Posted by Dedman at bess-proxy03.baylor.edu on January 01, 2001 at 15:00:54:
The first day of the year is a swell time to make predictions, no? Here's a wild one: 2001 brings the death of Silent Bob.
So what do we already know?
1. The new movie takes it title from the darkest chapter of the original trilogy.
2. The new movie is said to be the last of the New Jersey series and the last to feature these sets of characters..
3. Kevin Smith is not averse to offing his protagonists. As we know, the original ending to CLERKS featured the death of Dante at the hands of an assailant portrayed by Kevin's cousin. Death is a minor theme than runs throughout the films, whether it is Biblical as in Dogma or silly as in the YMCA pool incident.
4. From the flap over Dogma, we know that the director relishes the opportunity to surprise/disturb/shock sometimes even for the sake of it. Such an event would certainly send fans into arrears, perhaps more so than the deaths of Elektra or Jason Todd back in the day. It would provoke much discussion.
5. But most of all it would effectively end the New Jersey series. What better way to drown us in mellodrama and end the series?
Plus, witnessing Jay's reaction to the death of Bob would be infinitely more amusing than the reverse.