The sophomore season of Showtime’s Yellowjackets has generated a wide range of reactions from its audience. Some viewers loved it and have already started rewatching, while others expressed their dissatisfaction and made their opinions known. There are also those who didn’t make it past the first episode.
Following the highly acclaimed debut season of Yellowjackets, living up to the initial excitement was no easy task. The second season experienced a slight decline in viewership, with premiere night viewers turning into delayed streamers. However, with the release of the season 2 finale titled “Storytelling,” the Yellowjackets audience is once again buzzing. (Spoilers ahead, including discussions of cannibalism.)
The season 2 finale took a dark turn by literally cannibalizing some of its key characters, leading to the deaths of wilderness-era Javi and modern-day Natalie. Let’s delve into each plotline separately, starting with the wilderness. In the previous episode, Natalie narrowly escaped death after drawing the fated card in the girls’ “It Chooses” game. Travis helps her escape just moments before Shauna slits her throat, sending Natalie running through the forest to hide. Javi finds her and tries to bring her to his secret hideaway, but tragically falls through the ice into a frigid lake. Natalie attempts to rescue Javi, but Misty intervenes, claiming that “the wilderness chose” Javi.
At the beginning of episode 9, Javi is dead, frozen in ice. The starving and hallucinating Yellowjackets interpret this turn of events as a sign that Natalie is chosen by the wilderness to be their leader. Coach Ben, miraculously still alive, discovers Javi’s secret hideout and returns to camp to inform the girls. To his horror, he finds them feasting on Javi’s flesh. Witnessing this gruesome scene, he sets fire to the cabin using a box of matches. The girls manage to escape but lose everything. That’s where season 2 concludes, leaving viewers wondering how the team will survive without shelter in a potential third season.
In the present day, the remaining Yellowjackets are cornered on Lottie’s compound by two determined detectives intent on arresting them for the murder of Adam in season 1. Walter, portrayed by Elijah Wood, comes to the rescue, posing as a cult member and poisoning one of the detectives with a cup of phenobarbital. After blackmailing the second detective, Walter successfully wraps up the murder case that has haunted the season, although it hadn’t captured much viewer interest.
Now, let’s discuss the significant revelation of the episode. At this point in the season, Lottie has completely lost touch with reality, plagued by hallucinations and confusion. She convinces the modern-day Yellowjackets to play another round of “It Chooses.” Shauna draws the card of death and is chased through the woods by her friends. Chaos ensues, and one of Lottie’s cult members, Lisa, arrives to save her. In a shocking turn, Misty, who has become unhinged, lunges at Lisa with a syringe of phenobarbital but accidentally injects Natalie instead. Natalie pushes Lisa out of harm’s way and sacrifices herself.
The season 2 finale leaves viewers in two distinct places, spanning two different timelines. In the wilderness, Natalie emerges as the newly appointed leader and Antler Queen. In modern times, she is dead. This raises questions about the future of the show without Juliette Lewis’s character. Whether audiences like it or not, that is the outcome we are left with.
