[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Scream VI.]I’d be shocked if anyone suspected there’d be romance on the horizon for Jenna Ortega’s Tara and Mason Gooding’s Chad after Scream 2022. Not only was Chad dating Liv (Sonia Ammar) in that movie, but he barely spends any time on screen with Tara at all. However, then the Scream VI marketing campaign started to pepper in teases that something might be brewing between the two. It seemed like a big leap for two characters who didn’t interact much at all in the previous film, but it winds up being one of the most charming elements of the new movie.

While in New York City, Tara, Chad, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy), and Sam (Melissa Carpenter) encounter a new Ghostface killer. As the killer’s attacks intensify, the group grows closer in a number of respects. The bond between twins Chad and Mindy is stronger than ever, Tara and Sam make great strides in seeing eye to eye, all four embrace Chad’s cheesy but sweet group nickname, “The Core Four,” and, of course, Tara and Chad confirm that a romantic relationship is indeed on the horizon.

Image via Paramount

During the spoiler portion of my interviews with Ortega and Gooding, I asked both for their thoughts on that new element of the film, specifically how it strengthens their own individual arcs rather than just functioning as a big-screen romance for the sake of having a big-screen romance. Here’s what Ortega said:

“I think it’s just being able to add that layer for Tara, and I think because we’ve only ever seen her in distress for four hours now, I think it’s really wonderful for her to have some sort of relief, and especially in a character as lovely and cool as Chad. Also in the fifth one, we had no interaction at all. I don’t think we ever talked to each other, so I remember Mason and I being really surprised, but then also really pleasantly surprised when we got to work with one another because, fortunately enough, we kind of get along. Any sort of relationship is good for the evolution of a person, so I think that seeing Tara also have that added layer, I think it adds dimension and makes her more interesting.”

Image via Paramount

Here’s Gooding’s take on the Tara and Chad connection:

“I think that says a lot about Tara and Chad that they would find love and to a certain extent romance on text that is so wrought with peril and danger and fear. And I think it has subtle nods to the suggestion that love will always prevail, and we’ll do what we can to protect the people we love and we care about and that’s Chad to a tee, and Tara certainly tried her best. [Laughs] But thankfully Chad has some sort of eldritch god within him that keeps him from dying. So bless him for it.”

Given the emphasis on The Core Four bond in Scream VI and the fact that both Tara and Chad manage to make it through many, many stabbings and survive the events of the film, their relationship will likely play a significant role in the next movie. Paramount has yet to green light Scream 7, but after a franchise-high opening weekend at the box office, the go-ahead for another installment is likely right around the corner.