Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey explains impact of Shauna's baby trauma
"It’s really informed her."
**This article contains discussion of baby loss which some readers may find upsetting**
What happened to Shauna's wilderness baby? That question loomed over Yellowjackets from the moment we first learned she was with child, our curiosity growing as we watched her pregnancy belly expand – and in the drama's latest episode, the heart-rending truth was laid bare.
Miraculously, Shauna did not suffer a miscarriage, despite the acute stress her body was under following the plane crash. But tragically, her baby did not survive the birth, leaving Shauna bereft.
"Having a baby in that environment, losing the baby, and then also being forced to be stuck in the wilderness for however many months after that – it's not like you get to cry and take care of yourself, you're still fighting for survival – it's just the worst possible thing you can imagine," said Melanie Lynskey, who plays the older version of Shauna. Sophie Nélisse stars as her young counterpart.
Read more:
- Yellowjackets season 2 needs to move away from the supernatural
- Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey reveals "biggest fear" when joining show
Lynskey went on to discuss how that ordeal has shaped Shauna: "It's really informed her. I think she's been forced to ask herself a lot of questions this season about whether she's a good mother. She didn't want to have a child. She never, ever, ever wanted to put herself in that position again. And I don't know if it was that she didn't want to have to explain to Jeff what had happened, so she just ended up going along with it and having Callie, but it's really tricky because not only was she ambivalent about motherhood, but the act of being pregnant and of giving birth would have been incredibly traumatic. So how much of yourself do you shut off after that?"
She added: "And I think even love is difficult for her, trusting that this little thing you just gave birth to is going to be okay. I think the whole thing has been incredibly complicated, and so she's been pushing everybody away for a long time."
Lynskey also reflected on how Shauna feels about her teenage daughter not only knowing about her affair with Adam Martin, but also that she was the individual who killed him: "I think that she feels terrible. She feels really bad about it.
"On the one hand, she's grateful because there are a couple of times where Callie steps in and saves her in a way. But I think it's difficult to see parts of yourself that you're not necessarily proud of be reflected in your child.
"It's so horrible. So dark."
If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, the following services can offer support and information:
Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
