BWW Recap: SCREAM QUEENS Spends 'Seven Minutes in Hell' in a Great Bottle Episode

This week, the three episode Halloween arc of SCREAM QUEENS ends. The show spends little time messing around and gets to the core of this episode immediately. The sisters vote, and it's revealed that Zayday and Chanel tied for President, meaning they co-rule Kappa. The rest of the episode is a slumber party gone awry. SCREAM QUEENS boils down its plot to its core main characters, locks them in a house, and sees what happens. It's glorious.

As I've mentioned in my previous recaps, SCREAM QUEENS operates on three plot levels: the adults who are trying to keep the kids safe, the few kids who are trying to find the killer, and the Greek life who don't care and continue living their lives. This week completely eliminates the adults from the picture (until a telling scene at the end) and focuses entirely on the students involved in Greek life, the secondary satire of the show (right behind horror satire).

As acting president, Zayday's first motion is for a slumber party to bring the sisters together (and also find out who's Red Devil). Since episode 1 Zayday has been preaching increased sisterhood (which is the complete opposite of Chanel) and her intentions are well-meaning. Of course, Chanel voted for Zayday for president, saying she wanted her to win because she'd be a bigger target for Red Devil.

The show does everything right this episode. Because the entire plot takes place in Kappa house on one night with all the Kappa sisters and the Dickie Dollar Scholars, the entire episode felt very tight. For the first time I really noticed how well the music suited the scene, using many songs from the 80s and 90s which echo the horrors done twenty years before, a constant reminder that they're just trying to distract themselves from Red Devil. The show plays into horror tropes here, too, using candlelight to great effect after the power goes out. It offers a stylistic flare different from the previous bright, colorful five episodes. The dark tones and harsh lighting only echo that this is the bloodiest episode since the premiere.

With new power at Kappa, it becomes apparent to the characters on the show that Red Devil is focused entirely on Kappa house. This is something the audience already knew, but the actions in this episode allow the characters (particularly Dean Munch and Wes) to realize this fact. Because this was the bloodiest episode in a while, the killings are more important than they would be otherwise.

The first death was Ryan, the frat boy who had his arms taken off a couple episodes back by the chainsaws. When the Dickie Dollar Scholars are climbing the ladder to get into Kappa house, he can't because he doesn't have any arms. Red Devil naturally takes him as an easy target, and strikes him in the chest with the axe before decapitating him. The scene is very funny, and the most satirical since Chanel #2's live-tweet death in the pilot, with a huge crowd of people watching, and Chad narrating the events, commenting that Ryan could "still make it." The most telling thing in this death is the decapitation: Red Devil raises the axe and swings it down like a golf club. This echoes Boone, who we already know is working for or with Red Devil, whom we saw for the first time at a driving range.

A major bulk of the episode is the awakened sexuality of Chanel #3 and her relationship with Sam (Predatory Lez). Chanel #3 is the one who suggested they play games at the slumber party, opting for spin the bottle so she could kiss Sam and figure out her feelings. Picking up on these emotions, and wanting to find out secrets regarding the killings, Grace asks Sam in truth or dare what Chanel #3s deepest, darkest secret is. Sam reveals that Chanel #3 is Charles Manson's daughter, which we found out a couple episodes ago, and Chanel #3 banishes her to the basement where she is suffocated by Red Devil. The fact that she is suffocated after telling a lie is very telling, as is the interaction between Sam and Red Devil before they kill her. Red Devil reveals themselves to Sam, to which Sam responds she knew and she could help them. The suffocation after lying is indicative of Red Devil watching and committing appropriate murders (though this is the first indication of this), and Sam's connection with them suggests, again, that it is Boone in the suit, their gay sexualities and subsequent outsider status uniting them.

The last death is Rodger, who is shot with a nail gun after making out with Chanel #5, who Red Devil leaves and decides not to kill. All of Red Devil's murder weapons (axes, chainsaws, knives, a lawn mower, a nail gun) are indicative of construction. These are all tools that people use with wood to build things, or general lawn maintenance. These are also items you might buy your dad at Home Depot for father's day. The only dad on the show is Wes, who I've been saying for weeks is the killer, with Boone as his accomplice.

The end of the episode gives us another Wes and Grace fight-with Grace refusing to leave, and Wes walking out in a huff. With Dean Munch admitting and realizing that the Kappa girls are the only ones in danger, she doesn't really care all that much anymore. Zayday also succeeds in bringing the girls together in a dance party, suggesting a brighter future for the girls of Kappa house where they work together. (Of course, I can't forget that Chanel #3 and Chanel #5 agree to bring Chanel down, but besides that...) In the preview for next episode, two weeks from now, we were promised a scene with Gigi expanding on her relationship with Red Devil. I'm excited to see where this goes, and if my assumptions are right.

Who's Red Devil?

As I detailed through the recap, I'm more convinced than ever that it is Boone and Wes working in tandem.

Scream Quotes

Zayday: "There are two things that happen at a slumber party: experimental lesbianism, and secrets are revealed"

Chanel: "It's a satellite phone. Elon Musk gave it to me for space travel. My dad's super rich, Chad!"

Chanel #3: "The only feelings I have for you now are rage and pissed-offedness."

Chanel: "Screw that, Evil Harrington!"

Chanel #3: "What a great way to pretend all these people we know weren't brutally murdered."

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What did you think of SCREAM QUEENS tonight? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @gunnar_larson. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps. Tune in TWO weeks from tonight for the next episode.

Photo Credit: Joaquin Sedillo | FOX

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