Month: March 2023

Well, it happened.
The Wiskayok High School Yellowjackets have officially cannonballed into cannibalism, feasting on their fallen pal, Jackie (Ella Purnell), after she was barbecued, nay, slow-roasted and smoked on her own funeral pyre.
In Season 2, episode 2, “Edible Complex,” the entire ravenous team excepting Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) emerge from their fireside slumber to the long-missed wafts of cooked meat infiltrating their cabin in the woods. Outside, they find Jackie steaming and well-done after a fateful snow drift alters her cremation. And in one of Yellowjackets’ most intense sequences, cutting between reality and a surreal Dionysian banquet, the Yellowjackets tear their friend to pieces to the bleak sounds of Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls.”
It’s this scene that’ll be in the back of your mind if you rewatch one scene from Season 1, episode 1, set before the plane crash.

SEE ALSO:

5 hidden clues in the ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 opening credits

Attending a party the night before they’re set to depart for Nationals as the state champions, some of the Yellowjackets are seething. Earlier, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) had taken her competitive nature out on freshman Allie during a training match — if you’ve forgotten that juicy compound fracture, allow me to reopen that wounded memory.

Taissa’s plan to “freeze out” Allie did not go exactly to plan, but it worked.
Credit: Paul Sarkis / Showtime

A tense confrontation between Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) and Taissa leads to an argument. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), Van (Liv Hewson), Lottie (Courtney Eaton), and Laura Lee (Jane Widdop) join in and start throwing insults at each other. Jumping in as the team captain she is, Jackie drags her teammates to a private spot away from the party, trying to mediate.
“We’re about to go to Nationals, and based on what I’m looking at right now, we might as well not even bother getting on that plane,” says Jackie. In hindsight, maybe she should have let them have it out at the party.

Featured Video For You

Watch the ‘Yellowjackets’ cast absolutely crush Mash Libs

In the copse, Jackie requests that her Yellowjackets line up, then, one by one, they’re asked to “say one nice, true thing about every other girl on this team.” Laura Lee’s generic, faith-driven compliments fall flat, but Jackie pulls deeply thoughtful compliments for her friends out of nowhere.
“Taissa Turner, you have more fight in you than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m inspired by your determination. Vanessa Palmer, your smile makes me feel happy every time I see it. Laura Lee, I truly admire your faith. Nat, I love that you don’t care what anybody thinks, you’re so completely yourself.”

“Taissa Turner, you have more fight in you than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Credit: Paul Sarkis / Showtime

Eventually, the other girls cooperate, saying lovely things about each other and causing Shauna and Taissa to make amends.
Finally, Jackie does Shauna.
“Shauna Shipman, you are a terrible dancer and you have seriously questionable taste in music and you can’t hold your liquor for shit. But you’re the only one who’s always been there for me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
It’s extremely odd rewatching this scene knowing that these girls Jackie is praising, including her best friend, will make a literal meal of her. You just never know whether the pals you’re complimenting today will be gorging themselves on your spleen tomorrow.
Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

Well, it happened.

The Wiskayok High School Yellowjackets have officially cannonballed into cannibalism, feasting on their fallen pal, Jackie (Ella Purnell), after she was barbecued, nay, slow-roasted and smoked on her own funeral pyre.

In Season 2, episode 2, “Edible Complex,” the entire ravenous team excepting Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) emerge from their fireside slumber to the long-missed wafts of cooked meat infiltrating their cabin in the woods. Outside, they find Jackie steaming and well-done after a fateful snow drift alters her cremation. And in one of Yellowjackets‘ most intense sequences, cutting between reality and a surreal Dionysian banquet, the Yellowjackets tear their friend to pieces to the bleak sounds of Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls.”

It’s this scene that’ll be in the back of your mind if you rewatch one scene from Season 1, episode 1, set before the plane crash.

Attending a party the night before they’re set to depart for Nationals as the state champions, some of the Yellowjackets are seething. Earlier, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) had taken her competitive nature out on freshman Allie during a training match — if you’ve forgotten that juicy compound fracture, allow me to reopen that wounded memory.

A tense confrontation between Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) and Taissa leads to an argument. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), Van (Liv Hewson), Lottie (Courtney Eaton), and Laura Lee (Jane Widdop) join in and start throwing insults at each other. Jumping in as the team captain she is, Jackie drags her teammates to a private spot away from the party, trying to mediate.

“We’re about to go to Nationals, and based on what I’m looking at right now, we might as well not even bother getting on that plane,” says Jackie. In hindsight, maybe she should have let them have it out at the party.

In the copse, Jackie requests that her Yellowjackets line up, then, one by one, they’re asked to “say one nice, true thing about every other girl on this team.” Laura Lee’s generic, faith-driven compliments fall flat, but Jackie pulls deeply thoughtful compliments for her friends out of nowhere.

“Taissa Turner, you have more fight in you than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m inspired by your determination. Vanessa Palmer, your smile makes me feel happy every time I see it. Laura Lee, I truly admire your faith. Nat, I love that you don’t care what anybody thinks, you’re so completely yourself.”

Eventually, the other girls cooperate, saying lovely things about each other and causing Shauna and Taissa to make amends.

Finally, Jackie does Shauna.

“Shauna Shipman, you are a terrible dancer and you have seriously questionable taste in music and you can’t hold your liquor for shit. But you’re the only one who’s always been there for me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

It’s extremely odd rewatching this scene knowing that these girls Jackie is praising, including her best friend, will make a literal meal of her. You just never know whether the pals you’re complimenting today will be gorging themselves on your spleen tomorrow.

Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

Read More 

In Season 1 of Yellowjackets, Misty Quigley was the only citizen detective we needed to keep an eye on. True crime-obsessed, Misty proved a friend indeed when her friend in need, Shauna, needed help disposing of the body of her slain lover Adam. Season 2 begins with Misty grilling Shauna in a mock interrogation, just to cover their bases. But could Misty have met her match with a mysterious man online? 
On the citizen detective message boards that Misty frequents as “AfricanGrey,” a potential rival has arisen. A user with the handle “PuttingtheSICKinForensics” has been focusing his amateur sleuthing on the missing person’s case of Adam Martin, which could be disastrous for Team Yellowjackets. So, who is this guy? 
Let’s chase down the clues each week to uncover this Yellowjackets mystery. 
Who is PuttingtheSICKinForensics?

Credit: Scott Kirkland/SHOWTIME

From the trailers for Season 2, we know Christina Ricci, who plays present-day Misty, shares scenes with fellow ’90s icon Elijah Wood. Plus, the Lord of the Rings star’s sprightly voice is easily identifiable in episode one, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen,” as the voiceover source of fellow online citizen detective PuttingtheSICKinForensics; Wood is also listed as Walter in the show’s credits.
In this first ep, Misty is infuriated to find Adam Martin’s (Peter Gadiot) disappearance has become the focus of PuttingtheSICKinForensics. More worrisome, her fellow sleuthing fan is on the right track, posting a theory that Adam’s disappearance might be blamed on an unknown girlfriend. To save Shauna from suspicion, Misty uses her reputation as a well-reputed citizen detective to malign this theory. But could there be clues within Walter’s initial post? 
Amid the tedious telegraph schtick, Walter notes that he’s gotten ahold of Adam’s bank statements, and from the charges has determined the missing man had a new love interest. Of course, he’s onto something. But how did Walter get ahold of Adam’s bank statements? Maybe he’s a savvy hacker. Maybe, like Natalie’s former sponsor, he works at a bank. Maybe he’s pulled a Misty, getting his hands dirty by going through Adam’s trash. By the end of episode 1, we have no way of knowing for sure. 
What does Episode 2 tell us about PuttingtheSICKinForensics? 

Credit: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

In Season 2 episode 2 (“Edible Complex”), Walter makes his first appearance on Yellowjackets while making an intriguing impression on Misty. 
It begins with Misty reaching out on the f/BureauofCitizenDetectives message board for help hacking the motel security camera, so she might uncover what happened to Nat. Walter pipes up, offering, “I might have an idea, but only if you stop shitting all over my Adam Martin theories.”
Misty snarls and quickly accuses him of going on “wild goose chases.” But Walter’s not giving up. 
Soon, Wood’s familiar voice is drifting through the old folks’ home where Misty works. Amid probing questions about air quality and staff background checks, Walter makes knowing eye contact with Misty. She then finds a note addressed to her in the staff fridge. It appears to be blank, but a flash of a UV light reveals that SICK has found her and is eager to help her in her quest to find Nat. He’s even set up an interview with a potential witness, masquerading as an FBI agent.
Asking if “Agent Quigley” would care to join is just about the most romantic thing Misty might hope for. But this guy is trying to expose her friend for murder. So, their love story has a rocky road ahead. 
Shipping potential aside, who is Walter beyond a rival/love interest for Misty? Could there be a clue in Season 1? 
Is Walter a friend of Adam’s? 

Credit: Michael Courtney/SHOWTIME

Consider this: Misty’s current focus on the message boards is cracking the case of MIA Nat, a friend for which she’d do anything (including hard drugs). If Walter is Misty’s match, as he seems to be, could he be similarly motivated in Adam’s case?
When Adam died, Shauna knew frustratingly little about him. In Season 1 episode 8, “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Shauna confronts Adam over his lies about going to art school at Pratt. From there, Adam proposes a romantic get-to-know-him getaway. “Look, I’ve got this friend with a cabin in the woods in the Poconos,” Adam said, “Let’s go away for the weekend. I’ll be an open book.” 
He doesn’t say, “Let’s get a hotel” or “Let’s take a trip.” Adam specifically mentions a friend with a cabin. Presumably, he’s already asked that friend if he could borrow the place for the weekend. And maybe he even floated why: time alone with a new girlfriend. 
Could Walter be the friend with a cabin? Could it be that this is actually why he knows Adam had a girlfriend and that she might be the key to finding him? Of course, there was a bigger fear that Shauna had about Adam. 
Is Walter a Yellowjackets fanboy? 

Credit: Michael Courtney/SHOWTIME

As Season 1 episode 9 (“Doomcoming”) kicks off, Shauna is storming back to Adam’s apartment, armed with a handful of glitter and allegations that he’s the blackmailer who’s been harassing her fellow Yellowjackets. She’s convinced he figured out the code to her safe and stole her missing journals from the wilderness. “The code is the flight number,” she exclaims. “It’s so fucking dumb. Any fanboy could figure that out.” 
Yellowjackets fanboys have been mentioned in passing, always disdainfully by the survivors. While Adam is bewildered by these accusations (we later learn Jeff was the blackmailer and borrowed the journals), Shauna discovers that Adam has been hiding a copy of the loathed true crime tell-all Skin in the Game: The Unofficial Story of Flight 2525.
From there, Adam says he googled her after they met. “I saw you were in that plane crash and I was curious,” he insists. She doesn’t believe him. She fears they didn’t meet by a chance car collision but that he’s a stalker obsessed with the tragic girls of 25 years ago. Adam claims he didn’t know her at all before the accident, but he dies before Shauna learns what his deal really is. 
Whether or not they met by happenstance, was Adam a Yellowjackets fanboy? The old book might have been bought easily and recently on eBay, but behind it sits a ragged issue of a gossip magazine, which presumably would be trickier to find. Could it be something he scored from a Yellowjackets message board? Or maybe Adam got it from a friend who has an obsession with crime, conspiracies, and cover-ups.
Perhaps Walter had previously owned that trashy true crime book and/or gossip magazine. At the very least, he’d be the right person to turn to for information when Adam started asking questions about Flight 2525.
After all, the Yellowjackets girls have been largely living outside the spotlight, but Walter somehow connected AfricanGrey to Misty Quigley’s name and workplace. Presumably, he also knows Misty is a Flight 2525 survivor, as that would rank far higher on her search results than her job. So, could he have a fanboy ulterior motive in proposing a meetup? Does he suspect Misty is Adam’s secret girlfriend?
Misty’s typically pretty good at sniffing out bullshit. Could her desperate hunger for love blind her when it comes to this cute true crime buff? 
Stay tuned. We’ll update as new eps air.
Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

In Season 1 of Yellowjackets, Misty Quigley was the only citizen detective we needed to keep an eye on. True crime-obsessed, Misty proved a friend indeed when her friend in need, Shauna, needed help disposing of the body of her slain lover Adam. Season 2 begins with Misty grilling Shauna in a mock interrogation, just to cover their bases. But could Misty have met her match with a mysterious man online? 

On the citizen detective message boards that Misty frequents as “AfricanGrey,” a potential rival has arisen. A user with the handle “PuttingtheSICKinForensics” has been focusing his amateur sleuthing on the missing person’s case of Adam Martin, which could be disastrous for Team Yellowjackets. So, who is this guy? 

Let’s chase down the clues each week to uncover this Yellowjackets mystery. 

Who is PuttingtheSICKinForensics?

From the trailers for Season 2, we know Christina Ricci, who plays present-day Misty, shares scenes with fellow ’90s icon Elijah Wood. Plus, the Lord of the Rings star’s sprightly voice is easily identifiable in episode one, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen,” as the voiceover source of fellow online citizen detective PuttingtheSICKinForensics; Wood is also listed as Walter in the show’s credits.

In this first ep, Misty is infuriated to find Adam Martin’s (Peter Gadiot) disappearance has become the focus of PuttingtheSICKinForensics. More worrisome, her fellow sleuthing fan is on the right track, posting a theory that Adam’s disappearance might be blamed on an unknown girlfriend. To save Shauna from suspicion, Misty uses her reputation as a well-reputed citizen detective to malign this theory. But could there be clues within Walter’s initial post? 

Amid the tedious telegraph schtick, Walter notes that he’s gotten ahold of Adam’s bank statements, and from the charges has determined the missing man had a new love interest. Of course, he’s onto something. But how did Walter get ahold of Adam’s bank statements? Maybe he’s a savvy hacker. Maybe, like Natalie’s former sponsor, he works at a bank. Maybe he’s pulled a Misty, getting his hands dirty by going through Adam’s trash. By the end of episode 1, we have no way of knowing for sure. 

What does Episode 2 tell us about PuttingtheSICKinForensics? 

In Season 2 episode 2 (“Edible Complex”), Walter makes his first appearance on Yellowjackets while making an intriguing impression on Misty. 

It begins with Misty reaching out on the f/BureauofCitizenDetectives message board for help hacking the motel security camera, so she might uncover what happened to Nat. Walter pipes up, offering, “I might have an idea, but only if you stop shitting all over my Adam Martin theories.”

Misty snarls and quickly accuses him of going on “wild goose chases.” But Walter’s not giving up. 

Soon, Wood’s familiar voice is drifting through the old folks’ home where Misty works. Amid probing questions about air quality and staff background checks, Walter makes knowing eye contact with Misty. She then finds a note addressed to her in the staff fridge. It appears to be blank, but a flash of a UV light reveals that SICK has found her and is eager to help her in her quest to find Nat. He’s even set up an interview with a potential witness, masquerading as an FBI agent.

Asking if “Agent Quigley” would care to join is just about the most romantic thing Misty might hope for. But this guy is trying to expose her friend for murder. So, their love story has a rocky road ahead. 

Shipping potential aside, who is Walter beyond a rival/love interest for Misty? Could there be a clue in Season 1? 

Is Walter a friend of Adam’s? 

Consider this: Misty’s current focus on the message boards is cracking the case of MIA Nat, a friend for which she’d do anything (including hard drugs). If Walter is Misty’s match, as he seems to be, could he be similarly motivated in Adam’s case?

When Adam died, Shauna knew frustratingly little about him. In Season 1 episode 8, “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Shauna confronts Adam over his lies about going to art school at Pratt. From there, Adam proposes a romantic get-to-know-him getaway. “Look, I’ve got this friend with a cabin in the woods in the Poconos,” Adam said, “Let’s go away for the weekend. I’ll be an open book.” 

He doesn’t say, “Let’s get a hotel” or “Let’s take a trip.” Adam specifically mentions a friend with a cabin. Presumably, he’s already asked that friend if he could borrow the place for the weekend. And maybe he even floated why: time alone with a new girlfriend. 

Could Walter be the friend with a cabin? Could it be that this is actually why he knows Adam had a girlfriend and that she might be the key to finding him? Of course, there was a bigger fear that Shauna had about Adam. 

Is Walter a Yellowjackets fanboy? 

As Season 1 episode 9 (“Doomcoming”) kicks off, Shauna is storming back to Adam’s apartment, armed with a handful of glitter and allegations that he’s the blackmailer who’s been harassing her fellow Yellowjackets. She’s convinced he figured out the code to her safe and stole her missing journals from the wilderness. “The code is the flight number,” she exclaims. “It’s so fucking dumb. Any fanboy could figure that out.” 

Yellowjackets fanboys have been mentioned in passing, always disdainfully by the survivors. While Adam is bewildered by these accusations (we later learn Jeff was the blackmailer and borrowed the journals), Shauna discovers that Adam has been hiding a copy of the loathed true crime tell-all Skin in the Game: The Unofficial Story of Flight 2525.

From there, Adam says he googled her after they met. “I saw you were in that plane crash and I was curious,” he insists. She doesn’t believe him. She fears they didn’t meet by a chance car collision but that he’s a stalker obsessed with the tragic girls of 25 years ago. Adam claims he didn’t know her at all before the accident, but he dies before Shauna learns what his deal really is. 

Whether or not they met by happenstance, was Adam a Yellowjackets fanboy? The old book might have been bought easily and recently on eBay, but behind it sits a ragged issue of a gossip magazine, which presumably would be trickier to find. Could it be something he scored from a Yellowjackets message board? Or maybe Adam got it from a friend who has an obsession with crime, conspiracies, and cover-ups.

Perhaps Walter had previously owned that trashy true crime book and/or gossip magazine. At the very least, he’d be the right person to turn to for information when Adam started asking questions about Flight 2525.

After all, the Yellowjackets girls have been largely living outside the spotlight, but Walter somehow connected AfricanGrey to Misty Quigley’s name and workplace. Presumably, he also knows Misty is a Flight 2525 survivor, as that would rank far higher on her search results than her job. So, could he have a fanboy ulterior motive in proposing a meetup? Does he suspect Misty is Adam’s secret girlfriend?

Misty’s typically pretty good at sniffing out bullshit. Could her desperate hunger for love blind her when it comes to this cute true crime buff? 

Stay tuned. We’ll update as new eps air.

Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

Read More 

Cannibalism has been quite the trend in TV and film of late. In 2021, Yellowjackets crashed into our lives with the tantalizing and terrifying tale of teens turned could-be cannibals in an untamed wilderness. Then 2022 brought us Netflix’s docuseries Dahmer, about the notorious cannibal serial killer. House of Hammer renewed talk of Armie Hammer’s flesh-eating fantasies, and Bones and All turned all-consuming teen lust literal with a road trip romance of fine young cannibals. 
Now, 2023 kicked off with The Last of Us, HBO’s TV drama set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where brain-infecting fungi transform men into maneaters. And just as that scorching season concluded, Yellowjackets returns with its hotly anticipated second season. 

SEE ALSO:

‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 review: Our favorite messed-up cannibals return — with even more bite

The Last of Us and Yellowjackets have more in common than a plot about a teen girl fighting to survive in a world of cannibals and endless emotional damage. The two series also share an unnerving excuse for the unthinkable, and a few disturbing bits more. 
What do The Last of Us and Yellowjackets have in common? 

Scott Shepherd as David in “The Last of Us” episode 8.
Credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO

It all begins with winter. The air is freezing. The game is sparse. The ground is frozen solid. Too solid for digging. 
In episode 8 of The Last of Us, the soft-spoken preacher David (Scott Shepherd) consoles the grieving family of the man Joel (Pedro Pascal) had slain in a previous episode. A sobbing daughter asks when their loving father might be buried. It seems a straightforward question, but it gives David pause. He exchanges glances with his right-hand acolyte (Troy Baker) before declaring, “The ground is too cold to dig. We’ll bury your father in the spring.” 
It seems a reasonable response. But before the episode’s end, we — and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) — learn the truth behind David’s ruse as a peaceful man of God.

Featured Video For You

Watch the ‘Yellowjackets’ cast absolutely crush Mash Libs

Meanwhile, on Yellowjackets, the titular team faces a similar crisis in Season 2, episode 2, titled, “Edible Complex.” Jackie (Ella Purnell) froze to death months ago, and the earth has not gotten softer since. So, Shauna’s (Sophie Nélisse) has been keeping her deceased bestie in their meat shed, out of sight but very on her mind.
Away from the others, Shauna’s guilt resurrects Jackie as a smiling, taunting, makeover-demanding imaginary friend. The rest of the team has a vague clue that her coping method has gotten weird, but once they discover that Jackie’s been posed and painted like a macabre American Girl doll, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) decides it’s time for proper disposal.
“Shauna, this has to stop,” Taissa pleads, “for your own good, and for the good of the baby…We are getting rid of Jackie’s two-month-old corpse.”
And what does Shauna say? “We can’t even bury her. The ground is frozen solid.”
But they can cremate her. Right?
An ear proves a vital clue in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us. 

Sam Shepherd and Bella Ramsey in “The Last of Us” episode 8.
Credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO

In both scenarios, it would be an arduous task to dig a proper hole in these frigid conditions. But the digging is not what concerns David or Shauna. It’s the meat that might be wasted.
While trying to escape from the cage into which David has slung her, Ellie discovers how he’s really been providing for his flock. While he insists the stew he’s serving to Ellie and his followers is “deer meat,” she can plainly see a bloody human ear lying on the floor not far from her cage. Later, Joel will find more gruesome clues to David’s Sweeney Todd side.
A dismembered ear proves pivotal for Shauna too. It’s the bit of Jackie that fell off during a one-sided argument in the shed and made for a secretive snack at the end of Season 1’s premiere. So when Taissa proposes burial, we know it’s not just Jackie’s presence that Shauna will miss. A sly cutaway to the corpse’s cut away wrist confirms that Shauna is the first of the Yellowjackets to go cannibal. Like David, she’s eager to hide this dining detail. But before long, she won’t carry the secret alone. 
Faith blooms in a hopeless place. 

The Yellowjackets gather in “Edible Complex.”
Credit: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME

Is there a dark spirit in the forest that’s protecting or possessing the girls? Lottie (Courtney Eaton) and her acolytes believe so. The Antler Queen has steadily been building a religion in the wilderness on blood-infused tea, healing meditation, and the sacrifice of a bear heart. While Yellowjackets plays with what might be paranormal and what might be psychological, it’s easy to see how believers might find Jackie’s failed funeral pyre a blessing from their wilderness god.
Sure, teen girls with no training in cremation might have mucked it up anyway (as they did by setting a live Van aflame in Season 1). But the ominous music and swooping POV-seeming cinematography of the sequence in Season 2, episode 2 suggests something beyond fate fwomped all that snow atop Jackie, preventing her from burning to ash, and instead slow-cooking her as a feast for ravenous followers. When the girls emerge from the cabin to see Jackie laid out like a steaming buffet, a fantasy sequence takes over of them attending a Grecian bacchanal, where every want and whim might be satisfied. Faith and fantasy collided in The Last of Us as well. 
To his followers, David preaches about God and heaven. But to Ellie, he lays down his true faith, declaring the infecting fungus as divine. “What does Cordryceps do? Is it evil? No,” David says, “It’s fruitful. It multiplies. It feeds and protects its children, and it secures its future with violence if it must. It loves.” 
Episode 8 of The Last of Us Season 1 reveals David to be a liar, a cannibal, and a rapist. Yet in his mind, he is a man of faith, devoted to something greater than himself. He uses his beliefs to justify his behavior, to set himself above and apart from those he lies to, assaults, and eats. We don’t know how David’s path to cannibalism began. But it does seem it might be the same that Lottie and her teammates and acolytes are treading, whether they like it or not. 
They’ve crossed the line now. They are cannibals, just as the rumors have teased in Season 1. And winter is long and unforgiving. So, it’s unlikely Jackie will be the last of their regretful feasts. After all, we know Pit Girl will fall to their needs in what appears to be a ruthless ritual. How will we get there? One bite at a time. 
Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Friday. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

Cannibalism has been quite the trend in TV and film of late. In 2021, Yellowjackets crashed into our lives with the tantalizing and terrifying tale of teens turned could-be cannibals in an untamed wilderness. Then 2022 brought us Netflix’s docuseries Dahmer, about the notorious cannibal serial killer. House of Hammer renewed talk of Armie Hammer’s flesh-eating fantasies, and Bones and All turned all-consuming teen lust literal with a road trip romance of fine young cannibals. 

Now, 2023 kicked off with The Last of Us, HBO’s TV drama set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where brain-infecting fungi transform men into maneaters. And just as that scorching season concluded, Yellowjackets returns with its hotly anticipated second season. 

The Last of Us and Yellowjackets have more in common than a plot about a teen girl fighting to survive in a world of cannibals and endless emotional damage. The two series also share an unnerving excuse for the unthinkable, and a few disturbing bits more. 

What do The Last of Us and Yellowjackets have in common? 

It all begins with winter. The air is freezing. The game is sparse. The ground is frozen solid. Too solid for digging. 

In episode 8 of The Last of Us, the soft-spoken preacher David (Scott Shepherd) consoles the grieving family of the man Joel (Pedro Pascal) had slain in a previous episode. A sobbing daughter asks when their loving father might be buried. It seems a straightforward question, but it gives David pause. He exchanges glances with his right-hand acolyte (Troy Baker) before declaring, “The ground is too cold to dig. We’ll bury your father in the spring.” 

It seems a reasonable response. But before the episode’s end, we — and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) — learn the truth behind David’s ruse as a peaceful man of God.

Meanwhile, on Yellowjackets, the titular team faces a similar crisis in Season 2, episode 2, titled, “Edible Complex.” Jackie (Ella Purnell) froze to death months ago, and the earth has not gotten softer since. So, Shauna’s (Sophie Nélisse) has been keeping her deceased bestie in their meat shed, out of sight but very on her mind.

Away from the others, Shauna’s guilt resurrects Jackie as a smiling, taunting, makeover-demanding imaginary friend. The rest of the team has a vague clue that her coping method has gotten weird, but once they discover that Jackie’s been posed and painted like a macabre American Girl doll, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) decides it’s time for proper disposal.

“Shauna, this has to stop,” Taissa pleads, “for your own good, and for the good of the baby…We are getting rid of Jackie’s two-month-old corpse.”

And what does Shauna say? “We can’t even bury her. The ground is frozen solid.”

But they can cremate her. Right?

An ear proves a vital clue in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us. 

In both scenarios, it would be an arduous task to dig a proper hole in these frigid conditions. But the digging is not what concerns David or Shauna. It’s the meat that might be wasted.

While trying to escape from the cage into which David has slung her, Ellie discovers how he’s really been providing for his flock. While he insists the stew he’s serving to Ellie and his followers is “deer meat,” she can plainly see a bloody human ear lying on the floor not far from her cage. Later, Joel will find more gruesome clues to David’s Sweeney Todd side.

A dismembered ear proves pivotal for Shauna too. It’s the bit of Jackie that fell off during a one-sided argument in the shed and made for a secretive snack at the end of Season 1’s premiere. So when Taissa proposes burial, we know it’s not just Jackie’s presence that Shauna will miss. A sly cutaway to the corpse’s cut away wrist confirms that Shauna is the first of the Yellowjackets to go cannibal. Like David, she’s eager to hide this dining detail. But before long, she won’t carry the secret alone. 

Faith blooms in a hopeless place. 

Is there a dark spirit in the forest that’s protecting or possessing the girls? Lottie (Courtney Eaton) and her acolytes believe so. The Antler Queen has steadily been building a religion in the wilderness on blood-infused tea, healing meditation, and the sacrifice of a bear heart. While Yellowjackets plays with what might be paranormal and what might be psychological, it’s easy to see how believers might find Jackie’s failed funeral pyre a blessing from their wilderness god.

Sure, teen girls with no training in cremation might have mucked it up anyway (as they did by setting a live Van aflame in Season 1). But the ominous music and swooping POV-seeming cinematography of the sequence in Season 2, episode 2 suggests something beyond fate fwomped all that snow atop Jackie, preventing her from burning to ash, and instead slow-cooking her as a feast for ravenous followers. When the girls emerge from the cabin to see Jackie laid out like a steaming buffet, a fantasy sequence takes over of them attending a Grecian bacchanal, where every want and whim might be satisfied. Faith and fantasy collided in The Last of Us as well. 

To his followers, David preaches about God and heaven. But to Ellie, he lays down his true faith, declaring the infecting fungus as divine. “What does Cordryceps do? Is it evil? No,” David says, “It’s fruitful. It multiplies. It feeds and protects its children, and it secures its future with violence if it must. It loves.” 

Episode 8 of The Last of Us Season 1 reveals David to be a liar, a cannibal, and a rapist. Yet in his mind, he is a man of faith, devoted to something greater than himself. He uses his beliefs to justify his behavior, to set himself above and apart from those he lies to, assaults, and eats. We don’t know how David’s path to cannibalism began. But it does seem it might be the same that Lottie and her teammates and acolytes are treading, whether they like it or not. 

They’ve crossed the line now. They are cannibals, just as the rumors have teased in Season 1. And winter is long and unforgiving. So, it’s unlikely Jackie will be the last of their regretful feasts. After all, we know Pit Girl will fall to their needs in what appears to be a ruthless ritual. How will we get there? One bite at a time. 

Yellowjackets Season 2 is streaming on Showtime, with new episodes streaming weekly on Friday. Episodes also air every Sunday on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

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