Paying tribute to Wes Craven in its opening moments, Scream: The TV Series launches into the season finale without missing a beat. Employing multi-media to isolate, frighten and confuse whilst keeping everything on track. To reveal our killer would be taking away half the fun, something I have no intention of doing here.
As per usual there are subtle references littered throughout, not least of which is a nod to Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. Major players reach the end of their shelf life and get dispatched in gruesome fashion. Whilst horror tropes are ticked off like a drill sergeant at sunrise. Something counterbalanced by the level of commitment on display.
Fitzgerald, Karna, and Taylor-Klaus hold things together. Whether fending off an attacker or waxing lyrical about malware theories. As far as finales go Scream: The TV Series has nothing new to offer, but then that was always going to be the case. Such is the cross you bare when working within the confines of post-modern slasher films. A nice little twist signals an intentional move towards the contemporary, but there is nothing new or ground breaking to see.
There is the patsy, a blonde bimbo and stereotypical jocks who become chub bait in board shorts. Yet the inevitable payoff feels unengaging because we saw it coming. In fact we knew it from episode one, but this knowledge never once diminishes the entertainment factor. Little clues both blatant and otherwise within these final moments, make a second season an intriguing concept. A fact these writers knew all too well when setting up Brandon James mark three. Yet this could be another curveball from a series built on them. Another thread like so many which leads nowhere designed for a singular purpose.
Looking back on the pilot episode of Scream: The TV Series it is hard not to see this as a success. Besides the numbers generated it benefits from having some truly mediocre competition. I will name no names but you know who you are. As I have said before this programme should run into a second season. These characters are strong, its basis is solid and a fan base is clearly in toe. What they must consider as scribes feverishly scribbling away is this. How far beyond the boundaries should we go and how much familiarity should we retain? For me it comes down to character. Give an audience someone real they can believe in and they are yours for life. Relying too heavily on spectacle and pop culture references will lose us in a heartbeat. Retro is not always relevant. Please consider that in those inevitable creative meetings before putting pen to paper. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.