Yellowjackets Season-Premiere Recap: Screaming Trees

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You can now stream “It Girl” on Paramount+. It’s set to make its television debut on Showtime network this Sunday.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, I must say that the third season of “Yellowjackets” commences with an intriguing deception. The scene opens with a character, Mari, darting through the forest. She’s on edge, listening for any sign of her fellow survivors. As she turns her head frantically, it’s a heart-pounding moment when we realize it’s Mari, not an unknown figure. And boy, does this revelation spark anticipation, as it seems we’ve finally discovered the truth about Mari being none other than Pit Girl.

By the finale, Mari is in a hole instead of being “The Pit Girl,” as she hasn’t quite reached that role yet. The choice to dress her with shoes and leggings, on a ground without snow, signifies this isn’t the actual scene, but rather a different day. However, the cinematography closely resembles the famous sequence, hinting at a connection, even if we didn’t get the expected hunt in this instance. For now, it seems the hunt is on hold.

Returning once more to the realm of “Yellowjackets”, a place where spectators such as myself eagerly await intense violence and find ourselves surprisingly disappointed when teenage girls don’t engage in cannibalism. To be clear, “Yellowjackets” does not usually resort to extreme violence. Yet, the chilling image of the team seated in their grotesque masks, consuming another’s flesh from the premiere episode, continues to linger. Will we finally get the answers to the enigmas that echo like a haunting Cranberries tune? Or is the series merely prolonging the suspense until it exhausts itself? If the inaugural scene of this season serves as any clue, the answer could be the latter. Fortunately, we have more than just the opening scene to rely on.

In their journey back to nature, our survivors have not only endured but flourished after the cabin’s destruction. They’ve constructed several charming and robust A-frame-like shelters, game is abundant once more, there’s a lush garden, and Akilah is rearing rabbits and ducks for companionship (and future sustenance). It seems like Henry David Thoreau’s ideal paradise; they’re self-sufficient and delighted by their connection to the earth. A nod to the brilliant production design team behind Yellowjackets, as this new habitat is truly a captivating, fairy-tale-like dream. It’s uncertain how much time has passed since we last saw our group, but given that winter typically ends in Canada around mid-March and the summer solstice occurs in June 20, I would estimate they’ve been there for about three months. Remarkably, a determined band of young women (and one young man) can accomplish quite a bit during the spring season.

As a movie critic, I found the narrative leap intriguing, as the limited duration in the wilderness prior to rescue was condensed dramatically – or, to put it another way, the Yellowjackets squad leaped over a significant chunk of time. If seasons one and two each spanned roughly five months, we’re now looking at approximately six more months until rescue. However, the girls are blissfully unaware of this fact, and while they’re generally enjoying themselves, there’s still a hint of unease hanging in the air.

To maintain our morale, Van has arranged a summer solstice celebration, an unusual event where half of us are tasked with serving the other half during the game and festivities. In the initial scene, we witnessed the teams competing in a game to decide the winners and losers, which could have been avoided for a more enjoyable festival experience. However, the show seems intent on emphasizing that these girls are incredibly competitive. With Van delivering an opening speech, we’re given a refresher on the events because it’s been longer than 19 months since our last encounter with this series – quite astonishing when you consider the Yellowjackets were stranded in the wilderness for that long. Indeed, fascinating!

Van is an exceptional performer and narrates the heroic journey of “the Yellowjackets” overcoming various challenges. However, in the shadows, a bitter Shauna pens her own story in her diary. In it, she describes a group of teenage girls who became stranded in the wilderness, and their behavior grew increasingly bizarre. They began to worship dark spirits, hunt each other, consume their friends, and take pleasure in these acts. Remarkably, what Shauna writes seems accurate. Later, Shauna expresses her anger by adding saliva to Mari’s soup as revenge for losing the game, leading to a fight between them. Tai had forewarned Nat about this confrontation, but Nat dismissed it as typical teenage girl drama, which is quite fitting for describing many aspects of adolescent girls’ relationships.

The woodland group’s dynamics haven’t evolved beyond typical adolescent conflicts, as Shauna and Mari are at odds. Shauna is still resentful about not being selected as queen (which seems somewhat unimportant), and she’s also deeply affected by the loss of her baby in childbirth (a heartbreaking situation). People tend to leave Shauna alone when she argues with Mari, not just because Mari can be irritating, but also because they want to show understanding. Additionally, Shauna is the only one who can prepare the game they catch for consumption, a task that many find distasteful. It seems reasonable to assume someone else would have learned this skill by now to help ease her burden, but no one has taken on the role yet.

In another remote wilderness location, Lottie and Travis proceed with their spiritual quest initiated during the previous season. Struggling for purpose after Javi’s demise, Travis seeks answers while Lottie endeavors to provide them despite her own uncertainty. To guide him, she leads him to a clearing and concocts tea from mushrooms. During his trip, Travis experiences a panic attack and perceives the trees as if they are screaming – a reference to the 90’s band Screaming Trees. Although Lottie doesn’t hear it initially, during a solstice ritual for the deceased, she and other Yellowjackets do pick up on these eerie sounds, which are described as babies crying, chittering, shrieking, and roaring in the closed captions. This unsettling assortment of noises leaves everyone feeling uneasy. The possibility that a malevolent force lurks within the forest remains unresolved, but it may not be able to stay hidden for much longer. While some Yellowjackets believe the strange occurrences are merely their own interpretations of events in the woods, trauma has a tendency to suppress memories, and it’s unclear how long they can continue ignoring these disturbing events.

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, one intriguing aspect the show unveils instantly is the revelation that Coach Ben miraculously survived. Now, did he torch that secluded cabin? It seems plausible, but then again, I’m thrilled to have him back. Just like his athletes, he’s incredibly resourceful. He’s been crafting traps and surviving off the wilderness, but he truly strikes gold when he unearths a colossal cache of what appears to be survival supplies hidden under a barricaded trap in the middle of nowhere. (A nod to the enigmatic Dead Cabin Guy, may your spin-off episode captivate us soon!) He devours a protein bar and swiftly prepares the area for capturing a deer. However, he ends up trapping Mari instead.

It’s still enjoyable to ponder who among the characters from the wilderness timeline might still be alive or deceased, and I must admit, I’d be thrilled to witness a mature version of Ben, portrayed by Steven Kreuger again. I understand the likelihood is minimal, but I can’t help but hope. Similarly, an older Mari would be intriguing too. However, as we see in the current timeline, middle-aged Yellowjackets are becoming increasingly rare, and unfortunately, there seems to be little concern about their scarcity.

To begin with, we reflect upon the aftermath of the sudden hunt at Lottie’s compound where Natalie met her end. Once more, Yellowjackets generously offers a recap, this time provided by everyone’s favorite ‘husband’, Jeff Sadecki. Shauna, Tai, Van, and Jeff attend Natalie’s funeral, which is a somber occasion indeed. Her mother speaks for merely 30 seconds during the eulogy before sending the disheartened mourners away with a brusque gesture. It appears to be an event inappropriate for a former wilderness ruler, but considering the terrible acts everyone committed just to stay alive, perhaps it’s the fitting tribute Natalie deserves.

In this episode following the funeral, Shauna ponders over her actions as she joins Tai and Van for drinks. She reflects that none of them are particularly good people, an observation which Van seems to endorse. In public, Van even jokes about their past indiscretions, saying they’ve eaten each other. I always appreciate Lauren Ambrose in her roles. Lottie is absent from this episode as she’s in a sanctuary for those with unique mental conditions, but Misty does make an appearance. Misty was not present at the funeral, as she wasn’t informed about it. However, she was aware of it and chose not to attend. She’s coping with her grief in her own manner, including a solitary visit to Natalie’s storage locker to discard or keep items that carry sentimental value.

1) Walter remains present and is the one who responds when the bartender calls for Misty, who’s tipsy in a bar wearing an old leather jacket of Natalie’s, yearning for her deceased friend’s cantankerous spirit. It’s both heartbreaking and pitiful that Misty still clings to the belief that the Yellowjackets are her genuine companions. Misty is a volatile individual, as evident in her drunken altercation at the dive bar she frequents. She’s not just delusional but also potentially dangerous. Walter’s fascination with her has sparked my curiosity, and his recent use of the word “tasty” brought back memories of my favorite theory about him from season two. I can’t help but appreciate the pairing of Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci on screen, and I eagerly anticipate their portrayal of some truly twisted actions this season.

In the current storyline, it appears everyone’s in relationships, which adds a touch of sweetness since this episode was released on Valentine’s Day. We even witness an unexpectedly steamy scene as Van and Tai dine at a fancy restaurant, then flee without paying. The waiter chases after them, and though a helpful stranger prevents him from being hit by a bus, he suffers some kind of heart attack in the street while Van and Tai laugh obliviously around the corner. Pumped with adrenaline, they gradually approach each other, their heads forming a heart-like shape. Subsequently, they engage in an intense alleyway encounter, accompanied by the song “Glycerine” by Bush. However, it’s not all hearts and flowers; the Man With No Eyes appears to Taissa as she attempts to kiss her lost love. This raises another intriguing question about this season: Is Taissa genuinely mentally unstable, or is there an actual ghost haunting her? At the moment, I lean towards the former theory, but we’ll see how things unfold.

One individual who appears mentally sound is Callie. She possesses a clear sense of purpose, and her experiences with her mother’s former friends have undeniably impacted her. When she overhears a group of unkind girls discussing Natalie’s death and insinuating that “Callie’s mom” was present for some sort of ritualistic sacrifice (oh, youth, if you only knew), she becomes enraged. She places an order for viscera through SwiftEATS, and Randy delivers. It’s puzzling to me how a restaurant could sell a bag full of bloody entrails at one o’clock in the afternoon on a weekday, but Callie seems to have found the solution. She emulates Carrie by targeting the other girls, and later, Shauna feigns anger for a brief moment before admitting that she finds her daughter’s actions amusing. Childish acts of revenge can be categorized as “immature girl antics,” and Callie seems to be following in her mother’s footsteps when it comes to problem-solving.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I found myself engrossed in an intriguing mystery that unfolded in the latest episode, with our beloved character Callie at the heart of it all. In the stillness of midnight, she was preparing a sundae when she heard a sound from the door. To my surprise, it was an envelope addressed to Shauna and bearing a familiar symbol in the corner. Inside, there lay a cassette tape.

The cryptic mail scenario has played out on our screen before, but let me assure you, my curiosity is piqued as to where this new thread leads us. I can’t wait to see what secrets are hidden within that tape!

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

Jeff, astonished by the possibility that Callie had used real human organs for her trick, couldn’t help but give off a genuine laugh-out-loud moment. Keep being you, Jeff.

90’s Tune Time: In this episode, we featured Bush, Cat Stevens, and the Runaways, but what truly stood out to me was the uncensored version of Cake’s “I Will Survive.” The addition of “fucking” in their cover gave a fresh twist that I found incredibly enjoyable.

The girls from the wilderness claim they kept the cabin’s fire burning continuously for twelve consecutive days. One might wonder, given its size, how it remained unnoticed? As for their whereabouts, it is not specified in the statement.

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2025-02-14 18:58