The official trailer for Scream (2022) has been released with much anticipation, but it also suggests the franchise’s core couple Dewey and Gale may have gotten divorced. Aside from iconic final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and Gale Weathers (Friends’ Courteney Cox) are the only other characters who have survived every Scream movie. Their prominence in the movies and ability to take down all of the Ghostfaces has made them fan favorites, especially since they have served as the major romantic relationship that last lasted throughout the movies. After over 25 years of being together and hunted by Ghostface, Dewey and Gale may have finally called it quits in Scream 2022.

Dewey and Gale had been set up as Scream’s romantic storyline since the beginning of the 1996 movie when the two pair up to investigate the original Ghostface murders. After several close calls with the killers and clear chemistry between the two, Dewey and Gale finally began dating after Ghostface returned in Scream 2. Their relationship becomes more solidified after run-ins with the killer in Scream 3, which ends with Dewey and Gale getting engaged. When the characters return 11 years later in Scream 4, Dewey and Gale are married but clearly on the rocks, and never fully reconcile before the end of the movie.

Related: Scream 2022: Why Sidney Returns To Stu's House

It’s long been said that relationships born in shared trauma don’t typically last, and Scream 5 appears to show that Dewey and Gale are no exception. The trailer keeps the two characters apart throughout the clips of the upcoming horrors, which is surprising since their relationship has always been such an important part of the franchise. While it’s more than likely Dewey and Gale will still be shown onscreen together, the lack of their shared scenes in the trailer suggests more trouble in paradise than shown in Scream 4. To make their separation more plausible, Scream 5's trailer shows Dewey apparently living alone, likely not be the sheriff any longer, and not wearing a wedding ring. Dewey seems to have struggled immensely over the years since Scream 4, and whatever happened that led to his descent from being the sheriff may have also contributed to Dewey and Gale’s breakup for good.

Dewey talking on the phone in Scream 2022

Dewey and Gale being divorced in Scream 5 isn’t actually surprising considering how rocky their relationship was in Scream 4. After being married for years, the pair had numerous arguments and troubles all the while another woman began pursuing Dewey. Gale had retired as a reporter and was a struggling author, while Dewey was typically away as Woodsboro’s sheriff and wasn’t supportive of her new journalistic endeavors. Gale and Dewey are hardly together in the Scream 4 sequel and when they are, it’s turbulent. With how fraught their relationship had grown by Scream 4, divorce seemed to be the direction the franchise was going.

While it may not be the primary reason for Gale and Dewey’s split, it’s also important to note that Courteney Cox and David Arquette, who married in real life in 1999, officially divorced in 2013. The real-life couple announced their initial split in October 2010, just a month after the filming for Scream 4 wrapped. The two were still married in real life the last time they played husband and wife on-screen, so the divorced pair likely wasn’t interested in playing a married couple again for the movie. The returning Scream actors are still on friendly terms as they share a teenage daughter and clearly agreed to star in another movie together, but they’re likely still not keen on pretending to be husband and wife again. While a Dewey and Gale divorce isn’t confirmed, Scream (2022) is obviously hinting at a lot of drama that has occurred in the franchise’s 10-year gap.

Next: When Is Scream 2022 Set? How Long After The First Movie?

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