(Spoiler alert: Please do not read if you haven’t watched Tuesday’s episode of “Scream“)
At Tuesday’s episode of the MTV horror series “Scream,” Connor Weil’s character Will suffered the show’s most violent death to date.
After surviving being abducted by Lakewood’s masked killer, Will found himself again at the hands of Brandon James. Only this time, he was being fed into a piece of farm machinery, spewing his blood all over ex-girlfriend, Emma (Willa Fitzgerald).
It was gruesome to watch, but as an actor, Weil was excited to find out about the death. “It’s such a crazy way to go out,” he told TheWrap. “I was excited that it was going to be such a shocking thing.”
In an interview with TheWrap, Weil talked about the implications for Emma and Lakewood residents, the growing suspicion among the characters, and the upcoming flashbacks.
TheWrap: When did you find out you were going to die?
Connor Weil: When Episode 6 came out — with Will getting dragged off by the killer in an abandoned car dealership — that’s when I was like, “Oh my god. What is happening?” I got a call from Jill Blotevogel, our showrunner, and she says, “Alright, this isn’t the end for Will. But it’s definitely the beginning of the end.”
What was your reaction when you found out that it was going to be so gruesome?
I was excited about it. It’s such a crazy way to go out. Especially after Episode 6 when you don’t know what’s going on. This was such a clear way to go that it’s just shocking.
The killer seems to be making it more and more explicitly Emma’s fault every time with every kill, how do you think she’ll react to this one?
The killer is just messing with her at this point. He’s saying, “This is your fault. I told you that this was a game, and it ends with you.” I think it’s really going to mess with her. Especially because the town is so crushed without Riley. And then in Episode 7, throughout the whole episode, Will and Emma start coming back together. They start rekindling their relationship and then having that happen, it’ll take a toll on her emotionally.
What effect do you think it’ll have on her relationship with Kieran?
I think it’ll absolutely put it on standstill while they recuperate. Whether she’ll need Kieran to help her get over it or she’ll push him away, we’re just going to have to see.
Will was always kind of struggling to do the right thing. Why do you think it’s so difficult for him?
I’ve always said that with him being so focused and driven — to get the scholarship, do well on the team and get out of town — with that, there’s a lot of passion. And so personally, I think Will could’ve handled a lot of situations better … Maybe if he wasn’t taken away in a chokehold, he could’ve figured out the right thing, but he was so passionate and ready to jump at these things that it got him into some bad situations.
What does Will’s death mean for Lakewood going forward?
Everything so far has definitely been a wake-up call, but this death will be the ultimate indication that this guy [the killer] needs to be taken seriously … He knows how to mess with people, get into their heads and their lives, and I think this will lock everyone down even more. Especially Emma.
Why are all of these kids so quick to suspect each other?
Now that everybody’s freaking out, I think the trust has fallen down. There’s no more giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. This guy is crazy and he knows personal things, so they start wondering “Could it be you? Where were you?” I think everybody starts to get on edge.
Will you appear in any future episodes?
There are some flashback moments coming up. You’ll definitely see Will one or two more times in retrospect.
Do you know who the killer is?
I do. At the end of the season, you’ll definitely be satisfied with finding out what’s going on and who’s behind it. But you’ll definitely be left in a place where you can continue on to Season 2, no problem.
“Scream” airs Tuesdays on MTV at 10 p.m. ET and can be streamed at MTV.com.
A soundtrack featuring artists including George Ezra, Phoebe Ryan, Liz Wet and MSMR will be released Aug. 14.
Watch “Scream’s” new mid-season trailer above.