The Chanels Are Free Again On 'Scream Queens'

The last time we saw the Chanels, they'd been wrongfully convicted of murder — but it was all OK. After being sentenced to life at The Palmer Asylum, the three former Kappas were happier than ever as they finally realized they maybe were sociopaths and should mend their ways. But, by the time the Scream Queens Season 2 premiere hit our small screens, the Chanels' days at Palmer were over and they were back to their old ways. But, hold up — first of all, wasn't a new Red Devil about to murder Chanel #1 in last season's finale? And, secondly, what happened to that murder conviction? My first question remains unanswered, but a documentary cleared the Chanels on Scream Queens.

Their exoneration lead to a murder conviction for Hester after Special Agent Denise Hemphill managed to zero in on the correct suspect. Her investigative skills have apparently improved since last season, hence her new title of Special Agent — and if we ever forget it, Denise is here to remind us. So, a lot has changed in the world of Scream Queens since Season 1 — and not just because most of the cast got axed (literally). We have a new setting, a new mystery, and a new villain who wears a green disguise rather than red one. But, some things will never change — Dean Munsch is sketchy, Denise Hemphill is the show's MVP, and those pop culture zingers aren't going anywhere. (Phew!)

Entrap a Kappa: Murder on Sorority Row was the key to freeing three innocent women and arresting the correct one — because, as we've all learned over the past year or two, documentaries are an effective way of correcting the wrongs of the justice system. It's a humorous plot device about how the worlds of entertainment and true crime have collided in a major way, but it actually doesn't seem too far-fetched at this point. (Although, to be clear, pretty much everything else on this series is far-fetched.) Making a Murderer was hugely instrumental in the release of Brendan Dassey, and who could forget that seriously creepy "killed them all, of course" conclusion to The Jinx? So, it seems that Scream Queens is simultaneously criticizing our flawed justice system and making light of viewers' obsession with true crime shows.

Unfortunately for the Chanels, they would have been way safer if they hadn't been exonerated. They've agreed to work for Dean Munsch at her recently-opened CURE institute (the Chanels seem to have forgotten that Munsch absolutely hates them) and it's clear that she has devious plans for them. In fact, as the premiere comes to a close, Chanel #5 finds herself face-to-face with the axe-wielding Green Devil. Here we go again.

Image: Michael Becker/FOX