Halloween 2 might have been a logical end to John Carpenter's horror franchise, but it was not the end; in a way, it was only the beginning and started the origin of one of the most convoluted plot lines in the series: the Cult of Thorn.
After the release of David Gordon Green's Halloween in 2018, there are now five distinct timelines within the franchise. As fans know very well, some choices, such as the decision to jump 40 years between the original 1978 Halloween and the 2018 version, was sensible. Other people say that Halloween 2 was the most logical end of the franchise. Others enjoy Rob Zombie's tenure in the director's chair, and how he gave Michael Myers more of an origin story, exploring his childhood and family dynamics that led him to - naturally, without influence of the supernatural - become a killer.
While sticking with the Cult of Thorn plot line perhaps wasn't the wisest course of action, as it gave Michael Myers a supernatural reason - a curse - for wanting to eliminate the entirety of his familial line, the path to get there had been paved years in advance.
How Halloween 2 Introduced The Cult Of Thorn Plot
The hint dropped in Halloween 2 regarding the Cult of Thorn and Myers' supernatural influence was so seemingly disconnected at the time, but would later come into play in a very big way in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. It's no secret that John Carpenter wasn't fond of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode being siblings, but the sibling dynamic - as well as the Cult of Thorn connection - came into play in the same scene. When Dr. Loomis and Deputy Gary Hunt go to investigate a break-in at Haddonfield Elementary School, they find two notable clues: the first is a kitchen knife speared through a crayon drawing of a family and a single word written in blood on a chalkboard: Samhain. Later, it is explained to Loomis that he doesn't know everything about Michael Myers' history despite working with him for years, and a secret file discloses that Laurie Strode is his sister.
This sparks Loomis to jump to the immediate conclusion about why Myers has returned to Haddonfield: he's got unfinished business and wants to kill his sister, just like he killed Judith years before. Samhain is directly relevant to the Cult of Thorn as well because, as is stated in the film, it signifies the original Pagan festival that serves as the roots of modern Halloween traditions. While Carpenter had originally ended Halloween 2 to be the end of Michael Myers, the third installment's poor reception led the franchise to return to its roots as well, and started a three-movie story arc that involved Michael Myers stalking Laurie's daughter, his niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). This storyline comes to a head with Halloween 6, where the Cult of Thorn is revealed to be behind Myers' actions.
The Curse of Thorn, which Myers is controlled by, is an ancient Druidic curse that is placed upon a single member of a family who is then forced to murder them as a blood sacrifice on Samhain, or Halloween. While a single word expressed in Halloween 2 doesn't seem like it's enough to spark such an elaborate and ridiculous plot line, there's a chance the Cult of Thorn story wouldn't have happened without it.