It was only a matter of time until the teenage survivors on Yellowjackets unleashed their dark side again. Per usual, the target is one of their own. This time around, it’s Coach Ben Scott, who is on trial for the attempted murder of all the teenagers when he allegedly burned down the cabin in the Season 2 finale.

Most of the teenagers have strong feelings against Ben. The only two that are adamant about proving his innocence are Natalie and Misty, who have the closest relationships to Ben. In an interview with CBR, Sophie Thatcher and Samantha Hanratty break down the reasoning for Natalie and Misty’s unpopular decision to defend Ben, and reveal the Yellowjackets Season 3 episode they’re anticipating the most.

CBR: Your characters were the only ones willing to give Coach Ben a fair shot at his trial, which made them outcasts in the group. Why did they go out of their way to not only give him a chance, but to prove that he was innocent?

Sophie Thatcher: I think both of them had their own different, very special connections with him, whereas nobody else did. Nobody else had those moments alone [with Ben]. So why would they believe that he didn’t do it? But I think [everyone] saw different sides of Ben: his vulnerability and his caring side.

Samantha Hanratty: I mean, Misty just thought he was hot, and she was in love. [Laughs.]

Thatcher: But there was trust involved.

Hanratty: Yeah, [Misty] saved his life on the cliff. Yes, Misty and Natalie have very special and interesting relationships with him, but I think that it’s not until Natalie suggests that Misty is going to be his lawyer that she believes him. Misty doesn’t really believe him until she sees him, and he says he didn’t [burn down the cabin]. She trusts him so much. Once she believes, it’s game over. We’re doing this. We’re going to win. She’s giving it her all.

Based on the first four episodes, Yellowjackets Season 3 doesn’t seem as dark as the last two seasons yet. Did it feel that way to you as actors?

Related

‘The Death Toll Here Is Not Good’: Yellowjackets Season 3’s High Body Count Teased by Star

Yellowjackets star Samantha Hanratty discusses the increasing death toll going into the hit thriller series’ third season.

Thatcher: It’s a dark period in an unexpected way. They’ve built some semblance of normalcy. They’ve built their own society in ways. Natalie’s done a really good job. I think with Yellowjackets, you should always expect darkness.

Hanratty: I feel like you’re seeing a glimpse of what leadership by Natalie looks like. It’s a peaceful, beautiful place.

Thatcher: Until something happens that I’m not going to say. It’s so hard not to spoil it a little bit.

Has this season challenged you as actors, either emotionally or physically, in a way that the previous two seasons didn’t?

Hanratty: Well, I was pregnant the entire time, so that changed things for me drastically. I was in and out of the ER for a lot of the season. Honestly, this was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. Filming this season was kind of insane. But it was also very empowering to know that I could do it and I did do it. There are things that happened this season that I’m really proud and excited about and honestly super heartbroken about as well. Episode 6, for both of us, is one that I’m really looking forward to seeing.

Thatcher: For me, being on a TV show has been scary, keeping up the consistency and playing a very, very specific character that it feels almost like I grew up with. Doing different projects in between and trying not to bring the characters from the other projects into Natalie was strange. [I was] creating separate emotions. Natalie always has a lot of repressed anger, but there was a bit more of a release this season towards the end. That was really satisfying. I’ve always wanted to play anger in a lot of different ways, because I feel like Natalie, out of everybody, has never had the full release.

Yellowjackets streams Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime, and airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on Showtime.

Yellowjackets

Release Date

November 14, 2021

Network

Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime

Showrunner

Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco

• 

  Melanie Lynskey

  Shauna Sadecki

• 

  Tawny Cypress

  Taissa Turner