Most
insurance companies probably would not cover the treatment offered by this radical
cancer clinic, but patients are better off that way. Skeptical patient Noah
Ingraham suspects the cure could be even worse than the life-threatening
disease in Scion, which premieres
tonight on the CW, as the latest creepy tale in the current season of Vera
Miao’s Two Sentence Horror Stories.
Ingraham
has held up pretty well thanks to the support of his boyfriend Isaac, but his
elitist parents are not so warm and fuzzy. It was their idea to check Ingraham
into Dr. Lucie’s exclusive clinic, but there is something about the place that
rubs him the wrong way. Maybe it is the janitor who looks and acts like he was
lobotomized.
Of
course, Ingraham initially hopes for the best, but his doubts and suspicions
are quickly fueled by Izzy, a fellow patient, who happens to be the black sheep
of a fabulously wealthy blue-blooded clan. Soon, Ingraham is experiencing vivid
nightmares and losing time. According to Dr. Lucie, these are common side
effects of the treatment, but that is not very reassuring, is it?
In
some ways, Scion parallels Alice
Waddington’s soon-to-be-released Paradise Hills, but director Natalia Iyudin and screenwriter Sehaj Sethi do not let
the foreboding and dread get lost amid the woke statement-making. Iyudin deftly
capitalizes on the claustrophobic setting and Ingraham’s very relatable
position of vulnerability to build tension. It maintains the season’s
impressive style and production standards, especially the work of
cinematographer Guy Poole and the design team, who greatly contribute to the
eerie mood.
As
Dr. Lucie, Kate Jennings is entertainingly sinister and arrogant, in the best
tradition of horror movie doctors. Most of the waspy characters are rather
bland and perhaps logically so, but Stanley Simmons chews the scenery with
admirable zeal as the rebellious Izzy. Plus, the facility itself could pass for
a tony clinic near the Bramford Building (a.k.a. The Dakota), as seen in Rosemary’s Baby.
Scion is another above
average example of anthology television, but the heavy-handed conclusion also
shows the risks of prioritizing message over story and character. Fortunately,
it is outweighed by the ominous vibe and mounting paranoia so nicely realized
by Iyudin and company. Still recommended for horror fans, Scion premieres tonight (8/22), as part of the second season of Two Sentence Horror Stories, on the CW.
