Yellowjackets' Misty And Crystal Standoff Made Samantha Hanratty Feel Like A Method Actor

This post contains spoilers for "Yellowjackets," season 2, episode 5, "Two Truths and a Lie."

Sure, Misty Quigley has been known to drug and kidnap people on Showtime's "Yellowjackets," but we all need a friend — which is what makes it so sad to see how Misty's first true friendship plays out in season 2. As always, there are two Mistys this season: the one in the present, played by Christina Ricci, and the one in the past, played by Samantha Hanratty. Both Mistys have had friendships of convenience with the other Yellowjackets, but they've shown signs of an improved social life in recent weeks; present-day Misty has buddied up with Elijah Wood's new character, Walter, while past Misty has struck up a genuine friendship with Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman).

While stranded in the Canadian wilderness, Misty and Crystal bonded over show tunes, performing one from the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical "Evita." Unfortunately, things didn't end well for Crystal, who emerged out of nowhere this season as if she'd been there all along. Cross-reference the infamous Nikki and Paulo in "Lost" season 3, who suddenly materialized as fresh plane crash survivors.

Misty comes to trust Crystal so much that she reveals her true nature, sharing the secret that she sabotaged their plane's transmitter and is therefore the very person responsible for the Yellowjackets soccer team going without rescue. When Crystal reacts in horror, Misty threatens to kill her, leading Crystal to back right off a ledge to her death on the snowy ground below.

In a recent interview, Hanratty said that she found herself almost Method acting during this scene, though she and Izman have, like their characters, become close friends in real life.

Samantha Hanratty told The Hollywood Reporter that Nuha Jes Izman is coming to her wedding and that they held hands while watching Crystal's death scene. While filming that scene, however, Hanratty felt the same emotions as Misty:

"I have to care about Misty to play her, so I have a lot of love for her. And my heart kind of broke for her when Crystal does turn on her. Every time we did that scene, I don't even consider myself a Method actor, but my heart literally would drop every time she rejected me, and I felt like I was turning into a little kid again. Scrambling to take back what I just did."

Alas, there are no takebacks with death, despite Misty's best efforts to perform CPR on Crystal while channeling the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" (perhaps the only '70s disco hit among the many '90s songs on the "Yellowjackets" season 2 soundtrack). Hanratty said of the scene that she "can watch it now and be able to almost laugh, like, of course this happens to Misty! But during the filming process, it was so heartbreaking and so sad, and it messes Misty up for quite a bit."

While we probably won't hear Misty and Crystal singing any more show tunes on Showtime, we'll always have the memories. Incidentally, "Misty Quigley" has the same number of syllables as "Argentina," so as someone who likes to change the lyrics to songs at karaoke, I can't help but hear the still small voice of Crystal in my head, doing her best Madonna impersonation, singing, "Don't cry for me Misty Quigley / The truth is I never left you."

"Yellowjackets" returns to Showtime from its two-week hiatus with a new episode on May 7, 2023.