It’s been a wild ride for the Scream franchise. The shocking exits of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega has put the future of the series into question. However, that was quickly redeemed when Neve Campbell’s return was confirmed. Still, this is remains a murky subject as Campbell isn’t exactly returning under a good set of circumstances. Backstage politics aside, it’s actually disappointing that Sidney Prescott is the main star again because her story has been finished three films ago.
At the very least, the screenwriters can find a good purpose for bringing back the legacy character. On the flip side is Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, a two supporting characters that made their debut in the rebooted Scream 5. There has been been no confirmation that Mason Gooding or Jasmin Brown will return to the franchise. In fact, it doesn’t seem that the two are being written into the next entry. As nice as it is to have new characters in such an iconic franchise, are the Meeks-Martin twins necessary going forward?
Randy Meeks Is A Scream Icon
One thing about the Scream franchise is their cast of memorable characters. Enter Randy Meeks: the lovable film nerve who knows everything about the rules of horror. Meeks a big part of the satirical theme in the first two Screams, as he added some nice humor and fun horror knowledge throughout his time in the series. There was also a delicate balance with Randy; there are points where his character could’ve come across as annoying, but Jamie Kennedy’s charisma and the sharp writing managed to avoid that.
Like many of the names in the first film, he was a primary suspect as it was always possible that he was crazy enough to commit murder. Randy’s death in the second film felt premature. He was a big enough character that it was certainly shocking as it created the “anything can happen” feeling, but it wasn’t particularly necessary overall. Still, his legacy lives on because his short time in the franchise was a true highlight that brought a nice balance of humor to Scream.
Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin Feel Like Copycats
I loved the idea in Scream 5 that Ghostface was stalked the second generation of legacy characters. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Brown are talented actors in their own right, but they still haven’t done justice to the legacy of Randy Meeks. Chad feels like your stereotypical player. Mindy’s schtick of being the horror historian feels forced. However, there’s no denying that a big reason they fell flat in Scream 5 because of the legacy characters.
Since there were so many characters, Radio Silence didn’t necessarily have the time to properly developing the supporting names. Mindy and Chad came off better in Scream 6. Mind’s schtick still felt forced in that installment, but the chemistry between Chad, Mindy, Sara, and Tara was strong. They genuinely felt like friends (or in Chad and Tara’s case, lovers) and that was due Radio Silence being able to focus on the new cast this time around.
Jasmin Brown and Mason Gooding Shouldn’t Return
Again, this nothing against the two actors as they’re a joy to watch onscreen. But their value is with Sam and Tara. Though they share the Meeks name, they don’t have much value beyond that. They were never given a chance to develop a bond with Sidney and Gale in Scream 5. Plus, there’s really no much purpose in their characters that warrants their necessary return. If possible that Kevin Williamson (the new writer and director of Scream 7) would want to bridge the new and older generation together, but I think it would be better to focus on the legacy characters in the next installment.
The story would be better focused on Sidney and her family being terrorized by Ghostface. Even if that’s not the story, there’s just no purpose in bringing back the Meeks twins because of the gap in the generation. Should Jasmin Brown and Mason Gooding return then hopefully there’s some growth within their characters. They’re fun additions, but not memorable ones. Given that Gooding and Brown have stated they haven’t gotten the call from the producers, if seems highly unlikely that they’ll return to Scream 7. Of course, in the world of filmmaking, anything is possible.
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