Freakish (TV series)

Freakish is an American horror web television series that premiered on October 10, 2016, on Hulu. The series features several high-profile social-media stars and celebrities—including Liza Koshy, Hayes Grier, Meghan Rienks, Leo Howard, and Aislinn Paul—and focuses on a group of high-school students who are trapped inside their school when a nearby chemical plant explodes, resulting in residents and other infected students turning into mutated freaks. In July 2018, it was reported that the series had been cancelled after two seasons.

Freakish
GenreHorror
Created byBeth Szymkowski
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 minutes
Production company(s)AwesomenessTV
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10) –
October 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
External links
Website

Premise

The series follows a group of students who gather for school detention on a Saturday at Kent High. Other students are on campus as well, but involved in various activities (basketball, debate prep, music, etc.). When a nearby chemical plant explodes, they must work together to find a way to survive with only limited resources and protect themselves from those who have turned into freakish zombie-like creatures as a result of the fallout.[1]

Characters

Main
  • Leo Howard as Grover Jones: a high school student who becomes a survivor at the high school after attending detention so that he can spend time with his crush, Violet Adams
  • Liza Koshy as Violet Adams: a high school student who becomes a survivor in the school after getting detention for her lack of patience and tendency to lash out
  • Adam Hicks as Diesel Turner: a high school student who becomes a survivor in the school after attending detention for bullying younger students
  • Aislinn Paul as Natalie Callaway (season 1): a high school student who becomes a survivor in the school
  • Meghan Rienks as Zoe Parker: a high school cheer captain who becomes a survivor in the school after attending detention
  • Melvin Gregg as Lashawn Deveraux: a high school student who becomes a survivor in the school with his best friend, Noodle and girlfriend, Zoe
  • Tyler Chase as Barrett McIntyre: a high school student who becomes a survivor in the school and has a talent for hacking and problem solving
  • Hayes Grier as Noodle Nelson (season 1): Lashawn's best friend who becomes a survivor in the school after attending detention
  • Niki DeMartino as Sadie (season 2): a member of a secondary group of survivors who later find shelter at the school
  • Saxon Sharbino as Anka Keller (season 2): a member of a secondary group of survivors who later find shelter at the school
  • Jordan Calloway as Zane Hiatt (season 2): Violet's ex-boyfriend and a member of a secondary group of survivors who later find shelter at the school

Recurring

Guest
  • Caitlin Carver as Elise (season 2)
  • Raushanah Simmons as Poe (season 2)

Episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
110October 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
210[2]October 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)[2]

Season 1 (2016)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Detention"Chris GrismerBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
Despite not having Saturday detention, Grover Jones attends anyway just to be near the girl of his dreams, Violet Adams. When a nearby chemical plant explodes, they find themselves trapped in the school along with his sister Mary, basketball players Lashawn and Noodle, Lashawn's girlfriend Zoe, bully Diesel, computer whiz geek Barrett, and Natalie while the other students venture outside to try and find any survivors. At the end of the episode, one of the students who ventured outside, Lyle, re-enters the school, with strange sick-like symptoms. When Grover questions him, Lyle replies: "All dead."
22"Winds of Change"Chris GrismerBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
As Grover, Violet, Barrett, and the Coach try to get more answers from Lyle, more students show up, all experiencing the same symptoms. They go to sleep momentarily, and wake up as zombies. The remaining check on food and supplies. As Grover and Mary try to bring food to a sleeping Coach, only to find him being eaten by the reanimated "freaks". Grover and Mary barely manage to escape and barricade the freaks inside. Mary goes to the bathroom to try and catch her breath, and is revealed to have been bitten.
33"Secrets"Michael A. AllowitzBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
Grover learns that Mary has been bitten, and starts bringing her supplies. However, Mary slowly starts experiencing the symptoms and begins acting strangely toward other people. Barrett tries to establish contact on a CB radio, but does not initially get help. However, when no one is looking he plugs in the radio and speaks with an unknown person. He is caught by Mary, who tries to tell the group. The freak instinct comes over her and she prepares to eat him, but Grover intervenes. The remaining survivors become suspicious of Grover, and Violet is the one who defends him when the truth comes out. Mary goes to sleep, but a few hours later wakes up a freak.
44"Trapped"Chris GrismerMatthew V. LewisOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
Grover goes in to check up on Mary, but is shocked to learn she has become a freak. Mary escapes, and the group splits up to look for her. LeShawn and Zoey manage to find her in the locker room (and also a dead Noodle). Zoey barely escapes, and Mary is knocked unconscious. She is locked up as the remaining group decide what to do. Grover manages to convince them to keep her alive. Barrett goes down later and burns her with a flame in order to learn more about the freaks. Grover finds out and gets mad, but the group takes a vote to either keep her alive or continue testing on her. The votes are tied, with the deciding vote being from Violet; they agree to keep testing. Grover angrily goes to confront Mary, and the episode ends with an implication that he is going to kill her.
55"Weakness"Michael A. AllowitzBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
It is revealed in the opening minutes that Grover did not go through with killing Mary, and along with Diesel helped her escape to the outside. Lashawn is acting strangely, and the kids begin to suspect he might be infected, but it turns out that he is running low on insulin. Grover and Barrett find two more vials, and Barrett puts one in his jacket while giving the other one to Zoe, but at a cost. Zoe and Barrett strike an uneasy alliance. Grover is still angry with Violet, but later make amends and dedicates a wall in memory of their fallen friends and teachers. Diesel arrives with more bad news, that the plumbing stopped working and that the water is gone.
66"Thirst"Chris GrismerBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
While the group carefully rations everyone's remaining liquids, Grover discovers that the fallout shelter stores gas masks that will enable them to escape. Violet plans to make knockout gas for use on the freaks so they can go in and retrieve the masks. She and Zoe climb through air vents into the chemistry lab to gather the necessary chemicals, and while at it battle a freak. After the successful mission, LaShawn and Zoe intimately make out, and she and Natalie make amend their relationship, reuniting as friends. Grover and Violet grow closer and dance together while Natalie reveals to the rest of group of her pregnancy with the help of Zoe's advice. Unbeknownst to them, the freak that Violet was believed to have killed survived and manages to enter the air vents.
77"Knockout"Chris GrismerMatthew V. LewisOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
Grover walks in on Barrett secretly talking to people on the radio and rats him out. Violet, losing her temper, knocks him out with the newly made sleeping gas, unintentionally getting Diesel too. This mistake prompts her to privately record herself revealing how she believes she caused the chemical plant explosion and the disaster following it. LaShawn, Grover, and Violet take on the mission to go in the shelter. Barrett wakes up, and Natalie tries to warn Violet. They find out Grover got knocked out by the gas, but are too late and are forced to leave him trapped with the now awakened freaks. Eventually they find a way to run in and save him, and succeed, while Diesel, Barrett, and Zoe fight the freak that escaped through the air vents. The group celebrates as the others come back with all 7 gas masks and commend Grover, but things take a bad turn when they discover that only one of the masks work.
88"Outsiders"Heather CappielloBeth SzymkowskiOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
The group decides who will go outside to look for help but problems arise when some members aren’t able to safely go. Natalie helps Diesel through his guilt over not being able to go outside. Violet and Grover struggle to secure the school from freaks. Outside Leshawn finds resources that could help the survivors but he loses contact with them before he can get back to the school. With no food or water left in the school, the group decides to leave to look for resources despite the fact they don’t have masks. Someone new discovers the survivors in the school.
99"Saved"Tony SolomonsMatthew V. LewisOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
John Collins, a rescue and recovery agent who found the school through Barrett’s radio. He claims to have a way to protect the survivors from turning into freaks if they breathe in the toxic air but Barrett is reluctant to trust the solution. While they wait to be evacuated, Violet and Grover grow closer. Natalie becomes suspicious that Barrett may have been involved in the explosion and she raises her concerns with the rest of the group. Barrett shows Grover that the vaccines brought by Collins are actually poison and find themselves captured by Collins before they can warn the others.
1010"Prey"Chris GrismerBeth Szymkowski & Matthew V. LewisOctober 10, 2016 (2016-10-10)
In the season finale, things come to a head when John Collins is revealed to be a traitor and Natalie to be dying from the poison. The group becomes aware of shocking secrets behind the chemical plant. The group attempts to hold Collins hostage but he manages to escape, Diesel is shot in the process but survives. Violet is captured and Collins demands his suit in return for her life. Grover and the group comply to his demands, but secretly attach an alarm to the suit. But Collins secretly removes the basement shelter door barricade as well. The alarm on his suit goes off after exiting to the outside, attracting freaks that kill him. Diesel and Natalie share one last moment with each other before she sacrifices herself in order to save the others when they are about to lose against the freaks that have suddenly escaped the shelter. Diesel and the other remaining four survivors are left in grief. Afterwards, it is shown that Grover had uncovered a photo of himself from Collins' bag which labeled him as a retrieval target. In the final scene, Lashawn, whom they all thought was dead, turns out has survived and returns, informing Zoe and Barrett that he had no choice but to lead new survivors to the school.

Season 2 (2017)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"Trespass"Chris GrismerBeth SzymkowskiOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
When Zoe and Barrett discovers that Lashawn is still alive and has arrived back to the high school, they also discover that Lashawn didn't come back alone, but instead he returned with more people who wants to kill the remaining 6 witnesses. Zoe reveals to Lashawn that Natalie died and Barrett warns the others of the events that's happening. Zoe who warns Diesel, who is on the floor grieving over the loss of Natalie returns to the group. As, the reinforces enter the building, the students have no other choice, but to hide out. Lashawn gives up himself up to one of the reinforces who takes him to another room and tortures him, until he gives up his friends location. Grover, Barrett, and Diesel decides to go out to retrieve Barrett's radio to call for help. Grover is then seen by one of the reinforces, Grover then shows him a picture, In which the reinforce is then killed by Diesel. The reinforce then lures out Lashawn, then breaks his leg, so he can't run from the freaks. He is then rescued by Diesel, Barrett, and Grover. The rest of the reinforce leave the school believing that Lashawn is dead and no other people are in the school. Diesel then confronts Grover on the picture that Grover showed the reinforce. Lashawn then wakes up to Zoe knowing that his leg is broken. Grover and Violet are seen walking through the hallways, Until the screen turns to the outside and sees a man walking through the chemical storm without a mask.
122"Attraction"Chris GrismerErin Maher & Kay ReindlOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
Barrett questions Leshawn about what was happening outside the school and Leshawn reveals whats really happening at Keller. Zoe and Leshawn continue to reconnect but Zoe grows worried about his broken leg, later revealing that he’ll need antibiotics to help the injury heal due to his diabetes. With no antibiotics in the school, Grover looks outside the school but when his path back becomes blocked with freaks, he must venture further than planned. Back at the school Leshawns health deteriorates and Diesel and Barrett become suspicious of the freaks strange behaviour as they surround the school. Grover finds antibiotics but before he can return to the school he meets another group of survivors and allows them to come with him. Barrett figures out that its Leshawns injury that is attracting the freaks to the school while Violet and Diesel struggle to secure the building. Leshawn asks Barrett to help him save the others.
133"Strangers"Michael A. AllowitzKristine HuntleyOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
Grover returns to the school with the other survivors but the original group quickly grows suspicious of the newcomers. It is revealed that Violet has a troubled history with one of the survivors Zaine which causes issues between her and Grover. As certain people clash with the newcomers, the original group divides into those who want to help them and those who want them to leave. Diesel becomes increasingly suspicious of siblings Anka and Ollie who seem to have an agenda of their own. The two groups finally come to an agreement on how they can begin to trust each other. One of the newcomers has an unfortunate run in with an intruder in the school.
144"Trust Issues"Stacy TitleAdam J. KarpOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
The group becomes more suspicious of Anka and Ollie which leads to Violet volunteering to try and get information out of Zaine. Anka makes Zoe question Barrett's involvement in Leshawn's death. Zaine confirms the groups’ suspicions as Felicity and Diesel debate the ethics of killing the freaks. Zoe confronts Barrett about Leshawns death but is placated when he tells her that Leshawn died peacefully. When Grover finds the weapons missing, the two groups become enemies again leading the original group to keep Sadie, Zaine, Anka and Ollie locked up. It’s revealed that Anka and Ollie are Kellers which increases everyone’s suspicions of them. Felicity finds one of the survivors dead and Diesel finds out about the intruder. Anka and Ollie reveal that they have a way to save the survivors. The intruder has plans to take control of the school and he isn’t alone.
155"Self-Preservation"Chris GrismerBeth SzymkowskiOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
Anka and Ollie try to convince the others to trust them and Zoe becomes more suspicious of Barrett when he tells varying accounts of Leshawns death. Violet and Grover clash over the morality of Barrett's actions. Zoe makes a plan with the newcomers to trust Anka and Ollie escape plan. The others plan to leave the school before more outsiders arrive but Diesel faces a problem with leaving. The newcomers struggle to find an escape route that avoids the freaks and soon become trapped by them after their escape plan fails, only escaping after a member of the group sacrifices themselves. As the group prepare to leave, it’s revealed that Grover sabotaged the newcomers escape and that he was a retrieval target. The group turns on Grover, including Violet.
166"Dare"Tony SolomonsErin Maher & Kay ReindlOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
With everyone still against him, Grover plans to leave the school and Barrett decides to join him as he still does not trust the Kellers. Violet and Zaine begin to reconnect and Zoe turns to Anka when the others reject her for siding with the newcomers. Outside, Grover and Barrett try to make it out of the contaminated zone but get stranded and attacked by freaks. In the school, tensions rise and alliances shift as the remaining survivors wait for help to arrive. After clashing with Anka, Ollie decides to betray the other survivors and plans to leave on his own.
177"Haters"Craig David WallaceAdam J. KarpOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
The intruder is shown to be part of a larger group of survivors, some of whom were experimented on at Keller. Tensions are still high in the aftermath of Ollie betrayal and Anka finds herself with no allies. Zaine tries to make amends between Violet and Zoe. Outside, Grover and Barrett find all the town exits blocked. Sadie and Diesel begin to connect as the group scramble to come up with a new escape plan. Grover and Barrett visit their homes to find Grovers destroyed and Barretts surprisingly untouched. A misunderstanding at the school leads to tensions rising between Zaine and Violet once more. Back with the new group of outsiders, relationships are strained causing tension within the group. Barrett explains to Grover his reasons behind his plan to expose Keller Chemical. Grover finds out that his father could have been more involved in Kellers experiments.
188"Humanity"Tony SolomonsKristine HuntleyOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
Grover continues to defend his father against Barrett’s allegations. They discover that one of Barrett's neighbours survived the blast and she provides them with shelter. However they get caught up in a difficult situation when she goes to extremes to save her brother. The outsiders arrive at the school injuring one of the remaining group. With the others trapped by the outsiders, Violet and Anka are left to figure out how to deal with the intruders. Grover, Barrett and Elise receive a news broadcast calling all survivors to a rescue point but Elise tries to sacrifice Grover to save her brother. Birdie, an outsider, finds Violet wandering the school but Violet is saved by Anka who created a diversion. Grover struggles to come to terms with his father’s involvement at Keller. In the shelter, Diesel, Zaine and Zoe find a hidden room with a sealed door.
199"Rescue"Craig David WallaceErin Maher & Kay ReindlOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
Grover and Barrett arrive at the rescue point to find a government shelter but they are still hesitant to trust them. Disguising themselves as government agents they explore the shelter. Grover and Barrett learn through the news that Ollie Keller was the only survivor from the High School and both grieve the loss of their friends. Back at the school tensions continue to rise between the outsiders, leaving Birdie feeling torn between Hailey and Jake. Grover and Barrett make a discovery that links the government and Keller Chemicals and make plans to expose the truth but finds out a shocking truth along the way. Anka and Violet develop a plan to save the others from the shelter and get rid of the outsiders but they find it more challenging than they thought. Hailey becomes an ally to the girls after an argument with Birdie. At the government shelter Grover and Barrett are discovered and one of them sacrifices themselves.
2010"Turning"Craig David WallaceBeth SzymkowskiOctober 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
In the school, Violet distracts the outsiders while Anka saves the other from the shelter. Outside Barrett struggles to cope as he believes he is the only one left. The situation with the outsiders takes a dramatic turn and one of the group is killed. The group begins to worry that they’ve been exposed as both sides grieve for their lost members. Diesel and Sadie grow closer as he confides in her. Barrett is challenged to take responsibility for the part he played in the chemical explosion and he finds an old ally on the outside. Back at the school the group comes together to remember all the people they have lost but tensions rise when they realise one of them is slowly turning into a freak. Grover awakens, unaffected by his exposure, only to find his father at his bedside.

Production

Freakish is produced by AwesomenessTV and was created by Beth Szymkowski.[3] Hulu acquired exclusive streaming rights during production of the program.[3] The show premiered on October 10, 2016.[1]

Hulu renewed the series for a second season,[4] which consisted of 10 episodes and premiered on October 18, 2017.[2]

On July 27, 2018, it was reported that the series had been cancelled.[5]

Reception

Critical response

Sonia Saraiya writing for Variety called the show "a silly, lightweight half-hour, somewhere between horror thriller and teen soap" and ultimately said "The show never quite becomes interesting enough to transcend either the dully predictable beats of zombie horror or the plodding angst of young adulthood."[6]

Neil Genzlinger for The New York Times said of the show "Here in the age of zombie TV, lots about 'Freakish' seems familiar, but with the episodes shorter than a half-hour each, the series goes down easily."[7]

Emily Longeretta at Hollywoodlife.com described the show as "The Walking Dead meets The Breakfast Club."[8]

On Rotten Tomatoes season 1 has 4 reviews, 3 were positive and 1 was negative.[9]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2017 Shorty Awards Web Series Freakish Nominated [10]
gollark: Carriers get excessive powers, but I think that's done by phone-side software mostly.
gollark: I mean, in any recent design the modem part is *somewhat* isolated from the CPU, I'm pretty sure.
gollark: Yes, let me just get my scanning electron microscope or whatever.
gollark: It's very mean of them to do that. What if I want the preshared key? WHAT THEN?
gollark: You could just... store the key.

References
  1. Dugan, Christina (October 5, 2016). "WATCH: Exclusive Sneak Peek at Hulu's Newest Original Horror Series Freakish". People. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  2. Petski, Denise (August 2, 2017). "Hulu Announced Season 2 Release Date for Freakish". Premiere Date. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  3. Spangler, Todd (April 14, 2016). "Hulu Acquires AwesomenessTV's 'Freakish' Horror Series". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  4. Petski, Denise (May 1, 2017). "Hulu's 'Freakish' Among Renewals Announced By Awesomeness At Newfronts". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  5. Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 26, 2018). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Five-0, Legends, Lucifer, Supernatural, NCIS, S.W.A.T., Nashville Finale and More". TVLine. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  6. Saraiya, Sonia (October 7, 2016). "TV Review: 'Freakish'". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  7. Genzlinger, Neil (October 6, 2016). "Hold Onto Your Teeth: 2 New Shows Herald the Creepy Season". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  8. Longeretta, Emily (October 10, 2016). "'Freakish': Everything You Need To Know About The Must-Watch Teen Horror Show". Hollywoodlife.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  9. "Freakish: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  10. "9th Annual Shorty Awards Nominees". shortyawards.com. Sawhorse Media. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
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