The sequel to the Paramount Pictures slasher, Friday the 13th (1980), this film takes place 5 years after the original and is the first film to feature Jason Voorhees as the antagonist. For this second iteration, many previous cast members returned (mainly those behind the scenes since most in front of the camera were killed off in the first) including, writers Victor Miller, Ron Kurz, and Sean S. Cunningham (who was the director of the previous film), returning actresses included former final girl Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer once again reprising her role as Mrs. Voorhees. In keeping with the connection to the first movie, this film features the yellow raincoat motif briefly as a flashback to the first film’s events.
Within the first few minutes of the opening sequence, we are reunited with Alice Hardy (played by Adrienne King). She is lying in bed, struggling to sleep, haunted by Mrs. Voorhees’ revenge.
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Discovery
During these night terrors, Alice recalls the events from the first film’s end. Alice is reminded of the devious twist that Mrs. Voorhees was the killer and in her dream, Alice then fights her attacker while attempting to flee. As she runs away, she is bombarded with Mrs. Voorhees’ victims – Alice’s fellow friends and counselors – discarded like litter around the campsite. The final victim of Mrs. Voorhees that we see is Alice’s friend, mentor and love interest, Steve Christy, hanging upside down and clad in a yellow raincoat.
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Discovery
This is the only instance of the yellow raincoat in this film. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) continues with a new cast and campsite with none of the new counselors following the behavior of the first by wearing the raincoats.
With this being the only instance of the motif in this film, it is difficult to infer the meaning behind the raincoat (if any). Perhaps this sequence showed us that Alice was not over her friends’ deaths – let alone Steve’s. Perhaps that is why he is the only one shown with a raincoat – to show his death impacted Alice the worst?
Friday the 13th Part 2 continues to be a proper sequel to a series that has gone to New York, space, hell and back, including plenty of cross-overs as well! The future of Jason Voorhees looks promising as this past year (2024) Horror Inc. has announced the JASON UN1V3RSE, the hub for all things Jason and Friday the 13th.
Image Credit: Horror Inc.
That same year, Jason was included in the platform fighter, Multiversus. Like the immortal that Jason is, it seems the Friday the 13th franchise is not dying any time soon. Be on the lookout for more Jason (and perhaps more yellow raincoats) in the future!
This article was originally published on my blog, The Yellow Raincoat of Horror. Check out this article and others on my site!