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While the focus is often on Neve Campbell's protagonist Sidney Prescott in the popular Scream horror franchise, there are many other important characters, including Dewey Riley. Played perfectly by David Arquette, David is Tatum's (Rose McGowan) older sibling and changes from a sweet, innocent young cop in the original movie to a more confident, weathered, and layered person in Scream (2022).
Dewey tragically dies in the latest Scream movie, which is definitely a tough moment for fans who have been watching him in five films. Although fans guessed that a big death might take place in this new movie, it's hard to say that Dewey's Scream (2022) death was a good idea.
Scream (2022) has great quotes, great new characters, and also the chance for fans to revisit Sidney, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey. But while it seemed like maybe a big swing would be necessary to keep audiences entertained and interested, was Dewey's death really a smart idea? In an interview with Nerdist.com, co-director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin said, "We took it really seriously and there was a lot of weight on our shoulders and on David’s shoulders. We didn’t want to mess it up. We didn’t want to do it an injustice. We didn’t want it to be throw away. We wanted it to be weirdly heroic. But we also knew that in order for it to be a part of Scream, it had to be brutal. It had to go maybe a step too far. And it had to shock you.”
Dewey's death may be well done and it may fit into the movie, as it does feel like something huge has to happen at the hospital where Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), an interesting horror movie main character, has been recovering. But that doesn't mean that Dewey's death should have happened. It's compelling that Dewey would try to fight Ghostface and expect to win. Dewey has changed a lot, and while he was never as confident or tough as Gale or Sidney, that's what people like about him. Now that he has been living alone and feels so isolated, especially after the upsetting end of his marriage, Dewey feels like he can be there for Sidney, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), and the other characters. But the fact that Dewey is such a popular character makes it tough to agree that his death was a good creative choice.
Dewey's death also makes new movie Scream 6 tricky, as fans were definitely hoping that Gale and Dewey could get back together after learning that they were both unhappy and that they missed each other after their separation. While fans will be glad to watch Sidney and Gale and maybe some new characters, or maybe the same ones from Scream (2022) depending on where the screenwriters take the plot, it's hard to be happy about never seeing Dewey again.
If the new Scream film does include David Arquette and shows flashbacks of Dewey's character, this might not work that well. Some fans didn't like when Sam keeps seeing the ghost of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) in Scream (2022), especially since the actor was de-aged and it just felt flat and strange. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-director Tyler Gillet said it was a "risk" and "The idea of making a safe Scream movie is something that I don't think anyone wants to see." While the filmmakers did a great job bringing the horror franchise back, not everyone would say that this was a decision that paid off. The scenes are cheesy and leave audiences wondering why they can't learn that Billy is Sam's father another way.
It's smart to give Gale a new role in Scream (2022) because it makes Gale feel like a final girl character and lets audiences see the next stage of her amazing journalism career: hosting a morning TV show. But if fans of every Scream movie are going to continue on with the horror franchise, getting excited about Scream 6 and also rewatching the other films on a regular basis, they need to be reminded of the best moments in Scream, and that includes seeing Dewey as part of the group fighting Ghostface.
It's rare that a major character's death on a TV show or in a movie is something that audiences agree with. While it's always surprising, it's often because an actor wants to leave the series than what the story actually needs. It seems like the original cast from Scream would be more than happy to keep coming back, so why kill Dewey off? It was a lot of fun seeing the original trio come back for Scream (2022), but it's safe to say that several fans were unhappy with this decision.