Yellowjackets: Hallucination Sequence & Jackie's Return Revealed!

Attention: This text includes spoilers for the third episode of “Yellowjackets” Season 3, titled “Them’s the Breaks,” currently streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.

(Or)

Be aware that this content may contain spoilers for the latest episode (number 3) of “Yellowjackets” Season 3, entitled “Them’s the Breaks, now available on Paramount+ and Showtime.

Unaware that they had consumed magic mushrooms at Doomcoming (first season), the Yellowjackets have recently discovered another mind-altering agent in the wilderness – toxic fumes.

In the third episode of Season 3, it’s discovered that Coach Scott (Steven Krueger) is still alive when Mari (Alexa Barajas), who becomes distressed after just two questions, confesses that he had kidnapped her and hidden her in a concealed cave. The Yellowjackets then launch a pursuit to mete out justice, as they believe Coach Scott attempted to incinerate them inside the aircraft cabin.

Following the discovery of the cave’s entrance, Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) organizes the girls into separate teams to broaden their investigation. Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), Van (Liv Hewson), and Akilah (Nia Sondoya) delve into a constricted and dim passageway, yet encounter difficulties when their candles are snuffed out by dripping water. The trio gets split up, with each girl experiencing distinct hallucinations: Van finds herself back within the cabin, cozying up to a fireplace, Akilah navigates through the woods conversing with a talking llama, and Shauna encounters her son while treading in the lake. However, these brief instances of joy soon turn ominous as their hallucinations take on sinister overtones.

The entire series of events required a significant amount of effort. Nia was conversing with a llama, Sophie was in the lake, followed by me being in a burning cabin – yes, the fire was authentic. They enjoy having me involved with fire,” Hewson, who identifies with they/them pronouns, explained to EbMaster during the Yellowjackets Season 3 press event. They further stated, “This series offers us unique chances to perform tasks that are quite extraordinary and delve into magical realism.

The third installment serves as the directorial first for Jonathan Lisco, who collaborated with co-creators Bart Nickerson and Ashley Lyle (also showrunners) in penning this episode. In an explanation, Lisco characterizes the classroom vision shared by Shauna, Van, and Akilah as a means to illustrate the “subtle boundary between factual occurrences” and the characters’ “personal, almost collective subconsciousness merging into reality.

Additionally, the girls spot Jacky (Ella Purnell) nearby, engaged in a game with a slap bracelet. Jacky, who perished at the conclusion of the series’ initial season following her dispute with Shauna, is seen here.

Or more concisely:

The girls find Jacky (Ella Purnell), frozen from their first season, playing with a slap bracelet beside them. This is Jacky, who had an argument with Shauna before she died at the end of that season.

It’s always delightful when Ella returns. It’s entertaining that these characters return to ‘haunt’ us, as when they pass away, we think, ‘We’ll meet again.’ However, it’s a mix of emotions because she’s only around for a brief time. It feels like we’re instantly transported back to filming the first season and I’ll have her on set forever, but then she’s gone the next day.” Nélisse added, “But these dream sequences are exciting because we have so much creative freedom and flexibility. There are no boundaries to what these dreams can symbolize or represent.

In a chat with EbMaster, Lisco discussed the mind-bending dreamlike scene, Purnell reprising his role as Jackie, and the backstory behind the Man With No Eyes’ origins.

This is your first time directing, period. Why did you want to direct this episode in particular?

Indeed, I’ve always been fascinated by the boundary between personal perception and factual reality, and this interest extends to exploring how young women grapple with their inner selves amidst wilderness. In this specific episode we penned, it presented an ideal chance for me to delve into this theme, complemented by another passion. I am enthralled when the series transports us on a journey that transcends conventional reasoning. I appreciate such journeys, as they strive to resonate with truth, though not necessarily adhering to traditional logical structures in a temporal sense. Thus, I relish manipulating these concepts because of their versatility and malleability.

Why did the hallucination sequence involve Van, Shauna and Akilah?

During our discussion on characters suitable for the hallucination scene, we found Akilah, Van, and Shauna particularly intriguing due to the unique possibilities they offered, given their Lynchian qualities. Throughout the series, Akilah has been portrayed as a character deeply connected with nature – her affection for animals is evident, she cherishes the Earth, and finds solace in gardening. In this scene, however, her connection with nature takes a sinister turn initially. There’s a sensual craving for blackberries that escalates, but then the blackberries start entwining around her legs, dragging her towards the ominous depths of the Earth. This could be seen as a symbol of the dark themes that pervade the show.

Regarding Van, it’s clear she’s composed, robust, and comical. However, let’s delve into Liv’s perspective: In Episode 2 of Season 1, they are portraying a character that is stoic, attempting to conceal the emotional scarring from being abandoned on an airplane. Yet, this past ordeal is now revisiting them in a haunting manner. If you paid close attention, it was Javi’s hand, the cabin crew member’s hand, and Laura Lee’s hand that seemingly resurfaced, symbolizing that they are unable to physically escape this traumatic event. Instead, it appears destined to shape their future.

After a similar fashion, Shauna’s story is arguably the most psychologically relatable – at least initially. Tragically, Shauna has lost her baby, an experience that ranks among the most devastating someone can endure. In the midst of the wilderness, this 17-year-old woman finds herself swimming towards a specter of a child on the edge of a lake. Remarkably, she can hear the child – who is actually a 7-year-old boy, but that’s not important here – yet she never gets close enough to rescue or comfort him. From an overhead perspective, it seems as if Shauna may have played a role in what transpired and perhaps had reservations about carrying the baby in the first place. This complex emotional mix is part of the psychological tapestry that makes up our narrative, and upon seeing it, we exclaim, “That’s amazing!

Speaking of the classroom scene, we get to see Ella Purnell return as Jackie. What was it like having her back on set?

Ella consistently delights us by eagerly joining our sandbox play, regardless of the circumstances. She’s always longing to return and when I suggested she come back for a day, she was more than happy to oblige. She was all in, enthusiastic about the prospect. I captured her with a Lensbaby camera, giving her an off-kilter appearance and a dreamy quality. Yet, when she offers the slap bracelet and invites me to try it, she’s truly herself – Ella Purnell. Her actions are captivating, her face radiates various emotions and depth, hinting at both a touch of danger and an irresistible appeal. It’s impossible to look away from her performance.

The Man With No Eyes also appears in that hallucination sequence, and, in this episode, we find out the origins of the character while watching that terrifying ice cream commercial. Why did you want to incorporate that commercial into the story rather than leaving the No-Eyed Man as this purely supernatural character?

In essence, including a scene with supernatural elements in the show doesn’t necessarily exclude it from being quasi-supernatural. The series often explores the concept that something could be both ordinary and extraordinary, particularly from the characters’ perspectives. This is evident in the storyline of Taissa, who had forgotten about a haunting image she saw as a child, which resurfaced when her grandmother passed away and was reawakened when she saw it on TV. This sparked a search for meaning, as the show also deals with false pattern recognition – the tendency to find explanations for experiences after they’ve happened, often distorting the truth in the process. To further emphasize this theme, we introduced the No-Eyed Man into their hallucination sequence, suggesting that whatever this delusion represents, it may not be unique to Taissa but could influence all the girls, subtly linking their experiences.

This season, the Screaming Trees, as they’ve been called, have been a big element so far. Why did you want to incorporate this particular sound into this season? And does that sound mean the show’s leaning more toward the supernatural?

As a dedicated cinephile, I can’t provide you with an immediate answer to that question, but trust me when I say that watching the remainder of the season will bring you significantly closer to finding the solution. For us, sound design is indispensable, almost as essential as our sense of smell, albeit one we don’t use while viewing television. However, the embedded memory of sounds is profoundly ingrained in us. We manipulate audio to create intense experiences.

For instance, when the No-Eyed Man passes with his bar cart, I deliberately focus on the sound of the wheel turning. The sound design is designed to be disorienting, like shattering your head, signaling that this is one of the scariest moments in the sequence – it’s not just about what’s happening, but the uncertainty that surrounds it, evoking a strong emotional response rather than a logical one.

Similarly, the Screaming Trees serve a dual purpose. While they are objectively present, their impact is more subjective for our characters. How they perceive and interpret these sounds is far more important than whether or not they’re loud at any given moment. It’s about how the sounds fit into the narrative, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

In the present timeline, Lottie gives Callie the heart necklace, and tells Shauna, “It never meant what you thought it meant.” Was that genuine?

To ensure we don’t miss out on a potential victory this season, I need to tread carefully. However, let me share with you my interpretation: In that instant, Lottie intentionally placed the necklace around Callie’s neck, driven by her beliefs and thoughts.

And Lottie and Callie are also dancing and singing along to Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” which is famously used in several scenes in “Lost.” I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of comparisons between the two shows. Was that moment meant to evoke that famous bunker scene from “Lost”?

It’s quite possible that our choice might seem unbelievable to some, but here’s the truth: we didn’t include that specific detail in “Lost” as a deliberate reference. Ash and Bart hadn’t suggested it, either, as far as I know. Instead, we picked it because it seemed fitting for the scene. We weren’t trying to link that moment symbolically to anything in particular, but now it’s become a topic of discussion. Fingers crossed, it’s seen as a respectful nod to the original work. Honestly, we found it amusing at the time and it captured the dynamic between Callie and Lottie nicely.

In another scene, Van and Taissa see a coyote with a dead rabbit in its mouth. Rabbits have been a recurring part of this show, particularly in relation to Jackie. What was the intention of including a rabbit in that moment?

In my opinion, this show takes me back to its very beginning, where Shauna brutally kills a rabbit with a shovel. It’s fascinating how these characters seem desensitized to violence, making it eerily significant and profound. It’s almost as if they find solace in the act itself, despite its gruesome nature. It feels like a release, yet it carries weight, implying deeper meaning.

When Tai and Van witness the bloodied rabbit, they experience a profound realization that violence might be integral to their narrative progression. They sense that “It” is demanding more – hinting that our story is far from over.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

2025-02-22 21:47

Yellowjackets: Hallucination Sequence & Jackie’s Return Revealed!