Yellowjackets Recap: The Bridge Home

by

You can now stream ‘Did Tai Do That?’ on Paramount+. It’s set to air on Showtime for the first time this coming Sunday.

The question posed at the end of this episode is straightforward: At what point did the Yellowjackets give up on their journey home? With summer here and food becoming abundant, they’ve honed their group survival skills and are now well-versed with the forest’s layout. It seems as though they attempted to signal for help by keeping a cabin fire going, but when that failed, they appear to have accepted their fate – living off each other indefinitely within the wilderness.

Throughout season three, there’s been no whisper about a rescue or escape plan in the wilderness. So, when Akilah talks animatedly about seeing Ben as a path home in a cave vision, it feels surprising that they would even consider going home at this point. It’s clear that some survivors are rescued eventually, but there doesn’t seem to be any active effort to find a way out. The group can construct an entire mini-society from sticks and stones, yet they struggle to organize a search party? That seems odd.

At this midpoint of season three, it’s a good time to review the events that unfolded thus far. In the current narrative, there’s an enigmatic individual, likely Melissa, who seems intent on harassing or even harming Shauna. This secret figure might also be responsible for Lottie’s death, correct? The trio of Misty, Walter, and Shauna are all investigating this matter. In a surprising turn of events, Shauna and Walter have formed an alliance. They both have personal motivations to retaliate against Misty, while both Walter and Shauna are potential suspects in the case.

When Shauna realizes Walter is following her, she suddenly slows down, leading him to crash into her van. In this series, Shauna’s van plays a significant role and given that she resides in it half the time as a suburban mom, I find its portrayal quite endearing. The duo of murderers initially accuse each other, but eventually collaborate to deceive Lottie’s frail elderly father. They arrive when Misty does, with similar intentions. Unfortunately, Lottie’s father is battling dementia and his lucidity seems to fluctuate. These three unscrupulous individuals exploit the situation by rummaging through his apartment for information about Lottie. Mr. Matthews wishes to classify Lottie’s death as an accident to shield himself from further pain, but the amateur detectives are determined to delve deeper. Walter hacks into the internet and Lottie’s phone, while Shauna broods and Misty searches Lottie’s belongings for evidence. Indeed, it appears that Lottie was murdered, yet the way these individuals are carelessly invading this vulnerable man’s home leaves a bitter aftertaste.

In Shauna’s presence within Lottie’s room, Mr. Matthews initially confuses Shauna for Lottie, showing his exasperation over not comprehending her mental health predicament. However, he soon transforms into a depiction of a caring father yearning to reach out to his daughter. Shauna facilitates this bonding moment, reminiscing about her affection towards Lottie and her distant daughter. The show Yellowjackets seems to strive to convey the complex parent-teen relationship, focusing on misunderstandings and disrespect, but it often skims the surface with casual moments rather than delving deep into challenging themes. This is a significant distinction between the contemplative and profound vibe of the initial season of this series and the seemingly haphazard construction of the current one. It appears that the writers and producers possess the potential for more profound work, making it disappointing to observe them falling short in their execution.

In the meantime, Van and Tai have left their jobs behind and seem to be wandering aimlessly through life. Van carries a sense of guilt about various things, while Tai’s primary focus other than maintaining Van’s wellbeing is her son Sammy. When Simone allows it (at Sammy’s request), Sammy asks Tai if she’s still his mother, then walks away. This moment might appear insignificant, but it could also hint that “Bad” or “Other” Tai has assumed control of Tai’s body in some way, and Sammy may have picked up on this change. It’s hard to say for certain.

Over the last five installments, there hasn’t been much progress in the wilderness, aside from the group encountering a bizarre, shrill sound, discovering Ben in his poison gas hideout, and sentencing him to capital punishment. It’s been intriguing, if not particularly gripping. This week, the plot revolves around how the group plans to execute Ben. Shauna, who has grown increasingly loathsome, wants to set him on fire, but the rest of the group vehemently opposes this idea. Kudos to Sophie Nélisse for her convincing portrayal as teen Shauna, making the character truly detestable. I despise her so much now that my dislike has even extended into the adult timeline. (I had thought my admiration for Melanie Lynskey had no bounds – I even empathized with her apocalypse warlord character on The Last of Us! – but this season is pushing me to my limits.) Nélisse delivers a compelling performance, breathing life into the despicable character the writers have crafted in their scripts. However, with no other characters to evoke sympathy for Shauna, it’s challenging to grasp the broader narrative emotionally.

It’s been a long-drawn chase with the character named Ben, whom I hold dear. The cat-and-mouse game has lasted far too long. I’m grateful he’s still alive due to my fondness for him, but after witnessing the events at the end of this episode, I’m filled with worry about his future. I genuinely hope Ben survives in the current timeline. However, watching Shauna and Melissa relentlessly wound him, barely keeping him alive as a means of revenge while technically preserving their good luck charm, is not something I eagerly look forward to.

In this scenario, the Yellowjackets are determining who among them will fatally shoot Ben in close proximity. By chance, Tai draws the king of hearts. However, this term “suicide king” is misleading as Ben isn’t taking his own life; he’s being brutally murdered by a gang of teenage girls. To escalate the situation, Van suggests bringing another member into the act to pull the trigger, but their attempts to lure her out fail when they engage in sexual acts against a tree with no success. Despite Van exerting control, the plan doesn’t bear fruit, leaving Tai on edge as she points the gun at Ben during his execution.

In a poignant scene, Misty takes dinner to Ben, and there’s a touching farewell where she expresses regret over losing the trial and the end of her first relationship with him. As she hugs him, Ben seems to surrender, maybe because he hasn’t been touched in a while or perhaps because he senses this is his last act of kindness in this world. Just then, the firing squad arrives, but Ben struggles as they take him away, pleading for mercy and appealing to their humanity, all to no avail. In the nick of time, “Other” Tai emerges, reassuring Van before aiming to shoot. But hold on! Akilah, Travis, and Lottie return from the caves, disarming Tai and saving Ben. They declare that Ben is their pathway home, an idea everyone accepts without hesitation, perhaps because they had all been hoping for a way out of this chaos.

The group confines Ben in the animal enclosure again, thinking he’s safe. However, things take a turn for the worse when cruel Shauna and her companion Melissa show up. Ben panics and tries to defend himself with his one functional leg as they approach him. Echoing an earlier conversation in the episode, Shauna tells Melissa not to fear the “dark sides” of herself and urges her to attack Ben personally. Obeying, Melissa injures Ben’s only good leg by severing his Achilles tendon. Imitating Annie Wilkes’ behavior from a famous movie, they celebrate their power triumphantly as their captive cries out into the darkness. Unlike some couples who strengthen their bond by exchanging class rings, Melissa and Shauna mark their relationship by disfiguring their soccer coach. They didn’t kill Ben, but it won’t be long before he regrets ever being alive.

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

• As the credits roll, “Rid of Me” by PJ Harvey fills the air. It’s been a while since we’ve heard a track from her, since “Down by the Water” was strategically used in the iconic cannibal sequence during the series premiere. The memory of that scene frequently resurfaces for me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Yellowjackets will live up to the anticipation set by that initial scene, but with only five episodes left this season, time is running out.

Natalie’s leather jacket really suits Misty well, and it’s always entertaining to observe how she skillfully maneuvers others. For instance, the scene where she obtained Lottie’s belongings from the coroner was quite fascinating. She may not be discreet, but she consistently achieves her goals. Christina Ricci appears to be enjoying herself immensely while portraying Misty, and her malevolent aura is captivating.

Just before Ben is executed, Natalie places a heart-shaped pendant around his neck. It seems that the significance of this necklace may not be as innocent as Shauna believed; instead, it appears to carry an increasingly ominous connotation.

The title of this episode, “Did Tai Do That?” seems to imply that Tai might have been involved in some wrongdoing. While it’s clear that Tai didn’t kill Ben, she did leave Van unattended for an hour before meeting her at the pretzel cart, which makes her a suspect in Lottie’s death. So, the question could be whether Tai is responsible for Lottie’s death. It’s a possibility, and if that were the case, one might expect Van’s cancer to have miraculously disappeared since claiming Lottie would be a significant gain for “It.

Laughing out loud at the comparison between the two versions of Tai, finding them similar to Steve Urkel and Stefan Urquelle, was genuinely amusing to me.

In the heart of the cave, amidst our little group, I found myself addressing Travis with a sentiment that I believed to be true: “Travis, among us all, you’re the one I feel I can genuinely rely on.” This statement stems from our shared experiences and the trust we’ve built over time.

Regarding your question about it being a reference to the wilderness revealing Travis as my new prognosticator, I must clarify that I didn’t intend it that way in this context. It was simply an expression of trust based on our relationship.

As for whether Travis might ever confess his deception about being the new prognosticator to Lottie and me, that remains to be seen. Perhaps he felt the need to protect himself or maybe he thought it would help him in some way. Only time will tell how this secret unfolds within our group dynamic.

Read More

2025-03-07 19:48