Yellowjackets Season 3 Shock: Hilary Swank’s True Identity Revealed

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Ever since the news broke out about Hilary Swank joining the Yellowjackets crew for season three, I’ve found myself engrossed in speculating about who her character might be. The showrunners are keeping tight-lipped on these details to preserve the suspense and avoid any potential plot spoilers.

Initially, some people thought that the adult character Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) might resemble Melissa (Jenna Burgess), a survivor from the wilderness who developed more confidence in season two and had feelings for Shauna (Sophie Nelisse). However, in Episode 7, when Shauna, Van (Lauren Ambrose), and Tai (Tawny Cypress) listen to an audio tape left on Shauna’s doorstep, they discuss Melissa as a potential sender. But Van dismisses this idea, stating that Melissa is deceased. Another theory circulated that the mysterious character could be Hannah’s (Ashley Sutton) daughter, Alex, grown up and seeking revenge. The truth turns out to be a mix of both concepts, but in an unexpected manner. Additionally, the finale delivers one of the most jaw-dropping moments the series has presented so far.

Who Is Hilary Swank’s Character?

It seems that, as suspected, Swank is indeed the grown-up version of Melissa. But here’s the twist: isn’t Melissa dead? Actually, she didn’t die. She survived the arrow wound from Kodi (Joel McHale), one of the three enigmatic individuals the young women met in the wilderness. However, it was said that she took her own life back home at a later, unspecified time. But this, apparently, was a deception. She wrote a letter and went into hiding. Remarkably, the police declared her death without having any physical evidence to support it.

As a movie critic, I found myself utterly bewildered when the plot took an unexpected turn. It turns out that I, once connected to Hannah, am now married to Hannah’s daughter, Alex. This surprising revelation is further complicated by the fact that my wife and I have a child together. My life, under a new identity, had been blissfully normal until one fateful day when Shauna, armed with a knife, appeared at my doorstep.

There, Melissa clarifies everything, and confesses to having mailed the recording. She acquired it from Hannah before she passed away, with instructions to ensure it reached her daughter. Melissa found it too distressing to pass on the troubling audio and depressing message to Alex. However, she kept tabs on the young woman over the years to make sure she was doing well. In time, they developed feelings for each other. Melissa stored the recording safely as a means of control if the ladies ever discovered she was still alive and sought her out.

Even so, Melissa was heavily burdened by the knowledge of the tape. Alongside her therapist, she made a choice to confront the shadows and left the tape at Shauna’s doorstep. She claims that she included an explanation with it, which implies either she is being dishonest or Callie (Sarah Desjardins) took the note. Melissa insists that she played no part in the other peculiar events happening to Shauna, such as the enigmatic bathroom phone, her car’s brakes failing, and the walk-in freezer. She was unaware of Lottie’s death, but she did learn about Natalie, which rekindled past trauma and led to her experiencing nightmares.

Despite Melissa’s assertion that Shauna leads a tranquil, uneventful life and enjoys it, Shauna remains unconvinced. She believes that one should learn to let go of the past, and she wishes Shauna would do the same. However, Shauna challenges Melissa’s claim by revealing that Melissa hasn’t truly moved on. Instead, she’s masking her true identity and deceiving her own family, including her spouse, who is oblivious to her actual persona and her part in Hannah’s ultimate demise. This is where things take a turn for the worse.

Shauna Is Even More Disturbed Than We Realized

From the very beginning, Shauna’s character seemed tainted by a dark side. Despite not necessarily subscribing to the supernatural phenomena of the wilderness, her behavior and speech during her stay, notably in Season 3, hint at an inherent evil nature within her. This sinister trait can be traced back even before the crash, when she was secretly involved with her best friend’s boyfriend while portraying herself as the innocent, unpopular sidekick. Her twisted pleasure came from betraying the person who was meant to be her closest ally.

Melissa implies to Shauna that her supposed love for someone is just an illusion, stating she was afraid of Shauna instead. She accuses Shauna of being unhappy with herself and using misery to bring others down. In other words, Melissa suggests Shauna might be fabricating issues and the drama around them to find a sense of purpose. This statement upsets Shauna, who reveals she believes that keeping their secrets hidden from their past experiences can only be guaranteed if she is the last one standing. Unmistakably, this comment appears ominous to Melissa.

As Melissa passes Shauna a glass of water, she instead attempts to grab Shauna’s knife to attack her, but Shauna swiftly pulls her hand back, resulting in a cut on Melissa’s arm instead. The two women scuffle on the floor, yet Shauna ultimately manages to subdue Melissa. In that moment, Shauna, who had previously dated this woman during their teenage years, finds herself confronted by her own sinister nature. This is when Shauna’s hidden darkness surfaces.

In a particularly brutal scene from the show Yellowjackets, Shauna appears to be transforming into something wild. She lunges towards Melissa, sinking her teeth into her arm and tearing off a piece of skin. She then raises this grisly trophy above Melissa’s face while demanding, “You should eat it.” Melissa is petrified in this instant, fearful that Shauna will expose her true identity to her family if she doesn’t obey.

In a chilling scene within an intense episode, I find myself stepping into the shoes of Hilary Swank’s character, an older version familiar to fans. This revelation not only suggests that someone else managed to endure the harsh wilderness beyond the original six, but it also paints a grim picture of Shauna’s state. Her violent, primal behavior in this instance underscores the wisdom of Melissa’s decision to maintain an alliance with Shauna for as long as she could. It appears that anyone who didn’t meet a tragic fate.

Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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2025-03-28 10:33