I Was A Teenage Paper Back Vol. 3: FEAR STREET: PART 3 - 1666 Deserves A Hand (Especially If It's Sarah Fier's)

As I mentioned last time, Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 was the part of the trilogy I was the most apprehensive about, and now, I have to eat my piglets, er, words. I genuinely loved our third and final installment. It was like watching the demented journey of an American Girl and The Crucible by way of James Wan all rolled into one. It was gruesome in this primitive way we have yet to see in the other installments, and it cements the idea that everyone in the Fear Street universe has a part to play.

1666 picks up exactly where 1978 leaves off, with Deena transforming into Sarah Fier to show us how Shadyside, or as it was known in the olden times, Union, went from pure to putrid after a deal was struck with the devil. As always, I’m not going to give a lot of spoilers, but there is a particular scene involving eyeballs that was so masterfully done, I said “EEEEEEEEE” aloud. Everyone in this trilogy has a role to play and a price to pay, and like with both of its predecessors, no one is safe. I will say that I was in no way happy that the violence in 1666 was more animal-based, so I will absolutely give a warning there. 

Unlike with 1978, I felt as though 1666 was more time-specific. It gave me more of what I would have liked to have seen from The VVitch. There is also a delightful homage to the infamous scene in The Crucible where the girls in the village start throwing out wild accusations with the line, “I saw Goody Osburn with the devil!” If you ever had to read and watch the film adaptation in any English class, you’ll very much appreciate it. In addition, if you’ve ever lived in small town Texas, you will find some striking similarities between the ideology of a Puritanical  society and that of the Bible Belt. Towards the end, you should find Sarah Fier’s monologue, or “curse” upon the town, striking because it was not only powerful, but it’s one of many reasons you’ll be rooting for Sarah Fier by the end. 

I’m going to go ahead and make one note of a spoiler, so if you would like to avoid spoilers at all, go ahead and skip to the paragraph that starts “With the exception of the previous paragraph.”

Initially, I thought this would be a review about 1666 with a little tie back to 1994 to wrap us up. HOWEVER, only about an hour of 1666 is 1666; the other 50 minutes are… 1994: Part Two, and what a pleasant surprise it was. At first, I had no idea what was happening until the title card for 1994 came back up followed by “Part Two” and a scream a la the Scream opening credits. 1994: Part Two is a perfect end to the trilogy, and I’m not just saying that because 1994: Part One was my favorite. 1994: Part Two quickly finds its footing, and we don’t have a clunky transition back from 1666 as it picks up almost where 1978 ended. I know it sounds extremely confusing as 1666 also starts where 1978 ended, but 1994: Part Two ends where the end of 1978 converges into 1666 in 1994. Following? (*cries in time loop*) 

With the exception of the previous paragraph, I’m not going to spoil anything about the conclusion of the Fear Street trilogy for you, but the payoff of the twist is worth it. If you’ve enjoyed the rest of the series, I think you’ll be more than satisfied. I still maintain that 1978 is the weakest link of the series, and 1666 serves to prove this point. If I had to tweak anything in the series, it would be 1978 as a whole. I wish it had been a bit grittier and truer to the 70s slasher, but again, I didn’t hate it. I love how Netflix reinvigorated the idea of made for TV horror and made me excited for Friday night horror movie premieres, and I hope this marks the return of something major. Joe Bob Briggs has proven we’re still hungry for the TV horror host, and I believe Fear Street has proven we’re insatiable for these kinds of horror releases. I yearn for the days you would have marked on your calendar for a new SyFy original, and the Fear Street trilogy has made me oh-so hopeful for the resurgence of horror content presented in weekly installments. 

This would be the part of my summer day where I would carefully flip the last page in my copy of Fear Street, absorb the last remaining bit of R.L. Stine’s carefully typed words, close my paperback and eyes, and let the sun hit my face. I could have never imagined back then how streaming services would have evolved into what they are today, but like my 14-year-old self walking into my mother’s bedroom, I can’t wait to see what they pull off the bookshelf next.