The Scream saga has had its ups and downs, and its boldest sequel so far is now streaming on Netflix, but it’s also a sad reminder of one harsh reality about the saga. After Scream 4 seemed to be the end, the Scream saga came back to life, seizing the ongoing trend of reboots and legacy sequels. Scream 2022 marked the beginning of the reboot trilogy, introducing sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) as the Final Girls and bringing Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) back.

The success of Scream 2022 led to a sequel, Scream 6, being greenlit. Scream 6 continued Sam and Tara’s stories and brought Gale back in a supporting role, as well as Scream 4’s Kirby (Hayden Panettiere). Scream 6 received mostly positive reviews (though it also got its fair dose of not-so-positive criticism) and was a box office success, making way for a sequel, set for a 2026 release. Scream 6 stands out from the rest of the franchise for a couple of reasons, but it’s also a reminder of a harsh reality for the next movie.

Scream 6 Is Now Streaming On Netflix – Why The Sequel Stands Out From The Rest

Scream 6 Did A Couple Of Things Differently

Scream 6 follows Sam and Tara a year after the 2022 Woodsboro murders. Sam and Tara are now living in New York City, where Tara is attending Blackmore University with her friends and fellow survivors Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown). Meanwhile, Sam goes to therapy, but she also becomes the target of an online conspiracy that claims she was the mastermind behind the 2022 murders. If that isn’t enough, Sam, Tara, Chad, Mindy, and their new friends begin to be haunted by a new Ghostface killer, while Kirby and Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) try to catch the killer.

Scream 6 follows the same basic formula of the saga, but it also does a couple of things differently that make it stand out. First off, and while it’s not the first Scream movie to be set outside Woodsboro, it is the first one to take the characters and Ghostface to New York City. Scream 6 is also the first movie without Sidney Prescott as either a main or supporting character, with Gale explaining she and her family had gone to a safe place. In addition to this, Scream 6 has a twist in its Ghostface reveal, making it a first in the franchise.

Scream 6 Is A Reminder That Sam & Tara’s Arcs Are Over

Scream 7 Won’t Have The Carpenter Sisters Back, But Sidney Is Returning

Unfortunately, Scream 6 is also the abrupt end of Sam and Tara’s stories. In November 2023, Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7, and the following day, it was announced that Jenna Ortega won’t return either, due to scheduling conflicts. In December 2023, director Christopher Landon dropped out of the project, further forcing Scream 7 to go through a creative retooling. Scream 7 will now be directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamson and will have Sidney Campbell back as the main character.

Scream 7 will include a time jump in order to focus on Sidney, her husband, and their children, with Cox, Gooding, and Brown returning as Gale, Chad, and Mindy, respectively. Without Sam and Tara in Scream 7, the reboot trilogy left their stories incomplete, and though they can be mentioned in the upcoming movie, without them in the movie their stories can’t be given the ending they deserve. It’s to be seen how Scream 7 will address Sam and Tara’s absences, as well as how the new generation and the legacy characters will be brought together without the Carpenter sisters.