This ‘Fear Street: 1994’ Fan Theory Suggests Deena May Be a Descendant of Sarah Fier
On July 2, 2021, Netflix released the first installment in the Fear Street slasher trilogy, titled Fear Street Part One: 1994. Exactly one week later, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 arrived. The first two films featured plenty of twists surrounding a witch named Sarah Fier’s supernatural curse on the town of Shadyside, and there’s plenty yet to be explored in the final installment on July 16, 2021.
Fans may not have all the answers yet regarding the Shadyside Curse, but they certainly have their theories. One particularly interesting theory draws a connection between Sarah Fier and Deena Johnson (played by Kiana Madeira), one of 1994‘s protagonists. Here’s why some Fear Street fans think Deena may be a direct descendant of the witch.
[Spoiler alert: The following story contains major spoilers for Fear Street: 1994 and Fear Street: 1978.]
Here’s what we know about Deena so far
Unfortunately, Fear Street: 1994 did not explore too much of Deena’s personal background. (To be fair, everyone was a little busy focusing on the horde of undead serial killers chasing Deena’s ex-girlfriend.) However, we do know that Deena has an unseen alcoholic father and a brother named Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.), who shows great interest in the Shadyside Curse and its history.
In the beginning, Deena doesn’t believe in the witch’s curse; she’s focused on cutting ties with her former girlfriend Sam (Olivia Scott Welch), who moved to Shadyside’s rival town Sunnyvale. Deena then changes her tune when she realizes that the witch’s undead minions are targeting Sam for disrupting Sarah Fier’s grave. The first Fear Street film sees Deena, her friends Kate (Julia Rehwald) and Simon (Fred Hechinger), and Josh attempting to save Sam from the curse.
By the end of Fear Street: 1994, Deena and Sam are back together. Deena believes the curse is broken until Sam becomes possessed by Sarah Fier and attempts to kill Deena. The final moments of the film show Deena vowing to bring her girlfriend back from the witch’s clutches, setting the stage for the next two movies.
Clues in ‘Fear Street: 1994’ and ‘1978’ point to Deena having a connection to Sarah Fier
One Reddit user has theorized that Deena may be a direct descendent of Sarah Fier, who died 300 years earlier. The theory points to the fact that Deena’s nose bled just before Sam’s car accident, which caused Sam to bleed on the witch’s grave. Why did Deena’s nose bleed in that moment? The curse states that when blood falls, Sarah Fier is near, but Deena never became possessed and never became a target.
Other Fear Street fans agreed in the comments that Deena may have a connection to the witch. One fan pointed to the moment where Simon told Deena that she might “have a little witch” in her. Was this just a playful line in the film, or a hint at Deena’s family history?
The final clue arrives at the very end of Fear Street: 1978. Deena reuintes Sarah Fier’s severed hand with the rest of her remains, causing Deena to transport all the way back to 1666, the year of the witch’s death.
Perhaps the witch is telling Deena her side of the story by putting the teen in her shoes. On the other hand, some fans believe that Sarah Fier is Deena’s great ancestor, which explains why the two look alike.
The ‘Fear Street’ books include Sarah Fier’s descendants
It’s worth noting that R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books, which loosely inspired the film trilogy, do follow Sarah Fier’s descendants. In particular, his 1993 trilogy The Betrayal, The Secret, and The Burning explore the history behind the Fier family (known as Fear in the books). Interestingly, in another Fear Street book, The Dead Boyfriend, a girl named Deena Fear is related to the witch and has her own supernatural powers.
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 will take viewers to when the curse began in 1666. If Deena does have ties to Sarah Fier, the twist will likely be included in the trilogy’s finale.
