Season 2 of The Buccaneers is kicking off with a shocking reveal, and fans are still catching their breath.

Leighton Meester joins the cast as Nell, a new character whose identity is dropped like a bomb in the premiere. Not only is Nell revealed to be Nan’s (Kristine Frøseth) mother — but she’s also the younger sister of Patti St. George, played by Christina Hendricks.

Leighton Meester’s character in ‘The Buccaneers’ Season 2, explained

Speaking about the twist, Hendricks said the show doesn’t hold back.

“I think we come in hot with this, and there’s this explosive realization that they are sisters,” Hendricks said during the cast interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “And what I think is interesting is that we left the cliffhanger not knowing who the mother is. Now we have this information, and the strange thing is, is that we find out that Patti St. George has somehow conveniently compartmentalized this scenario for the last 20 years of her life, and somehow blamed her sister…blamed the woman in this, who was really sort of the victim of a very serious relationship that took place over a certain amount of time.”

Hendricks continued, explaining that the incident wasn’t just a one-time mistake.

“It wasn’t like a one-time incident, and she was being manipulated and groomed in a certain way that Patty decided to just put on her blinders in order to survive,” she said. “And until that moment where Nell says, ‘I was only a year younger than Nan when this happened,’ I think — I mean, I just got goosebumps really just thinking about it — because I think Patty has never stopped to make that comparison. Because Nan was a little girl, and she never compared them. And she hasn’t seen Nell in so long to do that math. And to have that understanding I think is just a punch to the stomach for her. And a moment of deep shame — deep, deep shame — that I think that then she very quickly tries to start to repair.”

Christina Hendricks and Leighton Meester break down the sisters’ complicated past

For Meester, stepping into such a layered role meant exploring the complicated relationship between Nell and Patti.

“The dynamic with the two of them, whether they want to necessarily acknowledge it or not, is that Patti was a mother figure for her. Their mother was unavailable. And that shouldn’t have to be her responsibility, but it was to some extent,” Meester said.

Meester reflected on how, despite the time apart, their bond remains deeply felt.

“I think that Nell looked to her for guidance. And also after all these years, two things are true. One, it’s like an old friend or I guess a sibling where you’re like, it’s been so long, but it feels like yesterday. All that love, all that familiarity, warmth, history comes into play,” she said. “And the other thing — which is nobody gets at you like your family, it doesn’t matter. We can irk each other in such a way.”

She added that the emotional complexity made the reunion powerful to portray.

“So the complexity of that relationship — to explore it, especially trying to have one character enlighten the other one and say, ‘You may not realize this because you’re protecting your daughter who you raised. I was also your daughter. And I felt left behind.’ The fact that they have even the most, just the inkling of the beginning of a reconciliation is very heartening,” she said.

The Buccaneers drops new episodes each Wednesday on Apple TV+.