Welcome to the Yellowjackets finale, where revelations fold in on themselves to spark even more questions and a stronger desire, at once, to want to know where everything is going and also keep playing this game forever and ever.
If you are reading this and you somehow haven’t watched the Yellowjackets season finale, then I’m so jealous of you that I can hardly breathe. Not only are you not clocking sick Bette Midler references, but you have yet to watch this tremendous cap to a show that fastly and rightly became a widespread pop culture obsession. You should go do something about that, though, because we’re about to utterly spoil the whole thing in the name of calling out the big questions that remain. All in an effort to get people theorizing and chewing on something (eek) for the long, desolate winter without Nat, Shauna, Taissa, and yes, even Misty. Bring on season two!
So with warnings offered and consciences cleared, let’s dig in!
Will There Be Consequences For Adam’s Murder?
Never forget the clingy art boy and what he had to sacrifice for the sin of awakening Shauna’s dormant desires… and his own interest in a little light research. But will there be consequences for his murder and the bonding exercise that was his dismemberment?
Callie knows something is up. Are things with Shauna and Jeff really as hunky-dory as they appear? What about the assumption that, so long as you don’t have a head or fingertips, there’s no way to ID a body? Is that real? I’m not going to Google and get on a list, but that seems suspect, no?
Oh yeah, and y’all saw that camera next to Adam’s bed, right? Reddit sure did! At a minimum, someone is going to for real have ammo to blackmail the group. At minimum.
There’s also the lingering fan theory that Adam was Javi. So are we done with this guy, or are there more levels to be revealed?
Taissa’s Whole Situation
Taissa’s situation got a whole lot more complicated in the closing minutes of the finale. Not only did she surprisingly win the election, but the missing Biscuit thread has been resolved! Goddamn this is a messed-up show! Cannibalism is one thing, but can we not with the dogs? Anyway, Simone is going to be emotionally scarred, Sammy’s whole situation is gonna get more complex… it’s just a mess that threatens the already stressed life that Taissa has built for herself post-crash. But why is it all bubbling to the surface now? There are practical reasons, but is something else going on?
Have We Seen The Last Of Jackie?
What a heartbreaking end on a human and storytelling level. But also, what a total gut punch to anyone who thought we were going to see adult Jackie or, at the very least, see more of that intensifying situation between Jackie and teen Shauna before she was chased down, felled by a trap, and then bled out and eaten from that scene in the pilot. Clearly, that wasn’t her. (Okay, but who is it then?)
Still, while Jackie is definitively dead, the possibility certainly exists that we see more of Ella Purnell as Jackie, either through flashbacks that play with the timeline or as projections that feast on Shauna’s still lingering guilt over essentially casting her friend out of the warm confines of the cabin. Or, how about this: accepting Jackie’s dream as being the last gasps of consciousness before she froze to death, might we see more of Jackie from that realm? Be honest, as wild as this show has been (so wild), aren’t you somewhat curious to see if takes a major step into territory like the afterlife? Or is that a shark jump best reserved for later seasons when the writers start to run out of ideas?
Who Abducted Nat?
The panicked voicemail from Suzie paired with the abduction (slash impromptu rescue) of a suicidal Nat by a group of seeming cultists would indicate that Lottie definitely survived the island and gained a little bit of a following. What does she want and who else is with her are, for sure, going to be key parts of season two. But while we don’t know if something finally managed to take Van out (a plane crash, a wolf attack, and being set on fire twice couldn’t do it), it is noteworthy that Misty was right by Lottie’s side when she made the bear heart tribute. Same as she happily participated in the aforementioned bloodletting and implied person feast in the pilot. The only reason you wouldn’t think Misty is in cahoots with Lottie would be because, as the show’s most devious and dangerous character, it might seem a little on the nose to have her be working against the group (to a larger degree than was evident). But Christina Ricci is playing the hell out of this character, and having her go full big bad would be a feast in and of itself.
[Gestures Wildly] All Of It!?
There are a lot of other questions to ponder – is Randy going to be a problem? What happened to Shauna’s mountain baby? Why did a teddy bear spontaneously combust? Will there be a book club in season two? – but the biggest question may be a bit all-encompassing in that we know so little about what actually happened in the Canadian Rockies besides a few terrifying glimpses.
Clearly, we’re on the precipice of full-on chaos at the end of season one, but getting concrete answers about what happened to those who objected (very concerned about Coach Ben right now), the full significance/back story of the shadow guy/hunter from the credits and how, exactly, did it take 19 months for the group to be rescued… these would be helpful things to know. (Were there other attempts? Was something cloaking their existence or keeping them there? The questions are endless!) The producers know this, of course, and so we’re sure season two is going to give us just enough to keep us riveted to our screens. As it should be!
In the meantime, got some questions of your own or theories about the above? Let’s chop it up in the comments and on social. With no new episodes immediately on the horizon, we’ve got nothing but time and a clear understanding of what happens when you’re bored and starved for sustenance.
