The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is reigniting the love for The Hunger Games movies, but the prequel is also framing some moments from the original series in a new light. Lucy Gray Baird’s Hunger Games takes place 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s time in the arena. The 10th annual tournament is much different from the Games shown in the original movies, but the prequel still finds ways to connect to 2012’s The Hunger Games and its sequels. Some of these links are noticeable, while others are more subtle.
With The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes following Hunger Games villain Coriolanus Snow during his younger years in the Capitol, it’s impossible to ignore some of the nods to what unfolds later on. After spending time in Coriolanus’ perspective and witnessing what early tournaments were like, fans will perceive the first four Hunger Games movies differently. There are a number of scenes whose impact hits harder after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, adding layers to the series overall.
10 Katniss Bowing Before The Gamemakers
The Hunger Games (2008)
While training for the 74th Hunger Games tournament, Katniss finds the gamemakers ignoring her and gets angry about it. To draw their attention to her, Katniss shoots an arrow into an apple on the tray of food they’re eating. After making her point, she bows before them, an act of defiance wrapped up in pleasantries. Lucy Gray takes a similar bow when her name is called for the 10th tournament. Before she walks off-stage, she bows before District 12 in a manner that’s eerily similar to Katniss’ gesture in The Hunger Games. The two characters have a lot in common, and watching Katniss’ bow again after the prequel underscores that.
9 The Hunger Games’ Opening Ceremony
The Hunger Games (2008) & Catching Fire (2013)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place during a time when the Hunger Games tournaments aren’t that interesting or flashy, which makes watching the 74th and 75th Games even wilder. When Katniss and Peeta partake in the Games, they’re paraded around the Capitol in ostentatious costumes. This is a testament to how much of a spectacle the tournament becomes between the prequel and the original films. The tributes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are carted off to the Capitol without fanfare, and they’re hardly given food or shelter. By contrast, Katniss and Peeta’s Games seem more merciful in their execution but more sinister in the Capitol’s response.
8 Caesar Flickerman Covering The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games (2008) & Catching Fire (2013)
Because the Hunger Games weren’t as much of a spectacle during The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the news coverage was nearly nonexistent. Lucretius Flickerman reveals he’ll be covering Lucy Gray’s Games during the prequel, a first for the Capitol’s deadly tournament — and a development that seems to lack planning and structure. By contrast, Caesar Flickerman’s coverage during the original Hunger Games series seems way more over the top. It’s clear that a lot more planning and development went into the tournament following Lucy Gray’s time in the arena, and Hunger Games and Catching Fire emphasize that.
7 President Snow’s Meeting With Katniss
Catching Fire (2013)
President Snow visits District 12 to threaten Katniss at the beginning of Catching Fire, and his interaction with her takes on new meaning after watching The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. He asks Katniss when Peeta realized her “indifference” toward him, a statement full of venom — one that may be more directed at Lucy Gray’s feelings about him than Katniss’ view of Peeta. Given Katniss’ similarities to Lucy Gray, it’s likely Snow sees his former love interest in her. That may be why he’s so vicious to her from the very beginning (and so interested in her romance with Peeta).
6 Katniss Showing Off Her Mockingjay Dress
Catching Fire (2013)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reveals that Coriolanus Snow encounters Jabberjays long before Katniss Everdeen takes on the title, and Lucy Gray even uses them to escape from him. He already has negative associations with the birds, and he likely isn’t any fonder of the Mockingjays that evolve from them. The fact that Katniss takes on this symbol while pushing back against him likely triggers Snow as much as the rebellious nature of her actions themselves. This makes the Catching Fire scene where Katniss’s wedding dress turns into a Mockingjay hit that much harder, and it makes sense of Snow’s response.
5 The Jabberjays Attacking Katniss In The Arena
Catching Fire (2013)
Jabberjays don’t just appear at the end of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; they feature prominently throughout the movie. Coriolanus even uses one to report Sejanus’ treachery, condemning his friend to gain reentry into the Capitol. This scene sheds light on a key Catching Fire moment, during which Katniss is attacked by jabberjays in the arena. They use false sounds of her loved ones being tortured in order to cause her pain. After the Hunger Games prequel, it’s clear this piece of the 75th tournament is President Snow’s doing. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes shows where he got the idea to use the birds as weapons.
4 Katniss Singing “The Hanging Tree”
Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
Katniss sings a tragic song called “The Hanging Tree” in Mockingjay – Part 1, which becomes an anthem of the revolution brewing in Panem. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes unveils the history behind this ballad, revealing that Lucy Gray originally wrote the song. This marks a compelling connection between the films, and it paints Katniss’ performance in a new light. It underscores how far back the pain and oppression in Panem goes, and it’s fitting that a former tribute’s voice is used to rally the people against the Capitol. It also highlights the connection between all those born and raised in District 12.
3 Finnick’s Broadcast About President Snow
Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
Finnick does a broadcast in Mockingjay – Part 1, one that’s meant to distract the Capitol while Gale and other soldiers rescue the tributes taken captive at the end of Catching Fire. During Finnick’s broadcast, he talks about how poison is President Snow’s weapon of choice — a revelation that takes on new meaning after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Not only does Snow give Lucy poison to defeat the other tributes, but he kills Casca Highbottom with this weapon at the movie’s end. It’s clear Snow’s tendency to use poison goes way back, and judging by the beginning of Mockingjay – Part 2, it remains his primary attack.
2 “It’s The Things We Love Most That Destroy Us”
Mockingjay – Part 1
In the midst of Gale and the rebels attempting to extract the surviving tributes from the Capitol, Katniss contacts Snow in order to distract him. Despite Katniss’ bargaining, Snow remains firm in his punishment of the districts and Peeta. He also tells Katniss, “It’s the things we love most that destroy us.” The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes adds new meaning to this line, as Snow clearly has a negative experience with his first “love.” This mindset likely stems from his time with Lucy Gray, whose relationship with Snow makes him look at love like a weakness.
1 Tigris Helping Katniss
Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
When Katniss and the rebels are making their way through the Capitol in Mockingjay – Part 2, a woman who owns a fur shop helps the group hide from the enemy. This woman is President Snow’s cousin, Tigris, who is introduced in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Although Tigris and Snow are shown to have a close relationship throughout the film, it’s clear that Tigris is questioning her cousin by the end of the prequel. The fact that she helps Katniss in Mockingjay suggests their relationship went south after the 10th annual Hunger Games. Her history with Snow makes this Hunger Games scene more powerful, showing how Tigris grows.
