Nora McConnell (Jhey Castles) is the main villainess from the 2020 Lifetime film, The Pom Pom Murders (alternately titled, Ruthless Renegade and Ruthless Renegades; airdate October 24, 2020).
Introduction/Heel Turn[]
Nora McConnell is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Renegades basketball team, and the wife of owner Michael McConnell. Her introductory scene saw her accidentally bump into main protagonist Audrey Anderson, one of the new cheerleaders for the team, with Audrey expressing embarrassment after learning who it was she just talked to. Though Nora displayed a genial demeanor towards Audrey, it was quickly revealed as a mask for her mental instability.
At some point in the film's events, Nora and Michael engaged in a heated argument due to the fact that Michael had various dalliances with the team's cheerleaders. The argument also revealed that Nora had been on medication due to suffering from delusions, and she would seethe and have fits every time she watched the cheerleaders perform. Michael threatened to divorce Nora; all the while, Bailey West (one of the cheerleaders) recorded the couple's argument, and afterwards, Nora met with Bailey regarding the video on her phone, with Bailey demanding $1 million in exchange for her silence. Nora met Bailey late one evening and assured the blackmailing cheerleader that she had her payout, but at that moment, Nora turned heel by strangling Bailey to death, using a jersey belonging to the team's point guard, Walter James, as the murder weapon as part of her plan to frame him--as Walter and Bailey used to date.
Reveal[]
Nora's scowl before killing Bailey
Nora was shown with Michael and Coach Cassie giving the news about Bailey's sudden death, all the while, Walter ended up charged and accused of the murder due to his DNA being at the scene. As the film progressed, however, small hints of Nora's heel persona became apparent when she was shown having one of her fits while watching the cheerleaders; clenching her fist, scowling and shaking in manic rage. Audrey noticed Nora's behavior and asked what was wrong, with the villainess feigning normalcy before rushing to her home and informing Michael about Audrey's questions, adding that they could be implicated in Bailey's murder.
At that moment, Nora went upstairs to find Tracy Larson inside Michael's bedroom, revealing Tracy as Michael's latest tryst. Tracy--who overheard the argument--claimed that she hadn't heard what the couple was arguing about, and even if she had, she wouldn't talk. However, Nora grabbed Tracy just as she was on her way out, and later dropped her over the staircase and to her death. The villainess ordered Michael to cover up the murder by placing her body away from the scene and labelling her death as a suicide, though when that was questioned, Michael (also under Nora's orders) set up Lou as a murderer by paying him to kill Audrey after Nora lured Tracy to the sports center. Audrey ended up attacked by Lou after she found his shrine to Bailey (who he was obsessed with), with Lou denying killing Bailey and releasing Audrey before he was killed with a wrench by Nora.
After killing Lou, Nora and Michael argued again, with the latter accusing the former of intentionally killing Tracy, with a flashback showing that Nora purposely dropped Tracy and sent her to her death. In addition, while Bailey's blackmail was uncovered, it was revealed that Nora killed Bailey and set up Walter (who was released after Lou was set up), and afterwards, the evil Nora responded to Michael's threat to turn her in by stating that it would be his word against hers, adding his dalliances would make him a viable suspect.
Climax and Arrest[]
Nora outside Audrey's home in the film's climax
The film's climax saw Nora with Coach Cassie in a press conference regarding the team, though unbeknownst to Nora, Cassie was part of Audrey's plan to trap the villainess, as Audrey had figured out that Nora was the true killer. With Nora's reaction to the cheerleaders in her memory, Audrey had Cassie bring the Renegades out to perform in Tracy's memory, which led to another episode from Nora. Nora's request that Cassie stopped the performance was met with refusal, with Audrey walking up to the villainess and casually ask why seeing the cheerleaders bothered her so much, all while Audrey's mother, Jessica Anderson, recorded Nora on her phone.
While seeing images of Bailey and Lou, Nora snapped and loudly lambasted the cheerleaders as "whores," and in addition, the maniacal villainess admitted to the murders; stating that Bailey was blackmailing her and Tracy slept with Michael, while attempting to blame Lou for the murders. Nora later attempted to attack Jessica, believing that she was Bailey, before walking out in a rage. While Michael was arrested, Nora remained on the loose, and she was shown outside Audrey's house, where she shot a police officer who spotted her. The evil madwoman later entered the home and went after both Jessica and Audrey, shooting the former, but as it turned out, the actions were all in Nora's head, as the officer appeared and arrested Nora. As Nora was being arrested, she informed Audrey that the season was starting soon and asked about Tracy and Bailey, while asking Audrey to tell both of her victims that she was sorry.
Trivia[]
- This was Jhey Castles's first villainous Lifetime film role.
- Jhey Castles later played villainess Sandy Evans in 2022's The Shoplifting Pact.
Personality[]
- Nora McConnell shares similarities to Dina Gardner, the main villainess from Deception, as both were women who were driven insane by their husband's affair(s) and resorted to murder. One glaring similarity is that like Dina, Nora's murderous spree began with a victim who was blackmailing her, though the lone difference is their fates: Dina was killed, Nora was arrested.
- Nora McConnell is portrayed as a deranged and murderous psychopath, whose killings are mainly done out of scorn and immense spite. Though she attempts to mask her unstable demeanor, it comes out while watching the cheerleaders perform, and her rant against the cheerleaders revealed a misogynistic personality as one of her psychotic traits.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Blonde Woman Garroted 3