First off, this season’s acting was superb, with some truly outstanding performances. Steven Krueger expertly portrayed the demise of Coach Ben; Courtney Eaton did a superb job of Lottie at her most unhinged; but by far the star performer of this season was Sophie Thatcher as Natalie Scattorcio. She had some huge moments: The trial, Killing Ben, and the aftermath of the failed mutiny, to name a few. Her acting brings already intense scenes to new emotional heights – she is immense.
A minute for the writers too, the teen timeline in particular shone this season. They moved towards explaining some of the ‘supernatural’ occurrences via the introduction of the cave system and its hallucinogenic gasses, a really well-worked narrative choice that they tied in nicely with everyone’s favourite schizophrenic (Lottie) and her questionable connection to ‘the wilderness. Medicated Lottie how we miss you so. The introduction of the frog scientists an amazing twist that I did not see coming at all – it had me floored. Then Hannah deciding that the safest course of action was to join in with the savagery of girls by stabbing her almost comedically masculine guide in the face? A twist within a twist! I mean if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em I guess.
I can’t compliment the writing without talking about the finale. The hunt, the pit girl reveal (RIP Mari), and Nat’s dramatic escape to radio for help, all interwoven exceptionally to a climactic phone call – and an answer! It was a finale that absolutely lived up to the hype.
Now for the negatives…
My first gripe is the introduction of Melissa. She came out of absolutely nowhere in the teen timeline and ended up in a pretty shoehorned (and questionably violent?) fling with Shauna. A wee bit of buildup to her character would’ve been nice. This lack of presence made the reveal that she was alive in the adult timeline feel really empty. Also, there was some questionable casting for adult Mellissa. Yellowjackets has been historically bang on the money for casting adult versions of the teens, but Hillary Swank looks absolutely nothing like teen Mellissa. There’s a moment where adult Mellissa puts on her trademark backwards cap that becomes almost comedic because of how empty her character is. It’s like her entire identity is wrapped up in that thing, who is she without the hat? It’s one of the few times Yellowjackets has left me disappointed at a plot point. Somewhat of a stain on an otherwise glimmering record
Okay. Point two.
Season two of Yellowjackets ended with the spectacular – the death of Natalie Scattorcio in the adult timeline. This was a death that was set up pretty well, preceded by excellent parallels to the girls’ time in the wilderness, looping in Misty’s ability to push away (pun not intended, sorry Kristin) those closest to her with Nat’s survivors’ guilt over her complicity in Javi drowning. Nat gets closure by saving Lisa, Misty kills her bestie - again. It all goes full circle. Neat, right?
Not quite.
This is a death that fans theorise was not in the writers’ initial plans for the show, but a death they had to neatly splice into the story thanks to Juliette Lewis (Who portrays adult Nat) wishing to leave the show.
With the story arc of season three, this becomes glaringly obvious. Throughout the 10-episode run, despite her absence from the adult timeline, teen Nat is gradually built up as the sole heroine of the series – leading the girls for a brief period of time, before leading the rescue-focused group away from the despotic rule of Shaunnibal Lecter. AKA O’shauna Bin Laden. AKA Bisexual Stalin. Take your pick, she was VERY evil this season and the Yellowjackets community did not hold back with their nicknames.
Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. In the culminating episode, Nat leads a daring plot to slip away from the camp with the scientists’ radio transmitter. She treks up the nearest hill as (Aerosmith plays triumphantly in the background) and makes contact with the outside world. Just casual heroine things.
This runs alongside the climax of the adult timeline, in which… not a lot really happens. Things feel like they’re somewhat building up to a deadly face-off among the surviving yellowjackets, and yet I’m rooting for absolutely none of them. It feels like if adult Nat were here, things would sync perfectly, mirroring the divide between herself and Shauna back in the teen timeline and cementing herself as the heroine by bringing Shauna’s modern-day reign of terror (yes she’s just as evil in the future too) to an end. Without her, the adult timeline feels empty, building up to a fourth season that could have connected themes and parallels in a perfect intersecting finale. But no Nat? No party.
It feels like we’re mourning for a series we never get. Well, that’s very Yellowjackets I guess. The good old “mourning for a future you’ll never have” trope.
Right, despite my moaning. I loved this season, I thought it was excellent! But for the first time in my extensive career of defending the adult timeline as enjoyable to watch, I found it a little insipid. There you have it – Yellowjackets season three – a mixed bag.