The latest instalment of Yellowstone featured a surprise appearance by Vinessa Shaw, who is better known for her iconic role in a beloved Disney movie.
After an eager two-year interlude, the renowned Paramount Western series made its comeback, initiating earlier this month with the stunning demise of John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner).
In the current outing titled Three Fifty-Three, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) along with his sister Beth (Kelly Reilly), delve into the circumstances surrounding John’s unexpected death, suspecting foul play.
Kayce persuades the overseeing coroner to permit a more detailed examination, which unveils evidence suggestive of a struggle, reinforcing their suspicions.
Former child star Shaw steps into the shoes of Dr Everly, and sharp-eyed fans were quick to identify her from her past significant role as Allison Watts in Disney’s Halloween hit, Hocus Pocus, reports the Mirror US.
Within the 1993 magical family flick, Shaw plays Allison, the object of young Max’s (Omri Katz) affection, during his inadvertent revival of three diabolical witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) bent on dominating their town.
Now at 48, the childhood star may have been elusive from viewers’ recognition until they spotted her name gracing the credits.
Yellowstone aficionados were taken aback when her participation was recently highlighted on the show’s subreddit.
Surprised fans have expressed their astonishment, with comments such as “Well I’ll be dammed I didn’t notice,” while another lightly teased millennials’ reactions: “Tell me you’re a millennial without telling me you’re a millennial, lol. Nice spot.”
“I knew I recognized her but didn’t immediately place her,” one viewer confessed.
“Thank you for this!!” another fan exclaimed. “I KNEW I recognized that face but couldn’t put my finger on where from. Only the greatest childhood movie of all time.”
“Thank you that bothered me the entire scene and I could not figure out why I knew her face,” a fifth fan responded.
However, a die-hard Hocus Pocus fan spotted her instantly: “I knew it as soon as I saw her! But to be fair…we watch Hocus Pocus A LOT in October.”
In her scenes, Dr Everly is sceptical about the idea that John was murdered, but Kayce convinces her by demonstrating an effective chokehold on another medical examiner to show how his father’s killers could have knocked him out.
Her reluctance to cooperate led some fans to speculate that she might have something to hide, possibly being involved in John’s death or bribed to conceal the murder.
Nevertheless, she eventually apologises for overlooking the details, to which Kayce reassures her that she was supposed to and the oversight wasn’t her fault.
While Shaw’s stint in Yellowstone seems to have ended, besides the hit series and the Disney classic, she has also featured in Ray Donovan, CSI: NY and House.
Yellowstone season 5, part 2 continues Sundays on Paramount and the following Monday on Paramount+.