10 Things You Learn Rewatching Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)

The relationship between Jamie and her adoptive sister Rachel is what the entire central narrative is built upon. Jamie is a child who's been left abandoned in the wake of her mother and father's (alleged) death, attempting to overcome the trauma.

In the film, it is explicitly stated that her parents died "just eleven months ago", with the recent impact of it looming large over Jamie's character. There are several times throughout the film where she either has delusional episodes or emotional breakdowns.

All of this fueled by her grief but also by her constant fear that her presence is a burden on her new family. In a great many ways, the film as a whole can be interpreted as Michael symbolizing Jamie's trauma, an inescapable force that will destroy everything she knows.

This is what makes Rachel's relationship with her so interesting. At the start of the film, she's irritated at the thought of having to babysit Jamie. But by the end of the film, she's in full-tilt motherhood mode, risking life and limb to protect Jamie at all costs. It's the most compelling character arc the film has to offer and amazingly, actresses Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell pull it off.