On a day intended to celebrate love, passion and fuzzy feelings, the premiere of “Yellowjackets” season three puts fans into a flurry of excitement and fear. February 14, the hit Paramount+ series released two episodes to kick off their anticipated junior season, and received an 88 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. With several posts, theories and edits already emitting within the first 72 hours of season three’s release, old and new fans of “Yellowjackets” anticipate a slew of shocking storylines — and tragedies.
“Yellowjackets” follows the Wiskayok High School varsity soccer team as they attempt to survive in the Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes on the way to Nationals. Set in the late nineties and 2021, the show features storylines from both the high schoolers and the surviving team members; in the present day timeline, the adult survivors face emotional, physical and psychological repercussions centered around their time in the wilderness, all while attempting to keep their secrets hidden. At the start of season three, the remaining Yellowjackets grapple with the recent loss of the troubled Natalie Scatorccio, played by Juliette Lewis, and also learn to navigate the changing dynamics that resulted from the season two finale.
The five main survivors — Shauna Shipman, played by Melanie Lynskey, Taissa “Tai” Turner, played by Tawny Cypress, Vanessa “Van” Palmer, played by Lauren Ambrose, Misty Quigly, played by Christina Ricci and Charlotte “Lottie” Matthews, played by Simone Kessell — captivatingly try to make sense of their circumstances without Scatorccio, and attempt to keep new mysteries at bay. For other characters like Jeff and Callie Sadecki, played by Warren Kole and Sarah Desjardins respectively as well as Walter Tattersall, played by Elijah Wood, tackling how to help the Yellowjackets during their times of need already presents a unique series of challenges.
In the ‘90s timeline, the teen survivors find harmony in their new summer home after a fire engulfed their winter cabin. With Teen Natalie, played by Sophie Thatcher, reigning as the new Antler Queen, the team searches for Coach Ben Scott, played by Steven Krueger, while simultaneously trying to keep tensions at bay. As she grapples with the loss of her baby, Teen Shauna, played by Sophia Nélisse picks fights with Teen Mari, played by Alexa Barajas, which leads to Mari running away from the camp — and into the arms of Coach Scott. Teen Lottie, played by Courtney Eaton, and Teen Travis, played by Kevin Alves, try to harness the spirit of the wilderness with the help of psychedelic mushrooms, which leads Travis to revisit his trauma from the death of his family as a result of the crash. With budding romances and ritualistic ceremonies to boot, the teen timeline of “Yellowjackets” presents an array of bloodthirsty loose ends for the show to tie up before the team’s inevitable rescue.
“So far the first few episodes have been amazing. Contrary to popular opinion I actually really like the way Teen Shauna has been characterized. I think her anger is so raw and I literally love it. Adult timeline Shauna, however, needs to get her act together. Jeff is strong for putting up with her terrible parenting strategies — and her actions in general. Back to the wilderness timeline, I’m so interested to see the reality behind certain things. I used to fully believe Coach Ben set the fire [to the cabin], and that Mari was the ‘Pit Girl’ but the first two episodes make it seem like both are untrue,” Kennesaw Mountain High School senior Reina Anand said.
In the build up to the third season, the cast, crew and producers of “Yellowjackets” promised fans a wild, gory ride, both on the emotional and cannibalistic fronts. Keeping in step with banal fan theories and extensive Reddit threads, the forces behind this popular series seek to keep their loyal viewers engaged while simultaneously keeping fans on their toes.
Overall, the intro to “Yellowjackets” season three sets the stage for yet another season of vulnerable realizations, traumatizing scenes and just enough humor to render the gruesome moments forgivable. As the seasons change — and the body count increases — the general vibe of the show similarly matures; underneath the golden hues of a Canadian summer, the introductory naivete presented in the first two seasons of “Yellowjackets” becomes obsolete. The somewhat unfamiliarity of the third season leaves audiences curious for the following weeks, in an attempt to piece together a distorted picture. The death of Adult Natalie leaves fans feeling disconnected from the third season of the show, but also leaves people enticed to see what becomes of the remaining survivors. While a sense of strangeness with the show permeates the viewing experience, “Yellowjackets” still brings its fans a certain twinge of excitement with the release of each new episode.
“What I love most about YellowJackets is the flashback narrative of the show is so interesting and unique to watch and really makes you question what is going to happen next at every point. I think Yellowjacket fans in particular like the queer representation because you do not see a lot of queer media for this generation, especially media that is so thriller and adventure-based,” magnet senior Catalina Santiago said.
With storylines such as the relationship between a terminally ill Adult Van and an emotionally frail Adult Tai, a budding relationship between Teen Shauna and Melissa, played by Jenna Burgess and Callie’s budding friendship with Adult Lottie, fans will witness another poignant season of a future cult classic. As the unaddressed roles of Hilary Swank and Joel McHale encroach upon the show’s future storylines, watchers of “Yellowjackets” anticipate several surprises within the show’s next eight episodes. February 23, the third episode titled “Them’s the Breaks” will release at midnight Eastern Time.
The Chant’s grade: A-
