This year Netflix rolled out another one of its original series, Chambers, a horror story that takes place in the American Southwest. On top of the beautiful Southwestern scenery, Chambers presented an interesting horror story that tried to touch on the themes of class divide, cultural identity, native and new age spiritualities, addiction, and family drama.
Sasha, our protagonist, nearly dies from a heart attack in the first episode, saved by what seems a miracle: the young, healthy heart of Becky Lefevre, available the same night. The Lefevres, an upper-crust wealthy family, reach out to meet Sasha and to give her opportunities in Becky’s name. What seemed like a miracle, what Sasha's Uncle Big Frank called, “the best thing that ever happened to you,” was actually the opposite. After the heart transplant, all the memories and the horrors that Becky experienced are in Sasha. As any good psychological horror series does, Chambers left us with many questions.
Is Becky still in Sasha?
While the show definitely portrays Sasha killing what is left of Becky by smothering Becky with a pillow in the mind-dream state, Becky could still be in Sasha. She could be buried somewhere deep.
Sasha recognizes Becky's importance in her life, symbolized by the tattoo she gets with Becky's name. In addition, the promo photos for Season 2 still have Becky's image superimposed on half of Sasha's face. This could mean that Becky is still there.
Was Becky protecting Sasha from Lilith?
Becky killed herself to protect her loved ones from Lilith, the demon or goddess (depending on the point of view) brought into her body by the Annex. Becky had begun to turn bad, and she was afraid of hurting those she loved. However, Lilith kept her heart alive, allowing Lilith to be transferred to another host--Sasha. In the mind-dream state, Becky tells Sasha that without her presence, Sasha has no defense against Lilith. It seems that Becky is a benevolent force, fighting against Lilith.
Then Ruth, a leader of the Annex, tells Sasha that Becky was becoming evil because she resisted Lilith. Since Becky was a hostile host, the power changed to one of negativity and hostility. Ruth suggests that Sasha will be a better host, and that Lilith is not evil, but potentially very powerful and good. Which one is correct?
Is Sasha’s boyfriend, TJ, going to play a bigger part?
TJ is a child of two tribes and chose his primary tribe. His mother is also closer to her indigenous roots than are Big Frank or Sasha. Is he meant to symbolize Sasha’s own journey? Sasha is now presented with two different paths: Lilith and the Annex, and her Native American origins and spirituality.
Due to Big Frank's doubt in the effectiveness of native rituals and beliefs, Sasha has been separated from her history and traditions. TJ could either serve as a role model or a bridge to connect her to her heritage. TJ seemed very underutilized in Season 1, and hopefully, he will have a bigger role to play in Season 2.
What is the Annex's history and infrastructure?
The Annex has tiers of members. Some, like Nancy, don't know the inner workings of the organization. Others, like Ben, are personally involved in the plans and the activities. When Annex members show up outside Sasha's grandfather's house, there are police officers in the crowd. Could the very doctors who gave Sasha the heart transplant have been somehow involved? How wide is the Annex's net?
The crazy woman that stalks Sasha says that she wants to protect Sasha, and she suggests that this (Lilith taking over) has happened before, perhaps to her. What caused all of these people, such as Ben, to be such strong believers in the Annex? The Annex remains very mysterious in the show. Like Lilith, we don't really know if they are good or bad, but they seem more bad than good at this point.
Was Penelope involved in the Annex’s plan?
Penelope happened to be at the right place to do CPR for Sasha when Sasha had her heart attack. Because of Penelope delivering CPR, Sasha stayed alive long enough for the transplant. While it seemed like it was just good fortune, the creepy music accompanied by Penelope’s even creepier smile as she watched the ambulance take Sasha away makes us wonder about her intentions.
She warns Sasha to be wary of the Lefevre family, but her father had business conections with them. In addition, she tells Sasha about how Becky had changed, showing where Becky had injured her. Yet, she does seem to be overly obsessed with Becky, installing a camera system in Becky's room to spy on Becky, and buying a wig that looks like Becky's hair. Regardless of the side she is on, Penelope comes across as imbalanced. Still, we wonder if Penelope is a friend or a foe or a little of both? How much should Sasha trust her?
Did Lilith make Yvonne’s mom go crazy?
In episode 6, we see Yvonne’s mom working with Yvonne on fixing electronics. Up until this episode, Yvonne’s mom either suffered from dementia or was going crazy, so it was a surprise to see her as mentally alert, smart, and fully present in the teaching moment with Yvonne.
She left the house to remove an obstruction from the road, so that the ambulance Sasha was in could pass by without a problem. Yvonne’s mom repeated, “I had to help her.” This could be seen as Yvonne’s mom helping Sasha, but with the ominous music, it is more likely that it was Lilith. Yvonne’s mom becomes increasingly worse after this, and afraid of Sasha.
Will the theme of motherhood play a bigger part in Season 2?
In episode 6, Yvonne’s mom explained to Yvonne, jokingly, why it was called the motherboard, “It’s the connections. You can extend it and form relationships with other boards... Daughter boards.” Taken as a symbol, the motherboard could be Lilith, and the daughters could be the actual daughters presented as well as all the female characters.
Lilith may connect to Sasha better than Becky due to the void left by Sasha's mom. Sasha's mom is barely a memory, and the memory is not a good one. Meanwhile, Becky had a very loving relationship with her mother. Lilith could more successfully transfer into Sasha since there wasn't a loving mother or loving memories to get in the way. It would be neat to see Chambers play with these dynamics even more in Season 2.
Will Nancy and Elliot get out of the Annex?
Nancy gave Elliot the message that the only way to get out of the Annex was through it, but what does that mean? Before Ben died, he was trying to get Elliot out of the Annex. He appeared to be afraid of what would happen to Elliot. If Ben, a believer, was worried, this suggests that there is a big reason to worry. We wonder if Nancy and Elliot will hold onto their memories, thoughts, and criticisms of the Annex by the time that they are out. They could become brainwashed.
Although this series is Sasha’s story, Nancy became more compelling than Sasha due to Uma Thurman’s honest and complicated portrayal of Nancy, a grieving mother. Nancy was starting to establish a mother/daughter-like relationship with Sasha. Having her back in Sasha's life, could complicate the Lilith/Sasha transfer.
What are the animals meant to symbolize?
Nancy feels Becky with her while she is running as she follows the deer. The deer is meant to symbolize Becky, innocent and young. Then we, the viewers, see that the deer is actually dead and decomposing. Both Sasha and Becky cut up mice; Sasha’s mouse had been almost a pet. The animals seemed to suggest something wild and ominous coming, but then we also have Big Frank’s exotic fish.
The fish have a different meaning. They are the livelihood for Big Frank and Sasha, but the fish also don't belong in the desert, making them more vulnerable. We are meant to pay attention to the animals, but it is still unclear what the animals symbolize.
Is Lilith good or evil?
Ruth told Sasha that Lilith was capable of destruction, but also of greatness and healing. However, at the end, Sasha/Lilith kills all of the male followers. So, are only women safe from Lilith? This leaves us afraid for Sasha's uncle and grandfather.
By committing this act, Lilith comes across as evil. However, it could be that Lilith represents power, a neutral force, and it is the wielder of that power that determines the outcome. This would mean that Sasha can make Lilith good or evil. We have already seen Lilith cause great harm through both Becky and Sasha. In Season 2, we may see her capability of greatness and healing.