The Season 2 finale of “Yellowjackets” featured an abundance of surprising twists, like Travis (Kevin Alves) cannibalizing his own brother, Walter (Elijah Wood) eradicating the police problem in one fell swoop, and Callie (Sarah Desjardins) shooting Lottie (Simone Kessell) to protect her mom. However, none were as shocking and gut-wrenching as Misty’s (Christina Ricci) accidental killing of Natalie (Juliette Lewis), which was even foreshadowed in Season 1.
The harrowing scene provides a sense of closure for her character as she has a vision reflecting on her past with her teen self (played by Sophie Thatcher). Her younger version attempts to soothe her anxiety and tells Natalie, “This is exactly where we belong. We’ve been here for years.” With The Hollywood Reporter, the talented young actress shared her insights on the scene, including what that ominous line about their destiny means: “I think because she’s been so far removed from herself and gone in and out of these suicidal feelings and thoughts, I think my character is talking about when she let herself go in the wilderness.”
Thatcher also discussed the extreme guilt Natalie feels for allowing Javi (Luciano Leroux) to die in her place, “As in this last episode, with Javi. She already let herself go. She already is going to be living with that guilt, and it’s going to be evil and tear her apart.” This feeling resurfaces even more intensely in her adult years, and Thatcher continued diving into the unsettling moment.
Sophie Thatcher believes Natalie’s final moment is one of acceptance
The Season 2 finale of “Yellowjackets” comes full circle after an even darker follow-up that finally crosses that unnerving but highly anticipated line into cannibalism. To save them from starvation once more, the team engages in a card ritual to determine who will be the unlucky sacrifice. Natalie unfortunately draws the Queen of Hearts and the hunt begins until Javi tries to save her.
His selfless action ultimately swaps Natalie’s fate for his as Javi becomes the Yellowjackets’ next meal. Though she survives the wilderness, she’s irrevocably damaged and unable to forgive herself, as Sophie Thatcher continued telling The Hollywood Reporter: “And that’s going to be what she’s going to live with her entire life, so I think she’s referring to that specific moment. Because that is the beginning of what we’ll see a lot more of. But saying that ‘we’ve been here, we’re already a person away from ourselves;’ it’s been 25 years. It’s been so long. So I think there’s a sense of acceptance. It’s so sad!”
Natalie’s ending is fitting, though it’s definitely devastating for “Yellowjackets” fans who were taken with the punky rebel. Thankfully, we were spared the much darker version of the scene and instead were able to witness her achieve some sense of peace before crossing over to the other side.
Read More: https://www.looper.com/1301454/yellowjackets-s2-finale-sophie-thatcher-dissects-natalie-message-vision/
