The landscape of modern psychological horror has been significantly altered by the arrival of Netflix’s 2026 limited series, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Created by Haley Z. Boston and executive produced by a team of veteran genre writers, the show has captivated audiences not just for its visceral scares, but for its intricate, often frustratingly opaque web of symbols and subplots. Among the most debated elements of the series is the "Coldies" frozen custard storyline. While initially presented as a central pillar of the show’s supernatural lore, Coldies eventually reveals itself to be one of the most sophisticated red herrings in recent television history.
This article provides an in-depth analysis of the Coldies subplot, its chronological development, the symbolic weight of Larry Poole, and the broader implications of the show’s themes regarding female intuition and institutional gaslighting.
Main Facts: The Legend of Coldies Frozen Custard
In the world of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, Coldies is a defunct frozen custard shop located in the rural town where the protagonist, Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone), is introduced to the wealthy and enigmatic family of her fiancé, Nicky. The shop is more than a local landmark; it is a site of historical trauma.
The establishment was owned and operated by Larry Poole, a man later revealed to be a serial killer responsible for the murders of at least three women. The shop was shuttered following his arrest, but its presence looms over the town like a malevolent specter. Throughout the series, the narrative consistently links Coldies to the "Sorry Man"—a local urban legend and supernatural entity that haunts the peripheral vision of the characters.
Key Narrative Elements:
The Killer: Larry Poole, a seemingly eccentric shop owner whose penchant for "creepy" behavior masked a violent reality.
The Artifacts: A pink Barbie shoe, mentioned in a true-crime podcast about Poole, inexplicably appears in Rachel’s vicinity.
The Intuition: Rachel exhibits a supernatural-level "shining" or instinct, drawing the Coldies logo with perfect accuracy despite never having seen it.
Chronology of the Coldies Subplot
To understand why the Coldies storyline is so effective as a narrative misdirection, one must examine how the writers, led by Haley Z. Boston, paced the revelation of its true purpose.
Episode 1: The Seed of Paranoia
The series opens with Rachel and Nicky traveling to his family’s remote cabin. During the drive, Nicky plays a true-crime podcast detailing the crimes of Larry Poole. The podcast features a harrowing interview with a survivor who describes Poole’s "weird energy" and how she narrowly escaped with a slashed throat after noticing a Barbie shoe in his vehicle.
Shortly after arriving at the cabin, the boundary between reality and the podcast begins to blur. Rachel discovers a Barbie shoe on the bathroom floor, immediately followed by the discovery of a dead fox on a toilet. This sequence establishes a direct link between the historical crimes of Larry Poole and the current supernatural threats Rachel feels are closing in on her.
The Middle Chapters: The Sorry Man and the Logo
As Rachel’s mental state deteriorates, she becomes obsessed with the town’s history. In a moment of fugue-like intensity, she draws the Coldies logo—a stylized, dripping custard cone—with haunting precision. Nicky is stunned, as the shop has been closed for decades and the logo is not visible on any local signage. This suggests that the "curse" Rachel believes she carries is rooted in the physical geography of the town and the sins of Larry Poole.
The Flashback: 1997
The climax of the Coldies subplot occurs in a flashback featuring Rachel’s parents, Ali and Jay. In 1997, prior to the discovery of Poole’s crimes, the couple stops at Coldies for a treat. The scene is thick with tension. While Jay finds Poole’s awkwardness amusing, Ali is overcome by a visceral, "skin-crawling" dread. She demands they leave immediately. This scene confirms that Rachel’s "paranoia" is actually a hereditary trait—a heightened survival instinct passed down from a mother who correctly identified a predator when no one else would.
Supporting Data: Symbols, Foxes, and the "Cassandra Complex"
While the Coldies plotline appears to lead to a narrative dead end—Larry Poole is not the "Sorry Man," nor is he involved in the "deadly in-laws" plot—it serves as essential supporting data for the show’s psychological themes.
The Fox Symbolism
The show utilizes foxes as a recurring motif to mirror the fates of Ali and Rachel.
The Nursing Mother: The dead fox Rachel finds early in the series, being fed upon by its own cubs, symbolizes Ali. Ali died while pregnant/giving birth to Rachel, her life force literally consumed by the continuation of her lineage.
The Escape Artist: Later, a fox caught in a trap by Nicky chews off its own foot to escape. This represents Rachel’s journey. To survive the "curse" of her relationship and the trauma of her family history, she must be willing to lose a part of herself.
The "Box" Neurosis
One of the most bizarre elements of the show is Rachel’s requirement to be "trapped" in a box during intimate moments with Nicky. While never explicitly explained, this behavior acts as a metaphor for her need for controlled trauma. By placing herself in a literal cage, she attempts to manage the metaphorical cage she feels her anxiety and her fiancé’s family have built around her.
Official Responses: Creative Intent and Critical Reception
Showrunner Haley Z. Boston and the writing room (including Ben Bolea and Kate Trefry) have been vocal about the "intentional frustration" built into the script. In post-release interviews, the creative team emphasized that Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen was designed to subvert the expectations of the "sacrifice horror" subgenre.
Haley Z. Boston on the Red Herring:
"We wanted Larry Poole and Coldies to represent the ‘traditional’ horror we’ve all seen before. By making him a red herring, we force the audience to sit with the much more uncomfortable reality: that the real ‘bad thing’ isn’t a boogeyman in a custard shop; it’s the person sitting next to you who doesn’t believe your fears are valid."
Critical Analysis:
Critics have lauded the series for its portrayal of the "Cassandra Complex"—the phenomenon of individuals (usually women) who provide valid warnings but are dismissed as insane or overly emotional. The Coldies subplot is the ultimate proof of this; Ali was right about Poole, and Rachel was right about the "feeling" of the town, yet both were treated as "difficult to love" because of their vigilance.
Implications: The Horror of Not Being Believed
The resolution of the Coldies mystery has significant implications for how viewers interpret the ending of the series. By the finale, it becomes clear that the "Sorry Man" and the ritualistic behavior of Nicky’s family are secondary to the primary horror: the gaslighting of Rachel Harkin.
1. The Subversion of the "Deadly In-Laws" Trope
Movies like Ready or Not or Get Out rely on the protagonist being objectively correct about a conspiracy. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen complicates this. While Nicky’s family is indeed strange and perhaps even malevolent, the show suggests that the most destructive force is the erosion of Rachel’s trust in her own mind. Coldies proves her instincts are real, making the subsequent gaslighting by Nicky even more tragic.
2. Generational Trauma as a "Curse"
The show redefines the "family curse" not as a magical hex, but as the transmission of hyper-vigilance. Ali’s encounter at Coldies wasn’t a supernatural event; it was a woman sensing a predator. Because her husband dismissed that fear, the trauma was never processed, only passed down to Rachel as an unexplained "bad feeling."
3. The Unreliability of Signs
The series ultimately argues that in a world filled with omens—dead foxes, Barbie shoes, and dripping custard cones—certainty is impossible. The horror lies in the fact that even when the signs are real (as they were with Larry Poole), they cannot protect you if the people you love refuse to see them.
In conclusion, the Coldies frozen custard shop is a masterclass in thematic world-building. It lures the audience into a traditional slasher/supernatural mystery only to pull the rug out, revealing a much deeper, more grounded horror about the female experience, mental health, and the terrifying isolation of being the only one who can see the monster in the room. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen isn’t just a title; it’s a prophecy that the characters—and the audience—ignore at their own peril.
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