A Gruesome Flashback Reveals What Happened to Charles Lee Ray's Parents in 'Chucky' Episode 3

Syfy and USA Network's Chucky series is slowly unveiling the truth behind Charles Lee Ray's upbringing. With a '60s childhood so sweet, exuding the mundane bliss of a white picket fence-adorned suburban life, it's hard to understand how the soul locked inside Brad Dourif's Chucky (via a voodoo soul-transferring method) became an evil, murderous one.

But in Episode 3, titled, “I Like to Be Hugged,” Chucky peels back another layer of his mysterious origin story while telling Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) about his "first time" — in regards to killing, of course. In his gruesome tale — told to viewers in the form of a flashback — Chucky reveals what happened to his parents, and it's likely not what you're thinking.

The beginning of Chucky's story takes place at his childhood birthday party in the mid-'60s. Kids, parents, and colorful balloons scatter the front lawn, and Charles appears to be happy in his little striped party hat. As Charles violently beats down a piñata (it's not exactly a party game for pacifists), a nearby radio warns of a murderer on the loose.

"A mass murderer continued his reign of terror today, leaving two more dead in his wake. As violent crimes continue to rise, we urge all citizens of Hackensack not to go out alone at night," the radio sounds. Parents, including Charles Lee Ray's, listen in shock. While Charles is just a little boy, knowing little to nothing about the impact of murder, his creepy smile and morbid fascination with the cake knife tells us he is different from the start.

The flashback continues later on, showing little Charles suddenly awakening to the sound of a ruckus in his home as well as to screams belonging to his father. The radio can be heard announcing the killer's new body count of 19. Charles creeps downstairs, visibly nervous, to investigate. Startled and in awe, Charles witnesses the Hackensack serial killer repeatedly stabbing his father in the chest.

As Charles' father bleeds out, he spots his son watching from afar. "Charles, run," he says just before his last breath. Before Charles has time to think, his mother scoops him up to go find a hiding spot in the house, hoping and praying the killer won't hunt them down. But of course, there is no escaping the wrath of this monster. The mother-son duo hide in an upstairs bedroom closet complete with white slatted doors, and Charles grabs his pocketknife for protection.

As the serial killer approaches the closet, it seems like they'll both be toast. But in a hands-over-the-mouth shocker, it's revealed that Charles does the dirty work for the killer. He stabs his mother to death in the closet using his trusty pocketknife. Charles' own mother is his very first victim.

As the nameless killer opens the closet door, obviously stunned, Charles smiles at him and utters the words, "I helped."

"You got guts, kid. I'll give you that," the killer tells Charles. The killer then gives a starstruck Charles advice about murdering the "right" way, urging him to cover his tracks. And just like that, the killer is off.

He likely spared Charles' life due to their commonalities, seeing himself in a little boy who also holds violent urges. With a story as unsettling as this one, it becaomes crystal clear to viewers that Charles Lee Ray was born a vile killer.

New episodes of Chucky air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on Syfy and USA Network.