The Randy

Rule 4: the person trying to be smarter than the movie gets stabbed, don’t be that guy

“Final Girl” is the classic horror archetype, but in the Scream pantheon, there is a second: the resident film nerd. Typically Randy Meeks or a relative of Randy Meeks, they’re the film expert here to drive the meta-commentary. And sometimes a little extra.

6. Scream 4

Up until this point you had to be a Ghostface or played by Jenny McCarthy to get me to root for your death this much. Perpetually vloging (remember vlogs?) Robbie Mercer was very much Wish Dot Com Randy Meeks and he did not work.

5. Scream 3

Archival Footage Randy was a pleasant drop-in cameo, appearing via videotape recorded in the event of a trilogy situation. I mean sure this movie is filled with characters who actually work in Hollywood and thus probably know the rules of various genres but Randy dropping in was a nice moment of levity and a reminder that this franchise isn’t (very) afraid to kill an OG cast member.

4. Scream 2

Randy Meeks returns, having followed Sidney to college, and he’s mostly here to drop a few rules and show that being a veteran didn’t mean you were safe. And continue to lust after Sidney. But he’s really just here for one more lethal phone call and to provide a film class scene that lets Sarah Michelle Gellar have even a little screen time before her untimely demise.

3. Scream

Randy’s debut. Comic relief, horror movie expert, our primary red herring. I enjoyed Randy as a character so much my first viewing that I decided I was a Jamie Kennedy fan, but it turned out that everything else I thought he’d been good in was actually Seth Green. Every. Single. Thing. Even a goddamn Kodak commercial, all Seth Green. My ex-wife was adorably insufferable about pointing that out. They don’t look that much alike, why did I think that.

2. Cinquo de Scream-o

Randy’s niece, Mindy Meeks-Martin, is more than enough successor for OG Randy. She’s tougher, more interesting, doesn’t have the “unrequited crush on the main character” baggage, and is more interesting in the third act. Also she’s got a twin brother that’s as fun as she is; Randy’s sister has two scenes in the whole franchise and doesn’t show up until after he’s dead. Mindy also does a good Rules speech.

1. Scream VI

It’s Mindy again, and she’s much more involved this time. Her and her brother are more core characters, and I was once again very concerned (with cause!) for their safety.

Next page: And the Randy leaves us to…