From Salon · Melanie McFarland · · 1m 10s
Pamela Voorhees' Rage Explained
Peacock's 'Crystal Lake' reveals why Pamela Voorhees' murderous rage stems from patriarchal control.
In brief
Peacock's 'Crystal Lake' reveals why Pamela Voorhees' murderous rage stems from patriarchal control. Peacock's 'Crystal Lake' shows Pamela Voorhees' violent impulses come from being trapped in a patriarchal system that failed her son. Originally reported by Salon.
Pamela Voorhees' Rage
Pamela Voorhees, a woman who lost her son to bullying, has a history of violent impulses.
“The real killer wasn't Jason Voorhees, but his mad mama.”
Patriarchal Trap
Pamela Voorhees is trapped in a system that fails women, including her son who drowned at camp.
“She lost her gentle son, a boy born with hydrocephalus, who drowned at camp.”
Pamela's Origin
Pamela Voorhees was knocked up by Elias, who works for Bellflower, a company that sponsors pregnant women.
“The former professional singer gets knocked up by her lover, Elias (Hamish Linklater), who works for a company called Bellflower.”
Bellflower's Control
Bellflower provides Pamela with TV dinners and happy pills while monitoring her health.
“Once she’s settled in, her husband plies her with Bellflower-manufactured TV dinners and happy pills.”
Jason's Return
Jason Voorhees returns to Pamela after being revived by her husband's radiation experiments.
“Sometime later, Jason arrives and demonstrates a knack for reviving from naps the average human wouldn’t wake up from.”
Pamela's Revenge
Pamela rescues Jason and turns the skull of the man who gets in her way into soup.
“Once Pamela discovers this, she rescues Jason, turning the skull of the man who gets in her way into soup.”
The Bear
A bear leaves Pamela alone after sniffing her tears, confirming her need for a better friend.
“Before the animal takes a bite, it sizes up Pamela, sniffs her tears, and leaves her be.”
Patriarchal System
Pamela Voorhees' story shows how patriarchal systems fail women and lead to violent responses.
“Pamela Voorhees is what happens when women drinking from a bottomless well of contempt and human carelessness hit their limit.”
Crystal Lake
All episodes of 'Crystal Lake' are streaming on Peacock.
“All episodes of "Crystal Lake" are streaming on Peacock.”
The takeaway
Peacock's 'Crystal Lake' shows Pamela Voorhees' violent impulses come from being trapped in a patriarchal system that failed her son.
