Ep 1. You Have to Go Inside

In Channel Zero season 1 episode 1, titled "You Have to Go Inside," we are introduced to Mike Painter, a child psychologist who returns to his hometown of Iron Hill after a 30-year absence. As a child, Mike's twin brother Eddie went missing, and Mike has been haunted by the memory ever since.

Mike reconnects with his old friend Gary, who is now the local sheriff, and meets some of the other townsfolk, including Marla, a woman who appears to have a keen interest in Mike's return. Mike starts having visions of a creepy children's television show called "Candle Cove," which he and Eddie used to watch. Candle Cove featured a cast of puppets, including a disturbing and grotesque character named "The Skin-Taker," who is especially unsettling to Mike.

Mike's obsession with the show leads him to investigate further, and he discovers that the only people who remember watching it are those who also disappeared around the time Eddie did. As Mike delves deeper into the mystery, he begins to wonder if the show is somehow connected to Eddie's disappearance and the other missing children in Iron Hill.

As Mike uncovers more about Candle Cove, he also begins to experience strange occurrences, like messages in his TV static and a disturbing doll that appears in his home. His visions become more intense, and he begins to question his own sanity.

"You Have to Go Inside" sets up Channel Zero as a chilling, atmospheric horror series with a compelling central mystery. The episode is well-paced, with a nice mix of character development and eerie horror elements. The setting and characters are intriguing, and the psychological horror elements add a layer of depth to the scares. Overall, it's a solid introduction to the series and leaves the viewer eager to see what happens next.