'Scream' TV Series Theories: Is Mr. Branson Being Framed For The Brandon James Murders?

The killer on MTV's “Scream” was finally revealed in episode 9, “The Dance.” Or is the real Brandon James killer and Maggie's (Tracy Middendorf) long lost child still out there?

The gruesome ending to episode 9 suggested that Mr. Branson (Bobby Campo) could actually be the killer. The last few seconds of the episode showed a murdered police office handcuffed to a jail cell where Branson was held. A voiceover of a dispatcher announces over the radio that Branson has escaped and is armed and dangerous.

Does this mean Branson really is the killer and Emma's sibling? Or did someone else kill the cop and break Branson out? Ahead of the Season 1 finale, here are three reasons why he could be the killer ... and why he might not be.

He's the killer.

1. His Background: Seth Branson has a very shady background. He was once named Seth Palmer, who was having an affair with an 18-year-old girl at a liberal arts college. The girl turned up dead and he was named a suspect in the case. Palmer then fled town, changed his name to Branson and became a teacher in Lakewood. Would an innocent person run away and change their name? There's also the fact that the police found the murder weapons hidden in his classroom and he had the webcam malware on his laptop too.

2. New Name: Noah (John Karna), who is an expert is the psycho killer field, made a great observation last week. Branson, the name he picked, can be broken down into “Bran's son.” Bran of course, is what Maggie refers to Brandon James as. It's very possible he chose this last name to avenge his murdered father and it's not easy to pick up on unless you look very hard.

3. Conversation With Emma: Something was very off about the conversation they had when Emma (Willa Fitzgerald) went to visit him in jail. For one, he began the conversation with the killer's signature “Hello Emma.” When Emma asks him about her mother, he said that she's nice and that Emma looks like her. When their conversation came to a close, Emma asked him if it was over. He creepily said “Considering I’m stuck in here, I guess you’ll find out soon enough.” Soon enough it was shown he's no longer in jail and Sheriff Hudson (Jason Wiles) is now clinging to life. Is that a coincidence?

He's not the killer.

1. Too Obvious: Unless the show is taking a page out of the “Game of Thrones” book, I doubt they would have the big twist come in episode 9. Sure, it looks like it's Branson now, but based on all of the different twists the show has thrown viewers way this season it's hard to believe that Branson is definitely the killer. Why reveal the killer with one more episode to go and take the suspense out of the finale?

2. Kieran: Evidence really started to point Kieran's (Amadeus Serafini) way in episode 9. He was seen in a bar with Nina (Bella Thorne) before she died, he saw Rachel (Sosie Bacon) filming him, and according to Piper he's the one that went to visit Brandon James' mother. There was also that creepy scene where he was sitting outside of Emma's house in his truck. The beginning of episode 9 showed the killer going into police headquarters pretty easily and knowing the combination to the evidence room. Getting that information might not be too difficult when your Dad's the Sheriff, right? Kieran also developed a relationship with Emma and always happens to be out of town whenever something bad happens. He is a pretty big favorite to be the killer right now.

3. Piper: Piper (Amelia Rose Blaire) has named at least five different suspects up to this point and it seems every episode she's pointing the finger at someone new. This would be a good idea to keep attention off yourself, don't you think? There's also the fact that she acknowledged that her father was killed and always seems to be seeking out Emma. When she came in contact with the killer with Will (Connor Weil) she killer didn't finish her off and instead only took Will. Maybe she's not the killer, but signs point to her at least being somewhat involved.