Linda Cardellini Confirms Major Tribute to Friday the 13th's Betsy Palmer in Crystal Lake

After more than four decades of Jason serving as the face of the Friday the 13th franchise, his mother, Pamela Voorhees, is back in the spotlight in Crystal Lake, Peacock’s upcoming prequel series. Linda Cardellini stars as a younger version of Pamela, but there will be nods to Palmer’s portrayal for fans to spot in the new show.

Per Horror Geek Life, Cardellini spoke about Palmer’s take on Mrs. Voorhees during the Crystal Lake roundtable at TIFF 2026. The Emmy winner confirmed that she “of course watched Betsy Palmer” when preparing to take on the role of Pamela. With that said, she went into Crystal Lake knowing that she could never perfectly replicate Palmer’s performance, though there are “echoes” of that portrayal that can be felt in Cardellini’s.

Betsy Palmer’s Performance as Pamela Is Irreplaceable

Pamela Voorhees starts killing camp counselors in Friday the 13th.

“But you can’t do what Betsy did,” Cardellini said. “That’s so her own, and I would never try to mimic her. But there are echoes of her in the performance, and there are lines that Brad [Caleb Kane] and I were sure to keep in and to reiterate… But the series goes so far beyond the little bit of time that we got to be with her… I would hope [it’s] an homage to her. But nobody can do what she did. It’s so singular and spectacular in the movie.”

One major tribute to Palmer that’s been confirmed is the inclusion of the blue knit sweater that Pamela wears in the Friday the 13th movie. Not only does that sweater give Pamela a unique look in the first movie, it plays directly into the ending of the second one. For Cardellini, putting on the sweater “was so great,” given the importance that the garment has on the earlier installments of the Friday the 13th franchise.

Pamela’s Iconic Sweater Is Worn in Crystal Lake

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“Not only is that sweater important in [Part 1], but that sweater is important in [Friday the 13th Part 2], when [Amy Steel’s Ginny] puts it on and pretends to be his mother. I mean, the sweater really has its own life,” she said.

Brad Caleb Kane created the series and served as showrunner. Though it serves as a prequel to the original Friday the 13th film, it does come with a change in the timeline. The series is set in the early 1970s, deviating from the established lore that Jason drowned in the late 1950s. Crystal Lake has been teased to otherwise acknowledge the events of the movies, which is why fans should not count on seeing Jason’s familiar hockey mask making an appearance, as he didn’t acquire that look in the films until Friday the 13th Part 3.

Crystal Lake will premiere on Peacock on Oct. 15, 2026, with all eight episodes dropping simultaneously.