“All You Ghost Mice” functions in many ways as a one-room (or, perhaps, one-house) problem. It hinges primarily on the trappings and tribulations that make up the Peach house, and the relative inability of protagonists’ Alice and Zoe to find their way in.

For what it’s worth: This third episode of “Butcher’s Block,” marks the season’s midway point, and is effectively terrifying in ways that have stuck with me. Unfortunately, this stickiness leans toward exposing that this episode’s lighting, sound cues, and creature movement (courtesy of Troy James) do most of the heavy lifting. Specifically in creating the sense of stifled panic that permeates its runtime.

Beyond that, though, it should be said that Alice (Olivia Luccardi) is endowed with a surprisingly, pleasingly prolific face actor. This is something that is otherwise probably a principal source of glue in an episode otherwise seemingly more dedicated to dealing with the aftermath of “Father Time” than advancing the plot much. Indeed, though some questions were addressed, the episode’s closing note doesn’t feel that much further ahead than where it started.

I daresay, too, that this slightly awkward stumbling isn’t helped much by the persistently muddled sense of what the show wants to say about schizophrenia and the experiences of families navigating it. What began as a significant dimension of the core cast’s relationships has tried to straddle both this aspect and being the driving force behind the elements that land “All You Ghost Mice” in the horror genre.

The latter, essentially, meanders into the concerning or even insulting too often to really be comfortable or palatable. It repeatedly threatens to undermine a season that could have great heart and meaning, if it really wanted to.

For all my persistent concerns about the season’s ability to handle itself respectfully, though, it’s only fair to say that this episode was able to restore my interest in seeing how the season wraps up. That’s not to say it has restored my trust, however. The season continues on perilously thin ice. Still, there’s just enough in the rising conflict that Alice, Zoe, and their allies must eventually face, that I’m inclined to tune back in where I’d been dangerously close to walking away from the show for good.

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Channel Zero "All You Ghost Mice"

6.7

Score

6.7/10

Pros

• Great lighting and visuals
• Compelling acting
• Unsettling soundtrack

Cons

• Doesn't seem to cover much narrative ground
• Handling of schizophrenia remains concerning