Recently, my wife and I signed up for a free trial of Showtime to see what all the buzz was about (heh) for their Emmy-winning drama, Yellowjackets. Turns out that the hype (and upcoming charge for a Showtime subscription) was very much warranted.
For those unfamiliar with the show, it revolves around a girls high school soccer team in 1996 that’s invited to play in a national competition. The series is named after their school mascot, the Wiskayok High School Yellowjackets.
On the way there, the team’s plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, leaving the survivors to fend for themselves during a brutal 19-month period. That would be bad enough on its own, but at some point the girls end up dividing themselves into occultic/cannibalistic clans. 25 years later, we see how those who survived long enough to be rescued are adapting to “normal life” as adults.
Predictably, the demons of their past (both figurative and literal) begin catching up with them.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Yellowjackets does a phenomenal job balancing its narrative between 1996 and 2021, thanks in large part to its superb dual-era casting and a story that feels like a horror-infused version of Lost. If you’re a Boomer, Gen Xer, or Elder Millenial and hearing that show’s name gives you pause, then don’t worry. Yellowjackets thus far appears wholly dedicated to resolving its many intriguing mysteries — including the ones some of you you likely have after my all-too-brief summary (like why it took 19 months for anyone to find the survivors).
The show also manages to build an incredible amount of suspense around all of its storylines and characters, including the ones we know/assume won’t survive due to their absence in the 2021 timeline.
About the only thing Yellowjackets appears to be “pulling a Lost” on is the age of freshman soccer player/class chairman Allie Stevens. That won’t mean anything to those who haven’t watched the series yet, but it’s an insignificant-yet-infuriating detail to those of us who are part of the show’s dedicated hive
Speaking of Yellowjackets newbies, if you haven’t watched the first season and are still considering it, then you should definitely skip yesterday’s trailer for season two along with its subsequent analysis.
This is your last warning…
Now let’s take a look at the trailer for season two, which begins with Nat (who was kidnapped at the end of last season) being walked through a form of meditation/hypnosis by the previously unseen adult version of Lottie.
While it’s not 100% clear if Nat and Lottie are still in a hostage/captor dynamic, we do see that things are about to predictably get much worse for all of the surviving Yellowjackets. There’s also talk of how the group wasn’t alone in the wilderness and brought something back with them, which lends even further credence to the series’ supernatural elements.
The trailer then switches from Nat and Lottie’s conversation to Misty admonishing herself not to cry. From there, we see a flash of images that don’t tease much save for a few of them:
- Either we’re going to get a flashback to Travis‘ murder or someone else is going to die by being hung.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
- Someone foaming at the mouth. My guess is Mya, who should have a much bigger role in season two. She’s also is a prime candidate for the girl who’s killed in the opening of the pilot episode.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
- Teenage Travis with his eyes rolled back in what is likely something supernatural (and definitely not good). I’ve seen a few folks speculate that this is actually Javi, but I still think it’s the older of the two brothers.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
- Adult Tai remembering the mask she wore at Doomcoming. This scene takes on a lot more significance now that we know Lauren Ambrose will be portraying an adult version of her ex-girlfriend, Van.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
- A young Lottie receiving electroshock therapy. She appears to have a faint scar on her forehead, meaning that this is probably after the crash/rescue.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
The trailer closes with a new character named Walter (Elijah Wood) having a conversation with Misty about how weird her life is. Considering his awkward demeanor and status as a fellow Citizen Detective, Misty may have finally found someone to share her heart with.
Season two of Yellowjackets begins March 24 exclusively on Showtime. Buzz Buzz.
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