“She Lacks That Purpose”: ‘Yellowjackets’ Star Sophie Thatcher Reveals What Separates Her Natalie From Juliette Lewis’

The conclusion of the controversial third season of Yellowjackets came and went with a lot of criticism. But while Shauna’s (Melanie Lynskey) character turn is hotly contested, Sophie Thatcher spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about where her fan-favorite character ended up. The end of last season props up Natalie to be the infamous Antler Queen, which could make sense for where the character ends up in the current timeline.

Two decades after the fact, Natalie becomes subject to addiction, played by Juliette Lewis as an adult. But Season 3 weaves a different narrative of Natalie creating a utopian society in the wilderness. If anything, teenage Natalie seems to be the best choice for leadership, a stark contrast to where she ends up in her adult life. Thatcher noted that Natalie’s driving force is helping this community, and losing that had devastating consequences.

“The first couple episodes, things are going well and Natalie doesn’t have a whole lot to do but talk about the chores. She’s a person who is constantly trying to find purpose, and I think bringing peace in their community was her purpose. Once they leave the wilderness, she lacks that purpose. When she doesn’t have that anymore, that’s when she becomes so lost.”

This is true for teenage Natalie when she gets dethroned due to her empathy for Coach Ben (Steven Krueger), who many were sure burned down the cabin. After mercy killing him, Natalie loses her authority. Adult Natalie also loses her purpose when she returns home, bonding with Travis over their substance abuse issues. Lewis may have retired from the series, but Thatcher goes on to state that Natalie remains the heart of the show.

Natalie Is the Best Character In ‘Yellowjackets’

In the wilderness timeline, many of the girls have lost their way to the power of the woods. Shauna leans into the wildness of the territory, but not every character revels in cannibalism. Natalie retains her humanity throughout all of it and seems to be the reason the Yellowjackets will get out of their predicament. At the end Yellowjackets Season 3, tensions are so high that the ones who want to find rescue are the outliers of the group. No matter what, Natalie remains true to their desire to get home and pulls a fast one on Shauna. She escapes and spirits away with the SAT phone powered by the broken transmitter from the plane. She is the one who calls for help, and Sophie Thatcher agrees that she gets to be the saving grace of the show.

“I do stand by that. She is kind of the hero of the story. I was going through a point where, after we had finished shooting the season, I would get really emotional talking about her. Because she’s f***ed up, she’s done some wrong. But she is good at her core, and a good human being. And for people to feel that amid so much evil and chaos… just made me so emotional.”

This may also point to why Natalie gets addicted to drugs in her adult life. Natalie never lost herself in the wilderness, so out of anyone, she is the one who has to live with the consequences. Shauna loses all sense of morality as the Antler Queen, but Natalie still has a conscience. Natalie is the tragic hero of the story who meets a terrible end despite everything she does to get them rescued. As of yet, there has been no news of a Season 4 renewal, but until then, fans can watch the first three seasons of Yellowjackets on Paramount+.