TV Review: Scream (1×04) “Aftermath”

As we enter the fourth episode of Scream, it’s obvious that Riley’s death changed things—the town is now looking at a real live serial killer, and people are starting to panic. People are scrambling to blame Tyler while Emma, Noah, and Audry team up on their own investigation.

Everyone Blames Themselves for Riley’s Death

First: Sheriff Hudson, since he left Riley alone and defenseless at the police station. What he discovered during that time was that the flaming car housed a decapitated Tyler O’Neill and half a Brandon James mask. Looks like we have our killer! If only it was that easy. Sheriff Hudson brings the information to the town, but people are starting to call misconduct on our friendly neighborhood law enforcement officer. Riley’s family is filing a civil suit, so the good Sheriff is just waiting until Rachel’s family jumps on too for the day to start her murder investigation.

Second: Brooke, who left Riley alone in order to answer a fake booty call from Branson. Combined with her discovery that she’s winning the highly insensitive Which Popular Girl Would You Like to Die Next poll, this has her rethinking her life. With no one else to turn to, she brings her resolution to Jake: “Last night I left my friend alone because I wanted what I wanted. It was all about me…I don’t want to be that person.”

Last: Noah, who’s grieving at the video game center. “Maybe if I punched my V card the rules of horror would have kicked in and I would have been the one to die,” he says to Audry. Sorry, Noah, but probably not.

An Appearance from the Brain Trust

Will has good news: he got into Duke! Will has bad news: he didn’t get a scholarship, he’s going to be stuck in Lakewood forever, yada yada yada. Jake has a great idea: let’s finish what Nina and Tyler started—BLACKMAIL! Idiots.

The New Dream Team

While everyone wants the murderer to be Tyler so the nightmare will be over, Emma can’t ignore that it isn’t—why would Tyler stalk her? Emma receives a 1994 yearbook with the Brandon James victims’ pictures removed, her father’s picture scribbled out, and a message: “The truth lies where the mask was made.” The girls leave Noah to his grief gaming and set off for the abandoned hospital that treated Brandon James years ago.

Wielding a taser and crowbar, Emma and Audry creep through the hospital. When Emma continues using masculine language in regards to the killer, Audry gives her the same argument I gave last week: “Who’s to say a woman couldn’t torture and kill just as well as a man?” She scares Emma using a voice changer app to prove her point.

The Laaaaaaiiiir

The Dream Team finds a room wallpapered in Brandon James’ x-rays and host to a gutted pig corpse, one that’s missing a heart and a head. Hey Maggie, looks like you might get a pig head delivered to your door soon! The records explain that there were masks created for Brandon James for each surgery they attempted in order to protect him from infection, meaning they’re not just looking at one mask.

Noah scares them half to death by sneaking up on them in a hooded coat. Despite his grief, he’s tickled by being in the killer’s lair. “A lair is an extension of the killer’s psychosis. The root cellar in Psycho, Kevin Spacey’s apartment in Se7en, Hannibal Lecter’s kitchen. Every fictional killer has one!”

They discover Nina’s laptop, which has files named after all of their friends. They try to download all of the files onto Audry’s camera’s memory card before being discovered, but their hurried efforts leave them with only one file. Before they escape, Emma stops to pull down the Brandon James mask. AND FINDS TYLER’S DECOMPOSING HEAD! ICK. Turns out the person in the building was Sheriff Hudson, who is pretty peeved that they messed with a crime scene and may have made evidence (i.e., Tyler’s head) inadmissible in court.

And Everything Gets Worse

Audry and Noah make the disappointing realization about the files but manage to crack open Emma’s. And they’re looking at a sex tape. Audry freaks out and tries to get Noah to close it, but the files aren’t cooperating, and his actions upload it to a listserv instead. At work, Emma gets the Gossip Girl-style blast and says that it is a video of her first time with Will. Ack.

Best line: “Go be law-abiding or whatever. I have some grief gaming to do.”—Noah, when Emma and Audry refuse to go to the abandoned hospital.

Killer Calls Per Episode: Zero!

Body Count Per Episode: Zero! Wow, the killer is resting on his/her laurels.

Cumulative Body Count: 4.

Episode Rating: 7/10.