‘Yellowjackets’ star Samantha Hanratty breaks down Misty’s shot at ‘redemption’ and the most shocking moments from Season 3
The following interview contains spoilers from the ninth episode of Yellowjackets Season 3, titled "How the Story Ends."
The ninth episode of Yellowjackets Season 3 debuted on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday and showed teen Misty (Samantha Hanratty) finally get her shot at redemption. In "How the Story Ends," the teen Yellowjackets splinter as half the group (led by Sophie Nélisse's Shuana and Courtney Eaton's Lottie) are determined to stick it out in the wild, while the other half (led by Sophie Thatcher's Natalie) are determined to find a way home. In the adult timeline, Misty (Christina Ricci), Tai (Tawny Cypress), and Van (Lauren Ambrose) chase down Melissa (Hilary Swank), who had just escaped from Shauna's (Melanie Lynskey) cannibalistic attack.
Hanratty spoke to Gold Derby about Misty's opportunity to become a hero, where her character's loyalties lie, and her favorite/most shocking moments from Season 3.
What are your thoughts on Season 3 with just one week to go before the finale?
I love it. I think you're starting to get a clearer sense of how the chaos got to where it got to. It's like a roller coaster. In the beginning of the season it almost seems sweet — they have their stuff together, and they're maybe a team again. You're kind of going up this roller coaster saying, 'OK, we're getting a little high.' Then it keeps getting a little bit higher and then you're like, 'Oh, OK, we're about to do this thing. We're about to go on this wild journey.' Episode 4, with the Ben's (Steven Krueger) trial, is kind of the start — at least in our timeline. Then by the time you get to Episode 6, you're in a full-on loop-de-loop. Throughout the rest of the season, I feel like the roller coaster just keeps getting scarier and more wild than you anticipated.
How is Misty is coping after Ben's trial and death?
Misty has done a lot to keep Ben safe. Obviously, she's got her own crush for him, but I think that she takes her job as caregiver very seriously. So with the trial, I think she fully believed that they were going to win, and she gave it her all. When that doesn't happen, I think she took it extremely hard — the idea that she's been able to save him up to this point by cutting off his leg, cauterizing the wound, and making the tourniquet.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
The fact that she helped him survive through that was a miracle. And then he was about to un-alive himself and she talked him through that and saved him again. It's like she has so much hope for [the trial], and when it doesn't work out, she knows that she can't necessarily fight the group because she's too smart for that. She knows what the repercussions are of that.
What were your thoughts about the scientists discovering the Yellowjackets?
"What the...?" I mean, truly. Of course, the first thing I heard was frog scientists, and I was like, "What? What do you mean?" And then I started thinking about it, and I've heard frogs scream before — not in real life, but on YouTube or whatever — somebody poking a frog and then doing a crazy scream. And I was like, "You're joking. This is what they've been hearing?" I think that's the one thing I love about the show is the humor and how something can seem so dark and scary and so messed up, and then it's frogs having sex. But I was just also thrilled to have new people.What does that mean for our girls? So yeah, I, as a fan of the show, was stoked.
Lottie killed Edwin (Nelson Franklin) last week. In this week's this episode, Hannah (Ashley Sutton) puts a knife through Kody's (Joel McHale) eye. What were your thoughts on Hannah possibly wanting to join forces with the Yellowjackets?
It reminds me of what a lot of the girls are trying to do, which is self-preservation. Everything is to keep themselves safe. And I think it's interesting because we don't know Hannah too well yet, so we don't know how sane or ill she is. She hasn't been out there like us. But I think that there's a little bit of both self-preservation and also ... maybe the wilderness is kind of speaking to her too.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
Where does Misty fit in the power struggle going on between Shauna and Natalie?
When it comes to power, Misty is like a bug to light. But then when Natalie is involved, it can change things up, because there's something about Natalie and Misty — there's this invisible tie. And through so much that's happened between the two, I feel like she always kind of wants to be on the side of Natalie. Obviously she's still very hurt about everything that happened with Ben, but I think that she's also kind of always Team Natalie. I think she sees the danger that is Shauna.
At the end of the episode, Misty is excited to find a transmitter, even though she's the one who destroyed the first one.
Yeah, here's her redemption. But also, I think that it's interesting because I don't think that Misty holds much guilt about things until it gets overwhelming, which we see in Season 2 during the birthing episode. It was one of the first times I feel like she really started feeling guilt about things. But for where she's at now, I don't think she's thinking about, "Well, I destroyed this box and now I have to do this thing." It's more like, "I can be the hero!" I think that's where she's at. This all got a little bit out of hand for her. I don't think she really realized while smashing the box that this would have ever happened. And who knows, maybe that responder wouldn't have worked. But yeah, I think that this is her, "I can be the one they all look to for rescue. I can be the one that does this for us."
Photo credit: Darko Sikman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
Do you think part of Misty wanted to stay lost in the woods until Shauna went down this dark path?
Yeah, I think that it's hard because she's so impulsive. ... Even when she destroyed the box, it's like she was thinking to herself, "OK, I need it out here. This is good, this is fun, this is great," and wasn't thinking, "OK, if I do this, then who knows how long we're going to be out here?" It was just, "I want to be here for longer. This is good." And then I think when bad sh-- happens, it's like she's just in the moment. She just needs to figure out how to get past this moment. She doesn't necessarily think too long term. That's what gets her in a lot of trouble.
What is it like watching Misty's future play out through Christina Ricci?
It's so fun. I think that this was a season where my Misty started to become a little bit closer to who she's going to become. I really loved that in the writing. It. changed the way that I approached things. Watching it as a fan, I'm also able to see that Christina and I have so many fun coincidences in just the way that we talk, in general, especially when we're Misty and this certain cadence that we have.
Photo credit: Eric Milner/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
But this season, I feel like Christina has just done such a beautiful, amazing job, and it's so heartbreaking and fun to see the way that she mourns Natalie — and just to see her be so fun and silly. The thing that makes me love Misty so much is that she tries to be serious all the time. That's why us as an audience can kind of laugh — because a lot of times it's ridiculous — but she thinks it's so serious. That's something I just love about her. I love how Christina portrays her and to see how intertwined our versions really are.
Last episode, we saw Hilary Swank's character, Melissa, suddenly return. And in this episode, the adult Yellowjackets all descend on her. What do you think about that storyline and having characters like Melissa come into their own this season?
It was so exciting when we found out. We just didn't know when it was going to happen. We did find out that teen Melissa (Jenna Burgess) was going to have an older version. I'm very close with Jenna, and I was just stoked for her. She's an amazing actress, and I was just really, really excited for this new character development of Melissa. Then finding out that Hilary Swank was cast — I was completely geeked out. I'm still very sad I haven't met her yet, but I'm just so thrilled to have her be a part of the show. I love seeing the adult cast all together, and kind of seeing that they revert to their childlike selves. It feels like I'm watching us all out in the woods when I see them all together, and I can feel that childish angst amongst all of them.
As you get older, you kind of realize we're literally all just big kids. What is an adult? I still don't really know. Especially just having my own child, I'm like, "Wait, I really thought my parents always had it together." And now you're starting to realize how much we just don't, and we kind of play pretend to be adults. So it's fun to see all of their masks kind of fall when they're all together. You're just seeing these scared and dangerous girls from the wilderness again.
And Shauna's doesn't care that her face is covered in blood the entire episode.
Yeah, it's like, "But why?" Because we're so desensitized to that kind of stuff. It's not like somebody else; if you had blood all over you, you'd be freaking out. But these girls, it's like, "Pish posh, been there, done that."
The episode ends with Melissa putting a knife through Van's heart. So in comes one, out goes another. This season has been a bloodbath. What was your reaction?
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
People are going to be pissed. I'm just ready for it. I'm not going to lie. I've been seeing all the petitions of "Keep Van Alive," but at the same time, when you sign up for a show like Yellowjackets, no one is safe. That's also part of why I love it. I know it's hard as a fan, because I'm the same way. And losing Lauren is actually devastating to the show. But also, I think each and every one of the survivors has something coming for them. It's a double-edged sword. I love the unpredictability. You never know who could go next, but also I hate it, because I love these actors and I love these characters, and I want to continue seeing them on my screen.
What's your favorite scene you shot this season?
My goodbye to Ben was probably my favorite scene, just because it was so tragic and sad and also cathartic. I always thought Misty was going to kill him. So, then when it was Natalie, it's funny, because I feel like I'm so close to Misty that I was upset for her. If anybody was going to do it, I would've thought it was going to be Misty. But I mean, it's brilliant that it was Natalie.
Just filming that and allowing that true sadness — and then the way that she hits her head and tries to snap herself out of it because she knows if she dwells in it and if she goes too far that, like I said, she could cause trouble for herself with these girls. It's just been nice this season to bring another layer to Misty. So many people just categorize her as crazy. I love when I get to show off the other layers to her, because don't get me wrong, she is crazy, but aren't we all?
Final burning question that you have that remains unsolved?
Where is Crystal's (Nuha Jes Izman) body? I want to find my best friend. Where is Crystal/Kristen? She fell off a cliff and then disappeared!
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