Spoiler-Free Review of “Shining Vale” Season 2 on Starz: Courteney Cox is in Control!

*This is a spoiler-free review for season two so feel free to read on!*

“I am no longer a danger to society…”

Shining Vale season two premiered on Starz on October 13th 2023 with the first episode. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The horror comedy series stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino, Gus Birney and Judith Light. Each episode runs for approximately 30-34 minutes.

After being checked into a mental hospital by her family, Pat attempts to change her outlook on life and banish her demons for good…but are they really gone?

Here is the trailer:

Shining Vale season one flew under the radar, but it was quirky, creepy, and absolutely delightful. Is season two worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Starz

Courteney Cox is back and better than ever!

She was absolutely brilliant in season one and had me laughing out loud quite a few times. Pat may have toned down her cursing with her new “rehabilitation,” but Courteney is still commanding the screen in the best way possible.

It took me a little while to warm up to the rest of the cast in season one, but already I am liking the new character dynamics and the ending of episode one left us  with a lot of ghostly potential already. More please!

The fun is only just beginning…

I was slightly worried about the direction for season two, but I think the season two premiere did enough to present us with some familiar plots while leaving the door open for more. I’m hopeful that we can explore more behind the actual hauntings this season and maybe even meet a few new creepy characters to keep us invested. Either way, I’m intrigued and I’m happy that the shorter episodes are here to stay because they work very nicely with the overall pacing of this show.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Starz

I needed a refresher course…

I definitely recommend watching the recap in the beginning. I probably should have binge-watched the first season again because I felt a little lost at first. Now that we’ve gotten through the initial set-up for season two, I’m hoping that we kick things into high gear because season one took a little while to hit its peak. I’m confident we’ll get there though.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Starz

I’m in!

The Phelps family is back…quirks and all!

Shining Vale was one of my favorite horror comedy series of last year and I’m excited to see where season two goes. 

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Shining Vale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Shining Vale” on Starz: Courteney Cox Moves into a Haunted House

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Women are also twice as likely to be possessed by a demon…”

Shining Vale premiered on Starz on March 6th 2022 with the first two episodes. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The horror comedy series stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino, Gus Birney and Judith Light. Each episode runs for approximately 30 minutes.

To save her marriage, a writer moves into a house in Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers that it may actually be haunted.

Here is the trailer:

Shining Vale is a delightful mashup between Santa Clarita Diet and Ghosts, creating its own story along the way with lots of ghostly potential. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Starz

Courteney Cox shines!

It’s fantastic seeing Courteney Cox back on television and after just watching her in the latest Scream movie, I’m all for a series centered around her moving into a haunted house. So far she is a lot of fun to watch and I think that once the show really kicks into high gear, she will really embrace this role with flair.

The rest of the cast are likable enough and so far I’m most intrigued by the potential spirits roaming around the property.

Plus, the dog is a scene stealer!

Clever use of female authors…

Courteney Cox plays a writer but there are also several nods at Sylvia Plath and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These female authors wrote stories surrounding women suffering from some kind of mental illness while being driven mad by the walls surrounding them so I’m curious to see this theme portrayed in the modern world. I think that this will be way more than your typical ghost story. It looks like it will also be taking on the female role in society, which gives this story a unique edge already.

The episodes are also super short which makes this easy to binge-watch and the dry dark humor is a nice touch.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Starz

Slow start…

The opening episode felt a little unsure of itself. I was intrigued, but not really sold until the very end. Episode two was a big improvement and I thought the humor landed better as well. I think that once we get to episode three or four, this show will really find its way. I’m remaining positive that we’ll get there.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Starz

I’m in!

I think this show already has a lot of potential and I’m curious to see some of the other themes really take off because I think we could witness pure magic!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Shining Vale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!