[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Scream VI.]Sometimes you’ve got to get a little dark when discussing the Scream franchise and that’s exactly where we went during a new Collider Ladies Night with Melissa Barrera in celebration of the release of Scream VI.

Since the events of Scream 2022, Barrera’s Sam Carpenter has kept her focus on protecting those she loves, particularly Tara (Jenna Ortega), Chad (Mason Gooding), and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown). When a new Ghostface emerges in New York City, Sam soon comes to realize that the only way she can keep them safe is by tapping into her inner Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).

She comes to that exact same conclusion in Scream 2022 as well. Sam stabs Richie (Jack Quaid) 22 times and then some in order to put an end to his bloodshed once and for all. At the end of Scream VI, she grabs her father’s knife and does the same to Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), Richie’s father. Yes, there are parallels, but there are also subtle differences in the character’s headspace that reflect how Sam’s connection to her serial killer father has evolved from film to film.

Image via Paramount

While discussing Scream VI spoilers on her new episode of Collider Ladies Night, Barrera offered a little insight into how she approached playing the Sam stabbing Richie scene in Scream 2022 compared to the Sam stabbing Detective Bailey scene in Scream VI:

“I think the biggest difference is that in the fifth movie when she stabs Richie, it’s kind of like all the things that she’s hidden for years and the secret and the weight of it and the humiliation and the hurt, all of these things just came out in the moment and she snapped. And it was kind of like an out-of-body experience for her in the fifth movie when she stabbed Richie. When she is stabbing Detective Bailey, she’s doing it in the know. And she’s doing it with like, joy. She’s like, I’m back baby. She’s enjoying this moment fully. And she’s wearing the Ghostface costume! I just think it’s so epic that I got to do that. But also, by the way, it’s so hard to breathe in that mask. It’s insane.”

Will Sam continue down this path in future installments? Are we in for another Scream film where she’ll save the day by embracing her father’s influence in the third act? Barrera said she hasn’t seen a Scream 7 script and hasn’t even received the official word that another movie is a go, but she does have faith that screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick will keep things fresh and exciting as the character continues to grow and evolve.

“I think there’s so much that can be explored. I’m really curious if they’re going to continue her in the same teetering the edge and then snapping at the end pattern or if it’s gonna go somewhere different. And I have a feeling that it’s gonna go somewhere different because these writers are very creative, and I’m excited because it could be anything. It could be anything, this next movie. I don’t know. I’m excited about it.”

Looking for more from Barrera? Be sure to check out her latest episode of Collider Ladies Night at the top of this article and the Scream VI spoiler portion of our conversation below: