Witch Creek Road S3 E12 Explained (Spoilers)
Episode 12 (aka Meanwhile, With Edwin, Part 1)
Episode 12 returns to the story of Keifer, Kevin, Jay and Amity, who we haven't seen since Season 2. When last we left them, they were hiding out in a hotel and debating their next step: whether to return home, or to drive west in the hopes of outrunning the craziness of recent events. The conversation was cut short by the realization that Edwin was there.
Not much happens in this episode, story-wise. The “Meanwhile, With Edwin” storyline is a slow-burn, with events culminating in parts 5 and 6 – and I would describe this first episode as “the calm before the storm”. It's meant to establish a few things:
- they are on the run
- they believe Edwin is in pursuit
- they are exhausted
- possibly because they've been cooped up together for too long in a small car, they're beginning to get on one another's nerves
The episode opens in the morning, with a rather exhausted Kevin turning into a hotel, saying, “This is the first motel I've seen in a while and I'm done driving.” It's likely they've been driving all night.
Kevin tries to check in, and the clerk tells him that check-in is anytime after 2pm. Kevin explains that they just need a place to sleep and clean up, and they'll be out by 6pm (which will free up the room in case the motel has any late check-ins). The clerk reluctantly agrees, and as he takes Kevin's information, Kevin asks, “How many bugs can I expect to find in the room?” The clerk thinks Kevin is insulting him, and Kevin explains, “My friends and I... we just have an issue with bugs. Like, we can deal with a normal amount. So if one or two cockroaches are normal... or a few flies buzzing about... that's cool. What I need to know is what isn't normal.” The clerk tells him that bugs are everywhere, but that they shouldn't find more than a few flies.
They head to the room, and Jay is told he's on watch. The others collapse into bed, and Jay is left with a horrific realization: he doesn't know the Wi-Fi password.
EPISODE PLACEMENT: There are two reasons for the placement of these "guest artist" episodes: first, to allow Kenan some time to get caught up on his episodes. (As with previous seasons, there's a lot of art that needs to be produced, and it's a difficult job for just one person). And second, I wanted to create some space between episodes 11 and 18. Episodes 11 and 18 begin identically, and had they appeared back-to-back, it's possible some readers may have become confused and thought they were reading something they've already read.
(Also, just as an FYI, Kenan has re-arranged his schedule so that he should be able to produce all the episodes of season 4, without the need for guest artists).
ARKHAM: For the first time in the series, we get a clear hint as to where Witch Creek Road takes place. That is, on Kevin's ID, we see his address listed as being in Arkham, Massachusetts.
Arkham is a fictional city created by H. P. Lovecraft. We've also had reference to another fictional Lovecraft town, Dunwich, way back in Season 1, Episode 3. Probably the biggest Lovecraft influences continue to be the concept of angles, and creatures that live outside of time, which appear in Long's short story, “The Hounds of Tindalos”.