Someone Was Missing From That Last Hallucination In The Yellowjackets Season 2 Finale
This post contains spoilers for the season 2 finale of "Yellowjackets."
It was only a matter of time before someone from the present-day storyline in "Yellowjackets" died, but that inevitability doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Yes, Travis was the first adult survivor to truly kick the bucket, but he died before audiences ever got the chance to know him. Meanwhile, we've been following adult Natalie (Juliette Lewis) for two seasons now; we've come to understand so much about why she is the way she is, and we've even come to hope that things could get better for her. It's nice that she got to leave the series on a redemptive note — saving another person's life instead of letting them die like she did to Javi — but it's still sad to see her go.
It helps that "Yellowjackets" doesn't just show Natalie dying — it gives us a glimpse of her journey into the afterlife. She's back on the plane, being comforted by both teen Lottie and Javi. It's not clear if this is a real spiritual experience or if this is just another hallucination, but as the show's argued plenty of times already, it doesn't really matter which. It's a comforting final moment for the character, helping to ease the blow of an inherently scary, heartbreaking situation.
But already fans can't help but wonder: Where was Travis in this hallucination? Like Javi, Travis is also a deceased character who has had a major impact on Natalie's life. Throughout the entire adult section of the show, Natalie's been focused on learning more about Travis' death and blaming herself for what happened. It makes sense to wonder why he wasn't there. The omission of his presence is so glaring, there has to be more to it.
Ultimately, a reasonable decision
The simplest explanation is that Travis' inclusion might've been a little awkward, narratively speaking. If Travis was included in the hallucination, would he be the adult Travis who died at the start of the series, or teen Travis? From Natalie's perspective, adult Travis makes the most sense. Natalie's had an ongoing relationship with Travis post-rescue (something she hasn't had with Lottie), and it's been adult Travis' circumstances she's been most worried about. The problem is that viewers have never really cared about adult Travis, to the point where it likely would've taken us a moment or two to even recognize him.
If the show did decide to include Travis in the plane hallucination, it would've most likely been teen Travis. Would that have worked? Maybe, but it would've taken the focus away from Javi and Lottie, the characters Natalie's storyline has revolved around the most in the last two episodes. There's also the issue that Travis isn't a consistently comforting figure to Natalie. Javi has always been nice to her and Lottie's always tried to be supportive, but Travis has gone through several periods of sullen, closed-off behavior. There are three seasons to go and a lot more heartbreak to come, so maybe Travis and Natalie's relationship takes some even darker turns from here.
Most importantly, however, is that with Javi dead in both timelines, his relationship with Natalie is at an end. Meanwhile, Travis and Natalie are still a vital part of the teen timeline, a storyline the writers still want us to care about going forward. It might make sense for adult Natalie to say goodbye to Travis in her final moments, but for the show itself, this would be a premature farewell. The two's fates may be sealed, but their stories are still far from over.