Halloween Ends makes Lindsey Wallace (played by Kyle Richards) a final girl, but not in the way she deserves.
How Halloween Ends Is A Disservice To Lindsey Wallace
As David Gordon Green closes a long awaited chapter, fans have grown divisive on Halloween Ends being a worthy send-off for the 40-year-long franchise. Some say justice is served, others call it a disgrace to Michael Myers’ legacy. But whether viewers are captivated by Green’s vision or enraged, the final entry in his retcon trilogy dishes out a major disservice to an original survivor of Michael’s 1978 massacre.
Reprising her role from John Carpenter’s Halloween, Kyle Richards makes her return to the film series in 2021 with Green’s controversial slasher-sequel. Fans fondly recall Richards as Lindsey Wallace, the young girl pawned off to Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) whilst babysitter Annie (Nancy Kyes) forgoes her evening duties – though Michael is quick to foil her plans. Alongside Laurie and Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews), Lindsey is traumatized by her encounter with the Boogeyman.
40 years later, she is back on-screen with Tommy (now played by Anthony Michael Hall) and Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens). Lindsey’s role in Halloween Kills is short-lived but she leaves one hell of an impression on fans and Green’s trilogy.
Of the returning trio only Lindsey Wallace lives to tell the tale of going toe-to-toe with the indestructible force that is Michael Myers. Following the altercation, Lindsey is sidelined for the rest of the movie as Tommy takes to the forefront.
But Lindsey is calculated where Tommy is irrational; her trauma is not defining to her character whilst the latter’s incessant need for revenge brings forward his demise; and she manages to achieve something that not even Laurie had been capable of: evading Michael. Lindsey acknowledges she is no match for the unstoppable killer, only attacking him when he’s off-guard.
The weight behind her attacks on Michael come from a place of anger; a retribution of sorts for Annie, for robbing Lindsey of her childhood innocence; yet her fear remains present. Unlike Tommy, Lindsey’s attempt at vengeance doesn’t cloud her trauma or judgement, so when Michael gets the upper-hand, she immediately exploits his weakness before making a break for it.
Lindsey Wallace doesn’t waste time hanging around. There’s no hesitation in her decision to run. Actually, it’s maybe the smartest decision made throughout the entire movie. This is an easy indicator as to why everyone should be rooting for her. Lindsey is afraid.
In this very moment, she relives the terror her eight-year-old-self once experienced and has never fully recovered from. But she needs to address the monster head-on, for her own conscience to begin healing.
Richards, with what little screen time she has, proves to be a fantastic addition to the film. The actor makes it incredibly difficult to dislike the character. Every second counts with Richards, that’s clear as day. There is a magnetic quality accompanying her wherever she goes. A lot of potential can be found within the character, whose brief appearance serves as a tasteful tease for what she brings to the table – and what she could carry into a future instalment.
Unfortunately, Halloween Ends falls short on an unspoken promise. Lindsey is one of the few survivors from its predecessor to reappear, marking a reconciliation of friendship and solidarity with Laurie and Allyson (Andi Matichak). Having well-established herself as a key ally, Halloween Ends has every reason to direct a distinctive focus toward the character. With the middle film in the trilogy indicating Lindsey may have a pivotal part to play in the final battle against Michael, fans expressed disappointment over her treatment.
Truthfully, Richards could easily have been swapped out with an insignificant fresh face (insignificant to the plot, just to clarify) during the latter half of her screen time – which would be a genuine surprise to find out if it surpassed three minutes. This is how little an impact the immediate fan-favorite has in the follow-up sequel.
Where Halloween Kills hypes up Lindsey as a worthy opponent to Michael, Ends completely retracts any hope of a rematch or even a team-up of Laurie, Lindsey and Allyson, to end Michael’s murderous rampage once and for all.
Instead, it appears Lindsey is forgotten about, left to her own devices off-screen and frankly, becoming wasted potential. Things aren’t all bad though, she does seem to have a steady gig as a bartender and has taken up tarot reading – a trade that, again, could add a little extra flare, perhaps some foreshadowing, to the story.
For starters, Allyson receives the death card before it’s just glossed over and brushed off to symbolize a bad relationship ending; never mind the whole massacre that uprooted her entire life with both parents becoming casualties four years prior, Allyson must rejoice in her riddance of an overbearing ex!
David Gordon Green has the perfect opportunity to expand on Lindsey’s role, right in the palm of his hands – seriously, it cannot be emphasized enough. Lindsey has already displayed great strength; she is a fighter, that much is certain, and her newfound final girl status is hard-earned given all that she’s been through.
She’s proven her willingness to take on the Boogeyman from her childhood, knowing what he is capable of. If anyone deserves closure, besides Laurie, it’s Lindsey Wallace. Many fans were probably anticipating another showdown with Myers; and maybe this would’ve been Lindsey’s demise but she’d go down in a blaze of glory.
Of course, Lindsey carries all the fundamentals of a final girl from strong-will right down to sharp wit. Connect this with her previous anguish of being hunted (and her friends being violently slain) by Michael Myers, it begins to make less and less sense as to why she isn’t present during the kitchen or procession scene. Julian, the foul-mouthed kid whose babysitter is killed in 2018, shows up, as does Sondra, once left for dead on that very same night, but no Lindsey; and the silence could not be louder.
One positive note about Lindsey’s involvement, however, is the implication she frequents Laurie’s home. In a homage to the 1978 classic, both original characters and Allyson are seen together as Laurie carves a pumpkin.
Clearly, the trio of women depend on one another for support with Lindsey offering words of wisdom when either comes calling. Basically, Halloween Ends gives viewers – and Laurie – an emotional support Lindsey. It’s a great idea; everyone needs a Lindsey Wallace to keep them on track, but what everyone wants to see is Lindsey Wallace getting the justice she deserves.
Whether fans love or hate Halloween Ends, a shocking lack of screen time on many accounts is the real villain. Lindsey unfortunately falls victim to a fate that sees her discarded in the background and extremely under-utilized. But regardless of poor execution, she lives to see another day with her tarot cards, Lindsey Wallace Final Girl Nation rise!
NEXT: All Halloween Movies Ranked (Including Halloween Ends)
About Halloween Ends
Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. Myers hasn’t been seen since, and Laurie finally decides to liberate herself from rage and fear and embrace life.
However, when a young man stands accused of murdering a boy that he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces Laurie to confront the evil she can’t control.
Halloween Ends hits theaters and streams on Peacock October 14th.
Jenna is a Film and Visual Culture graduate and freelance entertainment writer from Scotland. Her passion lies with TV and horror, where she will take any opportunity to geek out. Jenna spends her free time binging shows and looking to be spooked.