Friday Conversation: Did Barry and Claudette Let Jason Drown?
Mrs. Voorhees began her murderous ways when she dispatched of Camp Crystal Lake Counselors Barry and Claudette in the beginning of Friday the 13th (1980). It has been widely believed by fans that Barry and Claudette’s murders were a random act by Mrs. Voorhees in her rage to get revenge over Jason drowning the year before. However, what if Barry and Claudette were the two counselors responsible for watching Jason while he was swimming.
It is an interesting added dynamic to the film that would show that Mrs. Voorhees was truly ready to do whatever it took to avenge Jason’s death and make sure no one else would ever set foot on the Camp Crystal Lake property again. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that Barry and Claudette were the counselors directly responsible for Jason’s death?
In the Pamela’s Tale comic it sure looked like those two were the ones on duty who let Jason drown. Works for me.
I always thought that was the movie’s contention, that they let him drown. Then she took her revenge on the two responsible. I always believed those two kids were the guilty parties in his drowning. This angle works logically for me and I much prefer this as a valid motive, more so than just kill them for the sake of killing them.
Do i believe they were the main ones who let him drown, the answer to that is yes. But i also believe the other counselors at the camp are just as guilty too. I would love to see a prequel that takes place a year after Barry and Claudette’s deaths. I would love to see Mrs.Voorhees kill off some of the other original counselors that were there during the summer of both 1957 and 1958. She could go after them all and then to cover up her murder spree. She sets the camp on fire and gets away.
Sounds plausible, but they could also maybe be the only two who came back for the following season, so she took her revenge out on them for what happened the previous year.
One word YES!!
Id say it looks that way. Just in the beginning of part one they take off to have sex while everyone else is together so Id say that that wasnt the first time
I would say they were just being young, irresponsible teens having the premarital sex and neglecting their duties. So, yes, they are resposnible for Jason’s alleged drowning. In my mind, I don’t think Jason ever actually drowned. He could have been mistaken for drowning, fearing mama was mad at him, he ran off into the woods. He wasn’t a very bright boy, after all. But yeah, I’d say those two are guilty. Mama Voorhees would continue to “punish” any and all who would dare set foot on the sacred camp grounds that “is her precious little boy’s” final resting place.
I don’t think they were responsible, because in more than a couple movies we see Jason drown in daylight. The killing at the beginning of the original movie was at night. I doubt they were singing songs, drinking and having fun the very same day a young boy drowned. So I doub’t the kids in the beginning of the movie were of the same year Jason drowned.
WWJD guys? He would kill without concern over who it was…unless they were dressed like him or his mother…then you’re safe. I hadn’t considered that option, but sounds possible.
I think Mrs. Voorhees killed Barry and Claudette simply because they were fooling around/making out. That’s what the counselors were doing when Jason drowned. They weren’t paying attention. Doesn’t mean Barry and Claudette were the ones responsible for Jason going glug glug. Pamela had a vendetta against all future counselors as a result. They’re all just fooling around and not paying attention to any of the kids.
Their murder happens in 1958. Jason “drowns” in 1957. So it is very possible that these were the two counselors that let it happen.
“I don’t think they were responsible, because in more than a couple movies we see Jason drown in daylight. The killing at the beginning of the original movie was at night. I doubt they were singing songs, drinking and having fun the very same day a young boy drowned. So I doubt the kids in the beginning of the movie were of the same year Jason drowned.”
My thoughts exactly Capt. Subtext. You don’t sit around the fire and sing Michael Row Your Boat Ashore the same day a kid drowns and dies. This is probably the year after the drowning.
I don’t think they were the counselors responsible. They were just Pam’s first victims of her rage, and a way to convey to the audience what Pam was really pissed off about. She was pissed that they were having sex, just like the counselors were doing when Jason “drowned.” And the reason I think this is because Pam even went so far as to say that Alice was responsible. Do we not remember her psychotic rant towards Alice right before she attacks her, “You let him drown. You never payed any attention to him. Look what you did to him. LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO HIMMM AGHHHHH!!!!” lol See, Pam wasn’t killing anyone in particular. She was killing EVERYONE in particular. She blamed everyone. Therefore, Barry and Claudette??…not the responsible counselors. And like I’ve heard mentioned before, I highly doubt the counselors who were having sex while a child died would have the audacity to come back to the same camp the following year…and then have sex again.
“Their murder happens in 1958. Jason “drowns” in 1957. So it is very possible that these were the two counselors that let it happen.”
JAS0N VOORHEE5 (360 Gamertag)the dates are right and work but would you hire back the two people that were responsible for a kid dying? I don’t think they were responsible. But like Junior Wadd said above, Mrs. V had it out for any of the councilors after losing her son.
Colin and Capt Subtext, I don’t think we’re implying that Pam killed these two on the same day that Jason drowned. The question being raised is, did Pam come back the following year and kill the counselors who were responsible, and were Barry and Claudette those counselors (meaning they also came back to the camp the following year)?? Do you see what we mean? lol
PS…totally love that this thread is turning us all into lawyers and psychologists. lol
Ok, re-editing my last entry. One of the questions is NOT “did Pam come back the following year.”
We KNOW she came back the following year. The question is, are Barry and Claudette the two counselors who let Jason drown? Did THEY come back the following year?
That’s what I meant to say. Geez, this is getting very complicated. lol
After Jason drowned, the camp opened without hesitation the following year. Mrs.Voorhees made an example of these two, but I doubt they were at fault. After these two were killed, the idea of Camp Crystal Lake died as well. Atleast until 1980 when it was reopened.
I definately think these two were the ones who were responsible for Jason drowning.
Thats an interesting question. For years I strongly believed Barry and Claudette were in fact the counselers that let Jason drown. Because in that opening shot theres alot of other teens sitting around singing campfire songs. Why didnt Mrs. Voorhees kill the others? One idea is maybe the 2 bodies were found, and the camp was forced to close. Maybe it wasnt necassary to kill the rest of them. Theres like a 21-22 year gap between the intro and the rest of the film. It just seemed kind of odd that Mrs. Voorhees picked Barry and Claudette to kill. But it is a year later after Jasons drowning, it is possible they worked at Crystal Lake the year before. All I know is when I watch that opening scene, I feel they are the ones responsible for the death of Jason. It was not only Mrs. Voorhees first kills, but the first kills in the entire FT13th saga. So yes I strongly believe they let Him drown.
I tend to think Barry and Claudette aren’t the offenders. I agree it’s unlikely they’d be re-hired if their negligence was responsible for such a young child’s death. But more than that, I don’t think Pamela would have waited that long for revenge – the counselors who were supposed to be on duty probably “mysteriously vanished” a few days after Jason drowned. A few days at MOST.
However, even though I don’t think Barry and Claudette were specifically the counselors that let Jason die, I do believe they were singled out because they did the same thing; went off by themselves when they were supposed to be watching the campers. I’ve always loved the way Pamela checks on the children before attacking.
yeah, i mean i thought this was the core of Friday lore– Barry and Claudette, two irresponsible young kids that Pam felt needed to be punished for letting her boy drown. “The counselors weren’t paying any attention, they were making love while that young boy drowned.” Its at least implied.
Nice to see some focus on these two, they are crucial to the F13 story and an all too often forgotten part of it.
@ Timateo
“I don’t think they were the counselors responsible. They were just Pam’s first victims of her rage”
—–
Well actually they were not only her “first” victims but her “only” victims (prior to the camp opening). I thought the same thing at first, which was, hey they were having sex so they got killed, just as Jason does BUT she only killed those two and then stopped killing.
Why stop if it was rage? It would seem to me that she stopped because she got the ones responsible and she only went on the rampage after it reopened later.
So looking at it that way I have to assume it was them.
Steve
mWd
I don’t think they were, simply because they do not seem to recognize Pamela. There must have been a trial after Jason’s death and I’m pretty sure people responsible lost their job!
You have to take into account that things were done a lot differently back in the 50s, especially in a small town like Crystal Lake. I’m sure officials would have just “looked the other way” especially a mongoloid boy drowning. These two could easily have been responisble. They would not necessarily have been “dismissed”. Back then the police may not have put too much time and effort into investigating Jason’s drowning, taking Barry and Claudette at their word (whatever that may be) and calling it a day. Sounds plausible to me. That was a very trusting decade, and it would come as no surprise a kid like Jason drowning, and probably wouldn’t phase anyone except Mama Voorhees.
Plus, it’s never implied Barry and Claudette didn’t recognize Pam, just that they were more embarrassed by being caught in the act. That was a very trusting, naieve decade. Anyone at that time would have been embarrassed being caught in the act.
I strongly do not believe that they were the counselors that let jason drown.mrs.voorhees was simple making an example of them.due to lack of supervision such as this,is why her son drowned in the first place.
@ Timateo
But that would preumse that every year(or at least a couple of years in a row) the same counselors work at the same camp. I don’t know about that, but you have a point. Now I think about it, why would she stop killing for 20 years before striking again, unless she was killing everyone working at Camp Blood since her boy drowned, which would include the counselors the following year(1958). Still, it’s a fool who looks for logic in a woman’s heart. Especially Pamela Voorhees’.
That works…
But then again, did Jason REALLY drown?
(i get sooo confused!)
I actually always thought they were.
I feel the same as most do, they were a random kill by a vengeful mother, if anyone of those counselors had been up there at that time they would’ve meet the same fate.