Writers of spec screenplays often make the mistake of explaining things to readers, as if there is no other way of being understood.
Subtext is the opposite of that.
Since the easiest way to demonstrate this is to write two scenes, one with subtext and one without, that is what I did.
See if you can guess which one has subtext.
1.
2.
Both scenes establish that Janine and Cuddy are friends, that Maddy has cruelly broken Cuddy’s heart and that Janine ends up with the ring.
But the first scene also establishes that Janine is a smart girl who can handle herself, that Cuddy is prone to bad decisions and getting into trouble, and that Janine is not above a little deviousness, but ultimately she will do the right thing by calling for help.
So the answer is Scene 1.
That is subtext.
That is all.