Yellowjackets Season 2 Finale Will See The Cast At Their Most 'Desperate' Point
This post contains spoilers for "Yellowjackets" season 2 and discusses potentially triggering content.
Complete and total desperation is starting to set in for the stranded teens in the past timeline for Showtime's "Yellowjackets." In a matter of months, they've gone from carefree high school soccer players to starving cannibals struggling to survive in the Canadian wilderness with little to no hope of being rescued. To make matters worse, Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) has no choice but to give birth to her baby surrounded by her clueless classmates who, understandably, have no idea what they're doing or how to help her.
In "Qui," the sixth episode of season 2, it's finally time to find out if Shauna's baby survived or was consumed by the others in a wild cannibal cult eating frenzy. Sadly, it's revealed that her child was stillborn. Passing out from the pain, Shauna suffers a hallucination showing everyone eating the baby, so one of the wildest fan theories in "Yellowjackets" is actually confirmed and then quickly retconned.
Once the credits roll, it's clear that this episode is a turning point for the series and paves the way for a dark and dingy season finale, both literally and figuratively. The young actors playing these characters have already been put through the wringer, but it sounds like things are about to get much worse judging by some recent comments from stars Samantha Hanratty (teen Misty), Kevin Alves (teen Travis), and costume designer Amy Parris.
From clean cut kids to desperate teens on the brink
After experiencing the graphic birth of Shauna's baby, everyone inside the cabin is positively shook. While the characters are suddenly having to grow up way too fast for their own good, they still resemble the kids they once were before their plane crash-landed and tragedy struck. Inevitably, they're going to start looking the worse for wear before any real chance at help comes knocking. That reality is going to start showing up even more in the tattered clothes they wear and each person's overall appearance. According to Amy Parris, who was tasked with dressing down the actors, it's going to get a lot grosser inside the cabin. The "Yellowjackets" costume designer recently told Digital Spy:
"Up until I think [episodes] 7 and 8, the characters are still looking relatively clean-ish. I mean they're dirty, but you'll really see in [episode] 9, they just get like roughed up and they really are depraved and sad and desperate."
For a show with a supposed supernatural element baked in, it's crucial for the 19-month ordeal these survivors go through out in the woods to stay grounded and feel believable. For that to happen, Parris knew the clothes had to reflect what a harrowing, life-altering journey they've been on. "So it really starts kind of mellow and minor and goes a little crazy by the end, just so you could see the progression of how dirty and messy and gross and smelly they'd be at this point."
'My jaw was definitely on the floor'
As the younger version of Misty, star Samantha Hanratty is tasked with committing some of the more heinous acts of any character on "Yellowjackets." From everything that's already happened in the series, there are still plenty of shocks to come, apparently, so strap in. Cannibalism and murder are just the tip of the iceberg, and the upcoming episodes may include some truly over-the-top moments. Hanratty revealed recently to Uproxx:
"Not only does it get topped, s*** gets real. I just watched episodes 7 and 8 and I just did ADR for episode 9. And I'm not going to lie, I knew it was messed up, what we were doing. But re-watching it, my jaw was definitely on the floor with where things went."
"Yellowjackets" has certainly become much more than just a thrilling mystery tailor-made for endless speculation. But it's still exciting to know that whatever is in store for fans in the lead-up to season 2's finale has left Hanratty dumbfounded.
Kevin Alves, who plays young Travis, also gave a quick comment to A.V. Club about what to expect in the final episode of the season: "It is going to be visually spectacular and it is going to be so heavy and dark and set up the most exciting third season that's gonna come," he said.
New episodes of "Yellowjackets" stream on Showtime every Friday and air on television every Sunday.