[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Yellowjackets Season 1.]I’m a big believer Showtime’s Yellowjackets is one of the best cast shows out there right now. Not only is the ensemble overflowing with wildly talented individuals who make it impossible to pick just one favorite character, but they also deliver especially big when it comes to cast chemistry. Every Yellowjackets character has unique qualities and is headstrong in her own way, but the progression of the Season 1 narrative and character arcs are hugely dependent on how they influence each other, especially when it comes to the connection between Jackie (Ella Purnell) and Shauna (Sophie Nélisse and Melanie Lynskey).
As we learn in the Season 1 finale, “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi,” Shauna’s actions contributed to Jackie’s death. And yes, I mean death. I’m well aware of the theories swirling around insisting it was a fake-out, but I’m of the opinion that Jackie did indeed freeze to death after Shauna decided to stand her ground during their argument, insisting that Jackie be the one to leave the cabin.
During a recent episode of Collider Ladies Night, Melanie Lynskey revisited her journey to Yellowjackets and then also took some time to dig into some of the show’s most unforgettable moments. One particular scene I couldn’t wait to go back to after seeing the Season 1 finale was the sequence in Episode 6 covering what happens when Shauna and Jeff (Warren Cole) have a birthday brunch with Jackie’s parents. While there, we get a standout performance beat from Lynskey.
While in Jackie’s bedroom flipping through her diary, Shauna has a vision of her younger self with Jackie. Almost all of the dialogue goes to Purnell and Nélisse, but there are frequent cuts to Lynskey watching the moment play out. Lynskey manages to convey a significant range of emotions as she watches the girls share a sweet moment but while knowing Jackie's fate. What exactly is going through Shauna’s mind during such an emotional complex beat? Lynskey explained:
“I think she’s so filled with regret. I think she’s having this memory of a time when the friendship was very pure and they loved each other and they were there for each other and they were excited about the rest of their lives and what it could hold. And she’s just so filled with regret about how she handled every moment of that relationship. And I think she has so much survivor’s guilt about, why am I here? Why am I a person who gets to have the rest of my life? And there’s just so much there that she was never able to say to Jackie and I think it’s a really beautiful moment.”
From there, Lynskey made a point to highlight how inspiring she finds Purnell and Nélisse:
“And for me, the way that I feel about Sophie and Ella, I just adore them both. I think they’re so good. And it was making me very emotional watching them playing these little versions of themselves, and the purity. Just watching them and being like, ‘Oh god, these people are miracles. They’re these beautiful human begins. They’re amazing actors. We’re making something that I believe in so strongly.’ It was just an emotional moment for Shauna and an emotional moment for me. Sorry, I cry when I talk about the young actors on our show.”
Eager to hear more from Lynskey? There’s so much more from where this came from! Be sure to catch her full Collider Ladies Night interview in podcast form below for more on Yellowjackets Season 1’s biggest moments and to learn more about Lynskey’s journey from Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures to Showtime.