“Yellowjackets” initially landed on my radar after the first season got so much hype, including from my colleagues at Tom’s Guide. And season 1 earned a rare 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unfortunately, “Yellowjackets” joined a very, very long list of must-watch TV that’s been gathering dust in a Google Keep note on my phone for years at this point. It’s streaming home on Paramount Plus, one of the only services I don’t have, didn’t do it any favors either.
But recently, I was visiting a friend and during an impromptu queer movie marathon, she brought up “Yellowjackets.” The fact that I still hadn’t seen it yet had her clutching her pearls, and when she told me the pitch, I was immediately intrigued: “It’s like ‘Lord of the Flies’ but messy and gay.”
Watching the pilot not only sold me on the show, it sparked an obsession. It’s rare for me to binge an entire season of anything, and I don’t think I’ve ever binged multiple seasons in one stretch before.
But now, just two weeks later, I’m all caught up in time for the season 3 finale this Friday, and I’m practically foaming at the mouth to see what happens next with my favorite cannibals (sorry Hannibal, you’ve been replaced).
What is ‘Yellowjackets’ about?
“Yellowjackets” revolves around a high school soccer team trying to survive in the wilderness after their plane crashes deep in the Canadian mountains in 1996.
While it’s not the most original premise, what makes “Yellowjackets” unique is its weaving of different genres and timelines to generate drama and mystery. (I’ve heard people compare it to “Lost,” which I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that I also haven’t seen.)
The show unfolds across two timelines, one in 1996 and one in 2021, with (mostly) the same cast of characters. The first details the immediate aftermath of the crash, showing the team’s struggle for survival as days turn into months…and how they descended from a tight-knit team into the savage killers we see in the show’s opening moments.
The second timeline takes place 25 years later, catching up with the survivors who made it home alive and the scars they still carry from that harrowing ordeal. However, it quickly becomes clear that the wilderness is not so easily left behind.
With their pasts catching up to them, the women are forced to reunite and reckon with what they’ve done; the real truth, not the “we did what we had to survive and nothing more” soundbite that some of the survivors have stuck to in the decades since.
‘Yellowjackets’ is well worth the buzz
What had me hooked immediately on “Yellowjackets” is the time-jumping storytelling. It’s a bold move to reveal which girls survive the ordeal from the jump, but rather than spoil any of the mystery, it only tees up more and more questions as each timeline unfolds.
Several characters who survive the initial crash are noticeably absent from the modern-day timeline, leaving you guessing at their fates. For those who did make it out, you’re constantly wondering whether something someone said or did will have a butterfly effect on their future.
For instance, without getting too much into spoiler territory, several characters who survive the initial crash are noticeably absent from the modern-day timeline, leaving you guessing at their fates.
For those who did make it out, you’re constantly wondering whether something someone said or did will have a butterfly effect on their future.
An undercurrent that there may be something supernatural at work also adds plenty of intrigue. It’s clear there’s more to the situation than meets the eye, something the camera work hammers home.
At times, “Yellowjackets” takes on a “Blair Witch Project” approach, with the camera shifting from behind a tree or out of sight, giving the sense that someone is watching the team. But it’s so subtle that it’ll leave you questioning whether it’s just your imagination.
Is the camera work mirroring the survivors’ trauma and paranoia, or is something else going on? Are they descending into madness, or is a larger, more sinister force at play here?
Elevating it all is the excellent cast with a feeling of genuine chemistry between them. It’s uncanny how the modern-day Yellowjackets look and act like older versions of their 1996 selves.
I was dying to know not only what in the world happened to these girls out there, but also what happened in the years since. I’m almost tempted to rewatch the show, knowing everything I know now. Learning the fates of certain teammates casts a completely different light on the characters’ performances thus far.
Christina Ricci is nothing short of amazing in her portrayal of Misty; she absolutely dominates every scene she’s in with a quirky madness of her own. I was delighted that season 2 introduced a character to match her freak with Elijah Wood’s Walter. Also stealing the show is adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), whose portrayal of a troubled mom grappling with her demons — and later ferally embracing them — has been riveting to watch, like we have a front row seat to her fractured mind. She’s unhinged and I love it and, honestly, I hope she spirals further. God forbid a woman have hobbies.
Why you should stream ‘Yellowjackets’ ASAP
In case I haven’t made it clear already, I’ve quickly turned into a “Yellowjackets” convert, and now’s a great time to get caught up.
The season 3 finale of “Yellowjackets” debuts on Paramount Plus on Friday, and it’s bound to be packed with some bombshell reveals that’ll have us starving for the next season.
If you haven’t watched “Yellowjackets” yet, you should absolutely add it to your watchlist. It strikes a perfect balance between serious drama, horror, and dark comedy.
I’ve no doubt newcomers to the series will consider it a killer drama (both metaphorically and literally); just don’t blame me when you end up sacrificing sleep and common sense for just one more episode.
