Yellowjackets is a hit Showtime series that has been buzzing around in fans’ heads for quite some time. Sophie Thatcher, who plays Natalie Scatorccio (Nat) in the 1996 wilderness timeline, is relieved that the season two finale has landed. The double-whammy ending wasn’t easy to keep a secret, but she managed to tell only a few close friends.
In the penultimate episode, Nat made the fateful decision to let Javi die in her place after drawing the Queen of Hearts. The young survivors had decided that whoever drew the card would be sacrificed for the rest of the starving group to eat. In the finale’s 1996 timeline, the major reveal is that Lottie anoints Nat as the Antler Queen. This plays out effectively with the present-day gut-punch that immediately follows, which no one saw coming: Adult Natalie, played by Juliette Lewis, is accidentally killed.
Thatcher says the death of future Nat was devastating to read once she got the script, even though Lewis had confirmed her departure shortly beforehand to her younger counterpart. The pair, who have bonded through their shared character on Yellowjackets, were doing season two press together when Thatcher asked Lewis about the rumors. While she says she’s excited to watch Lewis’ next moves as an actor, she’s still processing the loss of her mentor and the tragic ending for their character.
Thatcher unpacks the high-low of that season two ending, goes behind the scenes of filming her and Lewis’ final scene in the airplane and looks ahead to young Nat’s future, which now has an expiration date, while awaiting the start to season three amid the ongoing writers strike.
Thatcher wasn’t privy to much of season two’s arc going in and only knew that there would be tension between Nat and Lottie. When she got the script for the turning point penultimate episode, she didn’t know what would happen next in the finale. She found out Juliette Lewis was moving on when the pair were doing season two press together. She was devastated to find out about Nat’s death, but excited for Lewis to explore different roles.
Thatcher was excited to see Nat become the Antler Queen, but with that comes more guilt and a continuing journey of self-destruction. However, it’s ultimately exciting for Thatcher to play around with as an actor for future episodes. In Lewis’ final scene of Natalie crossing over, Thatcher appears with her as a vision in the airplane. It was emotional for Thatcher to film the scene, knowing it was the last time she’d be working with Lewis on the show.
As for season three, Thatcher doesn’t know when they’ll start filming due to the ongoing writers strike. But, she knows young Nat’s future has an expiration date, and it will be hard for everyone to have their older counterparts and be left alone. Thatcher reflects on how Lewis has given her confidence as a performer and an artist, and how she’ll take that with her for the rest of her life.
