Yellowjackets: Melanie Lynskey Gets Emotional Talking About Ella Purnell & Sophie Nelisse

[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.

Check out what Lynskey had to say about what's going through Shauna's mind during that Episode 6 Jackie vision, and how inspired she is by Purnell and Nélisse in this After Hours clip!

#Yellowjackets #MelanieLynskey #EllaPurnell

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[trinaq]

I hope that they manage to get Ella back for the next season, even if she's just a ghost, or part of a flashback!

[JessKM]

Ella needs to come back! Her and Sophie have such a special kind of chemistry! Very much the emotional part of the show. Absolutely devastating.

[lordfarquaad]

I bet being a mother really helps her get perspective on who these girls are as characters and I’m sure that makes the heartbreak of what went wrong all the more real.

[charvelgtrs]

Wait Melanie is not American? Holy Crap, her American accent is flawless.

[shakenbake]

Would never have known she is from New Zealand. Only heard her speak with an american accent