Warning: Spoilers forHysteria!
Released in the midst of spooky season, Peacock’sHysteria!dropped all of its eight episodes on the platform simultaneously, which means viewers didn’t have to wait for the show’s finale. Set during the height of the Satanic panic that seemingly swept America in the 1980s, the show follows the residents of Happy Hollow as their fears of the occult and Satanic influences evoke mass hysteria in their quaint little town. At the heart of the series is a heavy metal band who propel themselves to relevance in the wake of the ritualistic murder of the town’s beloved varsity quarterback, Ryan (Brandon Butler).
However, unbeknownst to nearly everyone in Happy Hollow,Ryan’s death was actually the result of an asthma attack. It was merely staged to look like a ritualistic killing to cover up the truth as to why he was kidnappedalongside Faith (Nikki Hahn)and the role of Faith’s mother Tracy (Anna Camp) and a man known as the Reverend (Garret Dillahunt) played in his death. Although rooted in falsehoods, fear throughout the town grew in unimaginable ways, which resulted in significant consequences.
While the truth of it all ultimately remains ambiguous to the viewer in the show’s finale, the ramifications of the town’s perceived reality cannot be overstated. As such,Hysteria!and its ending warrant further explanation.
Was Linda Really Possessed by a Demon?
In the show’s last episode, it’s revealed thatLinda (Julie Bowen) wasn’t actually possessed by a demon. Rather, her fears about Dylan and a Satanic cult were so powerful, they made her manifest the entire incident. Only after Tracy’s jerry-rigged exorcism does Linda essentially snap out of it and return to normal. However, as soon as viewers believe they know the truth, the series throws them for a loop and makes them question everything once more.In the final shot of the show’s finale, viewers witness a demonic creature lurking just outside Linda’s bedroom door, which clearly suggests Linda’s possession was in fact real and the demon inside her is still very present.
Given Linda’s suggested history, it makes sense that such an event would happen to her. During the initial signs of her possession, she explains to Father Mathis (Jamie Flanagan) the endlessstruggles she endured to have a child. She “prayed and prayed and prayed,” but to no avail. Finally, she prayed to anything that would listen until her prayers were eventually answered. While nothing explicit is described,it’s heavily implied that Dylan was only conceived thanks to the help of something demonic, which has now come home to roost.
Whether Linda’s possession was indeed real or something she manifested, it’s worth noting her situation convinced Father Mathis that an exorcism was necessary. He even left Happy Hollow for the Archdiocese in Detroit in order to present the evidence and plead for help on the matter, although he has yet to return. If Linda was actually possessed by a demon like the show’s finale ultimately suggests, then it’s completely plausible that other demonic forces infiltrated Happy Hollow.
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Were the Demonic Forces in Happy Hollow Real or Imagined?
To put it simply,Hysteria!’s demonic forces are real, but they are also imagined. Both can be true, and it’s all thanks to Linda. The moment she begins to fear Dylan might actually be part of a Satanic cult, everything in Happy Hollow shifts, and a literal seismic eruption occurs throughout the entire town. Although believed to be a simple earthquake, both Spud andChief Dandridge (Bruce Campbell)confirm with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) thatno seismic activity actually occurred in the area. Linda’s fear surrounding how her prayers were answered in the past was so powerful that it shook the ground and left the necessary cracks for evil to take root and fester.
While it’s clearmany of the demonic forces throughout Happy Hollow are manifestations of the residents’ fear, the experiences of Linda and particularly Chief Danridge prove those forces are real. Unlike other characters in the series, viewers actually witness what Linda and Chief Danridge see and experience, which suggests it’s something to be believed and, therefore, is real. The same can be said for Tracy’s visions, but she’sa religious zealotwho only aims to stoke the fear brewing in her town. Tracy’s visions are real because she wants them to be real and Linda’s visions and possession are real because of what they do to her.
On the other hand,Chief Danridge’s visions are real because he continues to operate from a bedrock of logic even when he’s faced with experiences and visions he cannot explain. He, too, sees a winged demonic creature, he also has a rash on his neck, and he hears demonic voices numerous times. However, he doesn’t allow his fear to overshadow his logic and what he knows to be true. Whether or not there’s a Satanic cult in his town, he still has to do the necessary police work that’s needed to find Ryan’s killer. Unlike nearly everyone else, he doesn’t allow his fear to control him.
It should be noted thatnone of the teenagers meddling with the ideas and rituals of Satanic cults ever see anything remotely demonic, which should make viewers wonder why. Only the parents succumb to their fears, which suggests it’s unwarranted, or they’re all afraid of the wrong thing. As Spud explained early on in the series, “Whatever is going on here is way bigger than us,” which means no one really knows what’s happening in Happy Hollow. Simply put, the demonic forces are real, but so is the hysteria.
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Will There Be a Second Season?
While there has yet to be any confirmation regarding a second season, the show would clearly benefit from one.Given how open-ended the finale was, viewers were ultimately left with more questions than answers. For instance, will Linda face another possession thanks to that demonlurking outside her bedroom door? While she seemingly rid herself of the demon possessing her, it’s clear it simply took a backseat temporarily. Also, what will happen to Tracy and the Reverend following their arrest for Ryan’s death? With a mob on their side, it’s likely Chief Danridge will face a slew of obstacles as he tries to do his job.
Furthermore, will Judith’s (Jessica Treska) move to Los Angeles push her further down the path of Satanic cultism? If anyone showed the propensity to be a cult leader, it was Judith, and her “punishment” to go live with her father in Los Angeles could easily solidify her crazy desires. Given the extent ofHysteria!’sambiguity in the end, viewers can only hope for another season of the series.All episodes ofHysteria!are currently streaming on Peacock.
