Content Warning: This article contains spoilers for Halloween Kills.
As the middle part of a new trilogy, Halloween Kills sets up the climactic finale in the upcoming Halloween Ends. While it remains to be seen if this will truly be the end of the franchise, it will at least bring this chapter of the story to a close. With that comes expectations and hopes for what fans will see in the final entry in the trilogy.
Halloween Kills kills off many of the side characters while Michael Myers is still on the loose, leaving the final movie with a number of plot threads it needs to resolve. As fans head into the conclusion, there are some story and stylistic elements that they need to see from Halloween Ends in order to feel resolution and satisfaction with the last film in this trio.
Fallout From Karen's Stabbing
Halloween Kills ends with a shocking sequence in which Michael Myers somehow survives once again and returns to his home, where he ambushes and repeatedly stabs Karen, apparently killing her.
Karen's potential death comes just seconds before the closing credits roll, meaning there is no time to see any of the other character's reactions to this twist. She is one of the best characters in Halloween Kills and if this is the end for her, she deserves a proper emotional response and send-off from Laurie and Allyson. If she somehow survives the stabbing, then fans need to know how and what happens next.
Allyson Moving Forward
Allyson has watched as Michael Myers and the fear he has caused have deeply impacted her family for decades. She has experienced great loss and witnessed some of the most terrifying moments in the Halloween franchise. But with Halloween Ends bringing the conclusion of the story, fans want to see Allyson get the chance to finally break the generational cycle of trauma and move forward with her life.
By the end of the trilogy, Allyson may be the last member of her family standing. If she survives the events of Halloween Ends, it would be great to see her redefine the Strode lineage apart from Michael Myers.
Frank's Redemption
While Frank Hawkins is one of the smartest characters in Halloween Kills, he expresses regret about stopping Sam Loomis from killing Michael Myers in 1978. As he talks with Laurie in the hospital it becomes clear that he wants the opportunity to make up for his mistake.
Frank is a great character who deserves the opportunity to get some redemption. Frank likely will not be the one who ultimately brings down Michael Myers, but watching him play a part in it would make for a satisfying conclusion to his character arc.
Better Balance Of Violence And Story
Although Halloween Kills delivers plenty of brutal kills and some of the Halloween franchise's scariest scenes, it is undeniably light on story, making it feel less substantial than the previous film. 2018's Halloween did a more effective job of telling a compelling story while also creating memorably gruesome moments.
Creative kills and tense thrills are an essential aspect of any Halloween movie, but considering how many plotlines and character arcs Halloween Ends has to pay off, the movie needs to do a better job of balancing the brutal violence with character-driven storytelling.
The Mystery Preserved
Halloween Kills makes the interesting and risky decision to answer some of the questions about Michael Myers' motivation and goals, revealing that he is more focused on returning home than he is on killing Laurie. While this aspect is handled well, delving any further into the mind or backstory of Michael Myers runs the risk of demystifying the iconic character.
Michael Myers is at his best when he is an unknowable personification of evil. The more information that the audience receives about him, the more human and comprehensible he becomes. Halloween Ends needs to find the delicate balance of furthering the character without taking away from the mystery that makes him so terrifying.
Laurie Vs Michael
In this new trilogy, Michael Myers and Laurie Strode have shared the screen for a surprisingly small amount of time, and Halloween Kills sidelines Laurie for essentially the entire movie, as she is confined to her hospital bed.
The end of the film sets up the finale to be the climactic showdown between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Because Halloween Kills keeps these characters apart, Halloween Ends needs to deliver an unforgettable final fight between these two iconic characters in order to live up to fan expectations.
The End
Halloween seems destined to be one of those franchises that never truly go away. But Halloween Ends presents the opportunity to bring some actual closure and resolution to this iteration of the saga.
While there is always the possibility that the franchise will be remade or rebooted in the future, Halloween Ends should completely close the door on ever bringing this version of these characters back by finally ending the story and providing a satisfying conclusion instead of trying to set up future movies or teasing the possibility of more installments.
Michael's Death
Thus far, Michael Myers has proven to be unkillable, surviving gunshots, stabs, and everything else the citizens of Haddonfield have thrown at him. While this has been the source of horror in the films, it has become expected and played out.
For Halloween Ends to bring true closure to the franchise and do something original and fresh, it must finally kill off Michael Myers for good. Laurie has indicated that she is willing to die along with him as long means he dies too, setting up the poetic opportunity for the franchise to send off its two most famous characters together and bring a proper ending to the story.