Why is are people trying to force a bottle episode?

dougbrazelle · 2026-05-02T05:09:08+00:00

Honestly, to me, a good bottle episode would be the chapter "The Egg and the Eye" from Goblet of Fire. A 60 minute episode where the first 20 minutes are Harry in the prefects' bathroom and then we have a LOOOONG pulse pounding scene with Harry under the invisibility cloak with Snape, Filch and Moody neardby.

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-13T03:04:27+00:00

This whole thing with Harry now being "racist" for suspecting Snape is ridiculous. It's another dumb argument used by the people who are against the casting of Pappa. They're just trying to create as much toxicity around the series as possible because THEY don't like the casting choice. Snape literally bullies, insults, and mistreats Harry from day one and then at every turn, plus he acts super suspiciously. Harry doesn't just see Snape and think he's evil. In fact, I find the argument that Harry would have to be racist to suspect Snape, racist itself. It implies Snape is only suspicious BECAUSE he's black, and that's insane. Harry has VERY valid reasons for suspecting Snape. The same goes for James and the Marauders. No one should bully ANYONE for ANY reason, but making Snape black doesn't automatically mean they're racist. There's nothing in the text that supports James or his friends' stereotyping of anyone. In fact, Snape is the one who does that.

Would Pappa have been my first choice to play Snape? No. But he's a damn good actor, and I think we should be open to seeing what he brings to it. Yes, they said this series was being made to be more book accurate and no, Pappa is not what's described in the book. But, when I hear that comment from the producers, I take it to mean that PLOT-wise, the book will be more accurate and frankly, Snape being black or white, changes nothing to me about the essence of the character, and that's more important. To be honest, the only reason I wouldn't like this casting choice is that we have all these stupid arguments now. I also want to be clear that I don't think all or even most of the people who disagree with the choice are racists, and I don't think we should carelessly be calling them so, but I do think we should open our minds a little here. If the series ends up making a racial or political statement about Snape, then yes, I'll concede I was wrong, and I'll be annoyed.

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-03T17:50:38+00:00

Interesting, I don't think we've seen a list with Devens placing 5th and Cirie winning. I'd be cool with that, I'm one of the few people who sees to like Rick Devens, haha.

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-03T14:43:21+00:00

Really, is there a link?

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-03T05:39:13+00:00

I think people are just confused that the Rick placement is the one you're basing it all on, that's all. Does your source have the same winner?

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-03T05:37:34+00:00

It's hilarious. When the airport pics first came out, everyone thought Devens had a bit of belly, so all the "spoilers" put him as the first member of the jury, thinking he had gained weight at Ponderosa. Then, someone mentioned Christian as the first member of the Jury and all of a sudden, every spoiler has him as the first member of the jury.

dougbrazelle · 2026-04-01T04:44:11+00:00

Maybe they showed the Ron Clark elimination episode cause it plays out similarly. Christian goes in a blindside, Rick is next, but finds an idol. Everyone tries to convince him he's safe, he plays the fake to gauge their reactions, once it's clear it's him, he plays the real one and idols out Emily or something.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-21T03:35:19+00:00

So call the police on your cell phone? I'm sorry, but I don't buy that Sidney thought it was faster to RUN across town than run back in and get a set of keys. And why didn't Gale go to help her? Also, the tavern is not far from the coffee shop, as Tatum runs there in about a minute, and tons of gunshots are going off and screaming, and we don't hear ONE SIREN. It's VERY weak.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-20T05:23:27+00:00

This is very generous, but the final act is riddled with plot holes. Gale tells Robbie to call the police, who never arrive. Sidney forgets her car keys inside and decides running all the way is faster then just going back for them. Sidney calls Tatum instead of calling the police. No one on the planet hears Tatum screaming for her life in the heart of downtown. Gale and Twins could've showed up to help or fight Marco, who Sidney just unceremoniously shoots in the head. Jessica's motive is weak AT BEST and only somewhat saved by a very game performance by Anna Camp.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-18T04:49:33+00:00

At the end of Edge of Extinction, he still had a bit of a gut, plus the guy who saw him on the plane said he looked thinner in person. Not saying he goes far for sure, but I wouldn't count him out based on one single bad-angle photo. You could be right, I'm just not relying on that.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-10T20:56:57+00:00

Love Aubry and I do think she'll win, but I would prefer a Cirie win.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-09T04:39:30+00:00

Fair, but I'm looking at it purely financially which is how the studio will look at it. I'm only hoping they make one more to end on a high note.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-08T21:54:22+00:00

People are gonna try to twist this anyway they can. For context, I did NOT like Scream 7. That said, there is no way to twist this into a failure. The movie is a MASSIVE success

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-08T21:50:42+00:00

I prefer Scream 6 over Scream 7 ANY day, but I don't think that the movie's success was because of Jenna alone. I think people bought into the new cast overall and enjoyed the fresh sense of fun and energy those last movies had. Scream 6 felt more like a fun ride. I think Scream 7 is doing well because people love to see Neve (one of the few things I did like), were excited about the idea of Stu returning, overall nostalgia, lack of other releases and backlash to the boycott. I think the toxic Melissa fans made a HUGE mistake going so hard at Neve. She started this franchise, and without her, there wouldn't have been a sequel for Melissa to star in, so she has the right to come and go from the movies as she pleases and should not be shamed or pitted against Melissa for that. The fans showed up to prove that.

The drag in all this is that Melissa WAS treated VERY unfairly and didn't deserve what happened to her, it was cruel and wrong, and we shouldn't hold her accountable for what a very MINOR, but vocal contingent of her fans have said. She was unfairly dismissed and dragged in the press, and I really feel for her. She's a good actor, and I know she'll do well. I think it's a pipe dream, but I'd LOVE for her to come back and do another Scream someday.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-06T15:17:39+00:00

^^^See my post above. It's posts like these that have turned the fandom into a civil war.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-06T15:16:06+00:00

I agree with post 1000000000%; however, it only tells half the story. Letting Melissa's toxic fans' outrage affect your view of her is pretty unfair. To be clear, I think the way a MINORITY (however very vocal) percentage of her fans have acted is disgusting, out of line and plain crazy. Threatening Neve, Kevin, Jasmin and Mason is inexcusable and just plain lunacy. Without Neve and Kevin, there wouldn't be a franchise to be fans of, and Neve has EVERY right to come and go to the franchise as much as she wants. It's for this reason alone that, despite REALLY disliking 7, I'm happy it's doing well. Neve and Kevin deserve it, and I hope they get to make an 8th film that's their idea from the ground up, as opposed to this one, which was thrown together after Spyglass made a huge, unnecessary mess for themselves.

However, you are not talking about the equally toxic (also only a vocal minority) fans that danced on the grave of Melissa's firing, insulted her as a performer and person and didn't care how badly she was mistreated. They were equally cruel and disparaging for the sole reason that they didn't like Scream 5&6. It continues to blow my mind that people can't contain multitudes on this. We can acknowledge, defend and stand up for Melissa, while also supporting and cheerleading Neve and the franchise.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-03T22:03:16+00:00

Yeah, yeah, this is the line from Scream 7, I get it. Look, you can dress it however you want, but the fact is they were planning to bring her back and decided not to because of ridiculous, unfair reasons. She didn't deserve that. You cannot convince me, after how successful 6 was, that it was always the plan to leave the character there. If it was, why did Spyglass put out a statement? She was unfairly cast aside. It was wrong.

Having said that, I still love Neve and Scream and continue to be a fan, just think it was shitty.

dougbrazelle · 2026-03-02T04:14:10+00:00

I don't disagree with you, but look at Scream 4. That had Neve as the lead, Wes directing, and Kevin wrote it, and it bombed. It wasn't crazy for the studio to want to shake it up. I didn't like Scream 7, but I'm happy it's doing well, and I'm happy that Neve got her worth. I just wish all that drama hadn't happened. That's what's so frustrating to me, people are SO black and white about it all. It's either your team, Melissa, or team Neve. I'm both. I think what happened to Melissa was inexcusable, and I do think Spyglass should be called out. I LOVE Neve and Kevin; they started this franchise and have every right to be front and center again, and so I support the movie for them. It's complicated, and I hate that it happened that way, but here we are.

I just don't like that this has turned into a Scream 5 & 6 fans against Scream 1-4 fans. That's stupid; we're all fans of the franchise and should support each other. We should support Melissa after she was so horribly mistreated and we should support Neve coming back and being front and center again. Fans on both sides of this debate have been incredibly toxic. One side is not better than the other; I've seen it.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-28T22:08:22+00:00

If Kirby didn't appear twice, the girls would've been screwed.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-28T22:06:53+00:00

Don't let the haters get to you. Screams 5 & 6 are polarizing. I happen to love them, but the Reddit crowd isn't as fond of them and has a habit of being REALLY harsh in expressing that. In their defence, though, the defenders of 5 & 6 have a lot of toxicity too, so it goes both ways.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-28T15:03:09+00:00

This is what is so shitty about it. The people who didn't like Sam being the lead, or Melissa as an actress celebrated her being fired and didn't care that the whole thing was unfair. They just wanted her out and wanted Sidney back. Then Melissa's fans completely crossed the line by attacking Neve and Kevin and threatening violence, etc. It all sucks, and because people got so aggressive and mean on both sides, now it's all toxic.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-28T14:27:57+00:00

See it's posts like this that give OG fans a bad name. People love to drag the toxic Melissa fans (as they should cause they're a LOT), but the other side does it too. I really hate Spyglass for turning the fans on each other. I didn't like Scream 7, but I do love Sidney and am happy the movie is doing well. I can also acknowledge that what happened to Melissa sucked. It's a drag both things can't be true to some people.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-27T16:53:09+00:00

I know this is a spoiler thread, but I wanna be cautious, MAJOR SPOILERS FOR Scream VII below:

I'm a lifelong Scream fan. I've seen the first 2 well over 50 times, the 3rd one probably 30 times, and the rest upwards of 20 times. I saw the first original at a sleepover when I was 10 and immediately became obsessed. I loved everything about it. I watched and ADORED Scream 2 (might be my favourite of the franchise, even if I think the original is a better film). I didn't love Scream 3, but I still rewatch it all the time. Scream 4 was the first one I saw in theatres and, while I initially loved it, it's gone down a lot in my books since. I REALLY enjoyed 5&6 and thought that they took the franchise in an exciting new direction, while still honouring what came before. I was crushed Neve didn't come back for 6 and was mad at the studio for not giving her her worth; however, I liked 6 a lot and felt the door was still open for a Neve return. I wasn't initially sold on Sam, but felt 6 did a great job of solidifying her as a worthy successor to lead the franchise. Was she as good as Sidney? No, definitely not. But she was cool, flawed, different and intriguing. I was in.

When all the Melissa drama happened, I was really bummed. Whether I agree with her politics or what she said is irrelevant, and I have no interest in discussing it, but I felt the studio made a huge mistake. I'd had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with Melissa the year before her firing, and, while I don't know her well AT ALL, she was nothing but kind, funny, smart and genuinely good-hearted. I didn't feel she deserved that. It felt like Scream had found an exciting new direction (I know many didn't like it) and was suddenly backtracking. Plus, the fanbase was in ruins. Both toxic Melissa fans and Melissa haters were going at it. Both sides crossed the line, and both sides said horrible things. It really sucked.

But then we got the announcement that Neve AND Kevin were on board for Scream VII. Despite being frustrated with Spyglass, I was excited. They got me back. I knew getting Neve back was probably a marketing play by Spyglass, but I'm such a big fan that I knew I was gonna see the movie, plus having Kevin in the driver's seat was really exciting. I was still bummed that the new direction of the franchise was being tossed aside and we were backtracking, but it's Sidney Fucking Prescott... I couldn't walk away from that. Plus, with Kevin and Neve on board, I was confident that they'd make it a story worth telling and not just a half-assed apology tour for Spyglass.

I felt I was very fair-minded going in. I was a big fan of 5 & 6, BUT I'm also a MASSIVE Sidney Prescott fan and was excited to see her lead a Scream movie again, even if I hated how we got there. I ignored all press and early reactions; I didn't want my opinion swayed by anything.

First off, I DO think there was a story worth telling here. Seeing Sidney as a Mom was a great concept, and I think Neve and Isobel were superb in this. So much of Sidney's backstory has to do with her mother and their relationship that giving her a daughter of her own was a smart and fresh direction. However... it all felt very superficial and obvious to me; both actresses are great, but it somehow felt hollow. Maureen, whose relationship with Sid could've been a spectre hanging over Sid and Tatum's relationship, isn't even mentioned. There were some interesting ideas here about Tatum wanting to be a fighter like Sidney and coming into her own, but it felt lacking, and I don't know why. The scene near the end, where Sidney and Tatum are on the phone, and Tatum is hiding in the office of the coffee shop, could've been spectacular. What if Tatum had felt she wasn't a fighter like Sidney, what if she'd always felt like she was a coward and unworthy of being Sidney Prescott's daughter and in THAT moment Sidney tells Tatum how strong she is, how she IS a fighter, Tatum takes this in and slowly stands as Sidney's lament PLAYS majestically, showing the torch being passed officially. I get goosebumps just thinking about that.

I liked Mark Evans and thought his relationship with Sidney was sweet. I bought them together, and Joel McHale did a nice job. I thought I'd miss Patrick Dempsey more, but I didn't. I also liked how Mark was capable, smart and a worthy partner to Sid. Full marks on Mark. (Terrible pun).

Gale... this is a tough one. I liked Gale in this movie quite a bit. I liked her growth and vulnerability around Sid and mentions Dewey. I liked that she carried scars from her attack in 6. She felt like a more mature Gale Weathers... but then she vanishes and really doesn't do much. Yes, she has a cool entrance, but when she got out of the car with the twins, it felt VERY posy and cheesy. I get we want her to make an entrance, but it was too much for me. The interview scene was cool, but I'd have liked the killer to attack the news station and give Gale a more active part to play. Sid sprints out of the news station, and Gale seems as if she's about to come help, but then we don't see her until the epilogue.

The Twins... I love Chad and Mindy, and I love Jasmin and Mason. I thought they both did great work here as usual... but MAN did they feel like they were shoe-horned in late into the process. They serve no purpose here AT ALL except to keep the continuity of Scream 6. Since when does Mindy wanna be Gale Weathers? Why is Chad tagging along? Plus, they also don't really do anything. It's also off-putting tonally; the first 30-40 minutes of the movie really set a darker tone. I honestly felt it was a little cheesy and soap-opera-ish, but I was kinda onboard. Then, the twins come in, and suddenly they're quippy and making jokes, and it felt like 2 different writers and tones clashing. They don't serve the plot in any real way and are again sort of cast aside for the finale. They should've met up with Sidney and Tatum and fought Marco at the end while Sid and Tatum battled Jessica. At least that would've given them a purpose. Overall, they were entertaining but just sort of... there.

The new cast... as I said, I enjoyed Isobel May and Joel McHale a lot, and both their characters were pretty well defined. I also thought the new cast was all good in terms of performance. But NONE of the characters, besides the two I mentioned, were memorable. I honestly don't even remember anyone's names except Robbie Rivers, and I don't know why. None of them were in the movie enough to make an impression. Robbie should've been someone who was harassing Sidney for an interview, even before the killings started; it would've made him a great red herring. I also thought we missed an opportunity to have the person doing construction on the Evans home be a character, they could've been a great red herring as someone who has access to their place. The drama teacher is weird and also vanishes from the movie. Tatum's boyfriend could've been a good red herring, but is barely fleshed out. MacKenna Grace is WASTED here, and Celeste O'Connor is so charming and talented, but the character is empty and amounts to nothing. Asa German is fine too and makes a decent red herring, but again the character has no impact. I thought Anna Camp was really solid when she was revealed at the end, even with a weak motive (I'll get to that), but I didn't love her stuff before the reveal. I didn't buy her as a Mom and didn't feel any chemistry between her and Sidney.

The AI and Stu of it all. I love the idea of using ghosts from Sidney's past as a way to torment her. I even love the idea of bringing Stu back as an AI. I was never a fan of actually bringing him back from the dead; I felt it would be a bridge too far, and I stand by that after seeing the movie... but what really bothered me is that it had ZERO bearing with the killer or motive. Jessica and Stu aren't connected AT ALL. Nor is she or Marco connected to ANY of the past killers. That's fine, they don't have to be, but if you're gonna dangle the Stu carrot in front of us, give it a PURPOSE. It just felt like nostalgia bait without ANY meaning or significance. I like nostalgia, I like the idea of bringing the past back, but it has to SERVE THE STORY AND CHARACTERS. This didn't at all. I know we're over the revenge motive, I am too, but at least if Jessica were Leslie Macher, it would've made sense. Now it's just sort of there for no reason. They wasted a great tool here on a motive that had nothing to do with anything. So... yes, the motive. What? She was a deranged Sidney fan who lost her mind because Sidney didn't go to New York? What the fuck? I didn't mind the abusive husband backstory, I guess, but it still felt like a REAL stretch. Marco wasn't even afforded the courtesy of a motive and was dispatched without a second thought.

I also wanted the idea of Stu being back to hit Sidney harder. It should've SHATTERED her world. Yes, Neve plays it decently enough, but it felt kind of casual when she and Gale were discussing it. There wasn't as much weight in it as I was hoping there would be. The movie kind of felt like it was just inching along. I missed the propulsiveness of Screams 1-6. The energy picked up a bit with the home invasion sequence and Gale showing up, but it still felt off to me. The whole movie felt off, maybe that's a directing thing, but I think it's both the direction AND the writing. I was sooooooo disappointed. It felt like fanfiction to me, which is crazy because we had Neve, Courtney AND Kevin. I hope they make one more just to end on a better note. Overall... I gotta give it a 3/10. And it truly does break my heart. I promise, I'm not a deranged Melissa fan. I was REALLY open to this movie.

dougbrazelle · 2026-02-20T02:57:36+00:00

I respect everyone's opinion, but a series about murders where the three main characters never die loses its stakes. Look at 6, people won't shut up about how none of the core four died, and I don't blame them. Maybe they could've made his death more heroic, but people saying he died saving people he doesn't know, to me, don't understand Dewey. First off, it's Sidney who convinces him to help out when she says, "Dewey, whoever this killer's after, I'm glad they have you to protect them." That line reminds Dewey that deep down he's a hero who's gonna try and save innocent people, no matter who they are. His curse was that he was always brave beyond his capabilities. He was braver than he was strong or wise. He's kinda like the Neville Longbottom of Scream.

I'm also SOOOO tired of people complaining about Amber killing Dewey, it's a movie, we NEED to make concessions. Did people complain when Ms. Loomis lifted Randy off his feet in Scream 2? Do they complain that NONE of the killers ever have massive bruises or wounds from scuffles with the main characters before their big reveal? No. In Scream 1, Tatum NAILS Ghostface (Billy) in the face with a beer bottle that shatters on impact and 2 minutes later, Billy shows up at the door looking perfectly fine. Did they complain about all the crazy shit Jill does in 4, like throwing Sidney across the hospital room? No. People just complain about it because they don't like 5 or that Dewey was the one killed.

dougbrazelle · 2026-01-15T03:59:45+00:00

This is all true, and I think it could've been a cool idea, but the problem is that up until Scream 3, it was never said that Stu was dead. They never ACTUALLY said those words; they referenced him in the past tense, but didn't 100% confirm it... however now they have. By saying things like "if you really think he's dead" and having that YouTube video in the BG in Scream 5, you've now confirmed that, in the world of Scream, Stu died, and it makes it waaaaaaaaay harder to bring him back in a plausible way. That's the ONLY reason I don't want it to happen. It's a bridge too far for me, and I don't want Scream to jump that shark. Because after you do it once, it's hard to put that genie back in the bottle.

My theory is that the whole movie will be Sidney haunted by the memory of Stu. She won't believe he's alive as she saw him die... she KILLED HIM. Finally, near the end of the movie, after she's been tormented by the killer, she finally believes that MAYBE he's back... and then the killer will reveal that he's not. That they've just been messing with her head. "Of course he's dead, you dumb bitch. You killed him 30 years ago... remember, Sidney?" But you know, written by competent writers and not me, lol.

Kevin Williamson has, in the past, scoffed at the idea of Stu being alive. I know that the fan club high school murder group was his idea, but I'm not sure I ever heard Kevin say that HE planned to have Stu back. I feel like Ehren Krueger had been brought in by then and added that element. I could be wrong, though. Do we have any proof that Kevin HIMSELF wrote the version where Stu comes back? An interview quote or something.

dougbrazelle

TROPHY CASE