It’s been almost ten years since the Chanels screamed for the last time.
Fox’s campy horror slasher Scream Queens ran for two seasons between 2015 and 2016, but in just those two years, the series delivered everything we wanted and more!
Bloody kills, iconic lines, and scandalous characters. This is B-horror slasher fun in abundance.
In true Ryan Murphy fashion, Scream Queens started with every intention of being an anthology — a new group of characters getting picked off one by one.
But after the Chanels, Zayday, Dean Munsch, and more stole the screen, the series became an ensemble story. Thankfully, the series was better for it!
You can’t help but love to root for (and against) these classic slasher tropes.
The biggest heartbreak, however, is that everything ended after Scream Queens Season 2 Episode 10.
Only 23 episodes in total. We were deprived of more slasher mayhem!
Granted, Scream Queens Season 2’s hospital setting hit some rocky bumps.
Its messy story of medical mishaps and an influx of new surface-level characters muddled the waters. The “Green Meenie” failed to live up to the “Red Devil” killer of Scream Queens Season 1.
But even through that chaos, Scream Queens still served us peak campy slasher carnage. Scream Queens still has lots of potential for more.
The final season premiered a decade ago, but the love is still there. Let’s take a look back at this iconic horror favorite!
Horror On Campus.
Splitting up. Being alone in the dark, empty hallway. Final Girls.
And of course, screams. So many screams.
Scream Queens didn’t run away from the classic horror tropes. It embraced them; it played into the fun of being in on the joke.
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Most of the characters said or made stupid decisions; glaring errors that would get them murdered in any slasher movie. In many cases here, they were killed off.
Every episode was a surefire way to put your horror intuition to the test.
One special horror trope was the bumbling private security (turned special agent) Denise Hemphill.
As the Kappas and medical staff searched for help, you could count on Denise to mess things up. She tried her best, but she had no clue what was going on.
It’s all part of the slasher movie fun. A masked killer on the scene needs a bumbling detective who doesn’t take the teens seriously.
And of course, picking the wrong suspect. (She truly distrusted Zayday!)
Niecy Nash did an incredible job as Denise Hemphill. We need her back on our screens.
The Unsuspecting Victims.
A slasher movie is nothing without its cast of hopeless characters.
The queen bee (Chanel Oberlin) and her minions (Chanel #3 & #5). The villainous psychopath (Hester). The dumb himbo (Chad).
The final girls (Zayday & Grace). The complex anti-hero (Dean Munsch).
Scream Queens had them all and more.
There was no archetype left on the table. One after the other, a new hapless victim would stroll onto the scene just for another bloody kill.
The most iconic archetypes have to be the Chanels. They’re Scream Queens’ bread and butter.
In any other horror show or movie, the Chanels would’ve met their bloody end.
Think about it: how many queen bees/minions make it past the killer reveal? How many have survived the B-horror slasher?
Chanel Oberlin and her minions were brash, blunt, and so unbelievably wrong.
In that messy chaos, a trio of love-to-hate slasher heroes was created. We knew their end was coming someday, but until then, their survival defied all odds.
They made every near-miss and in-between moment so much fun.
“Good Morning, Chanel.”
In the 10 years since the series ended, one thing has lived on: the iconic lines.
Scream Queens Season 1 and Scream Queens Season 2 are a treasure trove of memes and pop culture references. Even today, you can’t help but find a line or audio on TikTok.
The witty and cutting dialogue struck a chord, making it a campy treat.
You never knew what ridiculous thing would be said next. And obviously, which scenes would stand the test of time.
“Chanel-o-ween” is still a yearly treat. It’s Chanel’s favorite holiday–it can’t ever be forgotten.
Bring Back The Killer.
A decade is way too long to be without our Scream Queens favorites. It’s time for this underrated gem to come back!
There have been talks of a reboot for years now, but nothing has ever emerged. Even the newest American Horror Story Season 13 toyed with possibly connecting the universes.
Scream Queens is still one of the best shows that co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have created. Two seasons weren’t enough.
The show still has plenty of untapped potential to explore, and many more horror locations.
A summer camp? A tropical destination? The Chanels in space?!
Come on, Fox/FX/Hulu, let’s make this happen!
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Would you love to see a return of Scream Queens?
What was your favorite moment of the series? Where should the series go next?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and invite another Scream Queens fan to join the conversation.
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