Samantha Hanratty is one of the best parts of Yellowjackets, with her unhinged portrayal of Misty Quigley. Christina Ricci is unreal as the adult version of Misty, and it’s remarkable that Hanratty was able to come in as a relative unknown and match Ricci so well. The way Misty’s wide-eyed face lights up with unbridled enthusiasm can be either funny, foreboding, or heartbreaking depending on the situation. This season Misty has already had a standout episode when she defended Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) in his trial.

Years before Yellowjackets, however, Hanratty gave a performance on another Showtime show that was completely different but just as captivating. In Season 8 of Shameless, she played Kassidi, a hilarious and occasionally terrifying love interest for Carl Gallagher (Ethan Cutkosky). Although Shameless doesn’t have the mystery element that Yellowjackets has, the quirky characters and extremely dark comedy often give it a similar tone. So, it’s no surprise that a standout guest star on the series would go on to be a powerhouse on Yellowjackets.

Samantha Hanratty Played Kassidi, Carl’s Love Interest on ‘Shameless’

Played expertly by Samantha Hanratty, Kassidi is a young woman who has a roller-coaster romance with Carl Gallagher and eventually marries him. Despite an abrupt ending that felt too mean even for Shameless, the Kassidi storyline was a highlight of the season thanks to Hanratty’s performance. It’s hard to believe the entire Kassidi arc happens in only seven episodes, and Hanratty and Cutkosy sell the wild intensity of this one-season relationship perfectly.

Kassidi comes from a rich and privileged family, so her background couldn’t be more different than Carl’s. However, she seduces him immediately with her strange intensity and they form a bond. Their relationship starts with Carl kidnapping Kassidi to get money from her father — which she happily participates in — and it only gets stranger from there. Hanratty is instantly captivating in her first episode. When Carl asks Kassidy if her injured leg is hurting her, she takes pleasure in telling him that she likes it. She exudes an energy like she knows how attractive and captivating she is as she takes a drag on a cigarette and smirks at Carl.

Samantha Hanratty Excels at Playing Intense, Obsessive Characters

Kassidi insists on documenting every moment with Carl, pressures him into a quick marriage, and even gives him a vial of her blood to wear on a necklace. After falling for her quickly and letting his guard down, Carl is shocked by just how strange and manipulative this woman is. It’s Hanratty’s performance that makes the over-the-top character seem believable. Even at her most irrational, it’s clear that she believes what she’s saying is reasonable, and her wild mood swings are sincerely felt.

In retrospect, Samantha Hanratty’s daring performance as Kassidi seems even more impressive because her demeanor and mannerisms are so different than they are on Yellowjackets. Kassidi’s bold, confident attitude is in stark contrast to Misty’s quiet, awkward, off-putting quality. Yet, at their core, both characters are driven by an obsessive quality that Hanratty excels at portraying. Kassidi’s relentless, enthused pursuit of Carl is often reminiscent of Misty’s aggressive advances on Coach Ben or her more recent hero worship of Nat Scatorccio (Sophie Thatcher). On both shows, Hanratty’s committed performance shows the depths of her character’s obsession and her charm manages to make the character fun to watch, no matter how strange and horrifying her actions are. While she’s a seasoned performer across multiple genres, Samantha Hanratty seems to have found her hallmark strength as an actress: making dark, all-consuming obsessions come off as surprisingly endearing.

If you love watching Samantha Hanratty as Misty on Yellowjackets, you need to watch her arc on Shameless. Although she doesn’t arrive until eight seasons into the show, Shameless is enough of an episodic sitcom that it’s easy to dive in with the episode that introduces Kassidi. The intense romance between Kassidi and Carl is as wild and darkly comedic as anything on Yellowjackets, and is definitely worth the watch.

Shameless is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.