Some spoilers for Carrie can be found in this piece. Haven't watched it yet? No problem. All you need is an Amazon Prime subscription.
Unlike many folks who have seen every version of Carrie, Mike Flanagan’s book-to-screen adaptation was my first time interacting with this excellent horror franchise. I knew the broad strokes, including (of course) the traumatizing prom scene, which I thought would be my favorite scene, but actually wasn’t. Surprisingly, the iconic pig blood scene also didn’t make the top spot for the actress who plays the polarizing Chris in the Amazon series, and I totally co-sign her actual choice.
Alison Thornton shared her thoughts on all things Carrie, including how she’s dealing with the fans’ reactions to her character, who serves as one of the main antagonists to Summer H. Howell’s Carrie White. In doing so, she also revealed to THR her favorite on-screen moment for Chris took place in Episode 6, when Chris and Carrie both found themselves in the bathroom during the heated mediation session between their parents.
The scene felt so complicated and layered to me. Carrie’s question, 'Why me?' is such a fair question, and no one has really asked Chris that. It’s the only scene where Chris and Carrie are alone together, and I think it catches Chris off guard. I don’t think she’s thought about it: Why, genuinely, did you do this?
The School Spirits actress gave a stellar performance throughout the show’s eight episodes, so I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been hard to narrow down a favorite scene, but I can see why Thornton picked this one. She explained what she felt was going on a bit further, noting:
At that point she’s dug herself into such a deep hole that I don’t think she can process anything clearly. Carrie does get through to her for a second. Chris is actually reflecting for the first time and almost apologizes, and then at the last minute she pulls back.
For those who might need a refresher, the scene featured Carrie and Chris meeting one-on-one in the bathroom to get away from their bickering parents, who both thought they were doing what was best for their daughters, but who were ultimately making things worse. While Carrie’s mother wanted a public apology, all Carrie wanted was to understand why Chris targeted her when she felt she never did anything to warrant the level of bullying she’s endured.
As Thornton pointed out, it’s the first time anyone had outright asked her. Her father never once asked follow-up questions as to why she did what she did, too caught up in the legality of the matter, and I think it’s safe to assume that her mom didn't understand the extent to which Chris has bullied Carrie. Her former friend Sue Snell (Siena Agudong) came closest to asking that question, but even she doubled down, leaving Carrie the only one to confront her head-on.
The scene could have been a pivotal moment for Chris. She could have allowed herself to be vulnerable and admitted that Carrie was simply an innocent bystander whom Chris used as a scapegoat for her own anger at her parents and the way they turned her life upside down. It would have been a moving moment, and one that could have put Chris on a road to redemption, but that's not what happened, as Thornton noted.
I remember reading it and wanting to shake her and say, 'Come on, you’re so close! You could have fixed everything.' It’s my favorite scene in the show, I think, because it’s when Chris doubles down. After that, it’s the point of no return for her.”
It’s Chris’ choice to accept her role as a villain that made the scene so captivating to watch. As much as it would have been interesting to see Chris get some sort of redemption, the truth of the matter is she needed to stay enraged at Carrie in order to justify spearheading the prom scene. After all, show creator Mike Flanagan might have created a new backstory for the titular character, but you can't have a proper adaptation of Carrie without the titular character getting doused in pig’s blood.
While there’s no word yet on whether or not Carrie is going to get a second season, fans can get their fix in by binge-ing the series over and over again. It's one time I'll say I'm stoked all episodes hit the 2026 TV schedule at once.
