"Hargensens don't back down": Carrie star Alison Thornton explains why Chris never apologized despite getting multiple chances

Alison Thornton has explained why Chris Hargensen never truly apologized in Mike Flanagan's Carrie, even when she had multiple chances to do so. There were many scenes where viewers felt like Chris would finally apologize, but with her father on the side, she always called out White instead of accepting what she did to her.

In a recent interview with Collider Ladies Night, Thornton, who plays Chris Hargensen, explained that Chris wants the whole situation to go away and knows she could apologize. However, her father's influence keeps her from doing so. In the interview, she said:

"She has her dad in the back of her head, who, you know, the Hargensens don't back down."

She added that she and Michael Trucco, who plays Chris’s father, John Hargensen, often discussed the family’s mindset of winning at all costs.

More on the story below.

Alison Thornton explains why Chris wouldn't apologize to Carrie even when she wanted to

Carrie, created by Mike Flanagan (famous for The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass), stars Summer H. Howell as Carrie White, Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, and Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen.

After being homeschooled for years, White joins a new school, where she meets Sue and Chris. While Sue is nice to her, Chris makes it clear that she does not like White. Chris also has problems at home, including financial issues and worries about getting into a new college. When Sue jokingly comes up with the idea of Carrie Red, Chris uses it to create an Instagram account where she mocks other students and teachers. Her posts eventually lead to one teacher's death, but Chris refuses to stop.

Even when people at school start to suspect that she is behind the account, no one has enough proof to expose her. The principal gives Chris multiple chances to admit the truth, but she refuses every time. Her mother also tries to get her to confess, but Chris continues to deny it. Her father, John Hargensen, supports her in front of the principal, even though he can be harsh with her at home. Like her father, Chris refuses to accept defeat, no matter the consequences.

As the series progresses, her ego keeps getting in the way. White develops telekinetic powers, and although she initially does not want to use them to hurt anyone, the constant bullying pushes her to the edge. After the prom incident, White loses control and decides to destroy everything. Chris, in her last moments, finally seems ready to apologize. However, before she can finish saying sorry, White crushes the car with her powers, killing Chris.

She feels that backing down means accepting defeat, which stops her from apologizing to White even when she wants to. Speaking of the same, Alison Thornton said in Collider Ladies Night that:

"That's how she (Chris) has been raised. I mean, apologizing would be such a defeat and so devastating, and I think it would really jeopardize her relationship with her dad."

Alison Thornton also mentioned the moments when Chris could have apologized, including the bathroom scene where Carrie is left confused while other students bully her and record videos. Another moment comes during the meeting with the principal, where Chris and White sit with their parents. Thornton added that if their parents had not been there, Chris would have said sorry and they could have just put everything behind them to go back to how things were before. She said it was really sad because Chris could have apologized and tried to start fresh with Carrie, but her parents' presence held her back.

Thornton also explained that Chris might not have been so mean to White if the Duke opportunity had worked out. Chris sees it as a chance to leave town and get away from her family problems. Losing that chance, especially with Sue involved, makes her feel like she is stuck in the same place with no way out. Chris does not know how to deal with that frustration, so she takes it out on Carrie.

Carrie is streaming on Prime Video.

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