‘Yellowjackets’ star Courtney Eaton breaks down Lottie’s mental state, ‘covering myself in blood,’ and addition of ‘badass’ Hilary Swank
The following interview contains spoilers from the eighth episode of Yellowjackets Season 3, titled "A Normal, Boring Life."
The eighth episode of Yellowjackets Season 3 debuted on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday and left fans shocked by the teens' refusal to be rescued and adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) taking a bite out of her long lost pal Melissa (Hilary Swank). In "A Normal, Boring Life," the teen timeline shows Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) and Lottie (Courtney Eaton) asserting their power, facing off with Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), who wants to get the hell out of the wilderness. Convinced they're "safer" where they are, Shauna and Lottie pull Tai (Jasmin Savoy Brown) over to their side and engage in a standoff.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
Eaton spoke to Gold Derby about Lottie's mental state, the shocking discovery of the Yellowjackets, why some of them want to remain lost in the woods, and why she's "not OK" with adult Lottie's (Simone Kessell) death.
What were your thoughts when you saw adult Lottie's death this season? Obviously, this isn't the end of your journey — you're in a different timeline — but what was it like to see your character's demise on the show?
It's hard because it's always kept under tight wraps and I love Simone. I want to be her when I grow up. She's the best. It is weird, I think I have — not an easier time — but because I didn't have someone during the pilot or during the first season, I got to build Lottie by myself. I had to think more about the character when I had to share it with Simone. I think I'm still in denial. I'm not OK with it because I love Simone and I want her to come back. She better haunt us!
Why do you think the Yellowjackets had such a vendetta against Ben (Steven Krueger)? I'm not sure they really believed that he actually set their cabin on fire, so why do you think they convicted and eventually killed him?
I personally think Lottie thought he was innocent. I think the swing during the trial is more to do with her seeing something reflected in Shauna that she's been chasing all season — the wilderness and the power and the hunger for who they truly are out there. I think obviously Shauna's vendetta is because she felt abandoned by him during the birth scene, and he is technically the only adult and he didn't show up when he needed to. I think they've come into their own strength, and realize that they can look after themselves this season. They don't really need adults or guidance and they're comfortable with it.
I think majority of them thought he was innocent, which makes it even sadder. But it kind of needed to happen. He essentially was the bridge because if [the scientists] hadn't smelt him while we were cooking him, we wouldn't have found help.
What were your thoughts when you read the script that the Yellowjackets had been discovered?
It was a shocking moment for me. I feel like I'm pretty good at guessing what's going to happen — and I can guess ahead. I was not anticipating frog scientists or frog orgies — the people that were coming out for research. It was really interesting on set because there was such a buzz of energy of having new people and outcasts.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
I think it must've been intimidating for Nelson Franklin (Edwin), Ashley Sutton (Hannah), and Joel McHale (Kody) to come in, because we all just went hyper and like, "Hi, hi, who are you? Welcome, welcome!" Then we descend on them, and I kill Nelson. But yeah, it's fun having new people in our world. It changes up the dynamic. The Yellowjacket dynamic and the power is always shifting, and then you add another element to that and it just sends the group kind of haywire.
Akilah (Keeya King) was skeptical about these researchers guiding them to safety because Ben was supposed to be their bridge. She's holding onto her dream when there's people right there to take her home. Why are they so resistant?
I think it's the toss-up between what Shauna and Lottie are struggling with as the season goes on — whether they are better going home, or if they've found their true selves out here. I think that within the group there's definitely people that are ready to go home, but I think they've all found a strength in themselves that they can't deny they wouldn't have if they went home. I always find Lottie really hard to talk about because I find I have to do her instinctually. Otherwise, I can accidentally lean one way or the other, and the show toes the line very perfectly, especially with Lottie, "Are they insane? Are they going crazy? Is she unwell?" But yeah, I think there's an element of denial.
Lottie actually says, "We're safer here." So, there's maybe a part of her that didn't feel safe at home.
Yeah, I think she's someone that's grown up not really trusting herself or her parents. She's been left to her own devices and she doesn't trust her brain — her parents have made her not trust her brain. In the wilderness something just clicks — it feels right, granted, maybe it isn't always. But I think she is well-intentioned out there. I do think that they've found something in themselves that they wouldn't have found at home. Lottie would be a very different person if she didn't have this experience of getting to discover herself fully.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
At the beginning of the series we did see Lottie on medication, and now she doesn't have that medication. How has her supposed mental illness impacted how you take on this character — and is she mentally ill or is this something that's being pushed on her?
It's a hard question to answer and I don't know if people want my answer for it, because I think it takes some of the magic away from all of her. I know that's the most annoying answer ever, but it has been a challenge to juggle that information while she was on medication. I talked to the writers at the beginning of the season, and we talked about how we wanted to be careful that if she did have a mental illness, she's not immediately villainized. I feel like a lot of times people with mental illness has fallen into that trope.
Some days I will sway a certain way and then other days... I think we just share a very similar thought process and brain. If I was out there, I would be pretty similar to Lottie minus the murder and cults. I have trouble trusting myself and knowing where I'm at emotionally sometimes. I can get overwhelmed.
There's a scene where Akilah has a hallucination that all the animals have been killed. Then Lottie comes along and sort of snaps her out of that. But there's something in Lottie that's excited about this moment. Why is she excited when people like Akilah start hallucinating?
At the end of Season 2, Lottie stopped hearing the wilderness and pawned off the responsibility of the Antler Queen and leader to Natalie. I think she kind of feels abandoned and disconnected from what she was feeling during the first two seasons. She's not sure whether it's a positive thing or a negative thing going into Season 3. I think she's trying to figure that out. But once she kind of gets a slight taste of it, or sees it reflected in someone, it's almost like a drug to her.
She's willing to push everyone to get what she needs in the most innocent way. It's when she feels most herself, and I think she always has judged herself for how her brain works. Her family definitely has. I think once she sees it reflected in someone else and she can get a little taste of it, she feels whole again.
Fans were very upset with Lottie for pushing drugs on Travis (Kevin Alves). What is it like to play a character that you feel is coming from a good place, but upsets the viewers?
During the first season, once I realized when she started tilting a certain way, I remember talking to my agent being like, "Everyone is going to hate my character. She goes into the woo woo of it. It's not positive." But I think as the seasons go on, I'm able to see — whether anyone else sees it or not — she's a kid out there. They're 16, 17, and she's doing the best she can with the tools that she has. They might not be the best, but I tend to think most people would do exactly the same out there or worse if they're in that situation.
There's a lot of debates on whether the show is supernatural or psychological. Do you lean a certain way, or do you try to just let the scripts lead you and go with the flow?
I feel like I let the scripts lead me in certain ways. There'll be specific scenes that I'm reading that are written almost to be more supernatural. There might be like one line or a little thought that pops up that will ground it in another way for me. I try not to think about that too much, and walk the line.
What has been your favorite scene to shoot?
Oh, I really loved the scene in Episode 8 when we're discussing whether we're going home or not. For some reason I just really understood what Lottie was saying in that moment. She doesn't want to go home and there's fear. That one was really fun because the cast is so great to work with and everyone was so giving that day.
Then also, just putting an ax in Nelson's head. That was just fun because it was just [brutal] and it was hilarious. There was one scene where we were swapping out the body for a body-double dummy — and one take we didn't have enough time — so I had to actually whisper in Nelson's ear while I was covering myself in blood.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
I was like, "This is the most mental thing." I had to apologize to him profusely after we finished filming it. I was like, "Sorry, that was really weird." But that one was fun.
What has shocked you the most about this story?
The cannibalism. Also, it's a funny thing that that's not even the darkest part of our show — the cannibalism. It's more like the mental breakdown and the dynamics in the human brain are more scary.
What's it like to watch the future timeline? This is a great episode where Shauna finds Melissa, played by Hilary Swank. What did you think about their dynamic, that discovery of Melissa, and the epic fight scene?
Yeah, the fight scene is epic. I remember everyone being abuzz when Hilary got cast. I love Melanie. I think Melanie is every single person on this show's favorite person. It was just two badass women going at it. Shauna has such an interesting arc this season, both in the younger cast and the older cast, and I think Melanie and Sophie both play her so well. It's really interesting seeing the comparison between Sophie and Melanie playing the same character. You can feel how she got there. She is unhinged in the best way.
Photo credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
How would you tease the last couple of episodes in just a few words?
It will be full circle and satisfying for the fans. Some things will be answered and more questions will be raised. It's satisfying and it will make you hungry for the next season.
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