‘Friday The 13th’ Has Its Own Version Of ‘Carrie’ (And She's Even More Powerful)
Carrie (2026) is getting a new miniseries from Mike Flanagan that gives us a new perspective on the telekinetic girl from Stephen King's iconic novel. While there will likely be some changes, the core values that have influenced media will still be there. But as a new era for the character comes, it's hard not to look back at the past and the many interpretations.
One interpretation appeared in another iconic horror franchise, Friday the 13th. Tina Shepard is very much an homage to Carrie in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988), but few realize just how powerful she really was.
‘Friday the 13th’s Tina Shepard Is Similar to Carrie in Powers Alone
Tina Shepard's introduction exists almost parallel to Jason Voorhees in the sense that both of their stories start in Crystal Lake. Where he seemingly drowned, Tina accidentally killed her father with her powers after an argument where she wished he were dead. This trauma followed Tina into her teenage years.
While her doctor sought ot exploit her gift, her idea of going back to the origin of the trauma did help her to grow more and eventually face what scared her so much. But while she's as much of an outsider as Carrie was, the only real thing they had in common was powers.
Carrie was someone who had no support from her peers or her mom, often forced to deal with everything on her own. She also had next to no friends and was way too scared to interact with them. Tina, on the other hand, could still carry herself in a social setting and had people to lean on who were genuine. But their telekinetic powers and natural inclination to not be with the crowd make them similar enough.
Tina's Telekinetic Powers Are Far More Advanced Than Carrie's Ever Were
In Carrie, her world may be one tied to Stephen King's larger universe of the strange and terrifying, but her powers were only just beginning to manifest. As a result, we only saw a glimpse of her strength, and while it was impressive, it was nothing compared to Tina Shepard's.
At a young age, Tina's powers manifested and destroyed the dock her father was on, killing him. Compared to Carrie flipping a car, they're eerily similar, with the only difference being that Tina did what she did at a much younger age. Tina, while hoping to bring her father back, also revived Jason Voorhees.
Admittedly, moving something with your mind doesn't open the door to resurrecting the dead, but there's something to be said for the fact that Tina did just that. Perhaps mixed with her precognitive abilities, she was able to revive Jason, something that Carrie couldn't do either.
Of course, when speaking of telekinesis alone, Carrie was strong there, but not like Tina, and Carrie had her own strengths, including geokinesis, meaning that as she used her abilities, the earth shook. But even though Carrie had more in her skill set to work with, Friday the 13th Part VII's Tina was far more proficient in her one skill in ways we never got to see with Carrie.
Tina Shepard Remains an Important Part of ‘Friday the 13th’s Lore
The Friday the 13th franchise has never been one famous for quality. While it may not be the most iconic series for storytelling or narrative, we love the Friday the 13th films because they are just plain fun. Not only is Jason coming back time and again with different masks and kills something that never gets old, but we also enjoy new protagonists from this as well.
Tina Shepard came late to the series but quickly became one of the most appreciated characters right up there with Tommy Jarvis. Over the years, Tina has continued to appear in books and comics, and the fandom still can't get enough of her.
Tina is a unique addition to the world of Friday the 13th, and her existence is heavily owed to what Carrie White introduced. But Tina took things to the next level, and it's not hard to see how. Not only was she strong, but she was a fun part of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. Now the only thing left to see is if Mike Flanagan's Carrie will elevate her powers even further beyond Tina's.
