If you’re anything like I was in middle school, you probably spent some time reading Creepypasta, scary stories online, such as Slenderman, Jeff the Killer, Squidward’s Suicide, etc.

Enter SyFy’s Channel Zero, a show dedicated to telling the stories that have driven all sorts of art, videos, and peoples own spinoffs throughout the years.

Though the show also retells NoEnd House and will feature Search and Rescue Woods in 2018, I will be focusing on the first season, which features Candle Cove.

This disturbing tells the tale of Mike Painter (Paul Schneider), a man who left his home at a young age after the murders of multiple children, including his twin brother, in 1988.

After a psychotic episode leading to being sent to a psych ward, Mike decides to return to Iron Hill, Ohio, where he recollects the horrors of his past.

During a dinner with his old friends, Mike notices Jessica and Gary’s daughter, Katie, watching Candle Cove, a show that hasn’t been seen since the time of the murders.

Upon his recollection of the disturbing show with his old friends, Mike slowly realizes the gravity of the situation and the role that Candle Cove has to play in the controlling, and disappearance of children.

For those with a weak stomach, Channel Zero is not for you. Outside of the clearly dark theme of the series, the imagery is disturbing. While the puppets of Candle Cove aren’t exactly pleasant to look at, I would assume the gore and Tooth Child are a bit much for some viewers.

The writing overall is very enjoyable, keeping true to the original story (minus the time period stated in the original story), with the names of characters, catchphrases, and even some designs that were created by the fans.

The main theme in the show is from an episode of Candle Cove, featuring Horace Horrible and the Laughingstock telling Pirate Percy, “You have to go inside…”

Although as a fan of the original story, and overall the show itself, I was kind of disappointed when I found out Paul Schneider was featured in the first season, because as suspected, his quality of portrayal wasn’t the greatest, making his character seem fairly bland, bringing down the show seeing as he is the star. Other than Schneider however, I enjoyed the rest of the cast and found the series to be fairly believable, and disturbing.

Overall, Channel Zero: Candle Cove an intriguing, exciting, and captivating four out of five seasons, and expect the show to only improve with each story it tells.