Sam Carpenter’s Early Scream Ending Avoids 1 Common Final Girl Problem

Although Scream 6 star Melissa Barrera won’t appear as Sam Carpenter in the new sequel, that may allow Scream 7 to avoid a common Final Girl trope. The 2022 Scream reboot was a hit, mostly because of the new cast, including Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding, known as The Core Four. Although the 2022 Scream featured the original cast members, the studio needed viewers to care about the younger stars. Judging from Scream 6, they succeeded. Courteney Cox is the only original cast member in Scream 6, which grossed nearly $169 million worldwide.

However, one major gripe about the Scream franchise concerns the sheer number of times those original cast members, particularly Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), were able to make it away from the different Ghostface killers. No matter how hard each iteration of Ghostface tried, Sidney, Gale, and (until 2022) Dewey just could not be killed. At a certain point, it wasn’t even because the characters had somehow gotten better at protecting themselves, but that franchise plot armor made it impossible for them to die. With Melissa Barrera’s premature departure, Scream 7 may have just solved the problem.

Sam Carpenter’s Early Scream Ending Avoids A Common Final Girl Problem

As horror franchises get longer, Final Girls become more invincible

Melissa Barrera leaving the Scream franchise earlier than expected was not ideal. As the “new Sidney,” hopes were high that she would carry the Scream franchise for a new generation, possibly one that didn’t include any of the original cast members. Now that she and co-star, Jenna Ortega, who played Sam’s sister, Tara, are no longer a part of the franchise, there is some uncertainty about where the series will go. However, it will also fix a long-running issue for franchises like Scream that feature the same cast members in each sequel – plot armor.

If Sam’s arc were to become too similar to Sidney’s, with her escaping each sequel’s never-ending parade of Ghostfaces, it’s possible the rebooted franchise would have faced the same issues as the original. It’s worth noting that 2000’s Scream 3 is the lowest-rated film of the franchise, at just 41% on Rotten Tomatoes. Scream 7, the third film in the new trilogy, could avoid this noticeable dip in quality by bringing in some fresh blood, and may even inspire the creators of this new franchise to shake up the formula long-term.

Sidney Prescott Could Fall Into This Final Girl Trap In Scream 7

Sidney’s return highlights what made the Scream franchise get stale in the first place

That being said, Sidney Prescott’s return indicates that Scream 7 director Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first four films, may not have taken the opportunity to change the franchise the way he could have in light of Sam Carpenter’s absence. Sidney Prescott is the franchise’s ultimate Final Girl and, unless Williamson is planning Scream 7 as a farewell for the character, the series may continue to fall prey to the same Final Girl problems that have plagued prior entries. There are interesting things to do with the character, but a traditional Scream film would not be one of them.

With the little information out there about what to expect from Scream 7 besides the return of Sidney Prescott, it’s difficult to speculate on what Williamson has planned. Sidney’s absence in Scream 6 was noticeable, but it also allowed the newcomers to spread their wings and establish their rightful place as the reboot series’ Core Four. Now, the Carpenter sisters are gone, and it’s still unclear if Brown and Gooding will sign on for another film. Sam’s absence may have fixed one of the franchise’s problems, but the uncertainty surrounding Scream 7 may introduce some new problems, too.

Scream 6

Scream 6 is a horror-slasher film that brings the terror of the iconic Ghostface to the streets of New York City. The survivors of the 2022 fifth Scream entry have moved to one of the biggest cities in the world – but not even a population of eight million will stop a mysterious new assailant from trying to fulfill the Ghostface legacy.

Director

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

Writers

James Vanderbilt , Guy Busick

Cast

Melissa Barrera , Courteney Cox , Jasmin Savoy Brown , Mason Gooding , Jenna Ortega , Hayden Panettiere

Release Date

March 10, 2023

Runtime

2h 2m