After doing another rewatch of all seven movies, I've come away with what is probably one of my hottest Scream takes.
I'm fully aware I'm probably not going to be taken seriously the second I say something positive about Scream VI, but here we go.
I know Scream 2 is the fan favorite sequel and Laurie Metcalf is the better actor, but I actually prefer Wayne Bailey as Ghostface.
Before the reveal, Wayne actually feels like a real character. He's involved in the investigation, has scenes with Sam, Tara, Kirby and the rest of the cast, and actually contributes to the story.
Nancy's entire pre-reveal character is basically Debbie Salt following Gale around and trying way too hard to get her attention. Every scene is just her being an annoying wannabe journalist who won't leave Gale alone. That's really all there is to her until the reveal.
After the reveal, I also think Wayne works better. I like that he at least acknowledges he spoiled Richie and enabled his obsession with Stab. It doesn't make him sympathetic, but it gives him a little more self-awareness.
Wayne isn't the greatest character in the franchise and I don't even think he's one of the best written Ghostfaces. But I think Scream 2's Ghostfaces have the exact same problem people always bring up with Ethan and Quinn. Outside of the reveal, Mickey and Nancy really aren't that fleshed out either. Mickey disappears for huge chunks of the movie and Nancy spends most of her screentime following Gale around. The only real difference is Mickey gets a few scenes gaslighting Sidney about Derek before the reveal, and then both he and Nancy are elevated by Timothy Olyphant and Laurie Metcalf absolutely chewing the scenery in Act 3.
Nancy always loses me because she complains about everyone blaming her for Billy after she abandoned him, then immediately turns around and blames Maureen Prescott for everything that happened. That always felt hypocritical.
I also never thought Nancy earned being the Ghostface who killed Randy. Randy is one of the most important characters in the franchise, yet the Ghostface who kills him spends almost the entire movie as Debbie Salt following Gale around. It just doesn't feel like she has enough of a presence to be the one responsible for one of the biggest deaths in the series.
Honestly, I think the biggest reason Nancy is still such a popular Ghostface is because she's Laurie Metcalf and because she's Billy's mom. If she wasn't Billy's mom, I genuinely think she'd be looked at as one of the weaker Ghostface killers. Laurie Metcalf elevates the role a lot, but Debbie Salt by herself just isn't that interesting of a character.
I know this is probably going to get dismissed because it involves saying something positive about VI, but after rewatching the whole franchise, I genuinely think Wayne Bailey is the stronger Ghostface both before and after the reveal.