REVIEW: ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 3 Episodes 1-2

In the tension-fueled Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2, there’s a definite sense that the writers know there needs to be a shift in momentum. While Season 2 left us off on a somewhat lackluster note, Season 3 picks up with energy as we reacquaint ourselves with both the surviving members of the adult Yellowjackets and their past teenage versions of themselves. The past storyline once again delivers the greatest sense of urgency. Because while they’ve made it to summer, it doesn’t mean they’re in the clear.

“It Girl” deals with what is left behind after loss. In the present day, that loss is Natalie, who died in the Season 2 finale. However, it’s only truly Misty (Christina Ricci) who mourns. While many elements led to Natalie’s death, it was Misty who actually killed with a lethal injection, prompting the police to believe it was an overdose. Natalie’s death hangs over Misty in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 as the rest of the adult characters look to rewrite their narrative.

Shauna’s (Melanie Lynskey) is the most interesting. Not so much, though, for the storyline, and only because of how much emphasis Callie (Sarah Desjardins) is getting. Now that Callie is privy to how much of a mess her parents are, she’s seeking more answers. This is exacerbated by the arrival of Lottie in Episode 2 when she comes to ask Shauna to let her stay after she’s been released from the hospital. Callie sees Lottie as a means to an end and, with Misty’s involvement, tries to weasel the truth out of her.

The present-day Yellowjackets storyline is lackluster. 

The big question? Did Callie’s mom and the rest of the survivors resort to cannibalism when they were stranded in the wilderness? Lottie evades the question, denying it. It’s interesting that, despite how often Lottie seeks to own the narrative of being one with nature and its intrinsic pull, she clearly won’t go over an unspoken line. Yes, the team all performed horrendous acts, desperately trying to survive. But those secrets are shared only with the team who managed to come home.

While this interaction is interesting, it loses steam due to having two of the least engaging performers onscreen. Simone Kessel continues to rely on overused tics and exaggerated facial expressions, going actively against the more natural performance of her younger counterpart, Courtney Eaton. Desjardins delivers a flat performance, not helped by writing that fails to truly flesh Callie out. Shauna’s story is the best because Lynskey manages to inject hints of darkness into the most mundane moments and interactions. Her tear down of two potential contractors for her husband’s company features particularly venomous delivery.

But it’s more that Shauna’s storyline in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 opens up the possibility of bigger storylines. Because someone is clearly following her. First, they leave a mysterious envelope on their front door and, later, leave a phone for her to find in a public bathroom. It doesn’t have the same emotional weight as Van (Lauren Ambrose) and Taissa (Tawny Cypress), but it has the necessary intrigue to make this show click.

Shauna remains one of the most complex characters on the show.

Van and Taissa are responsible for a man’s death—albeit accidentally—on a night out. This thread seems useless to the overall story, yet another example of how the writing tends to disservice the strong ensemble of adult characters.

As always with the series, the strength lies in the group of teenagers. Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 thrive when we go back to the crash site and the woods they call their home. Despite the arrival of summer, the sense of tension has yet to relent. While under Natalie’s (Sophie Thatcher) leadership, they’re no longer eating each other and are managing to survive with a healthy supply of food and shelter despite their cabin having burned down. Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) is long gone, and the girls and Travis believe he is responsible for the blaze.

It’s Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), however, who first makes us realize how shaky this peace is. Shauna remains the most complex character in the series, delightfully feral yet also clever and perceptive. She’s fully succumbed to what it means to survive in the wild without actually losing herself or buying in on the spirituality that Lottie pedals.

In the opening moments of a game meant to maintain camaraderie and a competitive spirit, we watch as she bites Mari (Alexa Barajas) in a last-ditch effort to win. She still loses, and it reminds us that it’s not just that she doesn’t believe in the ritualistic hivemind the group has created. She’s also bitter she wasn’t chosen as the leader.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 hint there’s worse to come. 

And she makes it known, taking it out on Mari, Natalie, and anyone else who gets in her way in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2. Her character is a force of nature, and her decisions are vital to the series. Her annoyance with Mari leads Mari to wander off, which leads her to fall into a game trap Ben left to find food. Ben is another character with some of the best writing. This is highlighted in his exchange with Mari after he kidnaps her. Her behavior puts him off, but he can’t shake his desire to lead and protect. It makes for an interesting dynamic.

Ben, Shauna, and Travis (Kevin Alves) drive home how impossibly bleak everything is. While others have learned to adapt to their surroundings, these three are key figures in how potent their suffering is. Ben’s horror, Shauna’s rage, and Travis’s grief all give Yellowjackets the urgency that things are about to worsen. Travis and Lottie’s manipulation of him is particularly difficult to watch, asking him to succumb to the wild and mysticism she believes pulsates within it.

At the very least, Shauna’s rage results in one thing when Melissa (Jenna Burgess) expresses her interest in her, the two making out while Shauna holds a knife to the other’s throat. Melissa doesn’t yet work as her own character, but she is currently better as a foil to Shauna. There’s room for development after she’s existed on the outskirts for seasons.

With greater hints towards the magical as the teens tether themselves to the nature that currently cradles them, momentarily forgetful of its claws, the more the series opens up further questions. As long as there’s intent to answer them, it’s fine, allowing for a Lost-style intrigue as we continue to wonder how this ecosystem works.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 wonderfully set the stage as the characters try their best to deal with the horrors and violence they’ve faced. While the storyline in the present continues to lack in comparison to the past, it’s not enough to diminish the overall effect. We want answers, and it seems that Yellowjackets is ready to deliver some.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episodes 1-2 are available now on Paramount+.

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