Christina Carpenter (née unknown) is an unseen resident of Woodsboro, California, and the mother of Samantha and Tara Carpenter in Scream (2022 film). During the events of the film, she is away for an extensive business trip in London. She left her nineteen-year-old daughter, Tara, home alone.
Following the events of the Third Woodsboro Murders, Christina cuts off Samantha because she revealed the truth about her connection to Billy Loomis to Tara. With Christina refusing to speak to Sam, Tara subsequently cuts off Christina, leaving to a rift in the family and for Sam desperate to have a new family.
Biography
Early Life
Christina's high school sweetheart was Mr. Carpenter the biological father of Tara Carpenter. Sometime in August 1996, she cheated on her boyfriend with Billy Loomis, one month before his mass killing spree as Ghostface.
Scared, she convinced her boyfriend that he was the biological father. She gave birth to Samantha Carpenter in May 19th 1997. Around six years later, she became pregnant with her second child, her husband's first biological child, unbeknownst to him. She gave birth to Tara on December 14, 2002.
In December 2010, Samantha was age 13 and her younger sister was 8. She was looking for Christmas gifts in the attic (if they were leftover gifts, this may have been January) and found her mother's diaries instead.
Thinking they were going to be romantic, she read the diaries and confronted her while her legal father (and Christina's husband) was standing nearby and overheard the entire conversation.
As a result, her husband had abandoned her and their two daughters sometime within a short time frame.
2022 Woodsboro Legacy "Requel" Murders
Christina is away on business in London when her daughter is attacked by Ghostface. Following the attack, she calls to check in on Tara for "all of 10 minutes".
She is called by her daughter Sam Carpenter that they were going to stop at Modesto, but they had to go to 261 Turner Lane at Amber Freeman's house to get the inhaler first.
The New York Ghostface Murders
Following Sam revealing the truth of her lineage to Tara, Christina cuts off Sam and Tara subsequently cuts Christina off for refusing to speak to Sam. The rift between the family leads Sam to desperately search for a new family and take on a helicopter parent role to Tara, something Tara resents.
Relationships
Family
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Enemies
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Trivia
- Her original name was set to be Susan.[1]
- She likes horror movies; Stab in particular (according to the call from the killer).
- Billy was unfaithful to Sidney with her back in high school. This is hinted at with the girls Billy was conversing with at the video store. (Though neither could be Christina, as she would be of Latin heritage).
- If Billy's age and a high school senior, she would have graduated about a month after giving birth during 1997 or was pregnant and graduated given that she gave birth to Sam in May 19th 1997 and the graduation falls between may-june in the USA .
- Christina is the second female character whose name derives from Christ-suffix (although in Spanish, translates to Christine), following Christine Hamilton in Scream 3.
- It has not been confirmed if she attended Woodsboro High School like the original teenagers in Scream (1996), but it is very likely as she lived in and raised her daughters in Woodsboro.
- It's unknown if she and Sidney knew each other. If she went to Woodsboro High School, they are likely to be familiar with each other as well as knowing Casey Becker, Steven Orth, Tatum Riley, Stu Macher, Randy Meeks and Judy Hicks as well.
- She was in rehab groups (unspecified if NA, as well) for her alcoholism issue (AA):
- Christina could perhaps be a functioning addict which is preceded and shown with characters, such as formerly frequent smokers Jennifer Jolie and Tom Prinze in Scream 3, and Robbie Mercer's drinking in Scream 4.
- Christina as a parent and secretly an alcoholic (although public knowledge in Woodsboro due to it being a small town, according to Amber) is perhaps a nod to the original intended role for Kate Roberts to be a secret drug (pill-popping) addict and the mother of the sixth Ghostface killer, Jill Roberts, in Scream 4.
- This is perhaps due to the fact that not only was she committing infidelity (and vice versa with Billy and Sidney), but she cheated with who was soon revealed to be the mastermind and infamous first Ghostface killer who killed his former girlfriend's mother (Maureen) a year prior and then targeted his girlfriend and her (and his, supposed) friends on the eve of his first victim, whose infamous 1996 murders would be immortalized within the Stab franchise (mainly the first film).
- Alongside seemingly never having told anyone or her husband or family, mainly her younger daughter, Tara, who would then be targeted 25 years later in the third Woodsboro Murders killing spree because of it. This also alludes to her first oldest (and secret/illegitimate child with Billy), Samantha, who would learn as a teenager of her illegitimacy and blood connection, leading for her husband to learn as well when her upset daughter confronted her about it and this information led to her husband's divorce from her and distancing from Sam, as well as fueling her addiction further. (Had transpired before and throughout her oldest daughter Sam's freshman year of high school during which the Second Woodsboro Murders, which were inspired by her secret fling's first, were committed).
- Her backstory has heavy reference to Maureen Prescott.
- The daughter(s) find out their mother was being unfaithful and having a secret life. Sidney found out the same about her mother.
- Their mother being a catalyst in the murder spree.
- While it is unknown what she does for work, but the fact she is away for work often references Neil Prescott.
- Whilst not appearing in the film, the original draft did feature her appearing in two scenes.
- First appearing at the same bar the teenagers are hanging out in where she's drunk and falling off her chair.
- She next appears back at her home where Sam has stopped to look at the crime scene. She blames Sam for what happened to Tara and tells her she's just like her father.
- Her original name was Susan.
- While Christina and her daughter' surname are a reference to John Carpenter. It's possible Christina herself can be an homage to actress Charisma Carpenter, best known for playing Cordelia Chase in the Buffy Franchise (Which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular character) who had been previously considered for Christine Hamilton in Scream 3.
- It's unknown if she was either 17 or 18 when she gave birth to Sam since May 20, 1997.