Editor's Note: The following containers spoilers.Like the return of Halloween (2018) to its 1978 roots, or Child's Play (2019) reawakening the Chucky franchise, Scream moves forward while keeping an eye on the rearview mirror. For fans following discussions about whether sequels in general suck or not, or who posit how successful a reboot can really be, this fifth Scream film tackles the love of nostalgia currently flooding the mainstream. In doing so, the new film acts as a relaunch, providing a plate not entirely scrubbed clean. Not only do Sidney, Dewey, and Gale have to face off against Ghostface again, but there is also more to it.
Past victims that were never truly given some kind of memoriam, get their moment of remembrance. While full of new survivors and a controversial motive for the killings, this fifth entry makes sure not to forget its past. Instead, it paves a fresh path for the franchise. Whatever happened to Kirby? Does anyone still care about Randy? Fictional characters are recognized and so too is the late horror director, Wes Craven, who helmed the past four films. Legacy is a big theme and the new Scream embraces it.
Tatum Riley
Never mentioned after her death, except in deleted scenes here and there, Rose McGowan’s firecracker of a character is finally acknowledged after all this time. “No! Don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface. I want to be in the sequel.” Well, Tatum gets her wish. It just took a little over 25 years, but better late than never. Tatum’s ashes are spotted, right next to the box her older brother, ex-sheriff Dewey (David Arquette), needs to get back into action.
Martha Meeks
Last seen in Scream 3, Martha (Heather Matarazzo) is a teen back then, the younger sister to cinephile Randy. She gives the main trio one last video made by her late brother, to help figure out the ins-and-outs of trilogies. Returning to the Scream universe, Martha maintains a quirky attitude that must be part of the genetics to the Meeks family tree. Although her husband is never seen, she does get to interact with Dewey, if only for a quick moment. The biggest callback though, is her whole living room. It acts as a shrine to Randy, a beloved character cut out of the film series way too soon.
Mindy Meeks-Martin
Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) not only shares her uncle’s love for horror movies, she has a particularly odd way of keeping his memory alive. Very meta for an already very meta franchise, Mindy re-watches the Stab movies, seeing “Randy” alive not unlike how fans can go back to the original Scream for as many viewings as their slasher-loving heart desires. By the finale of the new Scream, Mindy finds enjoyment in watching a sensationalized slasher movie about her late uncle’s first encounter with death. And although it might seem like an odd way to remember him, they both get to share a big love for horror movies. Having Mindy even repeat Randy’s mistake in not looking behind as the killer approaches and then correct it at the last second and survive, helped keep the Meeks legacy alive, literally and figuratively.
Stu Macher
It isn't only his old house that returns, but Stu’s fate is still being questioned. During a scene where YouTube account Dead Meat criticizes the eighth installment of the Stab franchise, a bunch of videos are seen on the side of the computer screen. One thumbnail, only seen rather than watched, is about a theory on Stu’s “real fate.” Last time he was seen, Stu (Matthew Lillard) was feeling “woozy” from bloody stab wounds and getting his face smashed in with one big, vintage TV box. But maybe just maybe, he’s still out there.
Vince Schneider
Introduced as a considerable piece of trash, Kyle Gallner’s drunk, pocket knife-wielding character is none other than Stu’s nephew. And then before audiences can start to suspect him as being one of the killers, he bites the dust fairly quickly. It makes for an ironic joke that he’s the first to be killed off, considering his late uncle was behind the first film’s murders. In comparing the genes of the Meeks family and the Macher, the latter are far more rotten.
Kirby Reed
Hayden Panettiere’s character as fan favorite, movie-loving Kirby from Scream 4 was last seen bleeding to death. But, her death is never confirmed on screen. Wes Craven had even teased her survival and in the new film, what happens to Kirby is finally confirmed. Audiences just have to look carefully to find it. On the same YouTube screenshot with Stu, there’s a video for Kirby. Not only is she alive and well, she got to do an interview on surviving the murders.
Judy & Wes
Sheriff Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) and her son, Wes (Dylan Minnette) don't get to join the other survivors by the end credits. They are both viciously killed off during daylight. But despite the morbid circumstances, when the big party at Stu’s house is underway, a reference to the movies’ late director is right in front of everyone’s eyes, both fans and on screen characters. “For Wes” is made up in balloon letters, a very clear recognition of Wes Craven and his forever attachment to Scream.
Sam Carpenter
Way back in 1996, the Scream script by Kevin Williamson included numerous references to Halloween. A major one was Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who got his last name from Dr. Sam Loomis, the slightly cooky doctor out on patrol to find the Boogeyman, played by Donald Pleasence. And when it’s revealed that Sam (Melissa Barrera) is Billy's daughter, her name essentially becomes “Sam Loomis.” Due to the fear of turning out like him, Sam “sees” Billy in the form of a hallucination, wearing the same white shirt he was last in, stained with blood and corn syrup. But because he’s a hallucination, he ends up helping her, the killer instinct in Sam is not to murder but to survive.
Sidney Prescott
Neve Campbell is given more of a grandeur cameo but what she lacks in runtime, she makes up for in demeanor. After surviving four attempts on her life, spread over decades, Sidney is now a mother and a wife, her husband “Mark” clearly a nudge at Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) from Scream 3. When it comes to her survivor mode, not only does she hang up on a Ghostface call, she goes into Stu’s old house without much hesitation. This time around instead of being chased by Ghostface, she points a gun and is tactical, shooting at closed doors instead of being caught off guard by anyone behind them.