S01.E05: Exposed

[Cranberry]

Emma learns a heartbreaking secret after a scandalous video leak.

 

[Cranberry]

I can't believe that nobody died again! Will or Jake needs to go soon; I hate them both. I loved Audrey flipping Will in the self defense class (I loved that there WAS a self defense class). I was starting to like Emma more when she told Will in no uncertain terms that they were through, and then she went and had sex in a field with a creepy guy she barely knows right after a sex tape came out.

 

Not sure what to think about the malware. I doubt the teacher knows about it, though. Sounds more like Will and Jake's voyeur thing, although I don't know why Riley had access. Frame job after her death, maybe, or perhaps Will/Jake used her account.

[jay741982]

After seeing Emma decide to have sex with a guy she doesn't even know that well just so she can "Live" "Be alive" after her sex tape was released not mention after she brings up the point that the killer could be watching I'm really hoping Kiernan is the Killer or one of the Killers.

[Aquariuz]

Yup. After that ending, I'll put my money on Kieran as James-face or one of the killers. Watching Emma come to that realization herself will be awesome and too good of opportunity to pass up on.

Again! No dead bodies. I feel robbed guys. For a show titled "Scream", there's none of actual screaming in this episode. I was hoping at least Ghostface will attack either Jake-Brooke or Kieran-Emma in the end. (What's wrong with me?)

So it looks like we're right about Brooke's mom biting the dust, but why is it relevant? Is it only for the blackmail arc or there's something more sinister behind it?

[wayne67]

My guess is that the killer is Kieran and the Reporter and maybe even Audrey.

 

Audrey kills the mean girl and Kieran kills the jock.

 

The Reporter kills Audrey's girlfriend because she doesn't put out enough...

 

and Audrey kills Riley so that the Nerd doesn't focus on anything other than the serial killer.

 

Honestly having sex with a guy you barely know after having a sex tape air to the entire town while there's a serial killer out and about stalking you... IS STUPID.

[amensisterfriend]

Kieran is almost TOO obvious now as the killer, right?! Not that I believe this show is crafting an especially subtle and intricate whodunit here, but still. What was with that hilariously lame explanation as to why he had just mysteriously been 'out of town'?!

 

 Will and especially Jake are kind of just over the top awful by now, and not in a way I find interesting or even entertaining. What the hell is the killer waiting for? Even *I* want to kill them, and I'm not generally a homicidal maniac. 

 

Are we supposed to find Brooke more sympathetic now? It's not working for me. 

 

The one part I found interesting was the reporter planting seeds about Audrey having some sort of pernicious influence over Rachel. I'm not exactly in a rush to want to suspect Audrey of anything too awful, though, since she's pretty much the only character I like and even mildly care about. (I've somehow fallen out of love with Noah, the other character I used to like, though I can't pinpoint when or why!) 

 

Did anyone else here ever watch Everwood? I feel like Emma is a poor man's Amy Abbott. Though that's probably unfair to Amy Abbott :) 

[Racj82]

Nope. I'm out. I'm done. I'm sure no one cares that I'm out but fuck this show. I don't put money on anyone being a killer or dying next because I give no shits. None.

 

Scream was a series of movies that had a biting wit. It was a love letter to slasher movies, while mocking it and still getting you engaged as a viewer to the plots. Some in the series were better than others. But, I was always invested in multiple characters. The opening scene of Scream is still a almost masterclass in suspense.

 

I want to care about the characters. I want to care abut something. Especially with a slasher movie tv show NOT KILLING PEOPLE. They can't even get that right. No thank you.

[sugarbaker design]

Word, I opted out last week when a poster revealed the show was renewed for a second season and the majority of the cast was set to return.  I stopped watching when I heard that.  After reading in this thread that no one died again in this episode, I'm afraid the poster was right.  Looks like I dodged a bullet.  Why would the showrunner of Harper's Island produce a show called Scream and turn it into a low-rent, two-bit version of Dawson's Creek with a very low body count?  Asshole.

[amensisterfriend]

Aww...now you guys have me tempted to rewatch Harper's Island yet again! Do we have a thread for that on this site?! It would be interesting to compare the two shows! 

[benteen]

After seeing Emma decide to have sex with a guy she doesn't even know that well just so she can "Live" "Be alive" after her sex tape was released not mention after she brings up the point that the killer could be watching I'm really hoping Kiernan is the Killer or one of the Killers.

 

Seriously.  She knows the killer is stalking and filming her very closely as of a few days ago and so she decides to sleep with a guy she barely knows?  It would be hilarious if that ended up on the internet.

[CMH1981]

Throw me into the boat of Kiernan being one of the killers. I mean isn't that a trope where the main damsel in distress ends up sleeping with the killer? His story of "being out of town to deal w/ dead mom's insurance stuff" doesn't ring true.

Did we skip over Emma and Kiernan having it out with both their parents about sleeping together? I guess in this day and age it doesn't matter.

So Audrey and Noah officially told Emma offscreen that they "accidentally" uploaded her sex video. We are just supposed to believe that Emma was okay w/the karmic payback of this? Okay.

So the reporter is involved here, but how? Could she be Emma's sister/half-sister that was given up for adoption?

So was the Mayor eventually going to tell Brooke that her mom had escaped from rehab to keep the lie going?

I just want to say, Kiernan's body was banging.

[jay741982]

Seriously.  She knows the killer is stalking and filming her very closely as of a few days ago and so she decides to sleep with a guy she barely knows?  It would be hilarious if that ended up on the internet.

I'm hoping that Willa(Plays Emma) realizes how dumb that makes Emma look. But people like us ask too many questions and point out logic. I'm sure teenyboppers that think Kiernan is hot probably applauded Emma even though she knows the killer is watching her and she just had a sex tape released it could happen again!

[Primetimer]

Is that a gun in your pocket? Because Eve Batey can't believe you're that happy to see this week's Scream.

Read the story

[Lorimac]

Aww...now you guys have me tempted to rewatch Harper's Island yet again! Do we have a thread for that on this site?! It would be interesting to compare the two shows! 

Harper's Island was great right up until that last episode when the real killer was revealed and the implausibility meter went right off the scale.

 

The only way Scream - The ReBoot will regain my respect is if they kill off Emma and Kieran in the next episode AND let Audrey be the Jamie-Lee-Curtis- last- one- standing. (Second runner-up:  Let it be Brooke behind that mask killing people in revenge for her mother's death - didn't a mother's death play a big role in the original Scream-face's motivation?.)

[rainsmom]

If there were a serial killer stalking me and my friends -- or evenmy daughter's friends -- I would be a lot more careful than these people are. I don't think ANY of them have any sense of self preservation.

 

Mr Mayor, you went to a deserted building to deliver the blackmail money? DUDE. Set up a secret drop in a public location. For that matter...JAKE and WILL, there's a serial killer out there. Why are you playing around in deserted buildings?

 

Emma, you're too dumb to live. Yes, Kiernan is hot. That's nice. Remote location in the dark when you're being actively stalked? Having sex with him right after the sex tape was released -- and after you were filmed unknowingly the night before at the candlelight vigil? Too. Dumb.To. Live.

 

Audrey and Noah, are really so dumb that you don't know how to be lookout. Plan ahead. Create a "What if he comes back?" contingency. Lead him away from the classroom.

 

The killer really is doing the gene pool a favor.

[Cranberry]

If there's a pair of killers, I'm thinking Kieran and Piper at this point. You guys are right that his "insurance stuff" excuse was stupid (why on earth would a high school kid be handling that?), and Piper's convenient but non-detailed origin story (paraphrased: "my dad died and that's why I do this podcast about murders") rang false to me. She's also trying to plant a seed of doubt about Audrey in Emma's mind.

 

They could be killing people off at a much faster clip. They don't need the majority of the cast to survive; they just need two or three. Noah and Audrey. And Emma, maybe, because the writers seem to love her. Brooke can go; there's always a new mean girl around the corner. Nobody likes Will and Jake. Most of the adults are expendable. They could be introducing a series of red shirts easily; they have a whole high school (a whole TOWN) to work with.

[sugarbaker design]

Piper's convenient but non-detailed origin story (paraphrased: "my dad died and that's why I do this podcast about murders") 

 

 

Her dad is Brandon James.

[colorbars]

Word, I opted out last week when a poster revealed the show was renewed for a second season and the majority of the cast was set to return.  I stopped watching when I heard that. 

 

To be fair, they never actually said they're all set to return. I think they just said they wanted to keep as much of the cast as they could. But that doesn't mean they don't kill a bunch of them before the end. But yeah, something tells me more people will survive than I'll be happy with.

 

So Audrey and Noah officially told Emma offscreen that they "accidentally" uploaded her sex video. We are just supposed to believe that Emma was okay w/the karmic payback of this? Okay.

 

I was actually pleasently surprised to see Emma already knew Audrey and Noah were somewhat responsible. I was expecting that reveal to be dragged out. However, Noah's talk with Emma in class gave me the impression that they didn't actually accidentally upload it themselves, as in accidentally hit the wrong keys on the keyboard when trying to turn it off or something like I thought they had, but that simply by opening the video file, it uploaded to everyone? Like that's what it was set up to do. Which, I don't know if we're supposed to accept that's what happened or that's just what they're telling her or I misunderstood it completely.

 

Her dad is Brandon James.

 

I'm definitely convinced someone is related to him at this point. Piper could also be related to someone Brandon James killed. Since my theory is still that Emma's father really did the killings and framed Brandon James for it, that could explain Piper's facsination with Emma.

[itainttippithebird]

 

"I mean, after my little experience I check the blinds to this day, but Emma's so fla-zay-da she doesn't think twice about fucking this guy in the dirt?"

 

Perfect sentence in a highly delightful recap, Eve!

 

The fact that Ghostface 2.0 is so concerned that Emma not tell the new cop anything, but never blackmailed her into not telling the old cop anything = another notch in the Kiernan & Dad theory column....

[rainsmom]

I absolutely expected the new lady cop to bite it this episode. Hopefully next episode.

[Last Time Lord]

Finally watched the episode.

 

Emma and Will's relationship being a realistic version of the movie She's All That seems appropriate, somehow.

 

I'm kind of getting the impression that they're sticking to the format of the movies a little too closely, there's usually a bit of a lull in the deaths after the first few, but two episodes without a death is starting to push things a little. At least the killer had a presence in this one.

 

There is no way Jake was unaware about the cameras in Brooke's house. He intentionally said everything he did solely to throw Will under the bus because he had to know the Brooke's father was going to be watching.

[mercurius]

I'm still loving this show. And I love the wft character of the week. This one goes to the mayor, who completely deadpans that his broken nose is because he's having work done and it makes total sense to his daughter and in his universe, and who sits beside his home security feed with a yellow notepad poised to take notes when he listens in on his daughter, and when he hears that it Will is now blackmailing him about the video footage of what looks to be him dragging his dead wife's body across the floor, he has to write in big letters WILL, and underline it three times. Because if he didn't write down and underline the name of his blackmailer, he'd...forget? Or this was his new to-do list? Whatever, I love it. That, and Audrey/Noah talking about mock turtlenecks, biker shorts, and what superheros should and should not wear.

 

 

However, Noah's talk with Emma in class gave me the impression that they didn't actually accidentally upload it themselves, as in accidentally hit the wrong keys on the keyboard when trying to turn it off or something like I thought they had, but that simply by opening the video file, it uploaded to everyone? Like that's what it was set up to do.

That was my understanding from last week -- the file self-uploaded upon opening.
 

[Craphole Island]

The show is kind of terrible but I'm somehow enjoying it.

 

But what really bothers me is there is basically NOBODY to root for. The whole point of Scream was that in general, the characters were relatable and we invested in them and wanted them to live. But pretty much everybody, even the "likable" ones, are pretty terrible. Like, Jake and Will just had a video of Brooke's dad potentially dragging her mom's dead body around his garage and decided to just keep that to themselves? WTF. I don't know. I just hate that I really have nobody to root for.

[Last Time Lord]

I'm curious how Will and Jake even became a part of that whole thing. Nina was clearly the ring leader, Tyler, her lap dog, how do those two fit in?

We know Will and Nina had sex at least once, so maybe that's how Will became involved. Jake's the question mark, however.

[jhlipton]

Emma, you're too dumb to live. Yes, Kiernan is hot. That's nice. Remote location in the dark when you're being actively stalked? Having sex with him right after the sex tape was released -- and after you were filmed unknowingly the night before at the candlelight vigil? Too. Dumb.To. Live.

 

And right after Kieman told her the killer (or a blackmailer) might be in the trees!

[CMH1981]

 

 

We know Will and Nina had sex at least once, so maybe that's how Will became involved. Jake's the question mark, however.

 

I'm sure Jake and Nina had sex as well, from what we had seen/heard of Nina, i'm guessing she used her body/mouth to get what she wants.

[emmapants]

A friend of mine works on this show, so I'm genuinely happy for him, but is anyone else shocked that this got picked up for season two?
 
I got to say though, I had some serious satisfaction when Emma went up to Will and said, "I was a bet??" Alas, MTV means she didn't finish "I was a fucking bet??" but still. Satisfying.
 

They could be killing people off at a much faster clip. They don't need the majority of the cast to survive; they just need two or three. Noah and Audrey. And Emma, maybe, because the writers seem to love her. Brooke can go; there's always a new mean girl around the corner. Nobody likes Will and Jake. Most of the adults are expendable. They could be introducing a series of red shirts easily; they have a whole high school (a whole TOWN) to work with.

 
At this point, I honestly find Brooke more interesting than Emma, and if they REALLY wanted to turn the trope on its head, it'd be pretty spectacular if only like, Brooke & Audrey OR Noah, but not both, survived. But I agree, there's a lot of expendable cannon fodder they're not making use of. When the show started, I was sort of thrown by there being so many characters, but I just figured they needed to have so many IN ORDER to kill them off at a pace over the course of the show. However, we're now half-way through the season, 5 episodes in, and only four characters have died, two within the first five minutes, and only one that we should care about... sort of.
 

If there were a serial killer stalking me and my friends -- or evenmy daughter's friends -- I would be a lot more careful than these people are. I don't think ANY of them have any sense of self preservation.
 
Mr Mayor, you went to a deserted building to deliver the blackmail money? DUDE. Set up a secret drop in a public location. For that matter...JAKE and WILL, there's a serial killer out there. Why are you playing around in deserted buildings?
 
Emma, you're too dumb to live. Yes, Kiernan is hot. That's nice. Remote location in the dark when you're being actively stalked? Having sex with him right after the sex tape was released -- and after you were filmed unknowingly the night before at the candlelight vigil? Too. Dumb.To. Live.
 
Audrey and Noah, are really so dumb that you don't know how to be lookout. Plan ahead. Create a "What if he comes back?" contingency. Lead him away from the classroom.
 
The killer really is doing the gene pool a favor.

 
God, they're really ALL too dumb to live, aren't they? This is the problem, you can't root for people this dumb. And is all this blackmail stuff just a red herring to make us think other people could be the killer(s)? But also, did Jake & Will not watch the tape? Blackmail is all very well & good, but Mayor Sal Romano was dragging around a BODY, what makes you think he wouldn't come to the drop-site with a gun and kill you too??
 

Throw me into the boat of Kiernan being one of the killers. I mean isn't that a trope where the main damsel in distress ends up sleeping with the killer? His story of "being out of town to deal w/ dead mom's insurance stuff" doesn't ring true.

Well, that would be VERY Billy Loomis, and much more akin to its namesake than this show has managed to be thus far.
 

So the reporter is involved here, but how? Could she be Emma's sister/half-sister that was given up for adoption?

Ah, that would definitely tie back into the killer's claims that Emma's mom is a slut. Truth, the time frame doesn't line up for Emma to be potentially her mother's daughter with Brandon James, but a secret older half-sister would fit perfectly. How old is Piper supposed to be? She could be twenty, right? And then of course, she's one of the killers. I'm actually liking this theory more and more.
 

To be fair, they never actually said they're all set to return. I think they just said they wanted to keep as much of the cast as they could. But that doesn't mean they don't kill a bunch of them before the end. But yeah, something tells me more people will survive than I'll be happy with.

Actually, how would they even do a second season with the same cast? Unless, we don't come to a conclusion with this murderer this season? But they can't possibly introduce another serial killer to the same characters right after the first one. Wouldn't it make more sense to do an anthology-style series, like American Horror Story? Maybe that's what they're trying to keep the cast for...?
 

I was actually pleasently surprised to see Emma already knew Audrey and Noah were somewhat responsible. I was expecting that reveal to be dragged out. However, Noah's talk with Emma in class gave me the impression that they didn't actually accidentally upload it themselves, as in accidentally hit the wrong keys on the keyboard when trying to turn it off or something like I thought they had, but that simply by opening the video file, it uploaded to everyone? Like that's what it was set up to do. Which, I don't know if we're supposed to accept that's what happened or that's just what they're telling her or I misunderstood it completely.

No, I thought just them opening it and playing it uploaded it to the list-serve? Unless I'm mistaken?

[JessePinkman]

No, I thought just them opening it and playing it uploaded it to the list-serve? Unless I'm mistaken?

 

It was an executable video file. So the act of opening it uploaded it. I don't even know if that's possible but ya know, TV!

 

Good GOD why is this show so beige? People are dying and everyone is so damn nonchalant about it! You'd think this was some no budget indie film with the amount of energy the writers, directors and actors are putting into the scene. I want to fall asleep. Why is it so damn listless???

 

The actress playing Emma is just so so SO bad. And the character is nothing. She's just there. Oh man this is terrible.

 

The only thing I can praise is the music. I guess it makes sense since it's on MTV but the score and song selection is fantastic. 

Edited July 30, 2015 by JessePinkman

[Stinger97]

Good GOD why is this show so beige? People are dying and everyone is so damn nonchalant about it! You'd think this was some no budget indie film with the amount of energy the writers, directors and actors are putting into the scene. I want to fall asleep. Why is it so damn listless???

 

I feel similarly. There's simply no *pop*! Everyone is moving from one conversation to the other, acting likely they're totally over the fact that they live in Lakewood. The only reason we know there's a killer on the loose is because we've seen him stab a couple of folks. Other than that, this cast acts more like they're annoyed they've got a book report due the next day, and less like some of their friends have been brutally murdered. Like, put a little feeling into it, folks! Make me believe this is a life or death situation. 

 

In other news, I was expecting the Mayor to get his throat slashed when he was ordered into the car. Didn't we see that in the ComicCon trailer? Either way, I assume he's still destined to get murdered, especially since he appears to have murdered his own wife. And if so, is Brooke going to end up in foster care since she'll have no parents? 

[JessePinkman]

In other news, I was expecting the Mayor to get his throat slashed when he was ordered into the car. Didn't we see that in the ComicCon trailer? Either way, I assume he's still destined to get murdered, especially since he appears to have murdered his own wife. And if so, is Brooke going to end up in foster care since she'll have no parents? 

 

Brooke is pushing 40, she'll be just fine.

[jhlipton]

Good GOD why is this show so beige? 

 

Since they killed off Riley, I'd say it's more ecru, but that's splitting hairs...

[Last Time Lord]

Brooke is pushing 40, she'll be just fine.

I feel bad for laughing at that as hard as I did.

Apparently the kids are sophomores. I would have pegged them as Juniors at the very least.

[Cthulhudrew]

I feel bad for laughing at that as hard as I did.

Apparently the kids are sophomores. I would have pegged them as Juniors at the very least.

Sophomores? I assumed they were Seniors, what with Will talking about how he got accepted to college and couldn't afford the tuition. (Stanford? Something or other).

[Last Time Lord]

Sophomores? I assumed they were Seniors, what with Will talking about how he got accepted to college and couldn't afford the tuition. (Stanford? Something or other).

It's possible I misheard or am misremembering the scene, but Brooke said the bet that Will's relationship with Emma is based on was during their Freshman year, and I could have sworn someone said "last year" when talking about it at one point.

[Cthulhudrew]

It's possible I misheard or am misremembering the scene, but Brooke said the bet that Will's relationship with Emma is based on was during their Freshman year, and I could have sworn someone said "last year" when talking about it at one point.

Now that I think of it, you're right. IIRC, Brooke did say that she'd been wanting to tell Emma that for a year, and I think it was supposed to have happened during their Freshman year.

 

So why is Will already getting accepted to colleges, and worrying about that? Can/do colleges recruit Sophomores? Particularly without a scholarship offer on the table?

[sugarbaker design]

Has it been established that Will and Emma are in the same grade?  Could Will be a junior?

[Last Time Lord]

Has it been established that Will and Emma are in the same grade? Could Will be a junior?

That is a possibility, as well.

I went to a technical/ vocational high school, it was arranged that Freshman were in the vocational shops the same week that the Seniors were, and the Sophomores and Juniors were paired together, for both vocational shop and academic classes, so maybe it's a little like that, just without the vocational part.

[colorbars]

No, I thought just them opening it and playing it uploaded it to the list-serve? Unless I'm mistaken?

 

Yes, I believe this is what happened. It's just that at the end of the prior episode, and based on some reactions I'd seen, it played more like while Noah and Audrey were scrambling to turn the video off, they had accidentally uploaded it somehow themselves. But yes, it seems that the file was set up to automatically upload somehow. Obviously more of a clue that killer is fairly tech savvy.

[Will Holston]

Douchey hair cop son being the killer would be such a boring resolution, but him surviving and 'getting the girl' is also an awful resolution, as he is the worst. He rivals judgy ex-boyfriend on UnREAL for most intolerable character on television. And two episodes without a kill is absurd.

All that being said, if the season does end up how it seems, I do have a guilty appreciation for a show that creates such an obvious Sarah Koenig clone and makes her a serial killer.

[Lady Calypso]

I'm gonna go with Kiernan either being the killer, or being blackmailed into helping the killer. His bullshit story about being out of town, conveniently just after Riley's death, is too coincidental.

 

Oh look, Sheriff has a love interest. Who's probably gonna be killed by episode 7 or 8. 

 

Ok, Piper is too...clingy onto Emma. She has to be the killer, right? Since the killer is obsessed with Emma too? 

 

Honestly, it feels like none of these people give a shit about a killer. They don't emote well, and they're running off, not even thinking about a killer being out there. I haven't felt anyone care about any of the deaths. I hear them say the words, but the emotion isn't there. The closest was Noah with Riley, and there still is something missing for me.