‘Yellowjackets’ Star Melanie Lynskey on Shauna’s Growth in Season 3: She’s ‘Relaxing into Herself’

Acting as the cannibalistic survivor Shauna Shipman in “Yellowjackets” for Melanie Lynskey means navigating the fine balance between comedic and dramatic elements in her performance.

In a conversation with EbMaster, Lynskey explained that Shauna’s character is deeply rooted in history. She’s been through numerous hardships, including discovering she was pregnant and then suffering a tragic loss. Despite all the trauma she’s experienced, Lynskey found joy in the humorous aspects of Shauna’s character in Season 3, particularly the storyline set in the 1990s where Sophie Nélisse portrays a younger Shauna.

Lynskey noted that Shauna is becoming more relaxed. There isn’t much room for humor right now, so it’s great to see more scenes where Sophie can let her humorous side shine. Sophie has a great sense of humor.”

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Lynskey observed that Shauna seems more at ease. Since there isn’t much opportunity for joking at the moment, it’s refreshing to include more scenes where Sophie can be a bit wittier. Sophie is quite funny.

In my perspective as a movie critic, I find Shauna’s parenting style towards Callie (Sarah Desjardins) rather lax when it comes to her daughter’s escalating aggressive behavior. As Lynskey points out, Shauna appears unfazed by many of Callie’s actions, taking a more casual approach, saying “I understand that it’s not great, but also, coulda been worse.” This laid-back attitude seems to prevent her from meting out harsh punishment. Instead, she seems more inclined towards understanding and leniency rather than strict discipline.

According to Desjardins, Callie is deeply yearning to reconnect with her mother in any way possible, which is why she starts wearing Jackie’s (Ella Purnell) necklace now. He stated, “It’s the realization of how close Jackie and Shauna were. There’s a sense of curiosity there because Callie longs for that closeness with Shauna herself.” The writers subtly portray instances where Callie intentionally reminds Shauna of Jackie. Essentially, Callie is seeking ways to get closer to her mother.

In the wilderness, there’s a Yellowjacket named Misty Quigley who longs for acceptance but remains an outsider. As portrayed by Samantha Hanratty in the ’90s version of the character, Misty prefers to be liked by everyone rather than having one genuine friend.

Hanratty stated that the girl is seeking approval from the entire group right now, given her current teenage phase. As she matures, she might gravitate towards Sophie Thatcher, with whom she shares an unspoken bond. At present, what she desires more than anything is to be liked by everyone, not just appreciated, but essential to them.

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2025-02-19 02:48