A new generation of horror fans, along with longtime aficionados of the original Friday the 13th, are gearing up to “cha-cha-cha, ah-ah-ah” once again, as A24 and Peacock prepare to return to Crystal Lake, back before a masked maniac began stalking overzealous campers and their unlucky friends.

The series Crystal Lake will serve as a prequel to the films, focusing on the infamous camp where Jason Voorhees would later carry out much of his killing. It will also explore the nearby town and its residents, with his mother, Pamela Voorhees, expected to play a central role in the story.

For those unfamiliar with the Friday the 13th lore and the backstory of the ultimate boy mom, Mrs. Voorhees, here’s a breakdown of everything we know about the murderous mother and why she harbors such intense hatred for camp counselors.

Who is playing Mrs. Voorhees in Crystal Lake?

Beloved genre actress Linda Cardellini has been cast as tiger mom Pamela Voorhees. Cardellini is probably best known for her roles as the worst stepdaughter ever Chutney in Legally Blonde (2001), Velma in Scooby-Doo (2002), Judy Hale in Netflix’s Dead to Me (2019) and for her part in the MCU as Mrs. Hawkeye, Laura Barton.

When did audiences first meet Mrs. Voorhees?

Pamela Voorhees was first introduced in the original Friday the 13th film in 1980. Seemingly a kind, unassuming woman with a fondness for wool sweaters and short, coiffed hair, she was driven to murderous rage after the tragic and entirely preventable death of her son, Jason.

The character was portrayed on the big screen by actress Betsy Palmer.

Where did Mrs. Voorhees come from?

Born in 1930 in Cadiz, Ohio, not much is known about Pamela’s childhood until 1946 when she married Elias Voorhees.

Who is Mr. Voorhees?

Elias Voorhees is first mentioned in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Little else is revealed about him in the films, as he is only briefly referenced. The character was reportedly intended to appear in two Friday the 13th installments, but it never happened.

In the comic Friday the 13th: Pamela’s Tale (2007, WildStorm/DC Comics), readers were formally introduced to Elias Voorhees, who was portrayed as a monstrous figure in his own right. He married Pamela while she was still a teenager and quickly began abusing her. After one violent assault, Pamela took revenge by killing Elias with an axe and giving him a watery grave in Crystal Lake.

Is Elias Voorhees Jason’s father?

While the films make mention of Elias as Jason’s father, Friday the 13th: The Game goes into greater detail about Pamela and Elias’s relationship through a series of tapes players can find.

According to the game, Pamela was already pregnant due to an assault and she was hoping Elias would step up and be the hero she and her son needed. She married Elias “because he was strong” and she wanted his protection.

It is unknown if Crystal Lake will use this backstory as part of their narrative as it is not part of the film franchise.

Why does Mrs. Voorhees hate the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake so much?

Years before the events of Friday the 13th, young Jason attended Camp Crystal Lake as a camper. Born with hydrocephalus (an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain), he required constant supervision from camp counselors. Unfortunately, the staff at Camp Crystal Lake were more interested in high school hijinks and late-night shenanigans than caring for a boy with special needs. As a result of their neglect and bullying, Jason drowned in the lake.

His death drove Pamela over the edge, as she vowed revenge on every counselor to work at Camp Crystal Lake.

In 1958, one year after Jason’s drowning, Pamela caught two counselors, Barry and Claudette, sneaking off for some alone time in the barn. She killed them both with a machete.

Their murders led to the closure of Camp Crystal Lake, which locals began referring to as “Camp Blood.”

What happened at Camp Crystal Lake in 1979?

After spending years sabotaging the camp to ensure it never reopened, Pamela’s efforts were ultimately undone by Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer), who enlisted a group of young friends to help bring Camp Crystal Lake back to life.

Pamela did not take kindly to his plans and set out to stop him by any means necessary. She took it upon herself to murder each and every would-be rehabber using various weapons, including hidden arrows, machetes, and axes.

How did Pamela die?

After revealing herself to final girl Alice and explaining her grief-fueled rage over Jason’s death, Pamela offered to help Alice find her now-deceased friends. The two struggled at the camp, and in a moment of desperation, Alice grabbed a machete and decapitated Pamela.

Although she was never resurrected like her son Jason, Pamela did reappear throughout the franchise in various forms. In Friday the 13th Part 2, it was revealed that Jason kept her mummified head as a shrine. In Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), she was heard in voiceovers.

In the Friday the 13th 2009 reboot, Pamela’s death was shown in the opening sequence—killed by a machete-wielding counselor—while a young Jason secretly witnessed the scene. It became a defining moment that shaped his path as the infamous killer.

Crystal Lake, TBA, Peacock