Chapelwaite

I ask the question in the title because it seems that at the point in history in which this show is set, everyone is still whispering. It must have been an amazing day when someone finally yelled out HEY! Speak up people!! I'm all for historical accuracy but come on.

It's not a bad show.. monsters are scary, atmosphere spooky, the story is ok but perhaps a bit drawn out. The let down is this constant whispering in every piece of dialogue. Sometimes a hushed tone would make sense, but not in every damn scenario.

Could have been fantastic, but the constant whisper fest sadly brings it down to a 'almost didn't finish it'

After seeing the first 4 episodes, I am happy to report that "Chapelwaite" is one of the most satisfying gothic horror series I have seen in some time.

I was worried about how Emily Hampshire would make the transition from comedy to drama after "Schitt's Creek," but she is truly excellent. From her narration monologues, with just the right amount of breathiness, to her scenes with the impressive Adrian Brody, Hampshire has been a joy to watch. Even her occasionally awkward body language is perfectly suited to her character.

Not just the 2 stars, but the entire cast, are extremely strong. Not a weak link in the bunch.

I especially like the consistent somber, and grim, tone throughout, and the way "Chapelwaite" languishes over these brooding moments to capture the mood. For those who like a ton of gore and a rapid pace, this may not be for you. However, there are enough scary moments to keep you locked in.

I also think that it is a plus that this series tries to be socially conscious, as well. Let's face it, "The Crucible" was an attempt to equate the Salem witch trials to McCarthyism, so it is not out of place to include social commentary in the story-telling. And no, they don't hit you over the head with it, either. Where it comes into play, it makes sense.

Bottom line....this is a fun series for anyone who liked to settle in with a good old-fashioned horror tale. While I read "Salem's Lot," (one of my favorite King works), I had never read the "Jerusalem Lot" short story that this was based upon. So I do not have to spend any of my critique worrying about how it may have deviated from the script. I am just judging it on its own terms.

For anyone who has ever curled up with a good scary, gothic horror tale, punctuated by vampires, specters, and a touch of madness, you are in for a treat.

If you're looking for classic horror and you're not a fan of scare scenes like me, you can give this one a try. I like Adrian Brody, haven't watched him in a long while and I enjoyed it. A good actor is a good actor! The show has this beautiful gothic atmosphere. The story is cliché and could definitely be much better, and the pace is pretty slow but I did watch the whole ten episodes in the end. I missed this kind of show, got tired of horror that tries to shake you and get you almost sick. There are still many gore scenes in this, beware, but nothing that made me want to turn my screen off. Halfway into the show, there's a revelation which I didn't expect but liked, and the ending was pretty good and interesting to me, part of it reminded me of an older show that I liked. Maybe better casting for some of the characters could have been done but it was still good.

Lots of suspense, mystery, character & scene development for the first 3 episodes.. after that, mysteries start to slowly be revealed. I'm glad I stuck with it.. pays off nicely!!

On episode 4 (but IMDb won't let me rate it yet for some reason) where it seems the show begins to really pick up. Haven't ever read any Stephen King, and I've liked some of his previous TV adaptations, some not so much. In this one, so far, things have been layered on to the drama/mystery very nicely, creating a very dark cool & creepy atmosphere.

No complains about the acting/dialogue from me at all yet, some people will complain about anything though.

Very very much looking forward to how it proceeds!