With star Mason Gooding recently teasing Neve Campbell's return for , the overarching continuity of the slasher movie universe is beginning to take shape. The popular horror franchise created by Wes Craven in 1996 remained confined to the California suburbs of Woodsboro during the first five installments before branching out to New York City in , a reinvigorating departure expected to continue when Scream 7 is released in 2026.

In addition to the coastal change, series mainstay Neve Campbell was noticeably absent from Scream VI due to contract disagreements. Then, Melissa Barrera, was notoriously fired from the franchise following her pro-Palestinian support after Scream IV was released, prompting Campbell's return for Scream 7. Given all the moving parts, casting changes, new settings, and the like, it's worth delineating how Scream V and Scream VI relate to each other narratively and whether the former must be seen to comprehend the latter.

The first franchise entry not directed by horror master Wes Craven, . Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott, the oft-tormented final girl who survived Ghostface's violent ire four times prior. . However, they are relegated to supporting players to a crop of young leads.

. Left in the hospital, Tara is visited by her older sister, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who resides in Modesto. Tara is introduced to Sam's boyfriend, Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), and they meet Tara's friends Amber (Mikey Madison), Liv (Sonia Ammar), Wes (Dylan Minnette), and twins Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmine Savoy-Brown).

Connecting to the original Scream, . Vince was the nephew of Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), who, along with Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), perpetrated the original Woodsboro murders in Scream. As Tara and her friends try to identify the new Ghostface, original Scream character Randy Meeks' (Jamie Kennedy) sister Martha (Heather Matarazzo) claims a reboot-sequel perpetuating Ghostface's wicked wet work for a new generation.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Scream series

Scream V's ending reveals Richie and Amber as the two Ghostface killers stalking the Carpenter sisters and their friends. .

After escaping death at the hands of Richie and Amber in Scream V, Sam and Tara move across the country to New York to begin life anew in Scream VI. Alas, a new crop of Ghostface attacks ensue, putting the siblings in grave danger. While Sidney Prescott is nowhere to be found, Gale Weathers continues to exploit and capitalize on the Woodsboro slayings as a TV host and bestselling author.

Along with Sam and Tara, . Chad and Tara are now dating, and they meet new college students and roommates, Ethan (Jack Champion), Jason (Tony Revolori), Quinn (Liana Liberato), and Anika (Devyn Nekoda). Sam's mysterious boyfriend Danny (Josh Segura) also adds to the mystery, stemming from the Scream V trauma relating to Richie. Scream 4's Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) also appears in a convoluted FBI plot-line, but her arc is less pertinent than Scream V's directly related plotline.

The Carpenter sisters' Scream VI storyline cannot be understood, much less completed with satisfying results, without seeing Scream V first. . Tara is especially motivated to leave the Woodsboro horrors and subsequent PTSD behind, prompting a new crop of suspects, victims, and survivors.

. Moreover, without seeing Scream V and knowing how Chad and Mindy nearly escaped death, their characters and fates in Scream VI would never have the same dramatic impact. As several original Scream characters fall by the wayside, Sidney and Dewey included, Scream V and Scream VI build on the Carpenters' arc to present the "Requel" intended by directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Betinnelli-Olpin.

. In Scream V, Sam learns that Billy Loomis is her biological father. In Scream VI, Sam hallucinates Billy's spirit and uses the vision to help defeat the true culprits. More germane yet, the real Ghostface killers in Scream VI are biologically related to Scream V's killer, Richie Kirsch.

Scream VI ends with the revelation that Richie's father, Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), has plotted revenge against Sam for killing Richie. To help, . Therefore, the father of Scream V's Ghost Face killer is guilty in Scream VI, further connecting the two franchise entries while paying homage to the overarching Woodsboro mythology.

Beyond the brutal bloodshed connecting Wayne to Richie, Sam and Tara's reconciliation is the most important link between the two slasher sequels. . Of course, now that Barerra and Ortega are out of the picture for Scream 8, it'll be interesting to see how the franchise moves away from the Carpenter sisters and connects back to Sidney Prescott with the return of Neve Campbell.

Scream V & Scream VI are available to stream on Netflix & Paramount+