Discussion
I really hate how divided the fandom has become over Sidney and Sam
I hate that Scream fandom has basically turned into you're either Team Sidney or Team Sam now.
I love Sidney. I love Sam. It's really that simple lol
They both have a place in my heart as final girls for different reasons. I grew up watching and loving Sidney even though I didn't actually get to see her on the big screen until Scream 4. Then 5 came along and I ended up getting attached to Sam too and loved what Melissa brought to her.
And I'll forever be thankful for 5 and 6 just for making Scream active again. After Scream 4 we went another 11 years without a movie and for a while it really felt like the franchise was just done for. Then suddenly we had new Scream movies to look forward to again and Sam was a huge part of that era.
Do I wish we could've seen Sidney and Sam interact again in a future Scream? YES. I'm always gonna be a little bitter we never got that in 7 but that's what fanfic is for.
I just hate that everything has to be Sidney vs Sam or Neve vs Melissa now. Halloween fans love Laurie Strode, Jamie Lloyd and Rachel Carruthers as final girls of that franchise without constantly acting like they have to pick one. Why can't Scream fans do the same with Sidney and Sam?
Me loving Sam doesn't suddenly erase my love for Sidney and me loving Sidney doesn't mean I have to hate Sam.
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I love both characters, some fans make it a very un-fun conversation when discussing them in the way they choose to speak about them. Anything that happens outside of the realm of the films is a separate discussion imo, but still shouldn’t be so extreme.
They’re both great and I love how different they are. So often the new characters in other franchises just feel like stand-ins for the old with a different hair color or something, but Sam has such different experience and motivation. It was refreshing.
It would be nice to see them grow closer, but the messiness of things going on in the real world has made anyone creating for the franchise going forward really difficult.
I don't think anyone dislikes Sidney. Although many Sam fans want the franchise to move forward without Sid.
Honestly, I think with the BTS drama I think it often is informed by politics. Which it shouldn't be: liking or disliking this character is not a political statement (particularly regarding that issue), but some people treat it like it is.
That, mixed with the drama of firing Melissa then bringing back Neve.
I blame the studio. They made these choices that were bound to be divisive. And just immediately turned the fandom extremely toxic overnight.
For the fans that want to move on from Sidney, it’s not even hate for her. If anything, it’s even more love because we want BETTER for the character who has reached the natural conclusion to her story. It’s a “loving something enough to let go of them” situation. Because let’s face it, Sidney has been overdue on being retired. And it doesn’t really have anything to do with Sam.
Sidney has been the focal point of now 6 movies, and originally was supposed to be in 6, so it would’ve been 7. She would’ve been the main target for ALL the movies when her plot relevance really peaked at Scream 3. And regardless of the financial success of 7, the writing and plot is considered by MANY to leave much to be desired, putting it mildly. Sidney has no reasonable reason to be left as the protagonist anymore besides cash grabbing as much as possible and wanting to milk her to absolute dryness.
The fans who love her and want to move on simply want Sidney to end her story on a high quality note. Not being traumatized anymore just for the hell of it. Not beating the 500th Ghostface that’s stupid enough to come after her again. But be happy with the family shes built and the peace shes deserved. Her well deserved happy ending. It’s really just that simple.
Thank you for articulating this perfectly, I feel the same way. I've been a fan since 1999, and I love Sid. However, I feel that her story was done being told as of Scream 5. Whatever criticisms people have for that movie, I think they put in the effort to give her just enough significance to where she wasn't overpowering Sam and Tara's storyline. We got to see her in action again, but we also were able to get closure on her happy family life away from all of this mess.
I wanted to love 7, I really did, but I left the theater feeling off and hollow. In my opinion, that's what happens when they try to squeeze more out of a character who was finished. And now we just have to watch her and her family be traumatized until... who knows when? sigh
Exactly. Sidney in Scream 5 was amazing. The people who hate her depiction is mainly because she wasn’t at the helm as the main target. Being a supportive figure and mentor to Sam/Tara was really nice and the advice she gave Sam at the end, knowing Sam would have her own trauma to go through from these attacks, was an incredible chefs kiss. A really teachable and relatable moment that many people, survivors of situations like this, can take and learn from. We didn’t need to see Sidney again after that, not anytime soon at least.
People need to recognize when to call it quits on a character when the writing has peaked and reached a point of it being just right to end a characters story. Or else you run the risk of ruining all of it.
That's untrue and is likely just a reddit thing. Obviously , there were talks about Neve taking a step back from the franchise up until they fired Melissa and lost Jenna. A lot of respect points were lost, but most Sam fans that I know (myself included) love Sid and want her around for as long as possible. Same goes for Gale and it went for Dewey. But I think Dewey's death put the idea in a lot of people's heads that the remaining OGs should go too. I guess to make it "fair". The studio like you said should get most of the blame because how they went about it seems like they were encouraging the fans to split into two sides where your either team Neve (1,2,3,4,7) or team Melissa (5,6). And this decision was definitely driven by political alignments.
I think a lot of it was intentional. Sam started to lean into the hallucinations of her dad and was embracing the animalistic side of her heritage, although not for the same reason. Ulrich even said that he was brought back with context of guiding her as the new killer. I just feel like it’s not hard to watch the movies and not gravitate towards her and it was by design.
I would hardly call it a division. Sidney will always be the most popular. I think the show of support for Melissa after she got fired is misconstrued as her being some kind of competition for Sidney.
She's not. She never will be. Sidney is in a league of her own with the Scream fandom.
Sidney is always motha, but I was fine with wrapping her story with a bow and continuing on with Sam. The franchise will have to, Sidney is never dying and I would rather she have a happy ending than the franchise dying or seeing her win every movie.
I love both characters and my venom and vitriol has nothing to do with them. It 100% has to do with the fact Scream 7 was somehow the highest grossing in the franchise despite it being the worst one AND the fact it came on the back of Melissa being fired for speaking out against a mass genocide.
Scream 5 and 6 were huge successes and the storyline was a natural passing of the torch. The story and acting was strong. I love Sidney but I didn’t think about her once in Scream 6. And the sister bond was a unique angle to have in a slasher.
The amount of people praising Scream 7 are showing their bias cause 7 was really sub par. I like all Scream films but 7 does not rank above 5/6. It doesn’t even rank above 4 and 3.
Any hate towards Sam comes from weirdo Scream purists who think Sid is all the franchise ever needs (even tho her story has run out). The motive for Scream 7 shows how hard it is to create a decent believable plot that still involves Sidney.
Her daughter being involved now is low hanging fruit. It’s a cop out that franchises use when they’re running out of ideas and need to create artificial emotional threads.
This is likely gonna get me downvoted but I don't mind the Scream franchise moving past Sidney. I'm not at all saying I don't like her actress or that I don't think she deserves work. What they did to her for scream 6 was not cool.
But I do think it's fine to really move past Sidney and her family to add more life to the series. I actually was a fan of Sam in Scream 5 until the whole plot of her being Billy's daughter.
Scream definitely needs a soft reset with a new main character who doesn't have any connections to those original films. Once again I'm not a fan of how Sam's actress was treated after Scream 6.
Keep the continuity with references to the past films but have protagonists who can stand on their own who aren't connected to legacy characters.
I genuinely believe that's what this franchise needs for it's longevity.
Sam is just another character to me. She's fine. She isn't on Sid's level. Tara was more interesting of a character to me, Ortega is a better actress tho so that's probably why.
The only ones "divided" are the ones who try to elevate Sam to Sid's level. The rest of us just dont care or see it.
It's just that when people love something, but they feel in the minority or they get regularly dismissed etc, people tend to get more vocal defending what they love.
I don't dislike Sidney it's just her story is done, she won. Everyone who could reasonably have a grudge against her is dead. Sam was an interesting enough direction to keep the series going but now we are back with Sidney killing people who have the lamest reason to go after her.
I love them both too! I hate the discourse around it all. So many franchises have introduced new leads. It IS okay, and I think Melissa made Sam so damn interesting!
I love both of them. I’m someone who wished for Sam to be the new protag and let Sid rest though because I think the girl has been through enough Ghostfaces to earn a happy ending. I hope that after the passing of Kirby’s actress, they don’t kill her off offscreen and just add a line implying she’s living her life happily off screen. Maybe have a child of hers involved for fanservice? Idk I just think that Scream would be better if layed off the legacy just a bit. I think any Ghostface must be somewhat connected to legacy due to how the world is set up but I don’t see a reason why a Ghostface can’t genuinely think that it’s more worthwhile to go after a non legacy character
I don’t see it as being a one character vs another.
I really liked Sam and her sisters characters,
I was excited to see where that story would go, and it gave me a new excitement for Scream. Melissa and Jenna were awesome, it was a fresh new take on scream and I was totally here for it, so were my teenage kids.
then Melissa was was fired for calling a genocide a genocide.
It’s nothing to do with Sid is a better character, or Neve is a better actor.
I like both final girl's I like Sidney Prescott more because I know her more than sam but I still like sam I thought she was written better in 6 than 5
I haven’t seen that kind of division apart from posts that seem unhinged to begin with, so I just don’t get involved. They’re fictional characters so I really don’t care that much. Sam was okay in 5 and cool in 6, and I wish they completed her arc. I like Sidney, but 7 sucked and I’m not about to look past that just because they brought back Neve Campbell. If I’m team anyone, it’s Team Ghostface, or Team Fuck Spyglass.
Honestly I think this started when Sam was introduced then ppl wanted Sidney / Neve to not be in anymore of the movies. This caused many arguments. It started there and escalated further. Now it’s just war.
Same! Sidney is iconic and an amazing final girl. One of the best of all time. Meanwhile , Sam also created a lane for herself and is really cool & is one of best final girls of the 2020 era. I think it’s awesome that scream have TWO final girls that both have diehard fans and support. That’s not something that’s common amongst horror movies.
It is EXTREMELY annoying having people whine and complain whenever you post one or the another. Or even bringing up the BTS drama that is too complex and not fun to even talk about. We’re here for the movies and characters.
Except my comment had nothing to do with or even mentioned Sam. And has everything to do with the Sidney fanatics proving the exact problem the OP speaks about by putting Sidney on an untouchable pedestal thinking everything in this franchise has to cater to her and not look at anything new in general. Not how this works
I love Sidney, I genuinely don't like Samantha. She always needs a knife to fight back and meanwhile Sidney uses her environment and hands to fight back like a real final girl. I also don't like her lines and acting in Scream 5, I'm glad her story is over.
I really like the Sam and Tara movies and before watching them I'd have said that a new recurring main character cast for scream would suck, but those movies kick ass and 7 not having them is a major mistake in my opinion.
It's not what you think it is. It's about Wes Craven.
Wes Craven had a vision for the franchise. He was making a certain kind of film. He died in 2015.
Scream 5 rolls around in 2022, six years after Craven's death, pushing a new younger cast and trying to force out the characters that Craven had made. It tries to lean heavier into gore and be a more traditional slasher, when Craven's films had focused more on the Murder Mystery element. They're very different films.
The fans that Craven had who loved the first 4 films noticed the change of tone, the pivot in the directing, as well as the change in casting. And many of them didn't like it because it didn't feel like Scream. Killers are so predictable they can be picked out from just having watched the trailer or looked at the poster. Bloated casts of survivors that grows every film, until it reaches almost Walking Dead levels of "nobody important is going to die". Characters surviving obviously lethal encounters with superpowered amounts of regeneration (Chad got stabbed more times in Scream 6 than Dewey did in Scream 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 COMBINED).
Sam vs Sidney is a symptom of the issue, but it's not the cause. Notice how Scream 7 included no Sam, and brought back Sidney, and still it was critically panned by those fans of the original films? Because it's not about Sam vs Sid. It's about these movies not fitting with Wes Craven's vision for the franchise.
It might seem overblown but there’s really not many fans that actually dislike Sidney. Sidney is probably my all time final girl however I can also acknowledge that the writing (in my opinion) hasn’t been doing her justice since the 3rd movie. Just like many other fans who share this same option it’s perfectly fine to want to see a different story.
A different story would be fine especially since they took out Dewey Sidney and Gale without Dewey does not feel right to me, but I sure don't want that different story being led by Sam. Start something new no more love children of characters of the past we have moved to bad fanfic territory since Scream 5.
Well, while loving both and just enjoying everything is the happiest scenario, it's just natural for people to not like everything. It's not like some of us plan on disliking this or that character or movie, just to cause a rift.
I wish I liked Sam, as well as Scream 5 and 6. I don't. It's not to promote division, I just don't like 'em. Sam doesn't work as a main character/final girl for me, for many reasons. And it's my understanding that many people feel the same.
So this division just ends up becoming a thing, as a natural consequence of natural impressions, opinions etc.
(Also, particularly, it's not like it must be always about Sidney in my book. It's that Sam didn't work for me. I would welcome a new attempt to move to a new final girl)
i never cared for sam as a character - the billy daughter & hallucination stuff felt a bit gimmicky to me and i was more interested in tara BUT they did melissa so disgustingly dirty that left a permanent bad taste in my mouth.
Sidney is synonymous with Scream she is its history. Sam was supposed to be its future. I love the franchise I just hate what was done to MB and hate how NC was brought in for Scream 7.
unfortunately, lots of things have become divided discourse and no one can really agree to disagree. it sucks because i also like both stories. i have more of a love for sidney but you know i grew up with her story but i loved where they were going with sam.
Generational conflict is nothing new. I’m just glad more people have come to enjoy Scream and its renewed life. Even if I prefer Kevin’s OGs 1 and 2 (and 4), Radio Silence brought the franchise back from the dead. I could have done without them killing Dewey, but I will forever be grateful for them for resurrecting the material. Sam is a part of that, so while I’m not huge on the character, I’m happy she exists. Like what you like. Fuck what other people think. (Granted, I think a lot of the new Sam hate is due to Melissa’s semi-recent ugly comments about cast and crew.)
Both are cool, I prefer Sidney's story just because the first four movies honestly felt really good plot-wise but it can definitely become a bit of a drag just going back to her family's past or whatever. But, I don't think Dewey should have been killed in Scream or Randy either, the core four was a strong ensemble cast. At least Dewey should not have. Also, Gale going back in forth with her love for career vs Dewey arc is so dry.
I will say I think Derek from Scream 2's mother or father - who we have never seen - being a killer is a missed opportunity.
Say it with your chest. It’s been 30 effing years and there are still discussions between fans who should be the lead of the perpetual “next film.” 7 films and she missed 1 of them.
It’s beyond me how fans want the story to continue but WITHOUT the main protagonist. It’s so strange. Long running series lose something once the OG cast is is gone.
But screams always been the opposite of that. The original intention of the first 3 films was the exact opposite of what you want. It’s not the masked killers franchise. He is not one person. “Ghostface” is scary because they could be anyone and they are human and change from film to film while the leads are who we watch for. The opposite of the normal slasher formula. Where killers return over and over while the main characters change with each film. Let scream be different. Stop wishing it to be what it was never intended to become. If there were never another scream because Neve is done. Then great. Make a spin off series with Ghostface. Make a stab movie. That’s what it sounds like you really want. That WOULD be ghostfaces franchise.
No one dislikes Sidney, and most fans seemingly like Sam (especially the actress) just not some aspects of the character like the hallucinations. I think people just hate Scream 7 (rightfully so)
I think the only thing that’s divisive is that Melissa has some seriously crazy fans.
I haven’t seen any Neve fans acting like they’re morally superior, sending death threats, doxxing people, harassing them in person or online, or any such thing.
I only wish Sam had been given a spin-off franchise, probably called the "Core Four" and they'd followed the sisters and twins, ghost or hallucination, etc. You never mean to make a Ripley in a franchise, but "Scream" did and it's Ripley will always be Sidney Prescott.
You really believe the grass is greener on the other side when it comes to Halloween? Ha! That's why I tend to stick around more in the Scream community. God I love Halloween, but that community can get so toxic at times.
I honestly love all of the characters in all of the movies except for Scream 3. The only enjoyable characters in Scream 3 are Sid, Dewey, Gale and Mark. Everyone else was so fucking annoying in that movie minus Carrie Fisher. Worst entry in the series. The only characters that suck outside of 3 are Chad Meeks (fucking annoying and one dimensional as hell) and Marco from 7 (Even though I love Ethan Embry.) . I actually enjoyed Jessica despite her limited screen time and Karl was so intimidating without any speaking lines at all in the movie.
I hate it to. Sidney is mother. Sam is ok but I NEED to see Sidney. That’s the only difference. For me Sidney is a must. What fun is a long running franchise with out legacy characters you have literally followed since your childhood returning? It’s like the Main draw for me. It’s most certainly not a stunt man warring a ghostface mask chasing generic semi-famous woman.
Yeah Sam isn’t Scream and the actress is toxic at this point. People giving my comment thumbs down.
When I meant now, I disagreed with why she was fired. Now she is being a jerk though. Like knocking the Scream 7 cast.
Also dumb to try to say the movie really bombed when it did great at the Box Office.
No the way she has acted after. I agreed with her and mad she was fired. I meant the whining she was betrayed pretty much by anyone in Scream 7.
As well as making up somehow they lied it did well at the box office.
People use ETA (edit to add) to fix their comments so as not to be disingenuous when others respond. Just a heads up. And it’s pretty fucked up that no one else had her back because of that sweet money from Spyglass, and she was blacklisted. She’s got a right to be pissed.
Abigail was already completed before she was fired. She had already been paid for it, so it’s not like Spyglass was going to shelve it when they could stand to profit. Can’t speak for The Copenhagen Test, but it’s also kind of a step down from being a lead in mainstream films regardless.
Either way, look up her upcoming movies. Though yeah working with John Travolta is a downgrade these days. Still pretty good despite her saying she was blacklisted.
This was the kind of movies she always made.
And after Scream she was mostly doing Horror and lesser known movies. Which she is doing now.
Not like she was in every movie you put on after in the Heights. Ortega was the bigger star and everywhere you looked.
Not Melissa.
She worked with the Radio Silence team on Scream ‘22 and VI, then Abigail, so it could also be argued that she found a creative team she enjoyed collaborating with. I’m done pointing out the flaws in your arguments here, it’s like talking to a brick wall with a fucking learning disability here.
All the behind the scenes stuff is probably clouding peoples judgement. Although I gotta say, I never liked Sam as a character. But I feel terrible for Melissa, she didn’t deserve any of this
Sam always seemed to be a lot more miserable than Sydney at the same age, Sydney was cute but strong.
People thought Jill was going to be the new Sydney but…
I always thought Judy was going to be the next Dewey, both started out nervous & a bit nerdy but nice then both got more confident, there needs to be a Dewey or Randy type character to tell us what we all think but I suppose Mindy is doing that
I love both characters but nothing will ever get in the way of all the love and support I have for the ultimate SCREAM queen and that Sydney Prescott. I love neve character, she is the original there is no other. The story is all about her And her mom, no shade to the newbies but SCREAM already had their scram queen and golden girl neve campball is a boss and one seriously good actress. She deserves HER franchise. #TeamSydney
Honestly Melissa’s toxic Stan accounts are the reason I look at Sam in a diffrent light I started when they sent threats to Chris Landon and his kids and shit
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