[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for the Fear Street trilogy.]How’s that for a big finish for Ashley Zukerman’s Nick Goode in the Fear Street trilogy? Yes, there were hints of his true intentions along the way, but Nick largely started off as a town sheriff who seemed to want to help Deena (Kiana Madeira) throughout Fear Street 1994. Then in Fear Street 1978, we met a young Nick (Ted Sutherland) who appeared to do everything in his power to save the campers from the the Nightwing Killer, especially Ziggy Berman (Sadie Sink). However, if you were holding on to any sliver of hope that Nick Goode was indeed a standup guy looking out for the Shadysiders, the events of Fear Street 1666 completely obliterated that.
The final installment of the trilogy reveals that after the death of his wife and child, Nick’s ancestor Solomon Goode made a “simple exchange,” cursing the town of Shadyside and offering up a single soul (which of course turned into many) to the devil to receive good fortune in return. Solomon got away with it by convincing the town to kill Sarah Fier and ever since, the duty to upload the curse has fallen from one Goode first born to the next, including 1978 and 1994’s Nick.
With all three Fear Street films now available to watch on Netflix, we got the chance to have a brief spoiler chat with Zukerman to dig into Solomon’s motivations. Here’s what he said when asked if Solomon was doomed to go on this path no matter what. If his wife and child had survived, would Solomon still have used the book?
“The films talk about lineage and how we bring the past forward. Solomon absolutely is the originator of this crime in this town. Would he have done it if life didn’t go that way? I think he would have because I think the issue with Solomon is - or with all of us - is that we all find out who we are when we’re in trouble, when bad things happen and Solomon, he chose weakness. He chose the easy way out. He chose to oppress people for his own benefit. I don’t think his wife and child needed to die for that to happen. He would have always blamed something for his loss, or for his lot in life and for shortcomings.”
So, Solomon was destined to make this arrangement, but does that mean he feels no guilt over it? When he’s walking down the aisle of the meeting house and sees what The Pastor has done, is there any regret whatsoever? Here’s what Zukerman said:
“It’s a Leigh Janiak film which means that everybody’s a human being. He made the deal he made, but now he has to live with the consequences and that is absolutely regret. Guilt has to be mixed in there. Does that then change his behavior? And we see that it doesn’t. It doesn’t stop him from keeping the lie going.”
While it does become abundantly clear that the Goodes are able to look past the death they cause to uphold their lifestyle, they do show some allegiance to certain Shadysiders. In Fear Street 1666, Solomon has a strong connection with Sarah until she stabs him during his big reveal. In Fear Street 1978, it’s Nick who tries to protect Ziggy and ultimately brings her back from the dead. And then in 1994, it does appear that he’s trying to look out for Deena as well - that is, until she threatens to topple his evil empire. So what is it that draws the Goodes to these individuals even though they're essentially the targets of his operation? Here’s how Zukerman put it:
“We absolutely did talk about it. I think probably all the Goodes are drawn to originality and are drawn to greatness, and I think Ziggy because she’s unique is great and Deena because she’s unique is great, and I think that’s part of the story that we tell. Both Solomon and Nick are drawn to that because they don’t have it, so they want to take it.”
Looking for even more from Zukerman? Our conversation with the Fear Street star doesn’t end here. Zukerman also joined us for an hourlong Collider Witching Hour chat to talk Fear Street, Succession, The Lost Symbol series and more! You can give it a listen in podcast form below: