Yellowjackets Is Healing The Hurt With Rage And Recovery
This article contains major spoilers for "Yellowjackets" season 2 episode 7.
After last week's devastating episode, what could "Yellowjackets" possibly have in store for us? Well, an incredibly somber opening of everyone at the cabin in mourning, set to "Something in the Way" by Nirvana. Shauna is too depressed to drink water and has been cradling her baby's corpse ever since. Taissa is trying her best to help her, but there's nothing that can help Shauna. That's not a critique of anyone in the cabin, by any means. Sometimes things are just awful, and we need to let them be awful. The snowstorm finally ends and the survivors can get some fresh air. Everyone is working together to shovel out the snow, and Shauna takes it upon herself to go on a solo walk and give her baby a final resting place.
With the ground still frozen, she stacks a series of stones around and over him, repeating the phrase from her dream, "It's you and me against the world." There's no telling how the loss of her child will continue to impact her, but this opening is the perfect follow-up to last week's devastating ending. I really commend "Yellowjackets" for refusing to dive right back into the increasingly dire stakes without allowing the severity of last week's episode to really sink in.
The theme music hits for the opening credits, and it's another warped, twisted version of the usual theme. This is usually a sign of some weirdness to come, so strap in, things are (probably) about to get crazy.
Welcome to Lottie's compound
Taissa, Van, and Shauna have all committed to join Natalie and Misty on Lottie's compound, and Nat has sincerely bought into this "intentional community." Taissa rightfully calls it a cult, but Natalie explains that Lottie has saved her life and that the rest of them need this type of healing too. "We brought some really dark s*** back with us from that place," she says. "Maybe now we can all start dealing with it."
Lottie has them all choose their own treatment plans, choosing between self-care (Shauna), forage (Van), and renewal (Taissa). Misty wanted forage but immediately buckled to guidance once Van said she wanted it. They're clearly falling right back into their teenage hierarchy before our eyes. Lottie tells them to text the landline number to whoever they need for emergencies before giving up their phones, with Shauna admitting that she can't really argue against the "devices leave us captive to other people's priorities" rule.
Shauna's therapy includes taking care of a baby goat named Bruce all day, Misty is going to enter a sensory deprivation tank, Van is off ... doing whatever Van does, and Taissa is painting a cabin with a makeup brush. Shauna is convinced she knows how her therapy will end and doesn't want to take care of the goat thinking she's going to have to kill it at the end of the day. I smell a swerve coming!
Strange things are afoot at the cabin
Taissa is having a hard time processing what happened to Shauna and the baby, but Van is extremely even-keeled about the whole ordeal. Van, who was one of the first people at the cabin to believe Lottie has powers, is now second-guessing everything. She doesn't understand why she has survived so many terrible things (like being mauled by a wolf), and it seems like survivor's guilt is setting in. The two tell one another that they need each other to survive, finally fully processing how dire things are for all of them in the wilderness, and recognizing they need to cling to what's real.
Speaking of, Coach Ben is struggling to accept what's real. He's still imagining a fantasy world with Paul, but the cabin location is taking over. He can't keep dissociating. He has to face what's really happening. He imagines Paul telling him "You had to know you couldn't stay here forever, this wasn't meant to be your hiding place." Paul tells him that Ben is no longer "welcome" here, and that "it's time." Oh god. Ben walks out of the cabin and screams for Paul, which is witnessed by Taissa and Van.
Without a fantasy world to escape to in his mind, all Coach Ben is left with is the reality that he's missing a limb and the only adult surrounded by a group of teenagers struggling for survival. They're understandably concerned that he's losing it, but he tells them "I'm going to be just fine," with a smirk on his face. Oh god. No good is coming from this.
Where are you, Crystal?
Misty overhears some of the girls praising how good she did during Shauna's delivery, despite the horrific outcome, but their compliments are actually insults. Ah, the psychological warfare of teenage girls. Their praises are actually them pointing out that they think Misty is "psychotic," and are convinced she did something to Crystal/Kristen. Which, as we know, she did. She then takes it upon herself to start a rescue mission for Crystal. All of those acting lessons have paid off, because she is selling it. Coach Ben agrees with Misty, but he's also just shaved his face in what seems like a ritualistic gesture. Placing my bets now; Coach Ben is going to take his own life and he shaved his face so he would look the way he prefers before he dies.
The other girls in the cabin spark a debate about whether or not the wilderness "took" Crystal and Shauna's baby as a trade for ending the snowstorm, but Lottie says "It doesn't work like that." I'm sorry, Lottie, but who died and made you the queen of the wilderness woo-woo? Never mind, don't answer that. (It's Jackie.) But she says the wilderness "saved Shauna," so I guess the implication is that only one of them was going to survive the birth, and the group wanted Shauna more.
They venture out on their search for Crystal, with an understanding that if they find her dead ... they're eating her. Misty puts on the waterworks about being afraid of finding her frozen friend, a distraction so she can find (and hide) her body. "I'm not going to let them eat you, Kristen." Aw, she does value her actual name!
Except when she goes to the bottom of the cliff where her body should be, it's gone.
Ben and Misty come to a head
Last season established that Misty was obsessed with Coach Ben to the point of trying to poison him, and she's one of the only people on the team that knows the truth about his sexuality. She sees Coach Ben atop the steep cliff where Kristen fell to her death, and it's clear he wants to jump. Misty delivers a masterclass in tactic shifting in an attempt to convince Ben not to do it. She praises him, threatens him, tries to scare him, and she breaks down and cries trying to guilt him.
This might read to some folks as Misty losing her mind right alongside him, but this is pretty textbook behavior for someone trying to stop a suicide attempt. She's throwing everything she can at him and hoping it sticks. It's a horrible, brilliant moment, especially when he is unaffected by Misty threatening "I'll tell everyone you impregnated Shauna," but a tear dropping when she says she'll tell the whole world that he's gay. Lest we forget, the 1990s were a pretty f***ing horrible time to be openly gay. Granted, it still is, but let's not be ahistorical. Ben tells her, "Do it," accepting that he'll be yet another tragic gay ending.
Misty realizes that threats aren't going to keep him from jumping, so she cries and begs him not to do it. "I can't have another death on my hands," she pleads. It's really difficult to tell if she's being sincere or putting on an act, but either way, it works. Ben steps back. He's not going to jump.
Therapy works, who knew?!
Lottie's therapy is shockingly effective. Taissa and Lottie discuss The Other Taissa. "She'll always be a part of you," Lottie says. Shauna loses the goat after he chews through the rope and Misty, avoiding therapy, helps her find him. As they search, Misty and Shauna discuss the whole "we hid a body together" thing, and it's clear things are coming to a head for Shauna. One of Lottie's followers tells Shauna that her care is "intertwined with the kid," referring to the name for a baby goat, but Shauna internalizes "kid."
She tracks down Lottie and tells her she doesn't care about the "big message" because she's not going to kill the goat, clearly a response to her thinking "I'm not going to kill this kid." Lottie tells her there was never a plan for the goat to die, and the relief washes over Shauna in a devastating way. She immediately bursts into tears and it sparks a confession about how she views herself as a mother, and how her losing her baby in the cabin has been detrimental to her relationship with her daughter, Callie. "I think something is broken, Lottie," she cries.
Meanwhile, Misty finally enters the sensory deprivation tank and has a hallucinatory experience featuring Walter telling her he loves her in Morse code. It's as if David Lynch directed a one-act absurdist musical, and it's phenomenal. Her beloved bird Caligula appears in a full-body bird suit ... and he's also John Cameron Mitchell. God, I love this show. This scene will absolutely be lost on a lot of "Yellowjackets" younger viewers who may not understand the weirdness shows were able to get away with the pre-algorithm era, but this moment exemplifies why the show is so great.
Anyway, Misty then decides to call Walter from the commune and leave an unhinged lovesick voicemail that borders on delusion. Oh, Misty.
Act normal, Taissa
Taissa and Van have been somewhat absent for the bulk of this episode, and it's because they were waiting for this scene. Taissa and Van take some time to talk about what's going on with them and share a kiss, only for Van to drop the bomb that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and only has a few months to live. Unpacking this scene requires an entirely separate article, which I'm going to do the second I finish this recap. Keep your eyes peeled on /Film for a breakdown of this tragic twist of fate.
As devastating as it is to hear that Van has cancer, I'm not counting her out just yet. There's been a lot of moments in this episode where Van and Taissa talk about how they need one another to survive and that Van keeps cheating death, which I have a feeling she's going to do once again. Cancer ain't got s*** on Vanessa Palmer. Misty, unaware of the conversation that just went down, invites them to join the rest of the group as they drink, talk, dance, and enjoy one another's company around a roaring fire. It's a beautiful moment of unity. They all shared a horrific experience together, but I can't help but think we're now in the eye of the storm. This feels like the last supper, and things are only going to get darker and scarier from here.
These moments of merriment are also cut between scenes back at the cabin that paints an extremely violent picture.
We need to talk about Shauna
As they clean up the cabin, Shauna sees the blood-soaked blanket from her delivery and it triggers the dream she had about the group eating the baby. She grabs the blanket at throws it into the fire as if she's trying to cleanse the thoughts out of her mind. She heads out to the meat shed to try and talk to Jackie ... but she's not there. Her hallucinations of her best friend don't appear, and Shauna is left alone to cry with her pain. It's a devastating reminder of all she has lost.
Last week I made an offhand comment about how Shauna needed to "beat the brakes off" Lottie for how weird she's been around her pregnancy, and, uh, I guess I should have been careful about what I wished for. Lottie, recognizing that Shauna is suffering, offers herself up as a literal punching bag for Shauna's rage. She needs to get it out of her system, not unlike the mindset behind "The Purge" franchise ... and she does. Shauna beats Lottie to a bloody pulp, and the rage that comes out of Shauna is equal parts horrifying and completely understandable.
Seeing Shauna and Lottie embrace as adults paint this scene in such a fascinating light. Do any of them, as adults, remember what they did as teenagers? Or was that violent act the necessary moment that united them all in their pain? It's impossible to tell, but I have a baaaad feeling about this.
Buzzworthy moments and additional thoughts
Before they all sit around together and talk about their lives, having sleepover-style conversations about murder/kidnapping/sex, Lottie meets with her therapist ... who may or may not be a hallucination or a manifestation. She doesn't exist. This poses the question, did she ever exist? As the women all talk together later that night, they talk about how they don't remember everything that happened back then, and all seem pretty comfortable with repressing everything. This is reflected in the fact the song they're dancing to as adults, "Lighting Crashes" by Live, is the song Misty was humming in the cabin when Shauna punches her in the face and inspires Lottie to be the vessel for that anger. The song is a meditation on the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation, and is a perfect fit.
- Melissa and Gen talk about eating Crystal and how it wouldn't be the worst thing and then immediately pivot with a superficial, "But I hope that she's okay!" This is one of the best-placed bits of levity in the entire show's run thus far. For as dark as "Yellowjackets" is, these little one-liners.
- John Cameron Mitchell being the voice of Caligula is perfect casting. 10/10 no notes.
- I missed Jeff this week. Who even am I?
- Oh yeah, the dance party at the compound is interrupted by Jeff calling Shauna to let her know that the cops have uncovered the remains of Adam Martin. You know, the body that all of the Yellowjackets chopped up together? What a cliffhanger!
Until next week, "Yellowjackets" hive. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!