Trick (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After Trick escapes from the hospital and attacks Mike and the staff, they fire multiple rounds at him, causing him to plummet through a window. When they reach the ground outside, Trick has vanished. The film suggests he may have supernatural abilities, as Detective Mike Denver suspects from the beginning that Trick somehow survived through means beyond normal human survival. Lisa Jayne initially concludes he likely drowned in the Hudson River, but the annual return of murders proves otherwise.

• trick weaver
• hospital escape
• supernatural survival
• detective mike denver

Trick follows a pattern of returning each Halloween to continue his killing spree. After the initial 2015 massacre, murders occur annually in his signature style - first in 2016 at a costume party in Riverton, then in 2017 with a cult following, and escalating through 2018 and 2019. The exact reason for this annual ritual isn't fully explained, but it appears to be his signature method of operation, with each year bringing a new wave of murders targeting those connected to his original rampage.

• halloween killings
• annual murders
• trick weaver pattern

Smooth Jonny is revealed as the true mastermind behind the mask during the final showdown at the church fundraiser. When Cheryl and Trick crash through a window during their confrontation, it's revealed that Smooth Jonny has been orchestrating Trick's operations and providing phantom accomplices to aid him. This reveals that Trick is not acting alone but is part of a larger criminal organization with deputies Wan and Slater also aligned with Trick's mission.

• smooth jonny
• mastermind
• trick weaver
• criminal organization

Trick's vendetta against Cheryl stems from the 2015 Halloween party where she stopped his massacre by stabbing him in the abdomen with a fireplace poker. This personal confrontation made Cheryl his primary target for revenge. Trick promises to make the lives of everyone connected to the 2015 party unbearable, and he specifically seeks to kill Troy Meeks, who falsely claimed credit for subduing Trick that night. The church fundraiser attack is specifically aimed at Cheryl and her family.

Foreshadowing: Cheryl's brave intervention in 2015, where she stabbed Trick with a fireplace poker, directly establishes her as his primary target for revenge.

• cheryl winston
• revenge
• trick vendetta
• 2015 party

Deputy Green is captured by Trick who impales her with one of his sinister traps during the 2019 Halloween events. While the summary indicates she is ensnared by his trap, the specific outcome of whether she survives or dies from the impalement is not detailed in the provided summary text. The focus remains on the immediate danger and Mike's pursuit of Trick rather than Deputy Green's ultimate fate.

• deputy green
• impaled
• trick trap

On October 30th, 2019, Mike is summoned to a grisly crime scene where deputies discover his name scrawled in blood. This is a deliberate taunt and threat from Trick, serving as a chilling message that Mike specifically is being targeted. The blood writing establishes a personal vendetta between Trick and the detective who has been pursuing him since 2015, intensifying the psychological warfare between them.

• mike denver
• blood message
• trick threat
• taunt

In 2018, Brooke the bartender suggests the possibility of a copycat killer due to the varying DNA found on the masks of victims. This theory introduces doubt about whether Trick himself is performing all the murders or if someone is imitating his method. However, the film ultimately confirms that Trick is indeed returning personally each year, as he specifically targets individuals connected to the 2015 incident and carries out his signature style of attacks.

• copycat killer
• dna evidence
• brooke bartender

Deputy Wan and Deputy Slater are revealed to be allied with Trick and his criminal organization. They are described as phantom accomplices who arrive to aid Trick during the showdown, revealing a deep-rooted conspiracy within the local law enforcement. This explains how Trick has been able to operate with apparent inside help and knowledge of police movements throughout the years.

• deputy wan
• deputy slater
• conspiracy
• accomplices

Mike is dismissed from the FBI following the tragic ambush at the bar on October 30th, 2018. During this incident, Trick captures and decapitates FBI Agent Sam Swift with a brutal trap set outside the bar. Agent Christina Mendez also falls victim to Trick. Mike's termination results from his failure to protect his fellow agents during the operation, marking a significant career consequence stemming from his obsession with catching Trick.

• mike denver
• fired
• fbi
• sam swift
• christina mendez

Nicky Taylor, Cheryl's close friend who escaped the 2015 party, attends the church fundraiser with Cheryl and her siblings. During Trick's infiltration of the event, he kills several scare actors and viciously stabs Nicky. The summary focuses on the immediate chaos and Mike's rescue efforts rather than detailing Nicky's ultimate fate or whether she survives the stabbing attack.

Foreshadowing: Nicky previously escaped Trick's 2015 massacre, making her return to face him again symbolically significant.

• nicky taylor
• stabbed
• church fundraiser
• cheryl friend

During the climactic showdown at the church fundraiser, Cheryl demonstrates remarkable courage by confronting Trick directly. She manages to seize a gun and shoots Trick multiple times. Both Trick and Mike are then thrown through a window during the struggle. Despite Trick's seemingly supernatural ability to survive previous attacks, Cheryl's determination and direct action finally bring him down, though the involvement of Smooth Jonny complicates the final resolution.

Foreshadowing: Cheryl's earlier act of stabbing Trick with a fireplace poker in 2015 established her as someone capable of fighting back against him.

• cheryl winston
• kills trick
• final showdown
• gun