Summary
The return to the iconic hilltop house in Winter River makes it feel as if no time has passed since the 1988 movie. But, as exciting as it is to be back in Tim Burton’s spooky world, I was worried thatBeetlejuice 2wouldn’t have a compelling enough explanation for the Deetzes abandoning the home for so long before the sequel. InBeetlejuice’s original ending, the Deetz family has learned to peacefully cohabitate with the deceased Maitland couple, yetBarbara and Adam are absent from the sequel and the Deetzes haven’t lived in Winter Riverfor quite some time.
TheDeetzes moving away at some point seemed inevitablegiven Lydia would likely move out after graduating from high school, but the house’s abandoned appearance made less sense given thenow-dead Charles Deetzis being buried there. If he had such a special connection to the house, then why hadn’t the family been living there, even after the Maitlands found a way to move on from the location? I’ve been trying to work out the reason since the sequel’s trailers initially dropped, and a recentclip fromBeetlejuice 2finally offers a satisfying albeit disturbing explanation.
It Makes Sense That Lydia & The Deetz Family Abandoned Winter River After Beetlejuice
Lydia’s Reputation & Beetlejuice’s Harassment Justify Moving Away
In a short clip from the sequel, Michael Keaton’s titular character is seen talking toBeetlejuice 2’s new characterBob, an employee working under Beetlejuice in the afterlife. Beetlejuice excitedly tells Bob that he and Lydia have been in a long-distance relationship in which she’s ignored him for 30 years, but he keeps trying to get her to see him. This scenesuggests that Beetlejuice has still disturbingly been harassing Lydia ever since she was a teenager, and her return to Winter River gives him his best chance to reunite with her.
While she had truly made a home for herself there with Adam and Barbara in the original movie’s ending, their eventual absence may have made it more difficult to keep Beetlejuice away.
If Beetlejuice had been harassing Lydia for years, then it makes sense that she would want to leave Winter River without coming back. While she had truly made a home for herself there with Adam and Barbara in the original movie’s ending, their eventual absence may have made it more difficult to keep Beetlejuice away. It seems he’s still hiding out in the town model in the attic as well, so thebest way to avoid him would be to leave Winter River for good.
Inspired by her experiences at the Winter River house inBeetlejuice, Lydia went on to host a horror TV talk show calledGhost House.
Beetlejuice 2’s Ending Risks Repeating The Same Deetz Family Change
Will The Deetzes Leave Winter River Yet Again?
Though the iconic members of theDeetz family treeare back in the Winter River house duringBeetlejuice 2, it may not stay this way. After contending with Beetlejuice yet another time and even being transported to the afterlife, Lydia, Delia, and Astrid might be ready to officially put the house on the market. While they could potentially decide to stay and ensure that nobody else has to go up against Keaton’s Beetlejuice again, the reputation of the “Ghost House” and Lydia Deetz’s famous legacy may inspire them to avoid Winter River until the next time a relative dies.
“She’s A Legend”: Beetlejuice 2’s Winona Ryder Reveal Makes The Deetz Family’s Fate Far More Tragic
Beetlejuice 2’s newest reveal about the town legend status of Winona Ryder’s character makes the Deetz family’s fate even more tragic.
Just like the Maitlands, the Deetzes may finally be ready to move on from the house. Keeping the house would makeBeetlejuice 3happeningmore likely, but I find it hard to believe that Lydia would risk summoning Beetlejuice in Winter River yet again. It would be great to know that the Winter River house is being kept within the Deetz family afterBeetlejuice 2, yet the home’s chaotic history might prevent that from being the case.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
