Episodes watched: 4 out of 10
What began as a hugely intriguing supernatural survival mystery akin to a Lost and Lord of the Flies crossover, soon hit somewhat of a stumbling block with a disappointing sophomore season. The delays between seasons certainly didn’t help, but much like Damon Lindelof’s seminal survival series, many viewers have been questioning whether creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson have all of the answers too.
With a time shift transporting the remaining survivors from the brutal winter of the wilderness to a much more forgiving (brat) summer, Yellowjackets opens with a brief reprieve following both Jackie (Ella Purnell) and adult Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) shocking demise. The 90s timeline sees teen Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) ruling as the Antler Queen and the others living in relative harmony in what appears to be an idyllic hippie smallholding, with the search for coach Ben (Steven Krueger) ongoing following accusations that he burnt down the cabin.
Meanwhile, the adult Yellowjackets are all grieving Natalie’s death at the accidental hands of Misty (Christina Ricci), who’s distraught at her actions – quickly turning to alcoholism to help cope with her guilt. Following their reunion, Van (Lauren Ambrose) and Tai’s (Tawny Cypress) whirlwind romance blossoms into something much darker, while Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) tries to piece her family life back together following the killing shenanigans last season.
The time jump couldn’t come soon enough following the bleak oppressiveness of last seasons winter exploits and the murderous calamities of the present day timeline. Thankfully there’s much more humour this time round, helping to bring balance to the darker moments, courtesy of Lynskey and Ricci’s hilarious bickering and even more from Warren Kole’s brilliant himbo Jeff.
And while the adult timeline still feels somewhat disjointed, it does appears that their past is finally beginning to come back to bite them, with an intriguing development in Van and Tai’s storyline, as Tai continues to delve into the eerie ‘man with no eyes’ mystery. Similarly, Shauna’s spiralling also progresses, as she’s seemingly being stalked by someone from her past. Lynskey continues to be one of the best elements of the show, as her deliciously dark demise is a real treat to watch, with her hilarious “I’d like to talk to the manager” phone call and a surprise interaction proving some of the standout moments so far.
There’s also plenty more compelling developments amongst the 90s timeline, as the teens all begin to hear something screaming in the wild. We’re yet to see whether it’s the trees, the supernatural entity or a collective hallucination, but it’s clear that Lottie (Courtney Eaton) is having a field day. We’re also finally introduced to the iconic pit, harking back to the terrifying season one opener (rip pit girl), and there’s a surprise development with an even more hateful Shauna (Sophie Nélisse, another of the seasons MVPs).
While frustratingly there’s even more mysterious introduced, it does feel like a return to form for the show, with some questions beginning to be answered. Events in episodes three and four start to feel genuinely significant to the wider story, and a particularly gonzo reveal later on genuinely shocks.
Given the fact that there’s a total of five seasons planned from the creators, we should probably brace ourselves for a continued slow-burn, but thankfully there’s still plenty of banging 90s needle drops, crazy twists and turns and even more endearing himbo moments courtesy of Jeff to sink our teeth into (sorry!)
Verdict
While Yellowjackets season 3 has a tendency to dial up the supernatural wilderness mystery rather than begin to answer it, thankfully some key elements are starting to be explored. There’s also plenty more deliciously deranged developments, some fantastic comedy and a whole host of gripping performances. Roll on the rest of the series and Hilary Swank’s introduction!
