What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 2, Episode 3 “Digestif” (B+)

That was quite the chilling opening, with Taissa horrified and asking who did this to Jackie, only to be told by Van that she’s the one who ate her face. Following her during her latest possessed sleepwalk was intense, and Van’s curiosity seems very dangerous, even if she’s trying to get answers about what Taissa somehow knows that she can’t remember when she wakes up (and hasn’t been able to shake in the present given that frightening mirror scene). That was one hell of a baby shower, an unusual event in these miserable circumstances, and we also got freaky moments with Natalie and Lottie both in the past and the present. Natalie is slowly getting to see the operation that Lottie has going and how that involves the same earthiness and camaraderie that hasn’t been her methodology in the past, and I appreciate the work that Nicole Maines from “Supergirl” is doing as Lisa, who chose to hug Natalie rather than use the weapon she was given to hurt Natalie back after what she did to her. Shauna was a typical MVP of the episode as she took her hijacker’s gun and pointed it at him and then tracked him down to get her car back, much to Jeff’s chagrin. I loved the collaboration between Misty and Walter, who was not on board with much of what Misty was feeding him through his earpiece, like them being in international waters. Elijah Wood has a perfect vibe to work with Christina Ricci and it’s a lot of fun to see them on screen together. He did push back about all that Adam stuff but he appeared to buy the lie she fed him, revealing how he bent the truth himself with his evicted friend who posed as his mother.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 2, Episode 2 “Edible Complex” (B+)

It may not be at all pleasant to watch, but I can appreciate the way in which this show finally showed all its characters feasting for the first time on human flesh (this episode’s title is also superb). Taissa wasn’t having Shauna dressing Jackie up and talking to her for hours, and the suggestion to burn her body was rather harsh and unfeeling. But saving her uniform ended up being the least important part of the conversation when this hungry group smelled her burning body, and imagining themselves as being part of a ritualistic feast adorned in white clothing and crowns while in reality they were just devouring whatever they could was chilling. I’m glad that both past and present are now equally intriguing, and we’re seeing how things are anything but normal so many years later. Taissa calling her angry wife to say that their son came home during the day only to discover that she actually made the whole thing up was intense, and it feels like the car accident they got into might have been a deliberate way to cover up what’s happening to her. Natalie wasn’t convinced by what Lottie told her about Travis’ death, but it’s obvious that the post-plane crash experience seriously affected everyone in a lingering and traumatizing way. Callie is so angry at her mother and knows way too much about her involvement with Adam, but she doesn’t seem to be wielding it in the most destructive manner just yet. Maybe the detective played by John Reynolds can get something out of her without her having any idea that he’s working her. I’m most intrigued by the casting of Elijah Wood as the shorts-wearing son concerned about his mother’s care who is very much ready to get involved with Misty in a way that she doesn’t quite know how to process.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets (Season Premiere)

Yellowjackets: Season 2, Episode 1 “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” (B+)

The “previously on” segment of this show really made it seem like quite the horror series, emphasizing its creepy nature. The way in which it uses humor is also quite alarming sometimes, like seeing Shauna talking to a dead Jackie she was pretending was still alive and then, in the final scene, chomping on her ear. I’m excited about the promotion of cast member Courtney Eaton, who plays Teenage Lottie, to series regular, especially since she was very impressive in a film I saw at SXSW called “Parachute,” and what a great choice to play the adult her: Simone Kessell. She seems to be running something that looks and feels a lot like the rituals we saw acted out long after the crash back when they never expected rescue, and Natalie is not a willing participant in whatever’s going on there. Misty was all about tracking her down, finally realizing that she had been taken against her will, and reciting the motel manager’s social security number was an appropriate response to him identifying himself as the lookout when she asked who he was. Taissa got a vicious response from Simone when she tried to act normal, not realizing what Simone had found, and we’re starting to see more disturbing behavior from a teenage Taissa around an unworried Van. Shauna and Jeff do have an interesting relationship in the present, and it’s a shame that their daughter resents that and may be their undoing given what she knows and shouldn’t know about Adam.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets (Season Finale)

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 10 “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi” (B+)

There was something fascinating about seeing Shauna, Taissa, Natalie, and Misty show up as adults to the reunion, where there was a slideshow with the whole team and a ridiculous conclusion that Jackie would have wanted to see Shauna dance with Jeff in her stead as prom queen. What everyone at the reunion doesn’t know is incredible, and the way in which Jackie became a pariah and then went out into exile to her death was chilling. The dream where everyone invited her back inside and was offering her hot chocolate was eerie, and that ending suggested there’s much more creepiness to come as they “let the darkness set them free.” After freely confessing who the shrooms were really meant to drug, Misty was able to execute much subtler and more effective moves in the present, first as she calmly talked about how to dispose of a body and then poisoned Jessica’s cigarettes after letting her go from her “little stay at the Caligula Inn.” Shauna may be doing much better in the present, but Taissa’s surprise victory isn’t going to cover up the fact that her wife has just found her very dark and freaky secret in the basement wall that she decided to crawl into rather than run far away from in the opposite direction. And Natalie, just moments from killing herself, has been abducted by some mysterious group that may or may not be related to what we’ve come to know in the past. There’s still so much mystery to be unpacked, and while I’m still finding more questions than answers, the quality of the performances on this show is strong enough that I’m very much in for more.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Melanie Lynskey as Shauna

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 9 “Doomcoming” (B)

I’m not sure what to start with here: what happened in the past or the present. I’ll begin with my less preferred of the two, where we saw everyone under the influence of the mushrooms that Misty had gathered and howling as they prepared to either sacrifice or eat Travis, engaging in a ritual that they all bizarrely knew how to perform since they were on the same freaky wavelength. Jessica confirmed it in plain language as she was talking about getting Misty a ghostwriter and a book deal, that they ate each other, meaning that this is an event we’ll likely see again in the future. Jackie set her sights on Travis even though she knew that Natalie was interested, and the fact that Jackie wasn’t in on the group ritual suggests that she may become a victim of it soon. Van seems to be sticking around for now, brought back to normalcy by Taissa making her matching masks to cover her eye. In the present, a major, irreversible event happened, one involving two men who weren’t in the crash. Shauna killing Adam was a shock, though just as big a surprise was that it was not him but Jeff who had been responsible for the blackmail and the ensuing littering of glitter in the closet. I love that he was most upset that there wasn’t even a book club, and that he offered to get arrested for Adam’s murder to protect Shauna. That he read the journals years ago and still stood by Shauna was important and will strengthen their relationship, and hopefully Shauna can work with the other women and convince them that Adam really is the end of the line here. Misty was delighted to be asked for her help in getting rid of the body, and I’m curious to see how the finale wraps things up ahead of the second season that’s already been ordered.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 8 “Flight of the Bumblebee” (B)

I was not prepared for Van to still be alive, and the sight of her face all wrapped up was pretty disturbing. That wasn’t the most worrisome development of the flashbacks, which also included Natalie telling Coach Scott that she knew he was gay, something he reacted poorly too but was then happy to confirm to be true. Opening with Laura Lee diving into a pool and bleeding profusely upon hitting the bottom only to be revived by a lifeguard wearing a very noticeable cross explained her devoutness, and her suddenly believing that she needed to pilot the plane off the island/not island was unsettling from the start. Seeing her stuffed copilot catch on fire before the plane exploded was a devastating setback, one that’s clearly going to lead to increased tension and things getting much worse for the remaining survivors. Callie finding Adam’s license on Shauna’s floor was the latest awkward interaction they had to endure as daughter and mother, but it got serious fast when she pointed out that there was absolutely nothing online about Adam. Shauna’s fake identities are always entertaining, and finding glitter in her closet led her to the very expected reveal that Adam was the man they were chasing, something he’s not going to be able to explain away as easily as his made-up college time. Misty rushed over to Natalie’s when she saw her about to do drugs, and it’s going to be hard to earn what little trust there was there back. I have a feeling that Jessica is going to suffer the consequences of her attempted murder of Misty’s bird, which could have worked as an escape plan but went very wrong.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 7 “No Compass” (B)

I am all about the three women being together in the present, exchanging barbs and having surprising moments of bonding before the next development makes them truly not get along again. I enjoyed the fact that Shauna was disappointed by how small fifty thousand dollars looked by “heist movie standards” and that her tracker wouldn’t fit, and that she also expressed disappointment in Taissa funding Natalie’s rehab stints right before she complained about how late in the night it was. Shauna has certainly changed since she was shy and didn’t want to tell her best friend about who the father of her baby actually was, though Jackie reading the diary at the end of the episode suggests that she knows the truth. Adam hiding in the closet while Shauna offered to make Jeff breakfast shows how comfortable she’s gotten with confidently lying. Misty’s interrogation techniques with her prisoner are pretty disturbing, and the fact that Jessica is trying to get under his skin isn’t going to end well for her. Back in the place that Taissa is convinced isn’t an island, the expedition out into the woods showed some promise but then got intense and deadly fast. It’s a shame that the first one to die was Van, especially since she was relatively fearless and Liv Hewson is one of the best actors on this show. It was a violent demise, one that’s sure not to be the worst of what they’re going to endure. The uncertain progression of Travis and Natalie’s relationship is also intriguing, and there’s obviously a lot of baggage to unpack there.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 6 “Saints” (B)

That was a freaky start to this episode, with screams of terror moments before the deadly crash happened right in front of the car, indicating a supernatural element of this show that I haven’t been eager to confront. That was also definitely present both in the past and the present with Taissa eating dirt while seeming possessed, and it’s hard to know what to make of that. The near-drowning was also pretty intense, as if being stranded away from the rest of civilization wasn’t concerning enough. The dynamic that exists between Shauna and Jackie’s family is definitely awkward since they obviously would have preferred that their daughter was still alive and that she was married to Jeff, but, despite his shortcomings as a husband, he at least said the right thing to show his support for her. He wasn’t aware, of course, that Adam was texting her to tell her how much he missed her. I was intrigued that Natalie brought along her new/old boyfriend on an errand then went with him to his son’s game, where she gave him helpful advice, but she really would do better to steer clear of Misty. If there was a villain on this show even more nefarious than whatever lurks in the shadows and takes control of the girls both in the past and the present, it would be her. She steals pills from work, has a camera watching people who have no idea, and, most disturbing of all, she lured Jessica into her car and then chained her to the bed in her basement.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 5 “Blood Hive” (B)

I find the events of the present much more intriguing than what we’re seeing in the past, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing since a huge part of this show is the massive secret of what transpired in the aftermath of the crash. I’m not a fan of horror, and whatever’s going on with Taissa’s family in the present and that séance in the past were not very appealing at all. It’s also hard to know whether any of this is meant to be supernatural or if it’s more about the potential for evil that humans have without any undead influence. I am very intrigued that Shauna keeps seeing Jackie everywhere, and that she chased after her at the club and ended up following her own daughter. They had a good bonding moment after that where she asked if Shauna was cheating on her father, but Callie tried to turn the tables on her and blackmail her the next morning. As usual, Melanie Lynskey was absolutely fantastic as she talked to her about mutually assured destruction and all the ways in which she would suffer from the consequences of her actions before daring Callie to tell her father. Taissa was never going to drop out of the race, and now she’s actively going to be vengeful in her campaign even though her family doesn’t want her to be involved. I’m glad that the four main characters are getting back together in the present, though it doesn’t seem to be a happy reunion, especially for Misty, whose smile disappeared when she heard what someone really thought about her.

What I’m Watching: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 4 “Bear Down” (B)

It’s unsettling to see the way in which the teenagers were all too eager to get their hands on that gun, and Travis definitely exhibited violent tendencies when he pointed the gun at Natalie. Fortunately, the two of them were able to come to an understanding later on after bonding over his nickname and their shared difficulties, and seeing what happened with Natalie’s abusive father and the gun that killed him was both disturbing and enlightening after that opening nightmare with him missing half his face on the plane. In the present, Natalie seems to have just as much trouble making friends, angry at Misty when she kept showing up and trying to help her with the reporter. After making an explicit threat when she didn’t feel she was being treated right in the previous episode, Taissa once again showed her commitment to protecting herself when she nearly accepted an offer of support but then was no longer interested when she got told to manage her tone, something she wasn’t willing to consider at all. Shauna asking a random guy to buy alcohol elicited a humorous response when he told her she wasn’t going to get carded, and I loved her intellectual insult when they were drinking in the car. Making fun of how he was tracking the score when they went mini-golfing was entertaining, and things got much more serious when she conjured up a teenage Jackie warning her that someone was going to get hurt when they were about to jump off the bridge. Shauna reacted very poorly to Misty calling her, but hopefully they’ll soon reunite to process what’s happened and what that means for them.

Take Three: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Dollhouse” (B)

What’s happening on the island isn’t proceeding all that quickly, and while it remains quite intriguing, it’s definitely a slow burn with many more questions than answers. The focus was much more on the present, and while Misty was driving Natalie crazy with her chatter on the road trip, they ended up at a traumatizing moment with an apparent suicide that Natalie was convinced wasn’t an accident. Misty may be one of this show’s most interesting characters, though I’d still vote for Shauna. Pretending to be with Homeland Security and not eager to take her badge out at the hotel desk was pretty funny, and Adam swooped in to save the day by backing up that story. Taissa seems to have complicated relationships with everyone, particularly Natalie, and she doesn’t like being backed into a corner after those attack ads were aired, calling her opponent back to directly threaten to take down his entire family. Whatever happened on the island, which is being more and more ominous as we continue not to know the specifics of it, turned all these people into the ultimate survivalists, finding ways to stay alive and stay ahead even when they’re not in foreign surroundings that might prove more metaphorically life-threatening. Seeing the group of girls find water and just jump right in felt like the opposite of the general tone of their experience there, but it’s easy to forget that they’re just teenagers, and they have no clue – as we also do not – what’s in store for them.

Round Two: Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets: Season 1, Episode 2 “F Sharp” (B)

Part of the appeal of this show, I understand, is to slowly discover the horrors that occurred on that island as the characters come to grips with them in the present, which can make for a mildly frustrating viewing experience since there’s so much information and so many details currently missing. The scene where everyone confessed secrets that they believe could have crashed the plane was probably the most engaging, but we do know that there’s plenty more to the story and that things got a lot worse before they got better. Misty sprang into action when she needed to violently amputate the coach’s smashed leg, apparently due to her successful completion of the Red Cross babysitter class twice, and she exacted the same quick thinking and vicious destruction on the black box when she found it, seemingly because she’s respected as highly capable in this new and dark environment. Her adult demeanor is certainly interesting, and she didn’t even flinch when Natalie was waiting in her home with a gun ready to shoot her. I’m intrigued to see where their road trip takes them and which one of the survivors is sending the postcards. Shauna and Jeff’s efforts to spice up their marriage are not going well thanks to the painful specificity of their assigned role play, and they’re both more invested in their potential extramarital affairs. Shauna killing that rabbit was an intense and unexpected moment, indicative of all the pent-up rage she has that’s about to boil over and make this show even more interesting.

Pilot Review: Yellowjackets

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.