'A Crowd of Demons' - 666 Park Avenue, Episode Five

666 Park Avenue

Season One

Episode Five

'A Crowd of Demons' - 8.0

Admit it Jane: You loved being chased by an axe murderer just as much as we loved watching it.

Can anyone else agree when I say that that episode was a hilariously fun instalment of this drama? Hell, I could probably bare to call it a horror drama after that, since we got kidnappings, black outs, axe murders, slasher-flick-style pursuits and even a dumbwaiter escape! Was I the only one who got vibes of 'Halloween: H20' during the latter sequence? I was groaning during that bit; I thought Jane might get her leg torn off like that unfortunate victim of Michael Myers.

But we aren't here to talk about the Halloween series, or any films series for that matter. We're here to talk about 'A Crowd of Demons', the fifth episode of 666 Park Avenue and their inarguably best offering yet. To be simple about it, the reason it topped the others was that it had one basic component they lacked; fear. 

It is of course the Halloween episode, and the Drake celebrates in typical fashion by holding an extravagant costumed bonanza ripe for the guests’ worst horrors to come true. Even Gavin gets preyed upon by the gods of horror tropes, and it was good to see the Terry O'Quinn character cowering in his boots as some gas masked kidnapper stole from him and abducted his dear wife. 

Before we get to the great let's get to the low standard; Brian and Louise. I get that Alexis is evil and such, but Robert Buckley has still failed to provide either an interesting or relatable character, which actually makes me root for the vixen to work her slutty magic. Instead of just killing people - though I did wonder if she was in some sort of cahoots with the power cutting, Olivia-kidnapping baddie who was terrorising Gavin - Alexis opts to attempt some convoluted plot to get her STD-ridden fingers into her boss' husband. It involves Louise and a man she may-or-may-not be fucking being given the chance to be alone while she rigs up their phones with incriminating – but misleading – evidence of an adulterous affair. Brian being the stupid playwright that he is, chooses to not trust his own wife while falling into Alexis' less-than-cunning rouse. Is she even supernatural, or is just tacked on to... to... Ok, what the hell is the purpose of this? Seriously!

It's Jane's terrified - and terrifying - run through the Drake that steals the show tonight, as she is unendingly chased through dark corridors and abandoned storeys by an axe-wielding murderer from over eighty years ago. Turns out the little girl and the man-that-is-smoke are daughter and father, and that the said father murdered the mother in 1929 - on Halloween, of course - and has come to finish off his family. I  think? Anyway, the little girl's necklace turned out to be Jane's grandmother's, which perhaps indicates that Jane has more ties to the Drake than she thought she did. They always do.

There were many moments of anticipating silence as Jane walks backwards through dark doorways after hearing the creaks of an approaching serial killer, as well as the many 'THERE HE IS!!!' moments as he appears out of the black, his axe held high above his head. Hell, he actually claims a victim during the chase when an unfortunate good Samaritan stands between him and his target, with the poor guy getting a fast axe to the back before being left to bleed out on the carpet. Damn, I'd hate to be the cleaner in this building.

I'm hard pressed to decide what was more scary; Jane's tense evasion, or the initial, cold-open murder. In the latter, we see the 1929 incident in which our present killer drew an axe and took a nice shot at his wife, who is able to stumble bloodily into her daughter's room and present her with the plot-device necklace. For a second it looked like it was going to be epically violent, as from the daughter’s under-the-bed-perspective we can only see the dying mother's feet at first, as they get dripped upon by her blood. I was actually disappointed when she bent down, showing only a healthy coating of fake blood instead of intestines or only half a face. Oh well, maybe next time.

For that reason alone I'd probably have to go for Jane as the receiver for tonight's coveted Scariest Scene award, namely for the dumbwaiter moment. The clear horror-movie-virgin runs loudly and clumsily through a darkened and abandoned corridor somewhere in the Drake, knowingly on the run from her would-be killer, finding the only method of escape being a dumbwaiter. She hops in hopefully, pulling herself up with the rope inside as the bad guy starts trying every door around. Eventually he goes quiet enough to hear Jane's very audible grunting as she struggles with lifting her own weight. He proceeds to wham the axe's blade through the rope and bring the little box down to him again, but thankfully our heroine's escaped just in time to avoid both spontaneous leg amputation and falling into the killer’s trap. 

It's not over yet though, as he follows her into the very apartment in which he committed the acts so many decades prior, lunging at her with his axe only to imbed it in the wall instead. I was immensely elated to see that the crazy birds from 'Murmurations' were appearing again, as the big hole in the wall heralds the arrival of hundreds of the devils, who all embrace our psychopath in a sea of black wings and pecking beaks while Jane runs away. 

With the action over, the building eats the evidence of the attacks, absorbing both the axe and the body of the killer's unintended victim. This will surely lead to some definite questionable sanity scenes over the coming episodes for young Jane, and this entire show has been based on the horrors of old so we can't go without the sane/insane exploration. Halloween, the Birds, where else can we go? Hopefully the Exorcist will be soon. And hell, this whole thing is leading towards the Shining. 

While I didn't quite grasp the significance of the subplot, Gavin is confronted by a mystery individual who wants to prove to him that he isn't 'invincible' or something. Anyway, it may have just been an excuse to kill a flock of birds with one convoluted stone, as the stranger cuts the power in the Drake which plants Louise with her supposed lover and puts Jane square in the middle of several horror-movie-dark sets, while also showing that the Drake's doorman can survive being hanged (though an oddly small amount of attention was given to this) and allowing an enigmatic box of Gavin's to be stolen from his hidden safe. Intriguing... But - as surely the writers and producers want us to ask - what is in the box?

We end this stellar - for this show - episode with a rock-infused reflection on the chaos that just happened, and Jane's effective loss of innocence. Before now she's been an observer of the horrors, but now they not only surround her but involve her, and she can no longer brush them off to nothing. She recognised her attacker from a photo in an article about the original murders, as well as showing a hint of recognition at the name. Jane is entirely aware that something is off here, and unless the writers suck major ass she'll hopefully confront the evil head on. 

Also, despite Nona's absence from the entire proceedings, don't discount her involvement. If I remember correctly, she'd foretold Jane's death by axe-attack whilst she was wearing her brilliant red dress, meaning something has changed that allowed our female protagonist to go on kicking. But what changed? Or will it still happen in some way? 

For once, the acting was never grating. Rachel Taylor was even good playing the near-slasher victim, and though she runs screaming through a building in a pretty dress she never actually loses that sense of strength and ability that Jane often emits. This is hopefully the beginning of my appreciation for the character, and not a simple one-off 'Oh she's alright' moment. It depends on how well she can handle the coming episodes of jeopardised sanity. Let's be honest; dying by axe is an easy emotion to portray. I can do it too. I just really want to like her though;  she is an Aussie after all.

With the box stolen and an enemy for our enemy, 666 Park Avenue appears to have forsaken it's very temporary monster-of-the-week format to embrace the serialised manner of a real horror series, as well as the actual scares of a real horror too. For the first time I am excited, like really excited, to sit down next Monday night for the sixth instalment and find out how Jane handles what she's just experienced, as well as how Gavin deals with his new nemesis. Of course, what is in the box is important too, and whether tonight's killer will make a reappearance, but for now, and god-willing until the show calls it a day, I care more about the characters.