- "I've said goodbye to my boogeyman, but the truth is, evil doesn't die. It changes shape."
- —Laurie Strode.[src]
Laurie Strode (born February 22, 1961) is the sole survivor of Michael Myers' massacre in 1978 and a vengeful resident of Haddonfield, Illinois. She is also the daughter of Morgan Strode, the mother of the late Karen Nelson and the grandmother of Allyson Nelson. On Halloween night, 1978, Laurie and her friends were attacked by Myers and remained traumatized by the incident in the decades following. Over the next forty years, she became prepared for Michael's return and attempted to burn him alive underneath her home upon his second escape from Smith's Grove Sanitarium.
However, he managed to survive and continued to slaughter most of Haddonfield's residents, including Laurie's own daughter. In the aftermath of the 2018 Halloween Massacre, Laurie finally received the mental help she needed and decided to move on from Michael, beginning to write her memoir before encountering a second potential boogeyman in Corey Cunningham. After putting a stop to him, the real Michael finally returned, leading Laurie to finally end him after forty-four years of suffering.
Biography
Early Life
Laurie Strode was born on February 22, 1961 to Morgan and Pamela Strode in the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois. At some point in her school life, Laurie became good friends with both Annie Brackett and Lynda Van der Klok, getting so close to Annie that Laurie became acquainted with her father, Leigh Brackett. Growing up, Laurie also became close with Frank Hawkins, who would harbor a secret crush on her for years.[1] During high school, Laurie also managed to become a member of the honor society.[2] During her teenage years, she came to know both Tommy Doyle and Lindsey Wallace after babysitting them a number of times.
1978 Massacre
Being Stalked
Laurie speaks with Tommy about the Myers House.
On October 31, 1978, Laurie left her home in the morning and began walking to school. Before she left, however, her father reminded her to leave the key to the Myers house beneath the door mat and she told him that she knew. Along her way, Laurie met Tommy Doyle, also on his way to school, and the two spoke about what activities they would enjoy as Laurie babysat him that night until they stopped in front of the Myers house. Tommy warned her about the house but she didn't listen and quickly left the key under the mat, not realising an unknown shape inside the house was watching her. As Tommy walked on, Laurie began singing a tune out loud as the shape was now behind her, watching her walk down the street.
Laurie notices Michael.
Later, in the middle of class, Laurie became distracted and looked out a nearby window only to notice an unknown man staring at her from across the street. She is forced to look away as her teacher asked her a question, but when she looked back the man was mysteriously gone. After school had finished, Laurie walked home with her two best friends, Annie Brackett and Lynda Van der Klok when a car slowly drove past the three girls and Laurie noticed that it was the same man who had been watching her all day. After Annie yelled something after him, the car suddenly came to a stop, frightening the girls, however, it then drove off.
Laurie tells Annie about the man behind the bush.
After Lynda had gotten home already, Laurie noticed the man again, watching her and Annie from behind a bush. Annie became angry and went to confront the man only to find no one behind the bush, believing Laurie had made him up because she felt alone without a boyfriend, Annie recommended that she out more instead of staying in and babysitting so much. After Annie got home, Laurie checked behind her as she walked, making her bump in Annie's dad, Sheriff Brackett. She apologized to him and he only laughed and exclaimed how everyone needed a good scare on Halloween. Once she got home, Laurie looked out her bedroom window to see the same man standing in her backyard, once again watching her. He quickly disappeared and Laurie locked her window out of fear just as her phone began to ring.
Babysitting For the Night
Laurie and Annie speak to Sheriff Brackett.
When she answered the first time, she got no reply and hung up out of fear only to be called again and yelled at by an annoyed Annie who wanted to let Laurie know she would pick her up at 6:30 for them to both go babysitting. Annie later arrived and picked Laurie up and the two made their way to the street they were babysitting on. One their way, Annie suggested they smoke pot until they came across Annie's father investigating a break in at a Halloween store where the perpetrator stole a Halloween mask. The girls wished him luck and started back on their way. Just before they got there, the girls discussed the school dance and how Laurie wanted to ask Ben Tramer. By the time they reached their destination, it had already become dark and Annie dropped Laurie off at the Doyle House to meet up with Tommy.
Laurie reads to Tommy.
At Tommy's house, Laurie read to him before he grew bored of the story and showed her his stack of favorite comics, which he would much rather be read instead. He then asked Laurie what the "Boogeyman" was but before she could answer, Annie called on the phone to announce that she had great news, she had told Ben Tramer about Laurie's feelings towards him. During their conversation, Tommy interrupted, trying to get Laurie's attention as he believed he had seen the boogeyman across the street. However, she saw no one and told him to go watch TV, returning to her conversation with Annie. As the two began to argue over Ben Tramer, Annie spilt something over her clothes and hung up in order to go get changed.
Laurie and Annie make a deal.
Later, Annie found a way to meet up with her boyfriend and brought Lindsey Wallace to the Doyle House for Laurie to watch her, explaining that if Laurie watched Lindsey, she would explain to Ben Tramer that she didn't mean what she said. Laurie took the deal and Annie told her she would call in an hour, however, Laurie did not realise that this was the last time she would see her friend. Later, Laurie finished carving the pumpkin and lit it up with Lindsey and Tommy, bringing them down to watch the rest of the movie just as the phone began to ring once again. Lynda announced herself on the other end and asked where Annie was but Laurie had no idea, only knowing she was out somewhere with Paul. Lynda seemed excited and said goodbye to Laurie, the latter only assuming what Lynda was about to do with her boyfriend.
Final Fight
Laurie discovers her friend's corpses.
An hour or so later, Laurie received another phone call from Lynda but could only hear what seemed to be moaning, or cries of help, from the other end until all she could hear was heavy breathing and hangs up to go check to see if Lynda was alright. One she arrived in the Wallace house, Laurie called out for her friends, believing the whole thing to be a prank only to go upstairs and discover Annie's, Lynda's and Bob's corpses spread out across a bedroom. Shocked, Laurie left the room, crying and stood in the hall overlooking the stairs until she was suddenly stabbed in the shoulder by an unknown assailant, tumbling down the stairs and cracking her ankle. As Laurie looked up, she recognised her attacker as the same man who was stalking her the whole day and knew he was after her life.
Michael appears behind Laurie.
She quickly got up and ran toward the kitchen, locking the door behind her and reaching for the back door, but was it locked. The attacker then managed to smash his arm through the locked door and turn the door knob to let himself in, causing Laurie to resort to Broke a section of a glass window and opening the backdoor from the outside. She ran out into the street, screaming for help, however, no one would help her, believing it was just a prank for Halloween. She ran back to the Doyle house and screamed for Tommy to let her in, throwing something at the window to get his attention. Once inside, she instructed Tommy and Lindsey to hide themselves and noticed a window open, suggesting the intruder had gotten inside. She lay beside the sofa just as he appeared behind her and attempted to stab her, only for her to stab him in the neck with a knitting needle.
Michael sits up behind Laurie.
After believing the killer was dead for good, Laurie went back to Tommy and Lindsey and told them that the boogeyman was finally dead. However, the two children screamed as he appeared behind Laurie and she instructed them to lock themselves in the bathroom, running into a bedroom by herself and resorting to hiding in the closet. The killer quickly discovered her and broke down the closet door, grabbing for her only for Laurie to stab him in the eye with a clothes hanger, disorienting him enough for him to drop his knife and allowing her to stab him again in the chest. She emerged from the closet and called out for Tommy and Lindsey, instructing them to receive help from neighbors.
A traumatized Laurie survives Halloween, 1978.
After they left, Laurie rested against the door frame, not realizing the killer was sitting up behind her, very much alive. Once she walked onto the landing, he attacked her again, attempting to strangle her until Dr. Sam Loomis appeared on the landing and shot Michael several times, knocking him off of the balcony. Sitting on the floor of the landing, crying, Laurie tearfully asked Loomis if the man that attacked her was in fact the boogeyman, to which he replied that it was. He then helped Laurie up and made sure she was taken care of before setting off after the figure once again.[3] The killer, now known as escaped mental patient, Michael Myers, was eventually apprehended by the entire police force and almost killed before the intervention of rookie officer, Frank Hawkins, who then made the arrest and took him back into custody that night.[2][1]
Aftermath of 1978
Reckless Behavior
After the events of Halloween night, 1978, Laurie's mental health took a turn for the worse and she slowly became a paranoid and fragile mess. Despite this, she was given little to no mental health treatment and simply put back into school a few days following the incident, leading her grades to suffer immensely and her future to ultimately be forgotten. She would also suffer from frequent nightmares about Michael, causing her to wake up screaming, much to the annoyance of her mother and father, the former of whom opted to kick Laurie out of the house to live with her aunt and uncle, much to her husband's dismay. While he was initially sympathetic toward her, Laurie's father eventually considered her troubles too much to handle and faded into the background of her life, becoming extremely distant and leaving Laurie feeling even more alone than before.
A year after the attack, Laurie's father suffered a huge heart attack and passed away. At the funeral, seeing him dead only reminded her more of Michael Myers, remembering the corpses of her friends, causing her to have an extreme breakdown and leading her mother to continue to remain extremely distant. During these years, the only person who supported Laurie was Loomis, who recognized that feeling of paranoia toward Michael. Throughout the years, Laurie would frequently visit the doctor and remain close to him until his eventual death sometime after 1979.[4]
It was not long until Laurie began using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms for her extreme paranoia, becoming known as an unstable party girl who frequented bars all over Haddonfield. During this time, Frank Hawkins, would continue to harbor a crush on Laurie, secretly looking out for her when running into her at bars and ensuring that she got home safe each time.[1]
Giving Birth and Preparation
At the young age of nineteen, during one of her many flings with men, Laurie became pregnant with her only child who was then born in 1980 and whom she would later name Karen. At some point, Laurie realized that it was quite possible that someday, Michael may return for her and began to prepare for such an event. She purchased an old, rundown home on the outskirts of Haddonfield and built it up as a fortress in order to protect herself. She purchased many weapons and stored most of them in a basement she built from scratch below the house. She trained herself in the use of firearms and eventually became an expert. During this time, Laurie also married twice but both the marriages failed, presumably quickly.[2] Despite her long descent into what others considered madness, Laurie remained close friends with both Tommy and Lindsey as the pair grew up over the years, also becoming aware of Nurse Marion Chambers, an associate of Dr. Loomis.[1]
Losing Her Daughter
Laurie not only trained herself, but also her daughter, Karen. At the age of eight, Karen was taught how to use a gun properly and efficiently in order to protect herself. Laurie would also wrongly neglect Karen as she was too busy preparing for Michael's return. Eventually, social services were called and Karen was taken away from Laurie in order to find a better home, leaving Laurie alone for good. She never regained custody and as Karen grew older, she only drifted further away from her mother. She later married a man named Ray Nelson and in 2001, the pair had a daughter of their own they named Allyson. However, Laurie rarely ever saw her granddaughter but still managed to retain a loving and close relationship with her.[2]
2018 Massacre
Connecting With Allyson
In 2018, Laurie was still living on the outskirts of town and preparing herself for Michael's return when two journalists, Aaron Korey and Dana Haines, who were investigating the 1978 murders came to Laurie for an interview. She was hesitant at first, but after they offered her money, she let them in quickly. Once inside, Dana explained the documentary they were planning to make until Aaron began to make fun of Laurie believing in "the boogeyman". However, Laurie simply warned him that he should also believe. The pair tried to explain that they wanted to look at the story from a different angle and maybe give Michael some sympathy but Laurie quickly shut that down and highlighted the fact that he murdered five people in 1978, something that is unforgivable. The interview went on smoothly until Dana brought up Laurie's estranged daughter, causing her to escort both of them out quickly and shut down their questions.
Laurie speaks with Allyson.
Later, after Laurie's granddaughter, Allyson, started class, Laurie watched her through the window from across the street, eerily similar to how Michael once watched Laurie. After class ended, the two spoke outside beside the football field and Laurie gave Allyson the money she received from Dana and Aaron. She instructed Allyson to get as far away from Haddonfield as she could and told her that her mother would get over it. Allyson then confronted her about not getting over Michael, allowing the preparation and hiding to take priority over her family. Laurie explained that she could live with Karen hating her if that meant she was prepared for the horrors of the world and bid her granddaughter goodbye.
Laurie trains herself.
Later, Laurie returned to her home and continued to train herself for Michael's transfer that night, shooting several mannequins in the head and preparing guns in case of his escape. She then sat in the parking lot of Smith's Grove Sanitarium, watching as Michael was taken away in a bus. As she saw him, she began to have a panic attack and screamed. After he was taken away, Laurie managed to make it to Allyson's celebration dinner for making it into the Honor Society where she met Allyson's boyfriend, Cameron Elam. However, she couldn't cope after she had just seen and began to break down, running outside with Allyson following closely behind her. Once they made it out onto the street, Laurie stopped and Allyson pulled her into a hug and Ray helped her into her truck as she drove home.
Michael's Escape
The next morning, Laurie overheard on the television that the prison bus transporting Michael had crashed and he managed to escape, causing her to quickly gather all of her weapons and lock every window and door in her home. She then drove to Karen's home and managed to sneak in and jump out at her, proving that she had no security system installed. She then reprimanded her and asked where Allyson was as she had a plan to escape Michael's rampage, however, Karen didn't listen to her and Ray quickly threw Laurie out. After hearing about Michael's first attack on Dana and Aaron, who had interview Laurie before, she stood outside the crime scene and watched as their corpses were taken away.
Laurie sees Michael for the first time in forty years.
That night, Laurie patrolled the streets of Haddonfield in her truck while also listening to police radio which led to her to the Morrisey house where Michael had just murdered two teenagers, Vicky and Dave. Once she arrived, she ordered all the children out on the street to get inside and as she looked up, she saw Michael in the window of the house, the first time they saw each other in forty years. She attempted to shoot at him but only shattered mirror as it turned out to be his reflection, running round the side of the house to catch him. She saw him slowly walking away and managed to shoot him the shoulder, however, he ultimately escaped once again and Laurie met up with Frank to speak about him. While they were talking, Laurie was introduced to Ranbir Sartain, a former student of Dr. Loomis who was also helping the police with catching Michael.
Laurie then showed up at Karen's house once again, however, this time with the police by her side, frantically asking where Allyson was so they could get to safety. Karen attempted to call her but Laurie took the phone and instructed Allyson to get back to her house as fast as they could. However, she never received this message as she had lost her phone earlier in the night. Ray and Karen were both taken to Laurie's house where she locked all the windows and doors and turned off all the lights before descending into the basement with both Ray and Karen. After revealing her assortment of firearms, she insisted that the two pick their weapons of choice. Afterward, she found Karen sitting in her childhood bedroom, scolding her for leaving her light on before becoming empathetic and deeply apologising for the danger she had put her family in, taking her into an embrace.
The Showdown
Michael grabs at Laurie through the front door.
After hearing two gunshots coming from the front of the house, Laurie frantically descended the stairs in order to investigate and looked through the front to see Michael standing over Ray's corpse, looking in. She quickly barricaded the door and screamed at Karen to hide in the basement as she backed up to front door with her gun. However, this then allowed Michael to smash the glass and shove his hands through, wrapping them around Laurie's face and neck, attempting to choke her. Laurie was quick to stop him though as she managed to bring up her gun and shoot off his fingers, making him drop her to the floor. She then quickly went to hide in the basement with Karen as Michael managed to lift up the barrier of the door and enter the house. The two listened to Michael's footsteps above until Laurie tried to shoot him from the basement, sounding like it hit and incapacitated him, she went back up to the first floor and told Karen to stay in the basement.
Michael chokes Laurie.
Laurie then investigated the first floor but ruled out all hiding locations he could be in and entered the second floor. Once there, she began to quickly look around all the rooms, finding Ray's corpse strung up in one of them, but closed the shutters of rooms he was not in. Once she reached her own bedroom, Michael ambushed her from behind a clutter of mannequins and started choking her with her own gun but she managed to push him back and took out her knife. However, when she attempted to stab him, he overpowered her and forced her to stab herself in the stomach instead. Once she was disoriented, he choked her and threw her over the second story balcony with her seemingly landing unconscious. Allyson then entered the house and called out for Laurie, causing Michael to look away and when he looked back, Laurie was gone.
The three Strode women hold each other close as they escape Michael's grasp.
After Allyson and Karen hid from Michael in the basement and Karen also managed to shoot him in the face, Laurie emerged from the shadows and stabbed him in the forearm, however, he quickly recovered and punched Laurie in the face. She then grabbed a frying pan and hit him several times over the head until he fell into the basement. Karen and Allyson quickly retreated from the basement, however, not before Michael tried to drag Karen down with him, ultimately becoming unsuccessful, and he is locked in. Laurie then flipped a switch that set off a series of blowtorches that set her house on fire, burning the shape. The three Strode women managed to escape the house and Allyson flagged down a passing truck that brought the three to safety, while holding each other close.[2]
Hospitalised
Laurie is rushed into Haddonfield Memorial Hospital.
As the truck continued towards Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, Karen and Allyson attempted to hold onto Laurie's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding as much as they could. However, the sound of nearby sirens quickly caught the women's attention, revealing fire trucks rushing towards Laurie's burning home. Laurie desperately screamed out to them to let it burn, worrying about them inadvertently setting Michael free, but to no avail. Once they finally reached the hospital, Laurie was rushed inside on a gurney by paramedics, accompanied by a panicked Karen at her side who informed the staff of Laurie's identity. She was immediately brought into surgery where they were able to sew up her wound and remove any excess debris.
Karen looks over Laurie.
Later, after the surgery, Laurie was given a private room where she remained unconscious and under plenty of medication. Unbeknownst to her, Michael had managed to survive Laurie's attempt at his life and was still on the loose, continuing to slaughter most of Haddonfield's residents. Deciding to go against Karen's wishes for her to stay at the hospital, Allyson stood at Laurie's bedside before leaving, placing the knife that she closely held onto since Michael's attack underneath her pillow for protection. After she woke up, Karen burst into the room and made sure she wasn't in any pain, holding her hand tightly. Laurie then looked extremely happy and exclaimed that they had finally put an end to Michael, being unaware of the carnage ensuing in town. Just then, Frank was wheeled into the room, causing Laurie to call out to him, worried for him in his current state.
Laurie talks with Hawkins.
After believing him to be unconscious, Laurie began to talk to Hawkins, reminiscing on their past relationship over the years and how he had previously taken care of her during her dark and alcohol-induced past. After some time, he revealed himself to be awake, causing the two to laugh together. He also reminisced on the night, and explained that he had hoped for more from their relationship, but remembered that she was hung up on Ben Tramer. Laurie then revealed that she had finally put a stop to Michael, bringing the both of them immense joy, completely unaware of Michael's current rampage outside of the hospital walls. Once a nurse entered the room, Laurie asked her specifically to up Hawkins' dosage to numb his pain, as a token of gratitude.
Laurie learns that Michael is alive.
Later, after a commotion stirred up in the lobby of the hospital, Tommy Doyle, who had been leading a mob, suddenly burst into Laurie's hospital room and informed her of Michael still being alive, hunting the residents of Haddonfield and having previously murdered Marion Chambers and attacked Lindsey Wallace. Shocked at the news, Laurie questioned Karen who revealed that she did not want to tell Laurie of Michael's status if she was not sure. As Tommy promised to protect her, Laurie yelled at the nurse to leave the room and instructed him to get back out into the streets to hunt Michael down and finish him. With a failed attempt from Karen to calm her down, Laurie got out of bed and began to gather her things, even stabbing herself with the same medication used to numb Frank's pain previously. However, Karen ultimately kept in her way and did not allow her to leave the room.
Laurie persisted regardless, gathering her clothes and entering the crowd through the hospital corridors to locate the source of the commotion with Karen. They soon learned that the large crowd was chasing who they thought to be Michael Myers, unaware that it was separate escaped Smith's Grove inmate, Lance Tivoli. As Tommy ran towards the running man, Laurie attempted to follow but was held back by a concerned Karen, who helped her mother slowly make her way through the panicked Haddonfield citizens. After taking a shortcut and seeing the man for herself, Laurie realised that it was not Michael and tried to warn everyone, to no avail, as everyone simply barged past the pair. Laurie then grabbed a running doctor and kneed him in the stomach to try and stop him, resulting in her busting her own stiches. A panicked Karen called over Deputy Graham, who helped her rush Laurie back to her room.
Laurie and Hawkins comfort each other.
After recovering from her wound, Laurie watched the chaos ensue through the window of her hospital room, reflecting with Hawkins on the damage that Michael had truly done to the once innocent citizens of Haddonfield. Just then, Frank informed her of what he believed to be his fault as he had previously stopped Dr. Loomis from killing Michael that night in 1978, ultimately placing the blame on himself. However, Laurie disagreed with this view, believing him to be a good man that was doing his job but exclaiming that Michael had to be finally put down for good. They both agreed. Soon after, Karen informed Laurie and Hawkins of how the angry mob and distressed Tivoli enough that he had taken his own life.
Laurie stares out at her own reflection.
Afterwards, Laurie and Hawkins discussed his old partner, Pete McCabe, and their initial encounter with Michael in 1978, describing Michael's childlike mind combined with this animal-like strength and behaviour. Disturbed by the conversation, Karen held onto Laurie's hand for comfort. Ultimately, Hawkins deduced that Michael had only one goal in mind the entire time since his escape, to return home, to the Myers house. After this Karen left the hospital to decide what to do next, Laurie not realising that this would be the last time she would see her daughter. As Laurie and Frank continued their discussion, they had no idea that just on the other side of town, Michael brutally slashed his way through multiple victims of the small town, including Karen. During this, Laurie only stared out the hospital window at her own reflection, mirroring how Michael would do the same.[1]
Aftermath of 2018
Laurie and Lindsey discover the corpse of a Haddonfield resident.
Later that night, both Laurie and Allyson learned of Karen's death at Michael's hand as well as the deaths of Brackett, Tommy and many other Haddonfield residents. However, Michael would completely vanish, leaving the town in constant fear for future Halloween nights and leaving Laurie without a target to fight for. On a later Halloween night, Laurie stood by Lindsey as the two watched the police take down the body of Mrs. Berlucchi, who hanged herself from both paranoia and grief after the death of her son, Oscar. A year after Michael's massacre, on October 31, 2019, Laurie witnessed the arrest of a young man named Corey Cunningham, who was babysitting a young boy that ended up dying that night, leading to Corey becoming a town pariah, much like Laurie was.
Laurie enjoys her new, stable life.
In the years following, Laurie was finally able to receive the mental health assistance that she needed, eventually being able to put her vengeance against Michael behind her and move on with her life. This led to her and Allyson purchasing a house in the heart of Haddonfield and moving in together, with Laurie also beginning to write her memoir revolving around her personal life experiences and Allyson starting to work as a nurse at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Furthermore, in the wake of Ray and Karen's death, Laurie opted to always remember them moving forward, decorating her home with memories of her daughter and gifting Allyson a necklace laced with the couple's wedding rings.
Four Years Later
Writing her Memoir
Laurie writes her memoir.
By October 2022, Laurie had become stable enough to finally celebrate the holiday that haunted her for so long, Halloween. She began decorating her house and even attempted to convince Allyson to dress up for a costume party. One morning, before Allyson was needed at work, Laurie attempted to bake her a pumpkin pie as a Halloween tradition but became so entranced when working on her memoir that she left it in the oven too long, leading the pastry to burn and set off the fire alarm. Laurie desperately called for Allyson who ran down and began hitting the alarm while Laurie grabbed the burnt pie and threw it into the kitchen sink. After the panic had subsided, she then asked Allyson if she had gotten her costume for the Halloween party, who then explained that she did not want to go alone, so she would not at all. As she left for work, Laurie looked down at her disaster of a pie and sadly turned on the cold water.
Laurie befriends Corey Cunningham.
Later that day, on a trip to a local store, Laurie came across Corey Cunningham being harassed by four teenagers, Terry, Stacy, Margo, and Billy, who quickly realised who he was and remembered his past actions. Laurie quickly pulled up and called the four of them out, firmly telling them to back off. However, they quickly realised who she was and began to antagonise her as well, bringing up Michael Myers in a mocking sense. Eventually, the four of them went into the store and allowed Laurie to help Corey off the ground, leading her to take out a pocket knife and offer to slash their tyres, Corey quickly taking the opportunity. Afterward, she quickly drove to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital where Allyson was working, suggesting that he be given a check up, leading the two to meet and hit it off. There, he meets Allyson as the latter helps with bandaging his hand, and Allyson expresses interest in hanging out with him. Later, as Allyson, Laurie, and Lindsay hang out, Allyson tells Laurie she believes that she introduced Corey to her on purpose. Laurie refutes this by saying that he needed medical attention and Dr. Mathis was the best qualified to help. Laurie tells Allyson that she needs to find someone that can let go, who can motivate her to stand up to her grief.
Laurie runs into Frank at the grocery store and throws a vegetable to him. As Frank compliments her hair, Laurie thanks him and two begin walking together as Frank expresses the ways in which his life has changed since 2018. Laurie laughs as Frank is not sure what he said in Japanese, and the latter asks if she still has her nose in the book she is writing. Laurie mentions that Allyson has been talking to a guy and tells Frank Corey's name, the latter confirming he knows him. Laurie tells Frank that she likes his face and he returns the compliment by stating that he likes seeing her too. A happy Laurie walks out of the store and a woman comes up to her, asking why she is smiling and questions what she bought from the store. Confused, Laurie apologizes as she says she does not understand and the woman points to her sister Sondra Dickerson, who had been stabbed in the neck during Michael's 2018 spree. After the woman blames Laurie for her sister's injury and accuses her of provoking Michael when she should have left him alone. A saddened Laurie goes to sit in her car.
Suspicious of Corey Cunningham
At the Halloween party, Allyson and Corey have fun until the latter encounters the mother of Jeremy, the boy he killed, leading to him angrily leaving the party. After he and Allyson split, the latter returns home and begins showing her anger by hitting the microwave. Laurie tries to tell her to calm down, but Allyson requests that she let her be mad. Laurie tells her that she can be mad and she is allowed to smash things, but warns her that it can be addictive. Allyson, observing the reel of pictures she and Corey took that night, admits that Laurie was right and that she liked him. At the same time, Corey encounters Michael, who stares into his eyes and lets him go. Laurie looks out her window and sees Corey standing by a bush, which reminds her of Michael doing the same thing decades earlier. Laurie goes outside and is surprised by Corey, the latter explaining that he did not mean to scare her and came to see Allyson.
Corey recounts being jumped by the gang at the gas station and Laurie expresses sympathy with him before Allyson and Corey leave for a walk, Laurie casting a watchful gaze at Corey as he steps away. Laurie goes to meet Corey's mother Joan Cunningham at her home and tells her that Corey is seeing her granddaughter and that she introduced them. Joan tells Laurie that Corey is grown and can do what he wants and Laurie replies that she knows he has had his difficulties. Joan angrily says the town would have helped Corey heal after Jeremy's death but they turned him into their new boogeyman after Michael's disappeared. Laurie apologizes before showing herself out of the home. Laurie later observes as Corey and Allyson go into her home and later visits Lindsey at her bar. Laurie tells Lindsey that she has seen Michael's eyes in Corey, and Lindsey introduces her to Roger, Jeremy's father. Roger tells Laurie that he used to believe Corey was incapable of harming anyone and when he saw Corey the previous day, Corey looked at him and Roger saw someone else in his eyes that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He concluded the kid who used to mow his lawn did not kill his son, but the man he saw on the side of the road was on a dark path.
On Halloween, 2022, Laurie sits in a chair in the abandoned home of Jeremy's family as Corey wakes from his slumber, the latter calling for Allyson until he sees her. Laurie tells Corey it is nice to see him and tells him about the two kinds of evil that exist, noting that one evil lives inside them like a sickness or infection. She cites this evil as being more dangerous because they may not know they are infected, and Corey asks Laurie if they are bad people. Laurie admits they are both messed up and Laurie tells Corey that she wants to help him, but that Allyson is not equipped for their relationship, telling him to stay away. Corey angrily replies that she started this and tells Laurie to let Allyson live her life, and that Laurie should surrender to the feeling she had when she first looked into Michael's eyes, accusing her of secretly hoping Michael comes back for her. He calls himself the "psycho" and her "the freak show" before realizing that she has left. Corey tells Allyson over the phone that the two need to leave town as Laurie is planning to kill him, and retrieves Michael's mask from the latter.
Allyson comes home and realizes that Laurie is in her room, asking the latter if she found what she was looking for. Laurie tells her she imagines she is going on a wonderful trip and asks if she was going to tell her, Allyson asking what difference it makes and Laurie replies that it makes a big difference. Laurie tells Allyson that she went to Corey's home and met his mother, Allyson revealing that Corey told her and questions if Laurie is stalking him. Laurie denies this and says that she sees the same thing in him that she saw in Michael, Allyson retorting that Michael is who she is. Laurie tells Allyson that she is not listening and that she can have a good life, just not with Corey. Allyson grabs Laurie and tells her that she pretends that she has moved on, but is actually just obsessed with death and is not going to stop until everyone is as miserable as her. Laurie shouts that Corey is on a dark path and that she is not going to let this happen to her, furthering that Allyson has to believe her. Allyson opens the door and tells Laurie that her parents and friends are dead due to the hysteria she caused, and that to her, Laurie is the one who is capable of harm, as she closes the door with a slam.
Allyson goes to meet Corey, who is out killing and thus does not come to their meeting point. Laurie calls her, and after Allyson declines answering, leaves her a voicemail apologizing. Laurie walks around her home and goes upstairs. She steps into her office and puts her drink at her desk. She walks over to one of the pumpkins and lights it from the inside. Laurie pours a drink and begins reading, opening a drawer and pulling out her gun. She calls a line and reports a suicide, giving her address. Removing her glasses and sweater, she takes a breath and points the gun to the side of her head before moving it down. She shoots, and Corey, wearing Michael's mask, opens the door. He sees Laurie pointing her gun at him and she sarcastically asks if he really thinks she would kill herself before she shoots him twice and falls down the staircase. The critically wounded Corey lays on the floor as Laurie descends and she pulls him by the hair as she says that she has tried so hard to have compassion and have mercy. She shoots the remaining bullets in her gun and asks what the point is, standing in front of Corey and telling him to kill her since that is what he came to do. As Allyson pulls up, Corey laughs and Laurie says that we all learn the truth eventually, questioning if he really thought Allyson was going to be with him. Corey then repeats his earlier statement about whether he could not have her, and stabs himself in the throat, Laurie reacting with frustration as she comes over to him. Allyson then enters the home and questions what Laurie has done to him, kneeling over his body and screaming at Laurie before leaving the house.
The End of Evil
A saddened Laurie goes to sit by herself in the kitchen, and puts her gun away. She looks around as Michael makes his way to Corey's body and retrieves his mask, killing the young man shortly thereafter. Michael walks around the kitchen and Laurie hides. As he moves to the door, a food she placed in the microwave makes a noise that distracts him and she hits him with the door. She begins beating him until he grabs her by the hair. Michael repeatedly pushes her against the refrigerator and she falls toward the sink, Laurie manages to barely prevent Michael from pushing her hand into the garbage disposal as she screams. She uses the back of her head to strike him and he releases her from his grip. Laurie stabs Michael's hand against the table. She pins him down with her body and pulls a knife out the drawer, shoving it into his heart. She stabs both of his hands and drops her refrigerator on him. Laurie pulls out another knife and stabs him in the chest, retracting it. She then takes his mask off and tells him that she has run from him, chased him, tried to contain him, tried to forgive him, and previously thought he was the boogeyman but realizes that he is just a man who is about to stop breathing, as she slits Michael's throat. Michael grabs her by the neck and Laurie tells him to kill her, before Allyson rushes to remove his hand from her throat and breaks Michael's arm. Laurie holds Michael's hand as he bleeds out after Laurie slits his wrists.
Hawkins arrives with other officers and Laurie informs him that Michael is dead. With the permission of Sheriff Barker, Laurie sits in the passenger seat as Allyson drives a car with Michael's body strapped to the top to the nearby landfill site. As they arrive, Laurie and Allyson take hands and Michael's corpse is lifted by Haddonfield citizens. Laurie puts Michael's corpse into the industrial shredder, which destroys it. Allyson later admits that Laurie was right about Corey and Laurie tells her that he was consumed by evil. Laurie continues writing her memoir, ending that while she has said goodbye to her boogeyman, evil does not die and instead changes shape. She receives a ring on her door and catches Hawkins as he is walking away, the latter telling her that he wanted her to know he was thinking about her and that he wanted to thank her for what she did. Laurie asks Hawkins what he was saying about the cherry blossoms and the two sit on her porch together.
Personality
In 1978, before Michael Myers' attack, Laurie was a reserved and intelligent teenage girl that wasn't quite good at socialising with boys she liked. She didn't have a lot of confidence in herself but still longed to have a boyfriend that loved her for who she was. Even though she really liked Ben Tramer, she was far too self-conscious to ask him out or even have a close friend ask him out as shown when she specifically told her best, Annie Brackett, not to do so.[3]
However, all of this teenage innocence was wiped away after Laurie was attacked by Michael Myers on Halloween night. She lost her only two friends and was left alone, not receiving any help for her mental health. She became a rebellious teen doing drugs and sleeping with many men, which eventually left her with a daughter. Forty years after the initial attack, Laurie grew into a determined and PTSD-ridden woman who would go to any lengths to see the death of Michael Myers.[2]
After finally receiving the help she needed, Laurie became much like her younger self once again, acting shy and nervous around men that she liked and overall being a kind and caring person toward those around her. This was seen as she spoke to Hawkins in the supermarket, twirling her hair and tripping over her words and she spoke to the man she loved. However, she was observed to have also grown into a sense of confidence and rebelliousness that she lacked as a teen, suggesting she and Corey slash the tyres of some nearby bullies and swearing much more in general.[5]
Appearances
| Films | ||||||||
| Halloween (1978) | Halloween (2018) | Halloween Kills | Halloween Ends | |||||
| Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | |||||
| Novels | ||||||||
| Halloween (2018) | Halloween Kills | Halloween Ends | ||||||
| Appears | Appears | Appears | ||||||
Trivia
- The character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's ex-girlfriend.
- John Carpenter originally wanted Anne Lockhart, daughter of June Lockhart, as Laurie before casting Jamie Lee Curtis.
- This version of Laurie Strode is the second time the character has been revived in the Halloween franchise.
- The character was killed off at the beginning of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers before returning in a separate timeline for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.
- Laurie was again killed off at the beginning of Halloween: Resurrection before being revived for Halloween (2018).