The actress got to deliver a dramatic M'Lynn monologue as Misty.
Minor spoiler warning for Yellowjackets season 2, episode three, "Digestif," written by Sarah L. Thompson & Ameni Rozsa and directed by Jeff W. Byrd.
Season 2 continues to be breakout year for Samantha Hanratty, who plays the younger version of Misty, one of the surviving soccer team members stranded in the wilderness in the past timeline on Yellowjackets. And the latest episode is just another showcase of her many talents, with the 27-year-old actress getting to channel Sally Field in an unexpected and darkly funny moment on the Showtime drama.
After last week's "Jackie Feast," the young girls decide to distract themselves from what they've just done by throwing an impromptu baby shower for Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), who is getting closer and closer to giving birth. "We should do something to welcome him," Lottie (Courtney Eaton) says, immediately getting the rest of the team excited over the idea. "It would be nice."
With a plan in motion, the girls set out making gifts and start preparing for the newborn's arrival. And after Misty's idea to make broth is rejected and she struggles with creating a physical gift, Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman) comes up with another idea: for Misty to perform a monologue from the 1989 film Steel Magnolias.
Later in the episode, as the girls are giving Shauna her gifts, Misty takes center stage in the shed to channel Field's character, M'Lynn, who is grieving the loss of her daughter, Shelby (Julia Roberts).
"It's not supposed to happen this way! I'm supposed to go first. I've always been ready to go first," Misty says with no hint of irony that she's quoting a scene about the death of one's child. While the moment catches Travis (Kevin Alves) off guard, the rest of the girls seem taken by the performance. Well, all of them except for Shauna, who is still worried about the fate of her baby.
While speaking to ET's Deidre Behar, Hanratty revealed what she thought about getting to recreate that moment on the series. "I appreciate that they did this for me because I did not have this planned," she said of the episode's writers. "This was nothing of my brain."
She said that Thompson and Rozsa were "the geniuses behind it," adding, "I'm so appreciative that they allowed me to have that moment, seriously."
When asked how she'd react if she heard back from Field, the actress admitted she couldn't even think about the possibility. "I won't be OK. I won't be OK," Hanratty said. "I hope that she enjoys it. I hope that she likes it."
Even if Field doesn't respond, Hanratty can be happy knowing that the scene was another standout moment for her this season. And while reflecting on her time as Misty, who has become one of the fan-favorites in both timelines (with Christina Ricci playing the older version), Hanratty said, "I love playing her and the more goofy and messy she is, the more I get excited."
Yellowjackets season 2 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime, with episodes also available to stream early, starting Fridays on the Showtime app.
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