For decades, Pamela Voorhees was a plot twist and Jason was a hockey mask. Peacock’s new prequel series wants you to feel something else about them: heartbreak.
The eight-episode season stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees. The show shifts the timeline and gives us a glimpse of a sweet relationship between Pamela and a cute-as-a-button young Jason before he drowns, which does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. As one viewer put it, you actually feel bad for a young Jason and see that he was innocent before watching him turn.
The bigger swing is Pamela. Critics have noted the show makes her just as sympathetic as Jason ever was, perhaps more so, relatable without ever fully forgiving her penchant for murder. She’s a humble camp lunch lady with a loving bond with her son, and the series makes her sympathetic without going overboard, while her victims evolve from reprehensible to morally ambiguous.
Not every fan wants this sympathetic treatment and some think the show takes itself too seriously. One reviewer cited drastic tonal shifts and not nearly enough murder sprees, and another noted that fans who want Jason in a hockey mask hacking up people in the woods will likely be upset. Some critics online have said they don’t want any explanation of these characters, let alone attempts to make them sympathetic.
Still, for a franchise that spent decades treating its two most famous killers as monsters, a series that makes you mourn them is a bold turn, and many viewers seem to be on board. Are you Team Voorhees now?
