Sort of an annual tradition...

Granted, a lot of the above is inference and speculation. Still, it does answer some questions, while admittedly and simultaneously raising even more new ones. For example: why did the ill-fated paramedic (in H20) so calmly hold out his hand to Laurie? Instead of frantically gesturing at the mask with his right hand, while instinctively clutching at his throat, in pain, with his left? Has Michael now gained the power to temporarily possess other people, via astral projection?

What about Sara Moyer (from H-R)? Why was she having semi-precognitive nightmares about Michael? Could she be related to him on his father's side? Like, from a branch of the family that moved away from Haddonfield, and legally changed their surname, to disown themselves from the tragic scandal? Or, could she, perhaps, be the reincarnation of Judith Meyers, herself?!

And, what of the family curse Tommy Doyle mentioned, in H-6? Did it really, truly end with Laurie's death? Or, did Michael return to the ruins of the old family homestead, merely to wait until his nephew and/or son/grandnephew are old enough to be...properly sacrificed?

Only time, and future sequels (NOT needless remakes!), will tell.

This is one of the most interesting threads I've read for any movie in the last several months. I enjoyed your imagination and diligence, even though I don't agree with your conclusions. What's great about people who actually like ALL of the Halloween movies is they respect them enough to actually try to make them matter. I mean, why not, right? Continuity is a big thing with me, and it never made any sense to me when people outright ignore what they don't like. Use a little imagination and just make it fit! You might realize the weak entries are even more appreciable that way.

Aside from the fact that I already have my own solution to connect the films, let me explain why I think yours is incorrect. I always try to rationize the continuity in a way that is simplest, logical, and doesn't allow others to so easily poke holes in it. The three big holes I have found for your scenario are:

1. Halloween H20 communicates to the audience that Loomis survived Halloween II, but instead of his shenanigans in 4-6 (including probably dying by Michael's hand) he lived in Langdon, Illinois until his death. Marion Chambers either was a live-in helpmate, a lover, or just a roommate friend who shared his interest since they had been through Halloween-night 1978 together. All the photos in the world of bloody scissors during the montage can't change the fact that this simply does not coincide with what we've seen in the previous movies. Blatantly so, in fact.

2. The detectives in H20, the inmate who's obsessed with serial killers in H:R, and various other characters in both movies all acknowledge, either implicitly or explicitly, that Michael did his massacre in 1978 and then was missing and presumed dead, due to Laurie seeing him burning no doubt. Had 4-6 actually occured, then the events in those films would likely be what Myers was the most famous for. It's just common sense. I mean, he cut the power of the whole town, created a lynch mob who wanted his blood, took out the entire Haddonfield police force, and it required state law enforcement to take him out. And that's just the first of the three movies, too! So, don't give me any "it was covered up" BS either... that's just too convoluted.

3. Halloween III shows the characters watching a movie on television preceding the dreaded Silver Shamrock commercial. The movie is... John Carpenter's Halloween! LOL I think it's even mentioned by name! That alone officially removes it from the Michael Myers universe, however that doesn't mean that it has no bearing on the rest of the Halloween franchise. I'll explain my take on it later.

Okay, with all this said, let me share what I believe is the best way to connect the series into one continuity. I'm of the opinion that H20, despite lacking Donald Pleasance, is a slightly superior sequel when it comes to connecting with the first two. This means it trumps the rest and takes precedent, in my mind. So, instead of fitting it in with 4-6, which can't be done, I will connect them the opposite way.

We see how affected Laurie Strode was by the events of Halloween 1978. I mean, she has nightmares and hallucinations. She faked her death and changed her name of her own accord. She abuses alcohol, and pretty much holds her son prisoner. She has difficulty in relationships, and the list goes on. Anyway, so it's possible to conclude that the events of the previous movies could just be cinematic stories that actually happened within Laurie's mind over the missing years between 1978 and 1998. Although they didn't happen in reality, they aren't superfluous, because they now turn the series into more of a character study of Laurie Strode.

The best part is, the poor aspects of the "in Laurie's head" movies can now be excused in their flaws as being fragmented, exaggerated, and over-the-top simply because they are the product of a traumatized mind. It leads to, now, continual discussion about why did Laurie dream such things? What are the significance of all the myriad aspects of the story? That is what we can all begin to discuss while keeping every chapter of the Halloween series alive.

We can also connect Season of the Witch in a couple different ways. We can say that it is also Laurie's dream, and that she just imagines the characters watching a movie called Halloween, that's based on her encounter with Michael Myers. Dreaming about the Silver Shamrock plot would indicate that she develops a fear of other aspects of Halloween due to the trauma she experienced on that day.

Another way would be to consider Halloween III to be in a different universe from the rest, and it's only here for the audience's benefit. I believe this movie tells a modern story that perfectly sums up the pagan/occult origins of the holiday itself. It flows from exactly the kinds of things Dr. Loomis talked about to Marion Chambers in Halloween II, and is therefore relevant to the story. It's also a way to comprehend Michael Myers while still leaving him, or the evil that possesses him, a total mystery. It paves the road for a Cult-of-Thorn-like solution, without asking us to directly assume that the events of Halloween 6 (Laurie's theory?) bear any reality to what really motivates Michael. It's a catch-all for those who are interested in theorizing on this sort of mysticism, by telling us that it's alright to not necessarily think of Michael as simply a boring-ass immortal killer like Jason, or countless other horror movie villians. On the contrary, Halloween III is whispering in our ear and telling us to think outside the box.

Thanks for reading! More to come, eventually...

It would be much easier to make it all cohesive if not for one line in H4. "It's only been 11 months." If, say, Laurie had "died" in maybe 1981, to try to start a new life and maybe give her daughter a safer one in her mind, then it wouldn't be hard for her to have had John in 1982 and started a new family.

They could have made Jamie a bit of a problem child who possibly bounced around from home to home before she came to the Carruthers' family. That would have explained why we see this older kid coming into the family recently.

The comments from the cop and the mental patient could be dismissed as the rantings of an ignorant cop and a mental patient.

Only a few lines of dialogue make it hard to tie in together, though there are two good tries ITT at doing so. The crux of your explanation is twofold: the notion she would leave her daughter and husband behind while taking her son, and the improbability that she could getaway and start a new life like that without her son asking questions, namely about his father and sister. The other explanation someone else did is plausible, but it isn't as satisfying imoas tying them all together as actual canon would be.

Wait until they get a load of me.