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"Phil, Andy's been through hell. You have to give him some time. He'll settle down. Besides, I like him."
―Joanne talking to Phil about Andy.

Joanne Simpson is a foster mother, as she and her husband Phil made the decision to spend their days as foster parents after the harrowing news that she is unable to give birth.

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Joanne and Phil are called to the Midtown Children's Crisis Centre by Grace Poole, where she hopes that they will foster a boy named Andy Barclay. She explains that he has a very troubled past, having been a witness to several murders and coped by claiming these murders were done by his Good Guy doll that was possessed by Charles Lee Ray. Joanne instantly feels compassion for Andy, unlike Phil who is wary of if they are even qualified to handle such a complex case. Grace insists that all Andy needs is a normal family environment to help give him a fresh start.

They decide to take Andy in, and bring him to their house. As Andy explores the living room, Phil explains that he is not to touch their old antiques, especially a porcelain statue which has been in Joanne's family for three generations. After they send Andy upstairs, he meets Kyle, who has been with the Simpsons for three weeks. Joanne happens to come up the stairs as Andy enters Kyle's room, and scolds her for smoking. When Joanne asks Kyle to help with dinner, she remarks that she has to work this evening, as she needs to save up money when she's out of the foster program next year.

Joanne leads Andy to his new room, and allows him to look around as she unpacks his belongings. Going into the closet, he becomes scared by the sight of a Good Guy doll named Tommy, which had been previously owned by another foster child. Understanding Andy's fears, Joanne apologizes and removes the doll from his room, leaving it downstairs in the living room. Later in the evening as Joanne reads Andy a story before bed, he asks her to stay as he misses his mother. She promises him that he will be reunited with her, and stays with him until he falls asleep.

The next morning, Andy and Kyle are interrogated by Phil when Joanne's porcelain statue is found smashed. As neither admits they destroyed it, Phil grounds them both until someone confesses their guilt. The two children leave the kitchen to do laundry, but Andy hides behind the basement door to eavesdrop on Joanne and Phil. He discloses that he is having second thoughts about taking in such a troubled boy, especially as he has not come to terms with the "doll thing". Although Phil believes Andy needs more attention than they can provide, Joanne reminds him that he has been through a lot and just needs more time.

During the night, Joanne sews Kyle a scarf as Phil enters the room. She remarks that she wants to get Andy someone to help him get more settled, to which Phil jokingly answers Valium. Unbeknownst to them, as they talk in their room, Andy has been bound and gagged by Chucky in his bedroom. However, before Chucky can transfer his soul, Kyle sneaks in through the bedroom window. Joanne and Phil are alerted by the noise, and are angered as they believe that Kyle tied Andy to the bed to stop him from ratting her out. As Andy insists that Chucky must be killed or else he will come get him, Phil throws the doll down into the basement.

The next day, Andy leaves for his first day of school but gets into trouble as Chucky wrote obscenities on his test paper. He insists that Chucky followed him to school and is still out to get him. In the evening, Phil and Joanne argue about fostering Andy, as he insists the boy needs professional help. Joanne snaps back that he never wanted to take Andy in the first place, and if they send Andy back to the Crisis Centre it will be more traumatizing for him. Phil does not back down, and insists that if Andy stays he will only tear their family apart. When she asserts that families don't give up on their children, Phil counters that he is not their child.

Death

JoanneSimpson

Joanne's death.

Later in the night as Phil and Joanne are in bed, he hears noise coming from the basement. Chucky manages to trip Phil, resulting in him falling to his death. Joanne enters the basement just as Phil is killed, and becomes distraught at losing her husband. As Andy tries to approach her, she screams at him to get away. As the paramedics take Phil's body away, Joanne makes the decision to send Andy back with Grace to the Children's Crisis Centre, blaming herself for not listening to her husband earlier. After everyone has left the house, Joanne heads back upstairs to her bedroom to sew. Chucky follows her upstairs, gags her and slits her throat. Her corpse is later found by Kyle.

Trivia

  • Joanne is Chucky's 9th victim since Child's Play. She is also the first of Chucky's victims to be killed off-screen.
  • Originally, Joanne's name was Mildred.
  • Actress Veronica Cartwright was also considered to play Joanne Simpson.
  • Jenny Agutter regretted having done Child's Play 2, as Joanne Simpson was demoted to a supporting character in the theatrical cut, saying "It was much less than the script I read". The deleted scenes from the film were later re-cut for the TV version, giving her more screen time.

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