Yellowjackets Star Speaks Out on Playing the Show’s Scariest Character

The second season of Yellowjackets is upon us, and TV fans are finally returning to the twisted world of the Wilderness. The first season was a surprise hit that caught audiences off-guard and quickly became one of televisions buzziest, darkest new shows. At the center of many of the mysteries of Yellowjackets (as well as much of the show’s darkness), is Lottie, the quiet girl who became something of a prophet out in the woods and eventually grew up to be a potential cult leader.

Lottie is a fascinating character who can be downright terrifying at times. That’s part of why she has been so much fun to play, according to Courtney Eaton, who plays the teenage version of Lottie. Eaton spoke to EW about the new season and opened up about what it was like to dive into her twisted character.

“Lottie is so fun to play, she’s such a roller coaster,” Eaton said. “She goes through these drops and highs of different emotions and it’s always interesting because I never really know where she’s going to end up in the next episode, or where she’ll be at the end of the season. Example: Season 1. But yeah, I really enjoy it and it keeps me on my toes.”

Season 2 of Yellowjackets introduces the adult version of Lottie in the present timeline, played by Simone Kessell. It’s clear early on that Lottie has changed a lot over the years, but that doesn’t make her any less terrifying.

Kessell told EW that Lottie “has completely recreated herself as a survivor. She’s healed. She’s created a way to push the darkness down.”

Nothing with either version of Lottie is quite what it seems, and she will likely be the source of even more mysteries and questions in Season 2.

“We’re hoping that even the Lottie you’ve seen so far in the wilderness can come across not as a cult leader or the overt founder of a new religion but rather as a kind of reluctant messiah through which the darkness can speak,” co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco said. “She doesn’t want to be this person, it’s not a choice, it’s an inexorable feeling that she has that she must communicate to the others.”

New episodes of Yellowjackets are released every Friday on the Showtime streaming service. The episodes air on the Showtime network on Sunday nights.