Yellowjackets Season 3 Fixes the Show’s Biggest Flaw

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  • The ‘Yellowjackets’ Actors Are Top-Notch
  • Tipping the Scales in ‘Yellowjackets’ Is Needed for Crucial Answers

Since its debut on Showtime in 2021, Yellowjackets has gradually built momentum without much fanfare. As it’s not associated with one of the major premium networks or streaming platforms, this gripping drama has largely escaped mainstream attention, although it has attracted nods during awards season. Its narrative has been likened to various television shows, films, and real-life events, focusing on a band of teenagers who found themselves marooned on an island in 1996. Now, two and a half decades later, they continue grappling with the consequences of their ordeal and the psychological scars left by their rescue.

In each episode, the narrative is split between flashbacks showing the women’s struggle to endure in the wilderness from their past, and their present-day struggles coping with their broken lives. As the series moves into its third season, fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to one of its main issues.

Flashbacks Are More Interesting in ‘Yellowjackets’

In Yellowjackets, the narrative unfolds through a blend of timelines – flashing back to 1996 when the characters are struggling to survive, contrasted with the present day, over two decades later. The cast portrays both younger and contemporary versions of these characters. Interestingly, the flashback scenes tend to be more captivating. They provide essential context for viewers to grasp the enigmatic events these women have encountered, yet they are also highly engaging. Initially, the present-day scenes in Season 1 were more gripping as fans gained insights into each woman’s aftermath and their subsequent lives. However, in Season 2, the storyline veered off course at times, even appearing somewhat repetitive or stale to some viewers.

After two seasons, fans are still grappling with a complete grasp of the struggles the female characters faced. Each episode unveils another heart-wrenching reality of their desperate survival tactics, yet it’s progressing at a gradual pace. Additionally, there’s an underlying spiritual and supernatural aspect that remains largely unexplored. To fully understand the present situation, more insight into past events is essential. This is because the pacing of these flashback scenes seems insufficient, making each revelation take longer than expected.

It wasn’t until the second episode of Season 2 that viewers discovered the women had consumed Jackie’s remains after they were partially cooked rather than burned to char by the snowfall, as initially suspected. In the fifth episode of the second season, it was revealed that Misty sabotaged the emergency transmitter on the plane, a significant crime that could have altered viewers’ perspective if they had known about it earlier.

What’s particularly captivating is the complex interplay among these young women, as their actions and reactions are explored within a narrative that has drawn comparisons to Lord of the Flies. However, there are numerous teenage storylines unfolding simultaneously that influence their behavior and decisions, such as mental health issues, bullying, jealousy, sexuality, and unique responses to stress. Watching these coming-of-age struggles unfold amidst such a tense scenario leaves viewers eager for more.

Instead of being lively, the adult plotlines tend to be rather dull and drawn-out. For instance, the murder of Adam and Shauna’s affair are extended too much, leaving viewers confused about the background events without additional backstory. The story arc involving Natalie visiting Lottie’s wellness center and the women following her there is delving into areas that perplex audiences as they require more understanding of past events. It seems that Lottie’s storyline has only begun to unfold in Season 2, hinting at a wealth of untold stories about her character.

A significant portion of Season 2 unfolded on Lottie’s compound in the current timeline, which constrained the range of tales that could be explored. However, it gathered these women who shared a terrifying experience. Despite this, viewers have not fully grasped what they endured. The flashbacks are always captivating and intense, but there is a need for more of them to deepen fan engagement with the adult counterparts.

The show was superior to others of its genre like Lost, as it skillfully kept both the current storyline and flashbacks captivating. The narrative threads were well-knit, though it took a few initial episodes for the plots to become clear. However, it managed to do this more swiftly, keeping audiences hooked on both aspects of the tale.

The ‘Yellowjackets’ Actors Are Top-Notch

In the show Yellowjackets, all the actors are great, but the ones portraying the younger characters particularly shine and deserve more attention. Among them, Sophie Nélisse, who plays a younger Shauna, is exceptional. She masterfully portrays an insecure high school girl struggling with jealousy towards her conventionally attractive and popular friend, Jackie, to such an extent that she enters into a secret relationship with Jackie’s boyfriend, essentially trying to prove that she is not underestimated and deserves respect.

After Jackie’s (Ella Purnell as a teenager) demise, her voyage is riddled with intense pain and sorrow, and every scene beautifully conveys her intricate feelings. As for Jackie, Purnell has already demonstrated her talent in series like Fallout and Sweetpea. However, it’s this character that truly solidified her reputation and showcased her remarkable acting abilities.

As a passionate cinephile, I must say that Jasmin Savoy Brown, portraying a younger Taissa (played by Tawny Cypress in the current narrative), offers a character that’s richer and more multifaceted than we could ever imagine. Though it’s captivating to witness her transformation and the depth of her trauma, there remains an intriguing untold story about her life in 1996. Brown skillfully pulls us into each scene, making us feel every terrifying emotion as she navigates her sexuality, relationships, and the mysterious fugue states she frequently enters.

Delving deeper into Lottie’s story, given her continued survival despite repeatedly jeopardizing herself and others, presents an intriguing narrative direction. In Season 2, Courtney Eaton’s character, portrayed as Simone Kessell in adulthood, saw increased screen time. However, there remains a wealth of information to uncover about her background and the part she may play in the ominous events that lie ahead.

In the movie, I find myself captivated by the character of Misty, portrayed brilliantly by Christina Ricci. Samantha Hanratty’s performance leaves me with a complex mix of empathy for the misunderstood outcast and a struggle to reconcile that compassion with the dark, manipulative side of her character. Ricci illuminates the path that led Misty down this destructive road. Yet, it’s Hanratty who masterfully portrays her gradual descent into a chilling state.

In addition to the other characters, there’s a male adult survivor from the past whose current status is uncertain and shrouded in mystery. Out of everyone involved in the crash, only Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) is known to have survived, making him one of the very few males left alive. Despite losing his leg, he was cared for by Misty after being amputated, but it’s unknown whether he’s still alive in the present day. The trailer hints that only a select few people are aware of this situation, with Adult Van (Lauren Ambrose) stating that “only us or dead” know about it. However, there is speculation that Coach Ben may have survived, and his whereabouts could be a secret he requested to keep from the other women.

Towards the close of Season 2, finding myself overcome by fear from the chaos I’d witnessed, I set fire to our shared dwelling. The reasoning behind this drastic act remains unclear, but it seemed to me that living without a shelter was less perilous than being inside with the women. Somewhere in Javi’s cave, I must have hidden, leaving viewers intrigued and wondering if I survived and what my tale holds next.

In summary, by the finale of Season 2, there’s a significant event involving death – Natalie (Juliette Lewis) selflessly jumps in front of Lisa (Nicole Maines) to shield her from Misty injecting her with phenobarbital. Unfortunately, it’s Natalie who receives the lethal dose and passes away in Misty’s arms. This tragic event marks Juliette Lewis’ departure from the series, leaving a substantial void in the current storyline that makes sense for the narrative to focus less on this time period.

Tipping the Scales in ‘Yellowjackets’ Is Needed for Crucial Answers

In Season 2, we saw some exciting new characters join the contemporary plotlines. Elijah Wood portrayed Walter, a citizen detective who developed feelings for Misty, while François Arnaud played Paul, Scott’s hidden boyfriend. As for Season 3, we can expect more fresh faces, such as Hilary Swank and Joel McHale, appearing in undisclosed roles. The intention is to enrich the storylines rather than water them down with these new additions.

Instead of focusing on the current events, it’s the historical narrative that fans are eager to delve deeper into. Questions like how the women managed without shelter, the enigma surrounding the Antler Queen and her notion of sacrifice, the fate of Coach Ben, and Travis’ (Kevin Alves) survival up until the end are all on their minds. The theory suggesting that Travis didn’t commit suicide as an adult but was instead murdered, which Natalie doubts is actually murder, has sparked curiosity among fans. This hypothesis implies that Travis wasn’t killed in his teenage years, making him the lone surviving male alongside the women in the present day.

In the current timeline, things are becoming increasingly strange, yet there remains a plethora of unanswered questions in the flashback sequences. To address its major issue, it might be beneficial for Yellowjackets to devote more episodes to the flashbacks and less to the present day scenario in Season 3.

The show, “Yellowjackets,” focuses heavily on young women navigating survival in ways they’d never imagined, which is crucial for the story to remain engaging and move forward. If we didn’t have this focus, the narrative might drag on longer than necessary. The upcoming episodes will provide answers fans have been eagerly anticipating since two seasons ago. However, this means there will be more teenage-centric scenes and fewer present-day ones. Don’t forget to watch “Yellowjackets” on Paramount+ with Showtime, as new episodes air two days later on Showtime.

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2025-02-09 02:32