Yellowjackets Recap: Let It Snow

by

For Lorelai Gilmore, the first snowfall of the year is always a delightful event that brings joy. She claims to be able to sense the scent of snow and considers it magical, reminiscent of comforting moments. On the other hand, in the series ‘Yellowjackets‘, the initial snowfall of the year serves as a foreshadowing of misfortune. As the first flakes fell on a disheartened Natalie during this episode, I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the Yellowjackets who survived watched ‘Gilmore Girls’ when it initially aired in 2000, and whether or not they ever hurled objects at their TV screens whenever Lorelai displayed an exaggerated grin at the sight of snowy skies.

In the wild, snow can essentially mean a deadly fate. The moment when the Yellowjackets encountered snow following their crash was the frigid night that Jackie perished outside the cabin by freezing. With another harsh winter upon them due to Shauna’s power-hungry nature, it seems inevitable that more lives will be lost.

In the penultimate episode, the storyline delves deeply into Shauna’s character and how her harmful impulses have influenced everyone around her. Though Shauna isn’t prominent in the current narrative, her actions have set off a chain reaction that led the remaining Yellowjackets to Melissa’s home. I’d like to note that Tai, Misty, and Van choose to visit Melissa’s house, but Shauna’s brutal act towards Melissa seems to have pushed the hidden Yellowjacket back into her survivalist lifestyle again.

In the wilderness, Shauna persists in causing distress within the group, acting out of self-interest. Only Tai and Lottie appear unfazed by her decision to hold everyone captive. During a private conversation with Van, Tai justifies her stay, expressing her intention to depart once matters concerning Hannah and Kodi are resolved. This seemingly implies they need to be handled in some way, possibly silenced about the Ben-B-Q incident. However, it’s unclear how they can leave without Kodi. The show leaves us wondering if this issue will be addressed before the end of the episode. Van senses another hunt might occur soon, and Tai advises her to continue practicing with the cards to avoid being selected in the next round. Reluctantly, Van agrees and eventually finds herself part of Team Shauna during a later group meeting. Despite this, she continues tinkering with the damaged satellite phone.

In a different tone, we can say: Shauna is thoroughly enjoying her part as the jailer of these girls and even manages to amuse herself by teasing Melissa. When Shauna scolds Melissa for talking too much with Hannah, Melissa stands firm before leaving the hut in anger. This defiance infuriates Shauna, who responds by brandishing a gun at Melissa in front of everyone. Except for a few feeble protests from the audience, no one attempts to intervene. In an appalling show of cruelty, Shauna fires a shot, barely touching Melissa’s denim jacket and laughing when Melissa soils herself out of fear. In a compassionate gesture, Van covers Melissa and leads her away. (A gesture that Melissa will forget in the future timeline as an adult.) Shauna smirks to herself; she might as well be the embodiment of evil at this moment.

In the backdrop of Shauna’s hostile takeover at the camp, Natalie orchestrates a plan to flee. During a conversation between Mari, Gen, and Akilah, Akilah expresses her dread about potentially surviving another winter in the woods if they are forced to stay. This raises an intriguing question. Among the girls lost in the wilderness, there are three unaccounted for: these three specific individuals. If Mari isn’t chosen as the “Pit Girl,” what becomes of this trio prior to their eventual rescue? Could it be that another Yellowjacket adult is lurking, ready to make an appearance? I kindly request a character development for an adult Akilah in future scenes.

The wilderness is vast, offering numerous spots for concealment. We observe Misty secretly examining the satellite phone, while Travis tinkers with the pit Ben discovered earlier in the season. Instead of directly killing Lottie, Travis has set up sharp spikes at the bottom of the pit, then covered it with branches and leaves – a method that appears exceptionally cruel. Although not entirely sane, Travis invites Lottie to explore a mysterious location in the forest with him, hoping she’ll step into the trap he’s prepared but she doesn’t fall. This could imply that the wilderness values Lottie too much to let her die, or it might be because Lottie is careful enough not to trigger the hidden pit. For now, the pit is ready, but Lottie hasn’t met her fate – yet.

Currently, the Yellowjackets continue debating about who murdered Lottie. Following Shauna’s act of forcing food that turned out to be Melissa’s flesh into Melissa’s mouth, Melissa retaliates by spitting it back at Shauna and fleeing. Unfortunately, her vehicle runs out of gas on the highway. A comical scene ensues where Misty, Tai, and Van discover Melissa stranded, capture her, and return her to their home; however, things quickly take a turn for the worse after this incident.

At Melissa’s residence, accusations start flying about Lottie’s demise, with Shauna implicating Melissa followed by Misty accusing Shauna. However, when Shauna provides an alibi for being in the city on the day of Lottie’s death, Misty departs to conduct further investigation. Walter arrives in a helicopter (quite unusual) to pick her up and takes her to his residence, offering her a double chocolate martini while she examines Lottie’s phone contents. Something on the screen prompts a powerful reaction from Misty, but we’ll have to wait for the finale to uncover what it was.

At Melissa’s house, Shauna, Tai, and Van engage in a heated debate about Melissa’s fate. It is revealed that Shauna has killed a man named Adam, which leaves Melissa stunned. They bind Melissa up, contemplating killing her, but then Melissa opens the vent to her flue, filling the house with carbon monoxide. Everyone collapses except for Van, who was outside using her oxygen tank. Upon re-entering, she plays the hero, rescuing Tai and providing her with the oxygen, which miraculously expels the “Other” from Tai’s mind and restores the Tai that Shauna fell in love with. Unfortunately, this turn of events feels underwhelming, and the storyline involving Tai’s identity transformation was unengaging and superfluous. To be frank, Van’s character development this season has been lackluster. The final episode tries to neatly tie up all the loose ends, but despite Lauren Ambrose’s commendable acting, the events unfold in a way that borders on illogical and, regrettably, tedious.

A delightful aspect is watching Van, an adult, engaging in lively conversations with her teenage self. As Van’s battle with cancer progresses, we are treated to numerous episodes where Ambrose and Liv Hewson engage in verbal duels, which I find quite enjoyable (for them and for the audience). At the onset of the episode, teen Van discusses ‘The Goonies’ and the elusive treasure map with her older self. Upon awakening, Van proclaims “Goonies never say die,” prompting Tai to follow her out of the hospital. It appears she’s running out of time, but it remains uncertain what she intends to accomplish. Perhaps she’s inspired by the idea of sacrificing Melissa in an attempt to extend her own life?

In the toxic abode where I face off against Melissa, she lays out her intentions for me. Ambrose and Hilary Swank struggle to breathe life into this repetitive conversation, but it’s a familiar tune echoing through the halls of countless movies past. There’s talk of some entity lurking in the wilderness, yet it remains uncertain if it truly exists. The idea of a sacrifice as a potential solution is tossed around, but it could just be that we’re dealing with a group of mentally unstable killers instead!

Despite all this confusion, I can’t bring myself to execute Melissa, and so she takes control of the wheel and ends my life instead. The reasoning behind her actions remains shrouded in mystery, leaving us bereft of any emotional release – not even a hint of sadness as I depart from this world, ascending into the heavens aboard an airplane.

In a different phrasing: Van gets another chance to converse with her younger self about the Goonies chase, and she queries why she was sent on it. Young Van replies that this is simply part of their narrative, and then she mysteriously states, “Enduring this wasn’t the prize.” To which Van responds, “If this isn’t the conclusion, then inform me what occurs next.” However, there is no answer given. Could this be a kind of afterlife scenario like in Lost, where the group gathers post-death? Otherwise, I’m not sure how this could possibly be anything other than the end for Van.

Tai is deeply saddened. She falls to the floor next to Van and cries loudly as Shauna watches. Now, there are only four adult Yellowjackets left, with four having met their end. It seems like a reenactment of “Ten Little Indians,” and it’s possible that only one Yellowjacket will survive this ordeal. I have a feeling that Shauna might be the last one standing. Interestingly, Shauna’s family is doing well without her. In her absence, Jeff secures a furniture deal with the Joels and develops a friendship with Callie by sharing a joint. Their conversations about Shauna are becoming more frequent, and it appears they are coming to terms with the fact that they might be better off without her.

As a diehard movie fan, I’ve got to say it: The wilderness survival group seems pretty convinced that they’d fare better without Shauna. Seems like history might be repeating itself or maybe Shauna needs to lighten up on the control. In a hushed conversation, Natalie whispers to Hannah, urging her to free Kodi and herself under the cover of darkness. But here’s the twist: That very night, Shauna’s spider senses were on high alert and she catches wind of their escape plan. In a desperate attempt to save her own skin, Hannah blurts out that it was Kodi who had the knife, then viciously stabs him right in the eye, ending Joel McHale’s character’s journey abruptly. Farewell, Joel McHale, your character will be dearly missed.

Hannah devises a tale about joining the Yellowjackets’ wilderness project. Her motivation could be either extreme madness or a hidden scheme. Hannah’s actions, such as cold-bloodedly killing her travel companion, leave Shauna astonished yet intrigued. The narrative then shifts to the other girls who are nervously gathered in a clearing. Melissa arrives and informs them that their escape plan has failed, causing everyone to scatter except for Natalie. In solitude and grief, Natalie gazes upwards as snow falls softly around her, creating one of the most striking images in the series.

Amidst this bleak situation, a ray of optimism suddenly appears. Natalie spots a flickering light in the distance and pursues it, only to find it’s Misty. She’s examining the transponder. Shockingly, Natalie discovers that Misty had been aware of the transponder’s location all along. However, Misty is beaming with joy. “I know how to guide us back!” she exclaims. Thus, it seems Lorelai Gilmore might have been onto something – could this snow truly possess magic?

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

As a devoted fan, I find myself pondering: Could Lorelai Gilmore have endured life in the wilderness? Even without her beloved coffee, I believe she’d have found a way to adapt and flourish. On the contrary, I fear Rory wouldn’t have stood a chance in such harsh conditions.

It seems like there might have been some undercurrents of romantic or sexual tension between Shauna and Kodi prior to Hannah stabbing him in the eye, doesn’t it? For instance, it felt as though Shauna was appraising Kodi almost as if he were a desirable piece of meat, right?

In a playful manner, I might say, “Perhaps next time, you’d consider the consequences before slicing Melissa’s arm as thin as a sushi roll, it’s quite the one-liner!” Such wit these carnivores possess!

Read More

2025-04-04 15:55