Dead of Summer, “Modern Love”, Review!
Jondee here at the masquerade,
As the Phantom song goes, “Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you!” This applies to one of the most mysterious counselors at Camp Stillwater, Drew played by Zelda Williams. A girl, Andrea, posts a picture of girl with a red balloon in Chicago, 1978. The picture is of a boy playing baseball and her mother, Beth (Molly Hagan) says, “You can’t hide who you are.” This moves to Drew taking a shower. He heads over to see the other counselors and Jessie questions him about showering. Joel mentions about Jason hit by lightning, but this goes nowhere with no news about Amy. Mail comes in, one for Blotter, Alex has a Summer of `83 yearbook. They see a picture of Andrea, but don’t remember her. Deb says that Amy has recovered and she is also pushing up the masquerade. Amy is looking at the cabin journal. Garrett has brought it to her at the diner. She sees the map of the camp and tells him she saw a vision of the mask before getting struck by lightning. Drew has the masks and then sees something out in the lake, blood bubbling up! She sees a girl with a red balloon who says, “You can’t hide what you are” and falls into the bloody water! Jessie throws him a towel and knows he was Andrea.
Drew walks back to Jessie and threatens her with a court day from the mail. Joel shows Cricket the yearbook and she has flashes of the mask in it. Joel reveals that Deb has one of the masks. They all clap for Amy’s return. Drew sees a girl with the red ballon walk up to Amy and runs away. She hears the voice in the bathroom and puts on her Walkman. The girl has headphones looking at the boys in girl’s fitting room. Her mother has brought her a dress, she checks on her, when she has bled. Blair asks Drew for a date when he sees the girl with the balloon and runs. Amy thinks there is something wrong with the camp to the other counselors. A kid brings some boots he found in the lake, it’s Cricket’s boots. Drew is at the doctor’s office and doesn’t want to be called Andrea. Her mother refuses his identity and fires the doctor. Drew walks in to the counselor’s cabin. Drew is startled by a kid’s mask which suddenly comes alive with eyes! He runs off. Alex checks out Joel’s footage of Deb and sees in her cabin window, the box. Joel walks in and they bring up their suspicions of Deb. He doesn’t want to her it. Blair asks Drew if he’s gay. He gives Drew a mix tape of Bowie which gave him the strength to say he’s gay. Jessie is there, she seriously needs to get socked. Cricket tells Alex and Amy about Joel. Amy sees Drew packed up. Flashback, Andrea is back home, and takes off her school wear to dress more grunge. Her mother sees her child is gone, but finds a flyer.
The masquerade, Jessie asks Garrett for a dance, but he’s not interested. Amy is worried about Drew. Cricket opens Deb’s cabinet with Alex and sees the mask, then takes the box. Deb is coming so they scramble under the bed. Joel is there with his camera, she takes him the box and they leave. At the bus station, Drew sees the girl with the balloon, he’s spooked by Jessie who confesses there is more than her DUI. A pep talk doesn’t make up for her actions. Garret goes to check on Deb and sends the others back to the party. He tells Amy he thinks the cultists are trying to waken a demon. The misty woods, Deb is leading Joel, she takes his hand, and lays a blanket. She pulls up a key, opens the box, and takes out a wooden block. Joel kisses Deb! The bus station, Drew sees the mix tape, and plays Bowie’s “Modern Love.” The same song plays at the club where Drew’s mother has found him dancing and happy. At the masquerade, Blair has a Ziggy Stardust mask when Drew returns to kiss him. Drew’s house, her mother is there with Dr. Martin (Bobbi Charlton) when her child walks in and she calls him Drew. “You are a boy”, she says and apologizes. Wow. television. Back to the kiss, they walks off. Deb has taken off Joel’s shirt and they kiss. Amy is back in the woods, she’s drawn while Garrett sees the masked cultists and Amy walking towards the lake. A clawed hand reaches out to her and she smiles. The possessed Amy kisses Garrett while Jessie can only walk away. Amy breaks out of it. Damon takes off the mask and says, “Teacher’s going to be happy.” Along, Drew and Blair are kissing and Drew goes to the bathroom. Drew back home, then back to seeing the red balloon, he looks under the stall to see more balloons! In the kitchen, Drew checks to see that it is empty except the picture of a girl with the balloon. On the back is his mother’s apology because she lost her girl. Drew moves through the red balloons, and then goes to the forest and sees the girl behind Blair. He confesses he was Andrea when he gave Blair the Bowie mix tape and the girl fades. Blair is confused and walks away. Camp fire, Jessie alone is joined by Drew, crying, Jessie hugs him points for that. Topical writing with the transgender issue handled with a main character that is ongoing. The balloons sent the shivers so Five Bracelets out of Five!
