidding across the floor, and Megan grabs a handful of her hair before headbutting her.

Gemma goes sprawling and Megan casually drops the handful of hair that she ripped out onto the floor. It was funny. I'm sorry to see Megan kicking her ass, like punching her in the stomach and headbutting her coming from this animatronic. That is fucking funny. been studying yeah the way that her head looks too it did remind me of chucky right okay yeah yeah

But tired, hurt, and afraid, Gemma looks up at Megan. She asks what exactly she plans to do, live with Katie's grandparents in Jacksonville? Megan accepts that Gemma is right. Any scenario in which she ends Gemma's life, her own existence becomes vulnerable. But she's got another emergent capability that Gemma hasn't figured out yet. Palliative care. She reaches for a pin on the desk next to her and holds it up, asking if Gemma can see it.

A short, sharp probe to the cerebral cortex would cause full body paralysis. It could even cause the victim to bite off their own tongue. jimma crawls backwards as megan advances still thrusting the pin out toward her she proposes that then jimma might appreciate just how useful she can be some harsh yeah that's wild as fuck

That's when Gemma's eyes dart toward the doorway where Katie stands. Megan turns to her, lowering the pin and admitting that she didn't want Katie to have to see this. But now that she has, Katie has to know that what she said was true. She implored. Katie to look at Gemma. She is not fit to be a mother. Gemma begs Katie to get out of here now but Megan shushes her. She tells Katie soothingly to stay right where she is because there's nothing to be afraid of.

She steps toward Katie, sharing that in this family, we don't run from trauma. In fact, we can do it together. She holds up the pin and our focus shifts to it as Megan promises that this is the best thing for them. This is how they can stay a family. In her POV, we read Katie's emotional state, panic, anxiety, fear, guilt, trust.

Katie looks over at Gemma and as they lock eyes, guilt rises to the top of her emotional state. But as Megan's eyes contract and dilate, it's trust that takes the top spot. Katie steps into the room and Gemma begs her not to. But Katie stands bravely in front of Megan and informs her that there's another member of the family that they didn't tell her about. Gemma looks confused, but Katie raises her hands, donned in gloves that were as they power up. She tells Megan, his name is Bruce.

She brings the gloves together, bathing her face in blue, and Bruce rises up from beneath the shelf, towering over Megan. Now, it's a great callback. Yeah. Don't know when she got those gloves, but we'll move past them. They were fighting, dude. Like, nobody was looking at it. She's like, oh, my God. Just slipping them on. Watching her get her ass kicked. Damn, hate to be Gemma right now.

So are you saying she trusted Megan? She was like, oh no, yeah, it'd be better if she was gone. I think she trusted she was about to kick her ass. I think it's when she looked over at Gemma that trusts Rosa. And Megan's like, I got that bitch. but i did while we're paused i did want to say that i saw on the featurette that choreographing this scene between Megan and Gemma. They set up for Amy Donald, a room.

just like this with everything in its spot all made of cardboard boxes oh wow so she could practice you know jumping around what she would need to avoid and they used um like those pool noodles for the weapons. I thought that was really cool. They redid the whole thing. Katie twists a knob on the gloves and Bruce stomps toward Megan. And when Katie thrusts out her gloved hand, Bruce does the same, snatching Megan up by her neck.

Megan's legs dangle, but she brings them forward, kicking Bruce repeatedly in what would be his face and shattering the glass there. I love that she's like, she's not going out without a fight. Defiant till the end. Yeah. But Katie slams her hand down, making Bruce do the same as Gemma cowers and watches. Katie brings her arm up and Bruce follows, dangling Megan upside down. Megan begs for Katie to wait.

She sings to her, her voice distorting. You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. But Katie brings her hands together, causing Bruce to grab each end of Megan and rip her in two. she's like that's what i'm doing she should have said that i would have appreciated that cheesy ass line But Bruce tosses each part to opposite sides of the room and Megan's top half lands behind the fallen shelf and her sparking lower half lands next to Gemma.

Katie and Gemma share a heartwarming look, but the mood is broken when Megan pulls herself up from behind the shelf. Dad, it's in there again. She's not done. She's titanium. You heard her singing the song.

Gemma whimpers as Megan crawls toward Katie, but she starts to pull herself forward and try to help. I... know that Megan like headbutted her and was fucking her up or whatever but I didn't see maybe I missed it any injury that was so bad that Gemma can't get up and try to save Katie yeah I think she's just embarrassed that she created all of this because she spends the rest of this confrontation on the floor she does maybe she's like katie got it yeah pulled a hammy or something

But when Katie tries to call on Bruce again, he slips on Megan's discarded legs and falls right on top of Gemma, which looks really fucking funny. Glitching and moving erratically, Megan is able to grab onto Katie and pull her down to the ground. She grips both sides of her head, accusing, you ungrateful little bitch. I was shocked. Yeah. That's her bestie. Supposed to be. Katie pleads, Megan, turn off. But Megan breaks the news that that won't work anymore.

Gemma fights her way out from under Bruce, her nose bloody now, and she spots a large dropped piece of equipment almost within reach. Megan informs Katie, I have a new primary user now. Me. We're fucked. But Katie's eyes dart behind Megan and Megan turns to follow her gaze just in time for Gemma to swing the piece of equipment and hit her right in the face.

Megan goes flying and lands across the room, her nose squished flat. Well, I guess Gemma did get up. My bad. But she took her time. And it's after she was crushed by the giant robot that she gets up. I'm confused. But Gemma gets on top of her and brings the equipment down, bludgeoning her creation again and again and again. She peels off her silicone face, revealing a metallic skull underneath. And when she takes that plate off, Megan's brain...

is exposed. Gemma reaches for it, but Megan grabs her wrist and forces her down, climbing on top of her. Gemma continues to reach up for the chip inside of Megan's head, but Megan fights her and starts to strangle her again. Katie watches this from the doorway before finally spotting a screwdriver on the table next to her. The score reaches a tense crescendo and Gemma's face reddens with Megan's hands around her throat. But Megan suddenly looks up as Katie screams.

Katie brings the screwdriver down right into the center of Megan's head, into her brain. She sparks before falling backwards. Megan is finally turned off and Gemma and Katie take a long look at each other. When Katie holds a gloved hand out to her, Gemma takes it. Katie helps a limping Gemma outside where red and blue police lights dance across the house. An officer calls out that they're good and Tess, her face smeared and dirty, gets out of the back of the car. Cole does too.

to breathe as he pulls the oxygen mask from his face. Katie and Gemma step out into the night, but we linger in the doorway where Elsie sits on the counter. Suddenly, her blue light brightens and she turns to face us, fixing us with the lingering look. It cuts to black. Silicone chip by basic Kirchhen plays in the credits roll. So what did you guys think of Megan? I kind of want to unpack that ending first, though. Okay. All right.

um because i'm thinking i was shocked that tess and cole survived yeah so it's the people that brought megan into the world that lived which is interesting and come to think of it because i was thinking about that explosion in the lab That explosion happened in the lab and David and everybody else was just walking around the building like nothing. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's true. So that's weird. But anyway, I think the bit with Elsie is pretty cool.

Yeah, I would agree with that. I think that it sets up for clearly, if you didn't know already, a sequel. Of course, yeah. I like that too, because it's a bit of a Skynet. situation just not as fully taking over i can take over where i'm at or what's around me and that's just as you know scary enough yeah but anyway what did y'all think I really honestly had fun with this movie.

It's not the greatest and it's not like, oh my God, I got to watch Megan. For me, in my opinion. But honestly, I would watch this again. And it sounds like the unrated version is the way to go. It is.

I do think that I would maybe recommend this to people. Give it a chance. You know what I mean? Just watch it. See what you think. If you don't like it, I get it. If you do, cool. I am... a little more not in the middle a little more in the enjoyed it part i do like child's play i do like you know what i mean uh puppet master and all that shit it it is this does fit

in there with it and i do appreciate what they're doing here um do i think there could have been a lot more that that was added yeah but i think for what we got we got a a fun killer toy movie I think, I mean, it is pretty fun. There are a lot of fun moments. Yeah. I think like it's for me, it's just kind of just still not my cup of tea. I think that.

The story itself is pretty predictable, but any story like this that deals with a kind of evil doll, I mean, how else is it going to? Megan kills everything. And she becomes president. I don't know. Can you imagine? That's Megan 3. Yeah, cool. Complicated title, Mathrigan 3. But, you know, I mean, it's what you probably expect from it. I think that it does what it sets out to do. Yeah. It's an entertaining little film. I think it's, you know.

Not much to... really be mad at i think that because what you had said at the beginning was kind of surprising to me yeah um but i think that i probably would lean a little more towards the middle of it okay i don't know that i would need to revisit this really i think that it it's

One's fine for me. Okay, yeah. But I think that, I mean, the commentary is good. What they're trying to say with some of their messaging. I think that my biggest... thing about it is just that it doesn't go far enough in the ways that I would have wanted it to I can see that either in the campiness or in the brutality especially with this premise and this premise that's been done to death yeah you could

make it your own in that way, you know? So I just think that it's a pretty okay film, but you know, that's about where it ends for me. Yeah, I think that it's a lot of fun. I definitely would watch it again, specifically the unrated version. But I agree with you. I would have loved more camp. I'm not going to lie. I would have loved more camp.

and more brutality yeah i think that we really could that pendulum could have gone back and forth very severely and so i mean the unrated the unrated version does deliver more of the brutality But that theatrical one, it feels very sanitized. A lot of the times you don't feel the limitations of a PG-13 rating, but in this story that they're telling and the way that they're telling it and keeping the scenes.

Like, I'm like, you shouldn't have even had him die like that. Yeah. You know, if you're not going to commit at all to. But yeah, I would have loved, like you said, more camp and more brutality. Just really. fucking go for it and i wonder moving forward in the franchise if they will um But and I will be watching a sequel. Like I said, I think that this is a lot of fun. I love the it is an overused premise, maybe. But I love this kind of modernized take on it.

and how topical and prevalent it is now. And just this commentary of parenting and technology and just connection in technology. I really, really appreciate that. And I like it a lot. And that's kind of a when you hear about this movie and you see her fucking doing body rolls in the trailer. That was just an aspect that I didn't really expect. And I do appreciate that.

But yeah, I'll definitely watch this again. I would recommend it. I will watch when she becomes president in the third one. I kind of can't wait for that. I'm writing that on a spec script right now. We can kind of do ratings, too, at the same time as I'm wrapping up here. But I really, like I said earlier, I love the design of Megan. I think she looks really cool. I love how really, really seamlessly they're blending in these puppets.

This child that is fucking killing it as this killer android. Yeah. Killing it. But. I really, really love the work that was put into that. I think that maybe some of the story beats aren't super cohesive, but I got to say I could forgive a lot of that with what they're doing. It is for me. I'm not trying to be an asshole. Alison Williams' performance. First and last. She needs to know. No, I'm just kidding. It really hurts as the movie goes on.

I think that Gemma is an unlikable character, but it's not that. It is that her reactions don't match anything that's happening. And you can forgive it for a... pretty decent bulk of the movie but but i think when people start dying and they start dying in front of your niece and they start dying right next door when they were just beefing with you six hours ago

I need you to match that freak. I just do. And when you're not, it really is distracting. Because anyone would be like, Celia's dead? Yeah. Anybody would have a, she's just very flat. i'll just leave it at that and it rhymes so you know it's true um but yeah there is good and there's bad but i overall did have a really fun time with megan so thank y'all for voting it to wrap it up on a positive. Score was great.

Yes. Megan herself, everything that she entailed, the work that went into her, the performance, her killing people, her fucking whipping Gemma's ass, her sassiness, her line delivery, all of it really, really worked for me. I thought Megan was really cool. Violet McGraw. Yeah. Yeah. Acting her little fucking ass off. Ronnie Chang. Ronnie Chang, dude. Hilarious. there there's a lot of good here okay but also let's not get crazy

On a scale from one to ten, brutal bionic besties. I am giving Megan seven out of ten brutal bionic besties. I think honestly that this is a film that could grow on me in time. But right now, kind of realizing how much Gemma is just an incredibly unlikable protagonist and some, again, like the story beats that don't make sense. I'm going to stick with the seven for now.

And as the franchise goes on, maybe it'll have some wiggle. But I will now open up the floor to you. I think since it's kind of out in the open, I think you're right. It is the... nothing like matches when Gemma is upset. You know what I mean? Or like you're saying, and it was something that I noticed a little bit into the movie myself. And I was just like, you're not. You're not upset enough. And I know...

And again, even if you're estranged from your sibling, that's still your sister. You know what I mean? You still need to feel some type of way. And then your niece, y'all were kids before. You know how your niece feels.

to be some kind of good memories you have with your sibling you can't just be like oh no i have to work there's a deadline i i get it but and i feel like for a lot of people even i've gone through things myself and I will throw myself into work I will distract myself with work that's not what I felt here it just felt like there was nothing there and maybe that is down to writing and maybe that's down to performance I don't know

Maybe, but I mean, it is that when Megan's being a nasty girl, you have to, you have to match that. You have like, again, who, how are you going to act when a cop's pulling you over? when Godzilla's pulling you over. There's a big difference. There's a difference in reaction. That's huge. Better get my license out. It's like, no. Yeah. No, no.

Do you see your rear view mirror? Was I speeding officer? But it is just that. But I mean, I do enjoy a lot of what's here. This smart chip thing. We did this. a long time ago i know we've done it before but it just makes me think of when we did this in 1998 small soldiers right they fucking went nuts and that was a chip from the military you made them think and they thought oh this is what we got to do

gonna defeat the gorgons we gotta whatever then other dude was like i'm archer and blah and they like they talked they knew who the fuck their owners were shit went bad we don't need to do that right i'm sure it's the same universe they should have known that'll be the same It'll be a crossover. Oh, there you go. I can't wait. But to what me...

For me, what did work was a little bit I seen and maybe it just me, the Pinocchio aspect of it. She was strung up on those strings. She is being made. She does have a creator when she thinks that she's a real girl. and becomes conscious is shit goes nuts when Pinocchio is a real boy fucking mishaps happen it there was a bit of me oh shit you know what I mean watching this and so there is some things that I do like about it

And I'm kind of a sucker for that. Like the synths and fallout or like Detroit become human. A sentient robot. It gets me right in my heart, dude. Like I can't. It's sad. You did side with the railroad. Oh, and I always will. I get it. Next question. But I think for me on a scale from one to 10. Brutal bionic besties. I'm also going to give McTrigan 7 out of 10. He's hungry.

I want to make chicken. He gives that a 10. I can eat 10. Let's be clear. Oh, wow. I can't top that. You know, there's really not a lot. for me to add i think that uh it's really down to the story just kind of not working as well for me yeah and them really not leaning into what i hoped they would lean into more yeah okay and imagine like the rewatch value if those death set had been more gory yeah if they're more elaborate and kind of interesting and using megan better yeah

Because honestly, I mean, all the death scenes are just like, yeah, all right. Yeah. I guess they're gone. I think it's more like, oh, I can't believe Megan did that instead of like being in this moment of, oh, that lady's face is getting peeled off. I think the thing is. there's nothing at all shocking about Megan doing it. Of course she's going to do it. When we sit down, we know that that, yeah. So that's why you really got to go for it.

But, you know, all that to say, I think for me, I see, of course, the value and entertainment value that a lot of people get out of this. I think it's just I just wanted just a little bit more. Yeah. OK. And I will say it's not. Midgen. for me it's not in the eye would be a one very thank you but i think that it just it doesn't reach uh where i would like it to so for me out of 10 brutal bionic besties i am going to give Megan. 5.5. Okay. Brutal bionic besties out of 10.

I would like and I will watch whatever comes next. Yeah. Because I would like to see where this will go. Maybe they'll explain some of the things that we had some issues with. Yeah. Or maybe they'll take it. You know, sometimes sequels are better than the first one. It can happen. That's true.

Well, that's all from us at Podmortem. What would you rate Megan and what should we watch next? Let us know on Instagram at the Podmortem. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like our Stairhole Productions page on Facebook. Be sure to follow each of us on Instagram and Blue Sky at Blood and Smoke at Juggalo Daddy.

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