Episode 10: Descent Into Darkness-Blackout! (Part 1)

CHAPTER 0: DISCLAIMER AND RECAP

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: We are coming into the home stretch of the "Descent Into Darkness" story arc of PEANUTS: The Next Chapter. This particular episode will have a bit more intense and thematic situations in it. So for that matter, this episode of PEANUTS: The Next Chapter will be rated "T" for Teen. It will not have any profanity, keeping in the family-friendly mold of the original strip Charles M. Schulz did, but it will feature some violent and tragic events that I won't reveal here; you'll just have to read the entire story to see what happens. But with that being said, let's take a look back and see what led to the events that are about to happen:

New kid, Ox, moves to town from Boise, Idaho, and almost immediately makes friends with Charlie Brown and his friends; even becoming Patty's new boyfriend. Lucy tries to use this as a prank on Ox, but backfires. Also Thibault, Patty's ex-boyfriend, is stalking her, landing him in hot water with the authorities.

Charlie Brown's celebrity cousin, Trevor B., comes to visit and perform a concert. We also learn that Trevor adopted Snoopy's brother Spike, while traveling through Needles, California. Melanie gets tutored by Marcie, which proves to be an even bigger challenge than keeping Peppermint Patty focused. Speaking of Peppermint Patty, she convinces Charlie Brown to re-join the football team in time for the upcoming Homecoming game. Thibault also goes to anger management to deal with his anger issues.

With Charlie Brown back on board as the kicker on the team, Peppermint Patty's team does real well. It is also revealed that Lucy conspired to humiliate Charlie Brown during the last Homecoming game two years ago, as depicted in It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown. Even worse is that she forced Snoopy, the game official, to "turn the other cheek" when she pulled the ball away from Charlie Brown. As a result, Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty end their friendship with Lucy. Also, Thibault leaves for military school to better himself.

After being ostracized by everyone at school, Lucy is upset and saddened. She finally knows what it's like to be the hated one. She is later approached by Python, a member of the feared gang the Serpent Sisters, to join up as a member. Lucy ultimately decides to do so. Also Linus grows closer to Eudora, but wonders what will happen when Sally finds out.

During Halloween, Linus and Eudora wait for the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Frieda take Rerun trick-or-treating, Sally dances the night away at Violet's party, and Lucy joins the Serpent Sisters in egging and toilet papering houses. Little do they know is that another group of kids are doing the same thing to Marcie's neighborhood. A mini-confrontation erupts at Ace's as Peppermint Patty tries to ban Lucy from coming into the Ice Cream Shop, for which she has no authority.

Lucy as the final part of her initiation, agrees to join the Serpents in vandalizing Rattler's remedial school, which was the same school Thibault went to before leaving for military school. Peppermint Patty, feeling guilty over her treatment of Charlie Brown during the Homecoming game two years prior, goes for a walk with Marcie and they witness the vandalizing of the school. Charlie Brown and Frieda go on a double date with Franklin and Melanie, which turns out to be a chore in itself because of Melanie's naivety. Peppermint Patty once again confronts Lucy about the vandalizing the school and Linus learns of Lucy's joining the Serpent Sisters.

Lucy becomes a full-fledge member of the Serpents, earning the new handle "Mamba". Peppermint Patty finally earns a decent report card, free of D Minuses. Linus confronts Lucy, now going by Mamba, about her joining the Serpents, only to be threatened with harm if he tells their parents. Peppermint Patty yet again calls out Mamba when she thought that the Serpents were the ones who egged Marcie's house on Halloween, but Cobra, the leader of the Serpents, reveal that they were nowhere near that neighborhood. We also learn about the Serpent Sisters' rivals, the Spiders.

We meet the Spiders leader, Black Widow, and her right-hand gal, the unstable Tarantula. Frieda is entered in a singing contest, which one of the competitors is Francessa Fabulous, the sister to Freddy Fabulous, formerly from Freemont. Mamba and Linus also make amends, but he also decides to stop worrying about her being in the gang, unless something really bad happens. Mamba and Python also learn from Cobra that Black Widow found out that a group of former Spider members left and was forming their own gang. And even more shocking, either Rattler or Anaconda, both member of the Serpents, were conspiring with them.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy join Frieda at her family's cottage up north for Christmas. Mamba finally confronts Violet and calls her out on all the mean things she's done over the years, as well as her treatment of Python. Cobra and Black Widow work together to find out who was the new rogue group forming that egged Marcie's neighborhood. Rerun makes a wish for Lucy (Mamba) and Linus to be with him on Christmas Day because they both have been busy with their own lives and wasn't hanging around him as much. Violet apologizes to Python about her treatment of her. Python forgives her, but tells her that she needs to make peace with the others that she hurt as well, especially Charlie Brown. The Serpent Sisters learn that they are teaming with the Spiders when the new gang, known as the Lizard Ladies, wants to meet with them.

And now we continue with the final chapters of the "Descent Into Darkness" story arc.

UP NEXT: "BLACKOUT! (Part 1)" BEGINS