Sheriff Newlon's fate in the sequel "Thanksgiving 2" remains uncertain, creating a potential for further tragedy.
The upcoming Thanksgiving 2 promises to address a lot of the lingering mysteries left behind by the 2023 slasher Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving was a relatively straightforward slasher, there are still many unanswered questions that its sequel must address to provide closure to the fans.
Is Sheriff Newlon Still Alive in Thanksgiving 2?
While Thanksgiving's ending revealed the killer was Patrick Dempsey's Sheriff Newlon, the movie still left room for a sequel. In a direct nod to I Know What You Did Last Summer's ending, Thanksgiving's final scene saw the heroine have a nightmare about a badly burned Sheriff Newlon somehow returning to attack her again. Since the police noted that they never found Newlon's body in the preceding scene, it was pretty obvious that Roth's movie was setting up the possibility of the villain's return. Luckily, there are a lot of other plot threads that Thanksgiving 2 could tie up nicely, providing closure and unanswered questions about Newlon's fate.
The final scenes of Thanksgiving hinted at Newlon's demise as Dempsey's character was extinguished in an explosion, but his fate remained ambiguous due to the absence of conclusive evidence. This ambiguous ending allowed the sequel to explore whether Newlon truly died or if a copycat killer took advantage of his ambiguous status.
The reason why Newlon kills Thanksgiving's victims is that they were involved in a Black Friday shopping stampede that resulted in the death of his love interest, Amanda Collins. However, while Newlon targets most of the shoppers present during the melee, he does not pursue the corporation responsible for stoking the disaster. Rightmart never faces meaningful consequences for the riot, despite Jessica's father, Thomas Wright, consistently advocating for the store to open for Black Friday the following year despite the tragedy. Thanksgiving 2 could shed light on whether the company was ever held accountable for the incident.One disappointing element of Thanksgiving’s slasher story was its merger body count. Although Jessica survived alongside both of her potential love interests, Bobby and Ryan, her friends Gaby and Scuba also made it out alive. Few of the main characters actually died in Roth’s slasher, but it is unclear whether Gaby and Scuba will remain in Plymouth after their traumatic Thanksgiving. No one would blame the duo for leaving town, especially when they have graduated high school and Newlon’s massacre is likely to have ruined any fond recollections they have of their hometown.
Much like Scuba and Gaby, Bobby found himself facing little reason to linger in Plymouth after Thanksgiving's conclusion. Despite the early scenes' giveaway, his presence was repeatedly exploited as a red herring when he was spotted lurking near crime scenes. However, he proved to be a heroic figure who emerged to aid Jessica in defeating Newlon, despite having left the town a year prior. Since he had already departed Plymouth for a year after the riot, his return for Thanksgiving 2 was highly unlikely due to Jessica and Ryan's newly formed romantic bond.
Speaking of Jessica and Ryan, the couple's relationship appears to be enduring despite the trauma they have endured together. Despite initial suspicions of Ryan's involvement in the killings, they ultimately end the movie in a committed relationship, suggesting a strong bond that may withstand future challenges. However, it remains to be seen whether this couple will be able to overcome the psychological scars they have sustained.
Did Sheriff Newlon have an accomplice in Thanksgiving 2? Thanksgiving 2 could completely rewrite the original movie's story by revealing he had a secret accomplice. This would explain how Newlon pulled off his ambitious killing spree and could make the sequel's villain even more threatening. If Newlon had an accomplice, they would likely be dead set on finishing his bloody work.
Will Jessica's father survive Thanksgiving 2?
Thanksgiving's most odious survivor is overdue for a death scene, but there's no indication in the context that the sequel's villain will bring back the iconic John Carver mask.
While Thanksgiving's sequel may need a new setting, it is not appropriate to suggest that the event takes place in Plymouth.
Holiday is currently available to stream on Netflix and to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Holiday stands to reason that Thanksgiving 2 will likely leave Plymouth for a new location. However, Plymouth provides a fitting setting for the series thanks to its connection to the eponymous holiday. As such, it is tough to tell if Holiday will move on from Thanksgiving's iconic setting.