Dead of Summer, “Mix Tape”, Review!
Jondee here in the woods,
This episode focuses on “Cricket”, Carolina Diaz. It opens at a bathroom, a hand reaches for a robe, it’s Cricket. She hears a door close, then walks into the foggy night with a flashlight. Several Satanic figures appear from the shadows. On the television, Cricket’s mother, Marta, is making bacon while watching a Satanic special on tv. Their neighbor, Erika (Lucie Guest), enters and then her father, Hector (Alex Fernandez) who tries to cheer her up. Cricket writes some tagging on the wall and is caught by Blair. He suspects she’s trying to interest Alex. The others are by a cabin next to the lake. Joel joins them with their movie night schedule. Cricket is writing “Cricket is a Slut” on the bathroom of the high school and she is caught by Blair. At the camp, she checks on the art of the campers. Blair and Cricket see “Tomorrow at Noon” on the wall. Deputy Garrett looks at the picture of the Tall Man and wants to check out the camp. Cricket walks up to a campfire in the night. She passes one of the deer masks and finds she’s stuck in the mud, one grabs her, and she runs. Cricket wakes up from the dream! A tether ball game, Amy pauses to talk to Cricket who tells them her nightmare. Deputy Garrett drives up and Amy tries to greet him with Jessie getting a cold shoulder. Cricket checks out a peep hole checking out little kids checking her out romping in t-shirt and bikini bottom. Blair sees her. A party, Blair is there and sees Cricket, she doesn’t want to drink because she intends to wear a bikini at camp. Blair has them go to a movie and a boy, Travis (Harrison MacDonald) wants to give her a “tour.” Garrett checks out the cabin with the piano. One key with a Satanic symbol doesn’t play, he matches it to the Tall Man photo. Out in the forest, one of the masked men is there.
Cricket walks out to the lake and the biker gang led by Damon walks up to her. They are chased away by Garrett. High school, Cricket is smiling, and then sees Blair, Travis walks past her laughing. She’s shaken. Deb talks to Joel about the movie choices. He mentions Harold & Maude and she changes the topic. Cricket tells them that Jessie’s grandmother died. Cricket hears something and looks at the peephole to see the mask, she sees the speak pad a kid was playing, it reads “Don’t”, she leaves, and then it reads, “Don’t go”! Cricket, dressed up, sees Alex, but he goes to Amy. Garrett is at the bar calling up some research when Jessie is there. Cricket sits next to Alex, he’s not interested. Damon talks to her. Jessie tells her to use Damon to make Alex jealous, um, not a great strategy. Joel prepares the film reel for Time Bandits along with Amy. She knows Jessie’s plans, but is trying to make friends with her. Cricket is riding with Damon. Flashback, Cricket is back home with Blair. She hears something, her father is trying to get dressed along with Erika! Damon speeds and Cricket knows that it was Damon stalking her. Damon stops the car and Garrett rides up with Alex who slugs Damon. The deputy pulls off Alex from the winded Damon. Blair is babbling when Drew kisses him. Alex is at a cabin with Cricket and kisses her. They fall out of the bed, she sees a mix tape labeled, “For Cricket.” Flashback, she sits down for breakfast, his mother tries to talk to her, she tells about the affair. Her mother knows about it. Cricket cries, but sees her mother given up. She leaves Alex. Jessie walks with Garrett and takes him to their bench, he leans in, but then walks off. Blair rushes up to see Cricket on the dock, the mix tape was from Blotter. The masked figures appear from the woods and drop a pair of boots into the lake, next to a severed hand with a bottle! The camp, Amy brings Jessie some cookies talking about her grandmother. The sheriff lets Damon go (again), Garrett shows him writings showing a cult dealing with Stillwater. Deb closes the box when Joel enters. She places the box next to a mask! Damon enters the cabin with his other masked friends. Garret has the sheriff read on about the deer with its heart cut out. The masked men take out the bag with the heart. Cricket plays the mix tape and then joins the others playing volleyball. Blair walks up with Cricket who takes off her shirt revealing her bikini, Alex is stunned. Damon says, “We found her” Amy walks out to the lake and sees blood, the sky becomes stormy, Cricket screams out to warn Amy. Lightning strikes Amy and she falls, the watching gang members find out that Cricket is the one. The episode was directed by Mick Garris who worked on the Masters of Horror show as well as directed The Stand mini-series. This episode is more relationships than chills, still the characters are compelling. Three Bracelets out of Five!