The killer has used Courtney’s intuition against her. The fiercely loyal and rebellious voice of Wai Huna became the next untimely victim on I Know What You Did Last Summer Season 1 Episode 6.
“Least You Had A Spare” had Courtney desperately try to find her daughter as Riley’s life hung in the balance. Unfortunately, she got lured into a deadly trap that snuffed her out. And the killer played some games, which led the OG crew farther away from saving Riley in time.
We had the chance to chat with Cassie Beck, who plays Courtney, about her memorable episode. We discussed everything, like the deadly trap, Courtney’s relationships in town, and her determination to find Riley.
Check it out below!
TV Fanatic: We lost Courtney in one of the most brutal death scenes yet. How does it feel to be the latest victim of the killer?
Cassie Beck: [Laughs] I know! I didn’t even see the killer’s face as Courtney, so Courtney died not knowing the identity. And I didn’t either, such a sneaky wily one.
Unless it’s a goat?! [Laughs]
I remember when I found out reading the script and realized the way the death scene played out. Reading that in black and white on a piece of paper is like, “What is happening exactly? How is this going to work?”
And I have to say, speaking to its grizzliness and the ingenuity of the way they trapped her, it’s super fascinating. I didn’t anticipate a goat troth, so I thought the way they did it was super clever.
TVF: What was it like to film your death scene? It was very ingenious and felt like a Saw trap.
Cassie: Exactly! I kept saying to myself, “This is like some backwoods Alabama stuff going on here. Like, this is real Country the way she’s going out.” [Laughs]
I thought it was fascinating; I still didn’t understand it. When I read it in the script, I was like, “Okay, I get it, but I still don’t understand how she’s going to walk into this trap.” I thought, “Is it on the ground? This kinda fly-up noose that catches her?”
And then when I got to the set, and they walked me through it, I was like, “Oh my God, I can buy this. I can totally buy this idea!” She’s desperate, she’s looking for her daughter, and the cell phone goes off.
Of course, she’s going to go pick it up. I just thought it was well done and such a surprise. And a surprise to me too how they put it all together.
TVF: Why do you think the killer targeted Courtney next out of everyone in Wai Huna?
Cassie: I think she was getting in the way. She’s making a lot of noise; she’s not afraid to make noise. She’s showing up; she’s gone to the police station. She’s gone to several other parents. She’s a troublemaker, and she’s loud.
The killer probably knows Courtney is somebody who’s not going to stop. Probably knows her relationship with Riley. And ultimately, she’s not going to win Mother of the Year or anything, but there is a closeness, and she fiercely protects and loves her kid, and the killer probably knows that.
Also, maybe it’s sending a message to some of the adults? And to Riley, maybe even in particular?
Nobody is safe.
TVF: Now that Courtney has died while searching for her daughter and believing in her mother’s intuition, do you think she got the last laugh over all her deniers?
Cassie: She proves in some ways that she’s not Mother of the Year, but maybe in that town [Laughs] or with this circle of people. I do think there’s not a lot of great parenting going on in this show.
And that’s one of the things I loved about Courtney and playing her. I’m not going to go so far as to say “redeemable,” but I do feel like she’s not just a sassy comic relief. She has a lot to say cultural about the lower socio-economic scale.
Don’t count her out! There is some bias and some judgmentalism going on here. And she’s a fierce mama. She’s a mama bear!
And a single parent who probably had Riley very young, and I think her commitment to her daughter is how she left this world: fighting for her kid. It’s very admirable and strong maternal instincts here.
TVF: It was heartbreaking how Courtney and Riley kept searching for each other, and they both died not reaching each other. Why do you think Riley used her last few hours alive to get home to be with Courtney?
Cassie: It speaks to their relationship. I think they’re trying to survive. They’re survivors together.
They’re a survival family. It’s just the two of them, and they’ve come up this whole time caring for each other and doing whatever they can to meet ends meet together. They live together.
Riley is about to graduate high school here, and it’s a big accomplishment for a single-parent family. Riley is super smart, and Courtney probably sacrificed a lot to raise her so young. I think the love is deep there.
They’re survivors together, and they’ve done it their whole life. And, of course, they’re looking for each other in the end.
TVF: Just shifting gears to another one of Courtney’s big relationships with Bruce. Their friendship verged on boss/employee and having a friendship together. Do you think Courtney could’ve known about his secrets, like Allison’s mother taking off?
Cassie: Oh yeah, I think so. It’s funny because potentially moving on in [I Know What You Did Last Summer Season 2], a little spoiler-drop teaser *possibly* is that Lyla, Bruce, Kelly, and Courtney are all high school graduates together.
So just like their kids, we all went to school together. If you watch the series, you can see (with this in mind), when the adults are talking, there are some drops of hints here and there. They have a past together.
Same graduating class, we all hung out. Or, if we didn’t hang out, we did know each other. Lyla and Courtney were tight; Lyla, Courtney, and Kelly were a trio. I think there’s a lot of animosity between Courtney and Lyla because Courtney feels like Lyla’s forgotten who she is.
And that is true with Bruce too.
But, the thing with Bruce is he’s given her a job. I see it more as they’ve known each other since they were kids, and this is kinda Bruce being like, “I know Courtney. She’s down and out, and she needs a job. She’s not a great housekeeper; she’s not a great house cleaner or hotel maid at all!”
I don’t think she’s great at any of these jobs, but especially in Hawaii, there is a real sense of this “Ohana.” This extended family. This idea that who you came up with is your family. This town takes care of each other in some ways.
I think the town is messed up. It’s got a spookiness, and there’s something not right about it. It’s like a Stephen King town: a small town that’s off its rocker a little bit, and everybody accepts that. I think that’s true for our town in Hawaii that we’re all in.
Like, our teens look out for each other. These adults that came up as teens look out for each other too.
TVF: I Know What You Did Last Summer has slasher movie vibes to it. What would you have done differently to survive if you were in Courtney’s shoes during Episode 6?
Cassie: I probably would’ve had my girl Kelly come with me. [Laughs] A little bit of backup maybe would’ve been a good idea.
It’s so classic, like out in the wilderness alone by herself. You’re like, “Noooo!!! Don’t do it!!” From an audience point of view, I can see it.
I buy the ferocity of trying to find Riley. I mean, she did everything she could do. She went and asked for help everywhere she could ask.
Besides maybe bringing a gun. [Laughs] Bringing a gun or bringing Kelly, I guess.
TVF: Is there anything you can tease about events to come?
Cassie: I guess I would say, for people mourning the deaths, don’t despair too hard.
TVF: Very cryptic. [Laughs]
Cassie: [Laughs] Mourn, but don’t despair. Let’s put it that way.
I Know What You Did Last Summer Season 1 airs Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.