Gale Weathers survived Ghostface again in Scream 6, but Gale’s death actually would have made the film better. Gale is the only current character who has been around for every single Ghostface killing. Sidney was the original final girl, who also made it past all the Ghostface sprees, but Neve Campbell passed on returning for Scream 6 because Paramount wouldn’t pay her what she deserved. Dewey was also a legacy character who had been around since the first Ghostface murders, but he was sadly killed off in Scream 5. Gale is truly the last original character standing.
With Sidney gone, Sam is officially the new Scream final girl, with her sister Tara by her side and their friends, who are also siblings, Mindy and Chad. One of Scream 6‘s biggest critiques was that Chad survived being attacked by Ghostface despite having severe stab wounds that would have killed him in real life. Scream defied realistic standards in order to keep Chad alive for his love story with Tara. Chad’s death would have improved Scream 6, but Gale’s death would have been even more powerful.
6 Gale’s Death Would Have Added Shock Value To Scream 6
Following Dewey’s death in Scream 5, killing off another legacy character in Scream 6 would have been an unexpected and shocking twist. Film-savvy audiences likely wouldn’t have been expecting Gale’s death so soon after Dewey and because it was the first film without Sidney, meaning a different legacy character had to stick around to fill the space her exit left in the franchise.
Killing off Gale would have defied expectations, and the best way to cement a film’s position in the franchise is by offering something truly unexpected. Even with Dewey meeting his end in the film before, Gale’s Scream 6 death would have still been a memorable moment thanks to her legacy in the Scream franchise and provided plenty of shock value for audiences.
5 Gale’s Death Would Prove Ghostface Isn’t Playing Around
Gale is an important character in the Scream franchise, and every time Ghostface spares a life, the killer proves they’re not that serious about their mission. While Ghostface usually intends to kill their victims even if they do survive, there have been times when the killer has made sure their victim wouldn’t survive the wounds, showing how serious they are about their motive and getting what they want.
In Scream 5, Amber bragged to Gale about killing Dewey. She made sure she had injured him enough that his chance of survival was impossible. This proved the films villains weren’t playing around anymore. Ghostface wasn’t afraid to kill off Dewey, and if the Scream 6 Ghostfaces made sure to kill Gale like Amber killed Dewey, they would have been taken more seriously.
4 Scream 6 Had Too Many Survivors
Ghostface attempted to murder a lot of characters in Scream 6, but somehow many of them survived which is a point of criticism leveled at the film. The first Scream film only saw four survivors, with Sidney, Gale, Dewey, and Randy making it out alive. However, after the Scream 6 killings, which were carried out by more Ghostfaces than ever, seven of the characters survived.
While saying goodbye to fan-favorite characters is always hard, it makes the Scream franchise what it is. Killing off Gale in Scream 6 would have lowered the number of survivors and made for a better Scream film overall. Six still would have been a high number of survivors, but it would have had the added neatness of matching the film number.
3 Gale’s Death Could Have Given Kirby A More Significant Role
Kirby made her return to the Scream franchise in Scream 6 after last being seen in Scream 4, presumably dead. Scream 5 confirmed she was alive, but she didn’t physically appear in the fifth installment. Her appearance felt like a way to make up for Sidney’s absence, but she wasn’t a mere replacement. Kirby held her own and made it through the film without being killed by Ghostface.
However, if Gale were to die, Kirby would have had a more significant role. Kirby could officially take over as the new legacy character, the way Sam took over as the new final girl. Instead of relying on Gale, Sam and her friends would turn to Kirby for help. Gale has been in the franchise for over 20 years, and Kirby becoming the new sole legacy character would be refreshing for the franchise.
2 Gale Surviving So Many Wounds Is Unrealistic
There are only so many times someone can be stabbed in their lifetime before it becomes detrimental to their life. Gale continuing to survive Ghostface’s brutal stabbings is fast becoming unrealistic. Gale has been shot and stabbed by Ghostface since Scream 2. She was even stabbed in the shoulder in Scream 4, meaning when she was stabbed in the shoulder again in Scream 6, it could have done a lot more damage to her than it did. Gale surviving so many times highlights her resilience as a character, but even the most resilient of people would likely succumb to their injuries if attacked by Ghostface as many times as Gale.
1 Gale’s Survival Contradicted Scream 5’s Message
Dewey’s death was one of the saddest in the Scream franchise. Ghostface spared Dewey’s life four times but Scream 5 proved legacy characters were no longer safe from Ghostface. Typical slasher films rarely kill off legacy characters, but the Scream franchise is known for breaking the usual rules and killing off Dewey broke yet another.
So, when Gale survived Scream 6, it disproved Scream 5‘s message by suggesting legacy characters are off-limits again. Chad and Mindy’s survival after being brutally stabbed damaged the message even more, but Gale’s death could have fixed the issue. Scream 5 worked hard to break the rules of horror films, but by keeping Gale alive, Scream 6 back stepped, proving the film wasn’t willing to take the same risks as its predecessor.
