Yellowjackets

Last night, I finished the 2nd season of Yellowjackets, so I think it's finally time to have a serious discussion (or not) about this phenomenon. It started off strong like another Lost, captivated us, made us stand on our feet in suspense for some scenes, but despite the shock value from a few key turning points, toward the end, it felt like it deflated a bit, as if the writers weren't quite sure where they were going. It left us, or at least me, feeling a bit disappointed—it just didn’t deliver in the end!

What I loved: The addictive survival plot centered on trying to stay alive in extreme, inhospitable conditions in the vast Canadian wilderness, which was supported by an excellent cast. The chemistry among the actors elevated the series, though I was a bit let down by the changes in the secondary roles in the second season. The 90s nostalgia came served with a fantastic soundtrack (Radiohead, Nirvana, Offspring, Tori Amos, Massive Attack, etc.). The dynamics between the main characters as they fought to survive, especially the intriguing arc between the oddly hot Jackie and the sly, two-faced Shauna before their relationship froze over completely—see what I did there . Finally, I loved the inspired addition of Walter/Elijah Wood, who's just as eccentric and paranoid as Misty. The two made a wonderfully quirky duo, both in appearance and character. I’d easily watch a Citizen Detectives spin-off where they solve cases .

Bonus love goes to the imaginative name of Van's shop, a nod to one of her favorite movies, “While You Were Streaming”

What scared the hell out of me: Well, more than the eerie Blair Witch Project atmosphere in the heart of the forest, what truly shocked me was the most mentally disturbed character in the group, with her angelically innocent face—Misty. We’re talking You-level Penn Badgley craziness, trying to romanticize toxicity!

Let’s recap

She secretly sabotages their chances of rescue by destroying the black box of the plane because, in the midst of the crisis, she finally stops being the eternal outsider.
She stalks their (ok, back then she didn’t know he was gay) adult coach, becomes obsessive to Pepe Le Pew levels, and even tries to poison him to prove her love (wtf?!).
The group accidentally trips on mushrooms because of her—though it was initially planned for her coach so she could seduce him—and even when she realizes what’s happening, she’s like, "Eh, whatever." The resulting hallucinations lead to the first organized manhunt. and
When her criminal actions are revealed, already costing some lives and trapping others in a frozen hell, she terrorizes and threatens Crystal at the edge of a cliff, causing her to fall to her death. She then lies to the group, organizing a search party to play the good friend!
She prevents Nat from saving Javi (although to be fair, she thinks this will save her since Javi would be sacrificed in her place).
Fast forward to 2021.

She sabotages Nat's car to force her into traveling together.
When Nat tries to avoid her, she installs cameras in her apartment and spies on her. Later, she saves her from relapsing into drugs, but honestly, who would choose Misty over drugs?
She kidnaps the woman she thinks is blackmailing them, holds her hostage for days, and eventually takes her out—Misty style.
She abuses her position at the nursing home, stealing medical supplies and mistreating defenseless elderly people. Sick.
I'm not even getting into the other dark, criminal acts she's involved in because those are more collective crimes where she's not the sole responsible party.

All the survivors have grown into troubled adults. Some seem to have coped superficially, while others have developed or worsened neuropsychiatric disorders. But in my opinion, Misty is by far the most messed-up character of them all.

What I didn’t like: Overall, there were enough things that bothered me about the series, but not enough to make me stop watching or give it a bad rating.

The constant back-and-forth in the plot became exhausting after a while, as it was so overused that it felt like the creators were relying on reflexive interest from the viewers.

The unrealistic portrayal of Taissa's character in 2021.

She’s elected as a senator, supposedly has a packed schedule and a ton of responsibilities, her health is going downhill, and her relationship with her family is falling apart. Because of her, her wife ends up in the hospital, seriously injured, and their child is… who knows where? And how does she deal with it? Hitchhiking to find her old flame, Van, and then reuniting the old gang at Lottie’s therapeutic commune to collect honey and herd goats. This is all explained by the lingering supernatural influence of the forest, which still lives inside them and led them all there.

As for the supernatural element—19 episodes in—it’s exhausted in a few sporadic appearances of a blind ghost and some cryptic carvings on trees.

Right. I’ll make sure to invoke some vague dark forces the next time I stay out late drinking with the boys!

P.S. In the meantime, her hallucinations and sleepwalking magically disappeared… Oh right, it’s the wilderness and the forest god!

It seems like they’re going to need something much stronger in the next episodes, like a Wendigo, to save this show!

I could mention more things, but I'll stick to the special treatment the police gave Shauna’s lover’s disappearance, compared to literally any other criminal activity from the group (the murder of the investigator, Travis' “suicide,” the blackmail plot, Nat's kidnapping, etc.). It’s like none of that ever happened, and the police were almost obsessively focused on Adam's case just to push the plot forward!

Lastly, I’ll never forgive them for killing off poor Kevin, the honest, working-class romantic hero, and leaving us with the sleazy detective with the greasy hair and creepy mustache, who seduces minors and smells like condoms, pretending to solve cases… who are you kidding?!?

That’s all. No, I’m not upset at all now that I’ve recalled all this, and I’ll have a calm, deep, and peaceful sleep tonight.