Welcome back to Autostraddle’s weekly coverage of Yellowjackets! This is your Yellowjackets 305 recap, where I’ll obsessively break down “Did Tai Do That?”, which was written by Sarah L. Thompson and Elise Brown and directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd, who also directed “Digestif” from last season. I wrote a list of queer book recommendations inspired by Yellowjackets — did you read it? As a reminder, try to bury any spoilers in your comments a few sentences down so they don’t appear on the homepage. Also, all the recaps for the season are sooooo close to having 100 comments on each of them — let’s get this one to triple digits! I love chatting with y’all!
“Did Tai Do That?” opens with Misty in the morgue looking at Lottie’s body. But we see them as their teenage selves, reflecting Misty’s own point of view. All of the adult Yellowjackets are stuck in the past and stunted in some way, but that’s always the most cut and dry when it comes to Misty, who still calls the others her teammates, still has old memorabilia up in her bedroom, and doesn’t see any difference between herself in the wilderness and her self today. Indeed, Teen Misty and Adult Misty are the most similar across the board than any other teen/adults pairings. She has always been exactly who she is. In some ways, it makes her the easiest character to understand. There’s a satisfying directness about her. Many of her actions could easily be described as chaotic, but they aren’t really for her. Misty is the most predictable of them all.
She sits down Van, Shauna, and Tai and tells them Lottie is dead. She says it feels fishy, and Shauna’s first instinct is to ask Misty where she was when it happened. Shauna’s still convinced Misty has been up to shenanigans. But Misty points out it would be absurd to murder Lottie and then hold a meeting with all of them about it. Misty storms out of her own house before returning and telling them to leave. Christina Ricci’s comedic delivery remains spectacular. I think Misty assumed this would unite all the Yellowjackets again with a common goal (solving Lottie’s murder), but Shauna is too busy scapegoating Misty and Tai and Van are in their weird delusional lesbian lala land. No one’s feeling seduced by the promise of a murder mystery today. The scene admittedly feels a little…stiff? Maybe the characters are in denial, but their reactions to the reveal of Lottie’s death are very subdued. It does make it seem like any one of them could potentially be her killer.
In the wilderness, fresh off his guilty verdict, Coach Ben is being kept prisoner in the animal pen awaiting an uncertain fate. He tries to butter up Akilah by talking to her about the baby animals and how his mother used to foster kittens. I love this tidbit from his backstory, because we also learned last episode that his parents were very uninvolved in his life and left him to fend for herself. I’ve encountered adults who exhibit these exact contradictions: barely caring for their own children while giving all their caretaking energy to animals and pets. It’s messed up!
The girls are still deciding exactly what to do with Ben. Nat wants there to be “another way,” and it quickly becomes clear they’re talking about killing him. Shauna wants to serve poetic “justice” by burning him at the stake. Melissa chimes in to support the idea: “It’s what he wanted for us.” Nat proposes a firing squad so it’s quick and more “humane.” None of this, of course, is humane. They’re literally going to murder a man. Not only is this not a form of justice; it’s also just stupid to do from a survival standpoint. They could be integrating Ben back into the society they’ve created for themselves so he could help contribute to their collective efforts to survive. But that’s the problem: They’re thinking in groupthink ways not in collective ways, and there’s a stark difference.
Shauna thinks Nat should be the one to shoot Ben since she’s the best shot. She’s clearly goading Nat, who she knows actually cares about Ben. Shauna’s wickedness has no bounds this season, and I’m extremely enjoying this depiction of a teenage girl filled with rage. Nat says since it’ll be at close range, anyone can do it, so they’ll draw for it. Van proposes the King of Hearts as the card: “The suicide king.”
In the present, Shauna is tailing Misty. But someone is tailing Shauna. It’s like Fast & Furious: Jersey Suburbs Edition. Shauna notices the Mustang behind her and pulls into an alley before slamming on her brakes so she’s rear-ended. The last time Shauna got in a fender bender, she ended up having an affair with a younger man who she then murdered. I don’t think there’s a risk of romance here though: The person tailing her is Walter. He thinks Shauna killed Lottie. She has a body count after all. But so do Misty and Walter. There are a lot of murderers in this crew.
But only one of those murderers was a bloodthirsty teen who is practically giggling at the prospect of executing her varsity soccer coach. In the wilderness, Shauna smiles during the draw. She’s entertained, hungry. But it’s Tai who ends up with the King of Hearts. There have been multiple moments of characters staring directly at the camera this season: Shauna in the premiere, and now Tai here. I like it. This is a season that urges you not to look away, even as the characters do some of their most depraved acts.
Adult Tai and Van are having lunch at a restaurant, and Van is seemingly the only one processing Lottie’s death. She can’t believe Lottie just died after everything she survived before. Tai is more concerned with what they’re going to order from the restaurant; she wants to try everything. I think it’s safe to say we’re getting a lot of Other Tai (love the commenter who posited “Alterna-Tai”) this season, seen in the plain fact that suddenly Tai doesn’t seem to be a vegetarian anymore. Her demeanor is super unsettling. Van asks where she was for the hour she disappeared last episode, and Tai asks if she’s accusing her of murdering Lottie. Van responds that that’s not what she’s saying, but then they’re interrupted by a phone call from Simone.
Solving a murder all by her lonesome, Misty heads to the stairwell where Lottie was found dead, which we learn is located in the fancy apartment building where Lottie grew up and where her father still lives. So it makes sense that this was a place Lottie dreamed about in the wilderness. The doorman fills in some backstory: that Lottie lived here in the city until her parents divorced and then moved to Jersey with her mom. Her father used to be a “Wall Street titan” back in the day but now has health issues, and Lottie has been “living with him for weeks.”
In the wilderness, Van and Tai are practicing execution, and it’s every bit as bleak as that sounds! They’ve carved a sad face into a tree that she can practice aiming at, but images of Coach Ben’s smiling face keep popping into Tai’s head as she’s holding the gun. A vicious side of Van comes out here; she clearly thinks Ben should die. Tai is less sure, even though she was pretty game to literally prosecute him last week. The uncertainty tracks though; as she says herself, it’s one thing to say someone should die and another to do it.
Van has an idea: What if Other Tai does the killing? She compares Tai’s situation to Steve Urkel becoming Stefan Urquelle (the episode title’s Family Matters reference suddenly makes sense). Jasmin Savoy Brown and Liv Hewson are super funny here, but it’s also another scene that disturbs in the same way as the entire trial last episode. The Family Matters references remind us of their youth, but the context of the conversation — that they’re literally discussing executing someone and dissociating to do it — makes it extremely macabre. These are children who are contemplating murder, and they’re learning in real-time the limits of this kind of “justice.” Van is suggesting Tai essentially kill her humanity in order to do this. She simultaneously is insisting Ben has to die while acknowledging Tai will have to become someone else entirely in order to do it. She’s grasping at something that isn’t possible, trying to absolve them from what they’re about to do.
In other gay happenings, Melissa approaches Shauna who’s sharpening her special knife on her special log. She wants to be left alone, so Melissa slams down the gift she made for her and walks away, but Shauna stops her by asking why she likes her. “You say that like there’s nothing to like, and sure, I get it,” Melissa says. “Jackie kinda treated you like shit. Jeff acted like you were a dirty secret, and you totally let them. But now? You’ve changed out here, and I like that you’re not afraid of the bad parts of yourself anymore.”
The gift she brought her? A handmade leather sheath for her knife. In its own twisted way, it’s quite romantic.
Misty brings Ben a meal, and he’s surprised by its quality, tries to make a joke. But his face completely falls when he realizes what’s happening. Misty tells him a firing squad is coming at dusk. He’s in disbelief but also despondent. He knows there’s nothing he can do. Misty says a tearful goodbye. It’s all very devastating!
Lottie wants Akilah to return to the caves, which sounds like a horrible fucking idea, but Lottie is Queen of Horrible Fucking Ideas.
Misty rings the doorbell of the penthouse Lottie’s father is living in and spins a tale about being Mary from the fifth floor. She convinces him to let her in, and he rambles about some meeting he has but clearly seems confused. She pulls the bank slip out of Lottie’s fur coat. It’s for a withdrawal of $50k. Misty suggest possible foulplay in Lottie’s death, and her dad shuts it down swiftly, saying Artie down at the station will lose financial backing if he says otherwise. So it feels very much like Lottie’s dad is covering something up or has a reason not to want an investigation into Lottie’s death. I don’t think he was necessarily involved; I just think he’s probably an evil guy (see: Wall Street titan) who doesn’t want anyone looking into anything in proximity to him.
Misty isn’t the only one playing citizen detective in the penthouse. Walter AND Shauna are both here. They’re disguised as tech guys “fixing” the internet so Walter can hack Lottie’s internet history. Misty accuses Walter of rebounding with Shauna. I worried there wasn’t going to be enough humor this season without the Misty/Nat dysfunctional duo teamup, but my fears are unfounded! I could watch these three in a scene together any time — they’re so funny.
Teen Van and Tai are trying to figure out how to trigger turning her into Other Tai. Van suggests listening to the trees, but then they land on fucking against a tree. Sex has brought Other Tai out before, so why not try it again! Van tops Tai against a tree, and I take back everything I wrote a couple recaps back about the energy between these two being more bro-y than romantic/sexual. The chemistry here is fantastic. It’s a great episode overall for both actors. Also, Liv Hewson and Lauren Ambrose are getting so good at mirroring each other that I’m starting to forget they’re separate actors giving separate performances.
Lottie, Akilah, and Travis head to the caves, and we’re definitely seeing the early seeds of Lottie’s cult leader future in the way she’s talking to Akilah and convincing her to do something she clearly does not want to do. Lottie thinks the gas in the caves is acting as a conduit for the wilderness and showing them crucial visions. Their plan is to tether Akilah with a rope to Travis so they can go in and extract her when the gas knocks her out. Travis wants to call it off, but Lottie reminds him he saw her in his vision. The way Travis reacts to this makes me even more convinced Travis saw no such thing and just pawned Akilah off on Lottie so she’d leave him alone. Lottie enlists Travis to help convince Akilah. Again, the cult leader vibes are strong.
In the penthouse, Misty is still trolling around for clues, refusing to collaborate with Misty and Walter. We’ve got a Citizen Detective Competition here! Misty messes with their investigation, sending Shauna and Walter out into the hall. I remain so entertained by the fact that Shauna as an adult is so bad at lying despite constantly doing it. Her little knock on the wall!
Finally, Tai remembers she has a wife and child. She meets Simone and Sammy at a playground. For some reason, Van JOINS for this? She sits next to Simone when Tai goes over to Sammy. “So, you’re her, huh?” Simone asks, making it clear she and Tai had talked about Van in the past. The way she says it makes it sound like Van was a point of contention in their relationship. We don’t see exactly what goes down between Sammy and Tai here, but Sammy scoops up his dog and walks away from her, making it clear something off occurred.
Shauna asks Walter why Lottie wouldn’t have come and stayed with her dad after getting out of her psychiatric hold. He says maybe she needed a friend and then lectures Shauna on how she’s squarely not a friend to Misty. Shauna points out he’s sabotaging her investigation, but he says he’s giving her a challenge because he knows it’s what makes her toes curl. Shauna wonders if he maybe killed Lottie just to orchestrate giving Misty this “challenge.” I’ve had the same thought, too. Walter offers some of his hair to Shauna as mutually assured destruction. He’ll give her his hair if she gives him some of hers so they can check it against the DNA found at the murder scene. Shauna refuses, but Walter is able to extract hair from her hat anyway. At this point, it kinda seems like any of these characters could have killed Lottie, which makes me think it’s none of them. Do we know what Callie got up to last episode? If the DNA comes back as a match for Shauna, could that also be a match for Callie?
Following their tree fucking, Van and Tai are wondering if it worked. Tai pretends to be Other Tai briefly. They try a different tactic: ritual sacrifice. Tai slits the throat of a rabbit and repeats Lottie’s grounding exercise as she does so. There’s a rustling wind right after, but not transformation occurs. The teen versions of the characters are essentially doing the same thing their adult counterparts did last episode: desperately trying to fulfill a ritual when really they’re trying to create control and meaning where there is none. The girls think they’re enacting law and order by sentencing Ben to death, but just as carceral systems in the outside world provide a false illusion of “order” when really just reifying hierarchies and oppressive power structures, they’re actually sowing chaos. Their society is fractured, and they’re seeking control in these rituals in attempts to make sense of senseless violence.
Also busy doing a ritual that probably means nothing, Lottie and Travis send Akilah into the cave to hallucinate. It gets off to a rocky start! Akilah indeed passes out, and Travis and Lottie try to extract her.
Walter and Misty are still beefing in the present, and Misty isn’t really taking the bait on playing this game with him. It’s possible Walter played his cards wrong here.
Shauna, meanwhile, wanders into Lottie’s bedroom. She still has a framed photo next to her bed of them all as teens. Images of Lottie as a teen and an adult pop into Shauna’s mind as she looks around, including mostly things we’ve seen before but one we have not, of Lottie’s face covered in what looks like blood.
Lottie’s father then mistakes Shauna for a teenaged Lottie. She turns, and Melanie Lynskey has indeed been replaced with Courtney Eaton. “Too bad I’m not one of those crazy voices in your head, maybe then you’d listen,” he says to her. They sit on the bed and Shauna keeps up the charade of pretending to be Lottie. “Sometimes it’s hard to show love the way we want to,” she says, hugging him. She’s manufacturing some closure for both of them. Shauna does look genuinely emotional, but I think it has less to do specifically with grieving Lottie and more to do with guilt and shame from her past. I mean, Shauna almost killed Lottie all those years ago. It would be a mindfuck to then be investigating her murder decades later.
Tai sits in Sammy’s room, and we flash back to what happened in the playground. Sammy apparently said “are you not my mom anymore?” It could be perceived as him expressing anxiety about her and Simone separating, but it could also be him asking if she’s Other Tai right now. He has always been attuned to the times when she’s Other Tai. And when Van walks in and asks if she’s okay, Tai asks if she wants a change of scenery, speaking in the flat, ominous tone Other Tai usually takes on.
In the cave, Akilah wakes up finally and tells Lottie and Travis she saw something. We see her vision as she describes it. She’s standing at the edge of a cliff, and a giant version of Ben acts as a bridge for her to walk across, where a foggy version of the outside world awaits. She says she felt hope.
Back at camp, Ben cradles a baby goat and nods off, hearing his boyfriend Paul whisper “come home to me, Ben.” It’s not the first time Ben has imagined his boyfriend’s voice while on the precipice of death. The group retrieves him and pushes him against a tree. Nat takes the heart necklace off of herself and puts it on him, crying as she does.
“What the fuck are you guys doing?” Ben asks the group. “You cannot possibly want to do this. You can’t even look at me. It’s me. It’s Coach Scott. Fuck, you know me. Look where we are, none of this is who we are. Listen to me, this is not who you are. This is not who you are. This is not who you are.” Steven Krueger is giving a damn good performance.
Gen approaches with a sack to cover his face, and he says he wants them to all look at him directly if they’re going to go through with this. “You don’t deserve that,” Gen seethes at him.
“What kind of monsters have you all become?” he shouts. His shouts turn into a quiet, desperate, devastating begging for his life. The camera closes in on Tai, who is crying. Van says “Tai?” and she responds “it’s be alright” in that same Other Tai voice. But is it really Other Tai? Or is Tai just doing the voice to trick herself and Van into believing this isn’t really her as a way to dissociate from it all?
Right as she’s about to pull the trigger, Lottie enters and pushes him out of the way. Akilah says they can’t kill him because he’s their bridge home.
His life is spared for now, but Shauna and Melissa find him later that night in the pen. Shauna’s holding her knife. “You do it,” she says to Melissa, handing it to her. Melissa at first insists she can’t. “You shouldn’t be scared of the bad parts of you either,” Shauna says. Melissa digs the knife into Ben’s ankle so he has no chance of running away. “Rid of Me” by PJ Harvey kicks in in the best needledrop of the season so far.
Melissa and Shauna walk back to the others and announce he isn’t going anywhere as Ben screams in the background. “You don’t have to enjoy it so much,” Nat says. “And you don’t have to act like such a fucking saint,” Shauna responds. She reaches for Melissa’s bloodied hand and grips it, prompting a cocked eyebrow from Van. Shauna and Melissa have officially announced themselves as the group’s new evil gay couple.
Someone in the comments last week mentioned that Melissa is sort of playing Lady Macbeth to Shauna, and I love that, but I want to push it even further and posit that they’re both playing Lady Macbeth to each other in some sort of fucked up cycle. Shauna convinces Melissa to do this act of violence and in turn further cements her own power. TWO Lady Macbeths is a terrifying prospect. Tai had to turn off her humanity to be able to aim a gun at Ben’s head, and I think Shauna turned off her humanity a long time ago when she had to butcher and cook Javi. As with the Javi incident, there’s no real coming back from what they’re doing to Ben — no return, as the theme song repeats over and over.
Ben is right: They’ve all become monstrous. They’ve convinced themselves this is how to survive. They only don’t end up killing Ben not because they’ve had a change of heart but because they believe he’s their ticket out according to a vision of Akilah’s. So they still have tunnel vision, only caring about their own survival instead of the group as a whole. We’re watching these instincts repeat themselves in their futures as well, the adult Yellowjackets disjointed in their attempts at self-preservation. The monsters are still inside them.
Do they seek to kill Ben for “revenge” for the fire? Or are they killing him because he’s the one who sees those monsters and who names them as such? For now, he is alive, but the girls aren’t any less monstrous for it.
Last Buzz:
- Misty threatening the guy in the morgue is peak Misty; I feel like she’s getting some of her powers back.
- I laughed at Shauna’s dying of “old age” joke about Ben and do think she was just making a joke about how long it was taking them to debate the issue, but I also wondered if it signaled something a little deeper, like that Shauna thinks they’re never actually getting out of the wilderness.
- “You were my first boyfriend…and amputation.”
- Walter saying he knows what makes Misty’s toes curl instantly reminded me of one of my favorite Misty moments ever from season one: “Bubble baths. Walks in the rain. Muscular calves. Escalators. Knuckles. Steamed clams, obviously.”
Amazing acting from Sammi, Liv, and Jasmin. I especially love seeing the wildness and darkness in young Van and Liv looks amazing this season.
I saw a theory on Reddit I liked, what if Ben could save himself by telling the girls about the pit and food he found? Maybe there are more! Why didn’t Mari say anything about it??
And Callie being involved in Lottie’s death is the only way that could be interesting to me. Someone else picking the adults off one by one just doesn’t appeal to me. It is somewhat interesting to bring her dad into it, though, because I know some theorize that there was some coverup involved in the private plane crash. Curious to see where it’ll go but it isn’t my preferred storyline, I miss Simone Kessel already!
oh yeah great question — why HASN’T Mari told the others about hot chocolate + bear spray? i feel like Ben wasn’t totally forthcoming with her about his supplies, but she would have clocked these two things as being things he found outside the cabin.
ohhHHhh yeah i wonder if by saying it was an accident to Misty he was confused and actually talking about the crash and NOT her death. that would make so much sense
Ohh I hadn’t registered that about that comment from Lottie’s dad being about the crash!! Very intriguing
For my filler this week, I will drop a fun tidbit: my childhood friend who now lives in California goes to Sammi Hannratty’s dad for her dentist! I had no idea he was a dentist, and I think it would be incredibly hard for me to continue to see a dentist while such a massive fan of this show and not fangirl out every time I went, so kudos to my friend.
What does it say about the number of times people have tried to/succeeded in kill(ing) each other that I literally had to go back thru my mental list to remember when Shauna almost killed Lottie? I agree that the Lauren/Liv symmetry is so flawless it’s almost disturbing, and the more depraved teen Shauna gets, the harder it is to reconcile with the mild mannered (albeit with simmering rage underneath) adult Shauna we normally see. She’s more snark than savage now, even when she killed Adam, that was a fear response, not a bloodthirsty one. How will they resolve this widening chasm between the 2 versions of herself? The fact that she’s now pressuring Melissa into joining the bloodletting is also incredibly disturbing. I agree, i think she crossed over and lost her humanity having to carve up and eat Javi, who she had been acting as protector to. After all, it was her who told him to run when they were on mushrooms and if he had stayed away, he might still be alive. RIP Javi.
Another week, another Hilary Swank-free episode. Is she not gonna show up til the season finale?
haha love the tidbit! so random!
see it’s so interesting because i don’t find Shauna mild mannered and never have — not even since the pilot! when she cursed out a lady on Jeopardy while ironing!! and then a couple episodes later when she killed a rabbit in her garden!!
WHERE IS SWANK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, she’s definitely savage when she’s alone, but in public with anyone other than her fellow teammates, she’s puts on the good front, like with Jackie’s parents, or Alana’s mom.
Totally! Adult Shauna’s third or fourth line in the whole series was something like, “I don’t care what you meant, you smug little bitch.”
Oh I am so hype that my Lady Macbeth reference made it into the recap! I feel very cool rn.
Hopefully this covers spoileryness!
I LOVED this episode. Maybe my favourite this season. The balance of humour and shenanigans alongside real heartwrenching darkness is my personal sweet spot, and I think its why I am often drawn to genre shows (though I am not 100% sure if YJ is defined at that?)
In the past, I loved it really feeling like and ensemble, with us seeing these different reactions to what is happening while all convening together. The fact that even in her distress over Ben, Misty still counts him as her first boyfriend. Tai and Van using sex as a way to try and make Tai into other Tai and the playfulness of their discussion about death. The Gulliver’s Travels-esque Akilah vision. Van’s queer eyebrow raise at the handhold between Shauna and Melissa.(also the bloody handhold was hot!) Absolutely love the two Lady Macbeth theory, it really feels like that and I can’t wait to see more of Melissa and that dynamic develop. The brutality of cutting Ben’s ankle – I personally would have interpreted him being the bridge as sending him out to look for rescue, but these girls aren’t operating on logic.
With the adults – obsessed with them mirroring Shauna and Adam with Shauna and Walter, and Misty definitely interpreting citizen detectiving together as them being in a relationship. I similarly could watch the three of them interact forever. I hope the fact we saw Simone and Sammi will stop alot of the people complaining about their absence.
I am really excited to see where the story will take us next. I am enjoying the ride so much!
yes thank you for the Lady Macbeth contribution!!!
I LOVED THE BLOODY HANDHOLD SO MUCH.
i feel like my analysis of the vision is that Ben IS their bridge to the outside world in that he represents their last connection to the people they were before the wilderness. he is the tether to their humanity. but that tether has snapped in their treatment of him.
i’m enjoying the ride as well, thanks for contributing to the convo!!
Oh! And Steve the dog is alive and well! So, we can all rest easy on that missing plot point. Simone looks pretty good for having nearly been killed, guess it’s been a few months since they got back from cultville.
STEEEEEVE
What an episode! This season’s been a trip so far and I’m excited for the back half. Some thoughts on this week:
– “She’s a sister to me in all the ways that matter” “Like legally?”
– I hope nothing else bad happens to Simone; she really deserves peace
– I felt so sure Misty would secretly poison Ben to spare him from being shot. Love how this show keeps me on my toes
– Toes
– Citizen Detectives Walter and Shauna vs Misty was a fun plot. Heartbreaking scene with Shauna and Lottie’s dad though
– Odds that the cliff and city in the distance in Akilah’s vision are real?
– Great “Rid of Me” needle drop, also reminds me of Halt and Catch Fire’s great “Rid of Me” needle drop
– Shauna holding Melissa’s bloodied hand—iconic
– Give Liv Hewson an award for that look Van gives Shauna
Simone FOR REAL deserves peace and omg that side eye she gave to Van…….honestly deserved!!!!
the bloodied handhold is def one of my favorite images TO DATE
YES TO GIVING LIV HEWSON AWARDS
I think that it’s unlikely that the city is real. If they were that close to a city, they’d have been found by now. I imagine that it’s a metaphor for being civilized.
yeah 100% think it was operating as metaphor, just like coach as bridge etc
starting to feel stressed out any time one of these ladies gets into a vehicle.
love how the modern day survivors are splintering as the group in the woods is splintering. in season 1, they didn’t trust each other. they came together around adam’s murder; then apart again; it’s like they’re always oscillating between being on the same vs. opposing teams.
i see why they said this season is darker. none of this is about survival anymore. it’s actually, as you point out, actively counter-productive when it comes to survival! it reminds me of something i read recently (with apologies to the author whose name i’m forgetting) that basically every day we create the society we live in, with all its injustices and violence, and every day we could just wake up and choose to create something else! but we don’t! these girls aren’t! it’s so fucking dark dude!
this season is doing so much to connect past and present lottie (ironic, considering simone kessel is gone now), drawing the lines between unwilling sage to cult leader! there’s something bone-chilling about all her interactions with akilah, how they mirror her relationship with leah and even adult nat in season 2!! i see simone in courtney in this episode! lottie’s going to get akilah killed
also some lines that will live in my head rent free forever:
– mutually assured destruction can be devastatingly effective
– what, do you think i killed lottie and then ran to meet you at a pretzel cart?
– you killed lottie to get misty’s toes off
– i can’t believe i let someone as despicable as you give caligula a bath
LOVED this episode <3 <3
“it’s like they’re always oscillating between being on the same vs. opposing teams.” yes 1000% this — and in both timelines, too!
IT IS SO BLEAK but yes instead of surviving they are regressing + defaulting to what they Know of the outside world — a cruel place, and that cruelty is heightened in their setting because of the isolation and desperation.
I AM SO WORRIED ABOUT AKILAH because yeah Lottie has sunken her claws IN.
one other thing i need to have on the record is where? did they get a GOAT?
That’s what I said to my friend and she said it wasn’t weird!! But it’s totally weird right? I can accept rabbits and ducks no problem, but a domesticated goat?
I guess like, mountain goats are relatively wild? And they can travel far? Brb doing a goat deep dive
i think it was supposed to be a wild mountain goat but they obvs had to work with a domesticated goat for the scene. i suppose they could have skipped the goat, but i really don’t mind lol
there were sooooo many good offhand comments in this episode that might be hinting at the mysteries we are still trying to unravel!!
– lottie’s dad thinks she’s a child still when he says that it “was an accident” and they can’t report it. there’ve been a lot of theories about the plane crash being intentional in some way that I don’t necessarily believe, but this does make it seem like the chances of actual human error being involved in the crash are high. I don’t think there’s any chance he was talking about Lottie’s present day death!
– travis and lottie lowering akilah into the cave and lottie not letting travis go in for her early parallel lottie lifting travis on the crane. did he know lottie wouldn’t stop but did it anyways? it seems like yes!
– the way melissa is isolating shauna from the group by encouraging her worst impulses is an important part of how shauna escalates. a lot of people see a dissonance in teen/adult shauna, but i think in all timelines she’s very defined by who she is “dating”. it makes sense that she’d be a wannabe popular girl with jackie, adventurous and spontaneous with adam, cruel with melissa, and normie with jeff. the only time she was truly on her own , her personality was depression era
1. i think you’re sooooo right about this but hadn’t thought about it until someone else mentioned it up top
2. GREAT point about this too, def had a similar vibe
3. totally agree with all of this!!!!! she CONSUMES the people around her
Wait SUCH a great point about Shauna taking on the people close to her!! I’m so interested in the post-rescue dynamic between Shauna and Melissa will be (if Melissa indeed survives) and how that’d clash with Shauna’s Jeff persona.
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Kayla, did you notice that Melissa is wearing a butterfly shirt now? Surely there’s no significance to that.
wowwEEEE great point!!!! i hadn’t clocked initially but did on my second rewatch (also lol yes have already seen this episode 3 times i take this job VERY SERIOUSLY)
someone above pointed out Shauna’s tendency to “merge” with the objects of her desire 👀 feel like this is yet another example of that, because i think it goes both ways
loved this episode so much! loving the recaps, they’re basically part of my yellowjacket routine at this point!
– currently developing a theory that Akilah is another survivor and is getting revenge for being forced to inhale toxic gasses and not getting the respect she deserves for looking after all the livestock!( but i think this is just wishful thinking on my part lol)
– hoping that the sammy/simone scenes are not the only ones we see this season cuz the tai/sammy story was rly interesting in S1, would be a shame if this was all we got.
– amazing needle drop this episode
– turns out i can watch them eat people but ben getting his achilles tendon cut is the thing to make me close my eyes!
-beginning to get the sneaking suspicion we’re going to have another cop story with hillary swank investigating the adult YJs in regards to lotties death but i really hope i’m wrong!
ugh yeah i am not interested in another cop storyline
the ankle slice was SO FUCKED!!!! i think just also it was just so heightened by the fact that shauna pressured melissa to do it and melissa was somewhat gleeful about it. made it so much harder to watch!!!
First of all, can I just say that teen Shauna is the worst and I think in another world she could have also been a pretty good cult leader herself? What she’s lacking in charisma she could make up for in her ability to bend people to her will because this is two weeks in a row where she got other people on board with her nonsense.
Last week when I floated my Callie theory it was a little half baked (as was I) but now I think I’m all in on it because yes, where was she? And It would be a great plot point to have a mistaken ID with Shauna’s hair because her and Callie share DNA and Walter pulled a partial match.
Shauna is SO SCARY and indeed this season we’ve seen her really convince other people through sheer aggression — much different approach than Lottie but in some ways even more effective/devastating.
i’m reeeeeally into the callie theory!
There is something that I can’t get over from S2…when Shauna takes Callie out of town to talk with her, and it turns into her confessing to murder (oh Shauna…) and Callie asks why someone would blackmail the Yellowjackets and Shauna says ‘we did things out there that we’re really ashamed of’…obviously they’ve already crossed the threshold of fucked up but the way Shauna’s arc is heading I feel that line echoing. Like…what *else* did you do, Shauna? I’ll be very excited to see where the Wilderness arc heads now that Ben remains alive.
Amazing recap as usual Kayla!!! G2G look at all the taivan scenes giffers on tumblr dot com will be having a field day with :)
oh yeah i feel like we haven’t even BEGUN to see the true extent of what they did in the wilderness.
thank you!!!!! wow i need to get back on tumblr
I appreciate the way that Yellowjackets is able to keep us on our toes. The fact that Ben is still alive and we haven’t even met Hilary Swank’s character yet feels like awesome out of box choices for the fans.
That said, I feel like there are little choices that would tighten the season up. The promo has Callie with the cassette tape, but we’ve had nothing on that front in two episode? Like that is not a big problem to solve, and Callie is definitely motivated to want to listen to it.
Personally, Shauna and Jeff’s marriage storyline has been thoroughly explored in my opinion. I’m much more interested in Shauna and Callie’s relationship. It’s ok for shows to let characters fall to the side to cycle through other characters, and that is how I view Jeff at this point. Walter could’ve been written off and not lost anything considering he has no connection to the Wilderness.
(And I can’t help but point out as a person who likes learning about the production side of things, Simone not being Lottie in the mortuary makes more sense money wise. Courtney Eaton is already signed on for 10 episodes, I’d be shocked if it cost them more to use her for the mortuary scene).
totally! i have given up on ACTUALLY trying to predict things (though sometimes speculation is fun in the recaps and comments) and am really just along for the ride, and what a wild ride it is so far!!
yes very very invested in digging more into shauna and callie’s relationship. i truly loved how delighted shauna was by callie’s prank. weird thing to bond over but makes PERFECT sense for THESE characters.
oh yeah that makes total sense from a production perspective for sure, but it also works out narratively bc that’s sooooo misty
This episode was great! And I’m glad this season’s adult survivors storylines are much more intriguing than last season – petition for the only cops in Yellowjackets to be citizen detectives.
Thoughts on this episode –
– Why was I so surprised to see a goat with the livestock? TIL goats can live in the woods.
– Good for adult Misty, still wearing Nat’s jacket.
– Maybe Melissa is wearing a hat because she has straight blonde hair and it gets visibly dirty fast (along with gay, obv).
– Excellent wacky waving inflatable tube man cameo, 10/10.
– Walter’s driving outfit is too good.
– Loved Melissa’s wilderness gift wrap! Adorable!
– Ugh teen Lottie.
Obsessed with Walter’s driving gloves!
same and also want a pair
At this point, the only person whose side I am on is Simone’s.
FAIR
what does it say about ME that i was completely unfazed by the presence of a goat lol
melissa’s gift and wrapping!!!! she’s a diy gay!!!!
Their hamstringing Ben put me in mind of the (horrible) legend of Wayland/Volundr, especially given how he’s been variously imprisoned, crippled and living apart in a cave.
i’m less familiar but down a rabbit hole i go
I struggled with this episode for some reason. Just didn’t find myself connected to any of the story lines and I think it was because the supporting characters in the adult story line weren’t around except for Walter. I’ve loved Jeff since late season 1 and I think the reason is because he juxtaposes Shauna’s inhumanity so well. Like, I love for her to have a bit of a grounding force. Wilderness Shauna is showing us what she’s capable of when she does not have that humanity force to remind her.
I also just really dislike bullies and Shauna is being the worst kind in younger self. It’s hard for me to watch and I feel so bad for Coach Ben!
I’m starting to think Swank is going to be a season finale guest appearance and that bums me out. I was hoping for more to unfold from this episode.
Each week my partner and I rewatch the previous week’s episode and current week’s. I’m looking forward to rewatching this one to see how I feel about it next week.
Thanks again for these recaps! Wish we could all meet up for a watch party! 😆
oh wow i love that you rewatch the last episode before the next — smart idea!
omg an IRL watch party would be sooooooo fun
This episode sent me on a Heavenly Creatures rabbit hole. It started with thinking about Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood reminiscing about each of their time working with Peter Jackson and New Zealand in general. As someone roughly the same age as the adult Yellowjackets, truly one of my favorite parts of the show is seeing these phenomenal actors with so much (previously undervalued) experience shine and interact, the more of them in a scene together the better.
Anyway, so I got to thinking about Heavenly Creatures and the parallels are really uncanny. If you’re not familiar (I haven’t seen it in decades and it’s sadly not streaming) it’s a queer classic starring Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet, in both of their film debuts. Kate’s character is new to Melanie’s character’s school and they form an obsessive love that leads to murder (oh and it’s based on a true story).
Here are a few points where YJ seems to pay homage to HC:
– The flash of teen Lottie’s bloodied face while Shauna’s in her bedroom reminded me of the same striking image of Kate Winslet’s bloodied face in the film
– Melanie’s character in both keeps a diary (it’s quoted in the film) that could/does get her into loads of trouble
– both are set in the past (1950s setting, 1994 film release for HC)
– the mere fact of casting ML as the grown up teen that committed heinous acts (in the name of love?)
– It starts reminiscent of Shauna and Jackie, Kate’s character is wealthy and confident; Melanie’s is plain
– Shauna and Melissa’s relationship, embracing the ‘bad parts’ in each other and pushing each other to be more craven
Since I couldn’t rewatch the film, I turned to YouTube for clips and found an amazing interview of ML and KW from 1994 (please watch, it’s delightful – bJNtUkJlJ1U?si=fPIql5KydoEHnB_x). It starts off with them walking in NYC but the majority of it takes place with them in the back of a horse drawn carriage and ends with them sharing a pretzel and I *think* they are in/near Columbus Circle. This cannot be a coincidence!!!! Oh and did I mention that they’re both constantly commenting on billboards of Kate Moss. Strangely at first glance, the thumbnail reminded me of Sophie Nelisse and Courtney Eaton, I actually clicked on it because I thought they were discussing the parallels.
Feel like there’s tons more that I’m not thinking of this moment. Kayla I feel like you could write a thesis on this topic, hint, hint :)
In case you’re curious about the film, I just found Drew’s piece on Heavenly Creatures from 2020
https://develop.autostraddle.com/heavenly-creatures-is-a-queer-adolescent-nightmare/
a DBG classic!
yes i loooooove these parallels and I LOVE heavenly creatures — one of my favorite movies
“Well, she’s a sister to me in all the ways that matter.”
“Like legally?”
I love how as the show progresses misty becomes more sympathetic, Christina Ricci is doing an excellent job of shading this character. Also how has no one written a screwball comedy for her yet!
It occurred to me reading this review that all the yellowjackets went on to careers that mirror what they did in the wilderness except Nat, which makes sense. Shauna’s a mom, Misty’s a nurse, and Lottie started a cult.
MELANIE LYNSKY ACCENT WATCH: the “what?” When she gets the news from Misty.
Sammy’s reaction sealed it for me, Tai prime is not currently piloting the Tai suit.
“Thanks for nothing, Cliff” I lost it. Cliff knows what happened Cliff already solved it.
I hope to see Stephen Krueger eating good after this. He’s really knocking it out of the park.
Akilah, girl, it can’t be good to deprive your brain of oxygen for that long. I’ve done nitrous and it hasn’t made me smarter. Please stand up to Lottie before she gets you killed.
Rid of Me maybe my favorite needle drop of the series as well. That scene also made me cringe in a way I haven’t done yet with this show.
Ok so here’s my Lottie theory: Callie and her met up for some mischief. Lottie pushed Callie to do something she didn’t want to do and Callie pushed her down the stairs by accident. I also think maybe she saw that 50k and could’ve done it for that reason? It doesn’t track character wise really EXCEPT I was a teen who knew my parents didn’t have money and I maybe would’ve tried to steal from and/or blackmail my moms rich frenemy. Idk I’m spitballing here
CHRISTINA RICCI DESERVES AWARDS
melanie lynskey accent watch lmao yeah i think it comes out most during whispered lines and shouted ones. which makes sense! accent work is hard!
i mean callie blackmailing someone for money would be pretty iconic because it’s like she’s trying to finish what her father failed to do lol and then even better yet if it was a botched blackmail job like her dad’s.
okay so we are not close to triple digits comments lol but i do love talking to all y’all every weeeeek. four more days til new recap
Okay here’s my new Yellowjackets theory I have to share w the world!!
What if Callie is lotties daughter????
It would explain Lottie being so obsessed and maybe what she meant to symbolize with the necklace. And why Shauna was sooo full of rage.
Maybe Lottie had to give up her baby when she was institutionalized? And maybe Shauna wasn’t able to have kids after the miscarriage.
This all could be explained on the tape that Callie got that we haven’t gotten answers from yet.
What do you think!?
I got lost ages ago in the comments and can’t find it again, but I saw someone earlier say these recaps were part of their YJ routine, and I have to say same! Truly love reading everyone’s thoughts and reactions.
Definitely my favorite episode so far this season, and not just because teen Tai+Van finally got to be a (fucked up) couple in love again. Loved the group dynamics.
I know people love to talk shit about writers/make comments about what’s happening in the writers’ room, but these days it just feels like a miracle that something like Yellowjackets is made and continues getting renewed (praying to the wilderness for that S4!!). Given the state of the industry, I’m just stoked that so many talented people are employed by this show.
I’m of course also obsessed and along for the ride and the darkness and the mystery and all that—and not above critiquing any decisions made by anyone in the show—but amidst the dumpster fire of this fckn country, thank god these evil lesbians exist.
I really appreciated the humor in this episode. My favorite detail was the vanity license plate of the car following Shauna: “NOTWLTER.” 🤣