”I don’t want your first time to be with a murderer.”
By Amber Dowling
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Knock those icicles off the cryogenics chamber and put away the blowfish, because after Tuesday night’s penultimate episode of Scream Queens, it’s doubtful many of the characters will be riding off into the sunset in their pink jeeps during next week’s finale.
“Black Friday” continued the show’s tradition of putting all the main characters in jeopardy, without ever killing anyone of substance by the closing moments. Sure, Chanel was attacked at the mall but the arrow missed all her major organs and arteries, whereas a nameless police officer fell victim while new police chief Denise Hemphill “talked too much.” Even as she climbs the ranks, from security guard to housemother to police chief, Niecy Nash is pretty much the best.
If one thing is for sure though, it’s that this was the last episode where the leading ladies will have the last laugh. Now that they’ve turned into wannabe killers they’ve pretty much taken away their last shot at being final girls, leaving do-gooder Grace and her virginity with that assumed status. Not that Grace would have stayed a virgin if she had the choice.
With Gigi’s head on a platter, her fears towards her father put at rest and the girls kicking her out of the sorority for refusing to kill Dean Munsch, Grace randomly decided she was ready for another emotional upheaval with Pete Martinez. (Side note: everybody drinks whenever a character says “Pete Martinez” in this episode.) Obviously Pete was going to be a big part of the episode’s twist, however nothing other than the hushed phone call was actually a reveal. We already knew he owned a Red Devil costume, and that he had a weird stalker thing going on with Chanel before he met Grace. Add in his potentially gay relationship with Boone (anyone else believe he was the one who got Boone out of the morgue?) and he was pretty suspicious from the beginning.
Odds are his “I’m a murderer” reveal wasn’t completely accurate though—my bet would be he just knew who the killers were and let them go about their business for investigative journalism scoop. Or, he could be the female twin and had undergone a sex change, which would explain his relationship with Boone and reluctance to have sex with Grace, aka his sister. Perhaps he even killed Gigi as a way to stop the killings? But then that would still leave another Red Devil in the mix, the one from the mall. And we can’t forget that he was yelling at someone never to call again on that phone. Odds are whoever that person is will turn out to be the real killer and Pete will die, as Chad Radwell promised he would for turning down the Dickie Dollar Scholars.
Meanwhile, the assumed Red Devil Dean Munsch pretty much stole the entire episode. Her inability to die a la Rasputin or Michael Myers in Halloween was a great throw to all of Jamie Lee Curtis’ former work (although perhaps not as great as the Psycho shower homage to her mother). Obviously it was completely unrealistic, but few things in this show have been since Day 1; a little Popsicle Munsch can be forgiven at this point. Nothing compared to that final scene in the pool between Curtis and Emma Roberts though. Those two have been at their best in scenes with each other all season long. Dean’s calm demeanor over realizing what Chanel was up to, coupled with Chanel’s “oh crap” face at the very end pretty much made the entire episode. Here’s hoping for an even more intense faceoff between the two in next week’s finale. If they make it that far.
With the entire police force fired and Denise Hemphill in charge, things went from bad to worse in “Black Friday.” The series continued to cleverly play with common horror tropes including virgin final girls and Michael Myers-like killers who can’t die, while setting up another potential (if not obvious) red herring in Pete Martinez. By the closing moments it was Jamie Lee Curtis who stood out most, however, killing it in a way that only she can.
