Animal Control
Animal Control is yet another recycled comedy about public servants who can’t seem to do anything right.
We here at Plugged In are perpetually concerned with what might influence children. That’s a good chunk of our mission, after all. We tell parents about what their kids are seeing in movies and television shows, listening to in their music, experiencing while playing video games.
But when a shadowy influence is coming straight through the light fixtures, well, that’s obviously out of our purview.
The kids in ABC’s The Whispers call the “force” that speaks to them through hall lights and ceiling fans “Drill.” Their parents at first assume that Drill is just your average imaginary friend. The family from The Exorcist could set them straight, of course. Because Drill, whatever he is and whatever nefarious plans he has, is not a make-believe being. He can open locked doors, play with electricity and even make nuclear fallout magically disappear. But mostly he makes up “games” for kids to play. If they play the games exactly right, there’s a chance they might have their fondest wish fulfilled. If not … well, there’s always a chance that there might soon be one less child for Drill to pencil onto his playdate calendar.
Of all the creepy supernatural serials that have landed on television lately, The Whispers is definitely one of them. It’s not particularly innovative or creative, but it’s not unwatchable, either. And compared to some of the other frightfests we’ve been treated to—say, HBO’s The Leftovers or FX’s American Horror Story—it’s practically a soothing bedtime story. It’s not, of course, but ABC’s apparent intent is to foster a creeping sense of horror in its viewers, not shock them (yet) with outrageous levels of sex and violence. Affairs and the threat of impending doom and/or death, certainly. R-rated bloodbaths and extended sexual shenanigans, not so much.
The Whispers clearly doesn’t need all that to do its scary business, predicated, as it is, on the worst fears of many a parent: that their children are being influenced by forces that they don’t understand.
As one young disciple of Drill tells her mother, “I don’t think grown-ups always know what’s going on.”
Indeed, despite the best efforts of the best parents, children can sometimes live startlingly secret lives. We know that they’re in contact with many influencers outside our home, both good and bad, and that in itself can be frightening. Add to the equation the exponential magnification of social technologies, and it’s obvious that we don’t need to take a huge leap from Drill whispering through a ceiling fan to the constant “danger” of the real world around us.
While FBI agent Claire Bennigan, Department of Defense operative Wes Lawrence and other officials try to figure out if a nuclear power plant is about to be sabotaged, their kids—Henry Bennigan and Minx Lawrence—play a game with Drill that helps bring about that very plant’s meltdown. They do so with the help of Claire’s amnesic and estranged husband, Sean, who also is being led by the supernatural entity.
Minx and Henry lie to and mislead their parents and guardians. While being babysat by Henry’s grandmother, Minx picks up a knife. We think for a moment that she might attack her grandmother, but instead she uses it to cut her own finger, saying she poked it on a thorn. (We don’t see the slice happen.) Someone points a gun at someone else. People are roughed up a bit by security officers, and at least one woman hits a guard. We hear about how hundreds or thousands of people would die in the event of a nuclear meltdown (which Drill seems to prevent). The word “h—” is used nearly a dozen times, while “b–ch” and “d–n” are each used once. God’s name is taken in vain.
Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.
Animal Control is yet another recycled comedy about public servants who can’t seem to do anything right.
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