The idea of Scream is not, in itself, a bad one. Hell, Wes Craven made four Scream movies, and one of them was actually good. Most of the programming on Freeform (formerly ABC Family) is about high school kids killing each other. There’s definitely a market for a Harper’s Island remake for the Vine generation, and when Scream actually tries, it makes the viewer suspicious of everyone. The problem with episodes like “Psycho,” though, is that sometimes this show really, really sucks at storytelling.
A big potential problem that the second season will face is the increased role for Audrey. On paper I’m fine with this, because Bex Taylor-Klaus is a fine actress who absolutely deserves better than Scream. But in practice, it’s a little more problematic, because it appears the show wants to move into Dexter territory. We’re ostensibly supposed to root for a killer, frantically trying to cover her tracks under the threat of exposure, and trying to make sure her friends don’t find out, because it’s the only way to keep them safe.
However. This doesn’t work for a number of reasons. Dexter Morgan wasn’t exactly a good guy, but he was understandable. He killed killers, rapists, and drug dealers. Audrey, as best we can tell, had some pretty ill-defined motivation for setting Piper Shaw loose on Lakewood. She didn’t have a personal motivation – something that made Piper at least somewhat understandable – so she just seems like a murderous Holden Caulfield, punishing people for the mere crime of not living up to her standards. If Scream had any balls whatsoever, it would have Noah figure out Audrey’s role in the killings, and have Audrey subsequently kill him. That won’t happen, of course, but it’s not the worst thing in the world; Taylor-Klaus and John Karna have some of the more believable chemistry on the show.
I say that because everyone else in “Psycho” – give or take a Carlson Young as Brooke – is flat, wooden, or straight-up creepy. Scream takes an incredibly clunky approach to introducing new characters, such as Keiran’s cousin Eli, the new kid Gus, or Emma’s teacher, whose name I didn’t get, I’ll be honest.
All three of theses characters are just various red herrings, to be sure, and the only one who might be the killer would be the teacher, who was surreptitiously recording Emma while they got coffee. Eli and Gus will eventually be love interests for one or more of our characters, because if Jake and Brooke taught us anything it’s that true love can triumph over creepy, aggressive behavior, so I’m sure it means nothing that Gus has been “ranking” the Lakewood 6 (Brooke is #4), or that Eli just shows up to a school he’s not enrolled in, already knowing Emma’s name.
It might not be such a bad thing for Emma to branch out though, because Willa Fitzgerald and Amadeus Serafini (as Keiran) have precious little chemistry. Props to Scream, though, for at least attempting an honest portrayal of teen sex. Granted, it might not be a realistic portrayal, but at least it’s honest about the fact that it happens. And no, I don’t feel creepy writing that because everyone on this show looks at least 25. Serafini looks older than me, and I have a huge beard.
It’s an interesting tactic to make Audrey a victim herself, and that storage locker at the end was a nicely creepy shot. But the sooner Scream stops trying to be Dexter, the more it has a chance to actually assert its own identity.
A Few Thoughts
- Killer Prediction, Week 2: The teacher
- Bryan Batt as Quentin Maddox cracks me up. “Quentin Maddox” sounds like a porn star name, and he’s so jacked that he looks nothing at all like a small-town mayor. He looks like a retired football player who gets stunt cast as a high school gym coach in an Adam Sandler movie
- Sheriff Acosta is a nice addition to the cast. He’s already more of an impression that the late, unlamented Clark Wilcox, who was about as interesting as the name “Clark Wilcox” implies
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