In the realm of horror television, some of the best series are the ones that have a slower pace that allow the viewers to get more invested in the characters and the setting before unleashing the horror. Chapelwaite is a slow-burn show that takes its time to better establish the Boone family’s dynamics with each other and with the nearby town of Preacher’s Corners. While the series ultimately is stronger because of this time taken, it also makes the show work better as a binge-watch rather than a watch over several weeks.
Chapelwaite is based on “Jerusalem’s Lot,” a short story by Stephen King set during 1850 that serves as a prequel of sorts to King’s novel ‘Salem’s Lot. With the expansion of the tale from a short story into a ten-episode series, Jason and Peter Filardi were able to expand the world of the story and give more depth to many of the characters and the setting. In the most important change, in the television series, Charles has three children: Honor, Loa and Tane, and Charles Boone and his children serve as Chapelwaite’s heart. Many of the changes, and the change to the family, in particular, make the series even stronger than the short story that inspired it and increase the stakes for the viewers at home.
While the series begins with a flashback to Charles Boone’s childhood, the present timeline of the show begins with the death of Maya Boone, Charles’ wife and the children’s mother. In the aftermath of her death, Charles decides to move his family to Chapelwaite, the Boone family’s ancestral home which he inherited from his cousin, Stephen Boone. Once they arrive, the show takes its time setting up the Boone family’s dynamics with each other and with the citizens of Preacher’s Corners. For example, while supernatural events do occur in the first three episodes, they mainly take a back seat to the world-building as the show establishes the more mundane aspects of the plot. This setup works well to set a firm foundation for the supernatural horror that escalates as the show goes on, but when watched over the course of several weeks, the slow pace feels even longer and might turn some viewers away.
EPIX seems to have realized this fact going in. The channel set up a hybrid schedule where they released the first three episodes all together for online streaming on the same day that the series premiered on television. This choice allowed viewers to quickly watch through the setup shown in these three episodes, and the hybrid schedule continued throughout the series. Even though the finale airs on Halloween on television, all of the episodes are currently available for streaming viewers.
Chapelwaite’s pace definitely works for the story that the Filardi brothers want to tell, and the slow burn makes many of the later events of the show even more devastating because the show takes the time to flesh out and establish its characters, its setting and its main conflict. However, the slow pace also means that the show might work better as a binge-watch for many viewers. Since all of the episodes are available for streaming now, it is the perfect time for new viewers to binge the series.
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