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"Lou Lou" was a body double for Louella McCoy, one of the female tributes from District 12, following her death during the chariot rides. She ultimately participated and died in the 50th Hunger Games.[1]

Biography[]

Lou Lou was implied to be the daughter of traitors from District 11. She was taken to the Capitol as punishment, where she was tortured and trained to mimick Louella McCoy after she died in the chariot rides. She was starved, which resulted in the Capitol artificially plumping her face to avoid it showing.[1]

President Snow introduced her to Haymitch Abernathy after warning him to play by his rules and told him to treat her as though she was the real Louella. Plutarch Heavensbee was gobsmacked when he walked in and saw her. Lou Lou was unable to say anything of substance, solely repeating that she was Louella McCoy from District 12. After being taken to an apartment where the other District 12 tributes were, along with their mentors Wiress and Mags, they were equally as astounded by her presence. After being given a bowl of soup, she very quickly ate it with desperation. Wiress realized that she had probably been starved. This made Haymitch, who initially hated her passionately, start pitying her instead. The District 12 tributes did not want to refer to Lou Lou as "Louella," so Maysilee Donner came up with the idea of nicknaming her "Lou Lou," after a pet canary of the same name that she'd owned.[1]

Over time, the others discovered that the Capitol had implanted two devices in her body; a device in her ear to tell her the right thing to do and say, and a pump in her chest to put drugs in her body if they needed to subdue her. They also realized that they had to be careful of what they said around her as the Capitol could hear them. Her interest in seeded bread also revealed she was from District 11. Because Maysilee was scared to sleep alone in the girls' bedroom with the strange girl, Wyatt and Haymitch brought their bedclothes and some cushions into the girls' room to sleep in shifts, watching Lou Lou. Haymitch comforted the terrified girl when she grasped onto his hand while trying to sleep. Haymitch starting singing her "The Raven as a lullaby."[1] Lou Lou's ear often hurt and bled, causing her to tug on it a lot.[2]

To prevent the other tributes from figuring out Lou Lou was a different person, the other District 12 tributes made out that Louella had been patched up but was no longer right in the head. Lou Lou did not say much other than to introduce herself as Louella. During her first training session, they persuaded the others that she had brain damage and to be careful what they said around her. Wyatt kept an eye on her. She received a score of 3 after her private session with the Gamemakers.[2]

In preparation for her interview with Caesar Flickerman, she practiced in front of her mentors and fellow tributes. As she could only introduce herself by name and district, Drusilla Sickle thought she was dreadful, questioned what was wrong with her, and told her to snap out of it. Drusilla started shaking her which triggered Lou Lou who began screaming that "You're murdering us!" until Wiress took her out the room.[3]

Before her interview, stylist Magno Stift gave Lou Lou a snake to wear around her shoulders which she happily accepted and developed a bond with, wrapping its head around her arm. She brandished the snake towards the other tributes and toward the audience during her interview with Caesar Flickerman. At first, she was a sensation but when asked what the Newcomers will do after they'd killed the Careers, she growled that "You'll murder us". While causing a scene on stage, the Capitol subdued her by releasing drugs into her system via the pump in her chest. Wyatt carried her off the stage.[4]

Afterwards, the tributes from 12 had a photoshoot in Plutarch Heavensbee's mansion. Lou Lou took pictures with her snake and was given the catchphrase "All bark and no bite". Lou Lou lost her snake in the mansion before returning to the apartment.[5]

50th Hunger Games[]

In the hovercraft on the way to the arena, Lou Lou sung a District 11 harvest song. As they were sharing the craft with the District 11 tributes, they questioned how Louella knew the song. Chicory sung another song to find out if Lou Lou recognized it too, and when she did, asked for an explanation. Maysilee admitted that Lou Lou was from their district. Chicory tried to ask Lou Lou what her real name was so if there was a District 11 victor, they could tell her family back home. However, the device in her ear started hurting and her only response was shrieking. The four tributes embraced before they were separated.[6]

During the initial bloodbath, Wyatt tried to shield Lou Lou from Panache Barker and was killed by his sword. Lou Lou managed to get away and joined the rest of the Newcomers in the mountains.[7] By the second day, she ran off to find Haymitch after the Gamemakers told her to through her ear device. She made her way through the meadow and found Haymitch in the forest. Lou Lou reached for an apple on a tree but Haymitch warned her they were poisonous and offered her a safe one with a boiled egg from his pack instead.[8]

To get Lou Lou to go north with him, he told her they were going to find her snake. She kept trying to eat from poisonous bushes and trees on the way causing Haymitch to keep intervening. To create fire, Haymitch collected stones and had her hold them to keep her occupied. They worked their way through the stones until one ignited a fire and cooked baked potatoes for dinner.[8]

Death[]

Lou Lou died on the second day of the 50th Hunger Games. While walking north with Haymitch, she discovered a plant of bee balm and excitedly buried her face in them to smell as they reminded her of home. However, like most things in the arena, they were poisoned. Lou Lou began choking while Haymitch tried to console her, until blood poured out of her eyes, nose and mouth. She then started convulsing and recognizing she was in tremendous pain, Haymitch begged the Gamemakers to pump a lethal dose of drugs into her using the pump they implanted to put her out of her misery. They did not oblige so Haymitch pulled the device and ended her life himself.[8] He then whispered to the Gamemakers into the device in her ear that they did this to her and called them murderers.[9]

When the hovercraft arrived to collect Lou Lou's body, Haymitch refused to hand her over without a fight. To force him, the Gamemakers sent deadly butterfly muttations after him. When they stung him, he dropped Lou Lou in a jolt of pain and her body was retrieved by the Capitol. It is unknown what the Capitol did with her body,[9] if it was sent to District 12 under Louella's name or if the real Louella was sent.[10] During the Victory Tour, Haymitch looked around District 11 for Lou Lou's family, but couldn't find any.[11]

Physical description[]

Lou Lou looks exactly like Louella, same size, height, heart shaped face, big gray eyes and long dark hair. The Capitol likely altered parts of her appearance so she'd be a passable body double for Louella. However, her body was bony and her face had been noticeably plumped to make it look fuller.[1]

Trivia[]

  • She was actually from District 11, but she was forced to represent District 12 in the Hunger Games.
  • Lou Lou is the first and only known body double to have participated in The Hunger Games.
  • Lou Lou bears similarity with another tribute, the victor Woof, as both attempted to put poisonous organisms in their mouth at the training stations.[12][13]

References[]

Sunrise on the Reaping
Main Characters Haymitch AbernathyMaysilee Donner
Supporting Characters Lenore DoveLouella McCoyWyatt CallowPlutarch HeavensbeePresident Snow
Tributes Panache BarkerLoupeSilka SharpCaratAlpheusJanusCamillaNonaAmpertLectDioCoilUrchinAnglerBarbaMaritteHychelFisserAnionPotenaMilesAtreadWellieVeloBircherHeartwoodAutumnRinginaWeftonRipmanNotionAlawnaRyanClaytonKernaMidgeBuckStampLanniePeelerHullTileChicoryBlossomWyatt CallowHaymitch AbernathyMaysilee DonnerLouella McCoyWoodbine ChanceLou Lou
Mentors BeeteeWiressMags
Minor Characters Willamae AbernathySid AbernathyMayor AllisterTam AmberBlairJethro CallowClerk Carmine CladeMerrilee DonnerBurdock EverdeenAsterid MarchCayson McCoyIma McCoyOtho MellarkHattie MeeneyCaesar FlickermanFaustina GripperIncitatus LoomyDrusilla SickleMagno StiftEffie TrinketProserpina TrinketVitus
Groups CareersNewcomersCoveyCapitolGamemakers
Locations District 11District 12The CapitolThe AcademyThe ArenaThe Meadow
Behind the Scenes Suzanne CollinsJefferson White
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