The second season of Yellowjackets was much awaited. The show came back on March 24. Starting right where we left off, the wilderness storyline and the present-day one are dealing with the choices made in the previous season. It is impossible to stop watching this show, which blends coming-of-age with folk horror and detective thriller (when they grow up) so well.
Since last season of Yellowjackets, there have been strong hints that the girls would have to make some difficult choices if they want to survive the wilderness for 19 months, especially during the brutal winter. Cannibalism was there from the teaser of the first episode: where a girl runs and gets killed in a tiger trap. Later, we see what appears to be cult members having a feast — which most likely contains their latest kill.
In the second episode, the most anticipated moment happened: the girls eat Jackie's (Ella Purnell) body. Here's how the Yellowjackets entered a point of no return, as the best horror stories do.
Cannibalism Finally Happened
Yes, the moment everyone was waiting for happened: the girls, and Teen Travis (Kevin Alves), eat human meat. Having to deal with a heavy winter that took away almost any possibility of them hunting, the stranded soccer team started to get nervous — and hungry. Meat from the bear that Teen Lottie (Courtney Eaton) killed was nearly ending, and Teen Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) finishes the first episode of season two with a quick shot of her eating Jackie's ear. So, the moment was definitely coming, and it was worth the wait and build-up.
The scene of them eating Jackie's cooked meat was set up as a bunch of snow fell on what was supposed to be Jackie's cremation. There are some hints that something supernatural helped that happen, and getting more in-depth at Lottie's powers it is something that most likely will be an important part of this new season. It was Shauna, Jackie's best friend, who prompt the others to eat Jackie's body. She said, "She wants us to." As the character has been having long conversations with her best friend's corpse (from either guilt or hunger, it's hard to distinguish them at this point) it is very probable that she actually heard her speak.
The moment is intercut with a dream sequence, where the characters are all dressed up and eating a feast with fruits and meat. Radiohead's song Climbing Up the Walls starts to play, making it such a perfect moment for the show, and the payoff for the viewers is heightened. This scene could only happen in this particular story, and it is refreshing to be able to see how well it fits and belongs to the show.
Boldness That Pays Off
The entire premise of Yellowjackets is a bold one: placing girls in the wilderness and making them survive, as well as seeing the after matches of their trauma. In the very first episode, Teen Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) breaks the leg of a fellow soccer teammate on purpose so that she wouldn't go to the nationals, as she saw her as a weak link. From the get-go, the series made a statement that this isn't going to follow the usual rules on television. It's brutal, it's bloody, and sometimes disgusting, but it's raw and real. There isn't anything quite like Yellowjackets available right now, and the show needs to receive praise for it.
The brutality of the scene where the girls eat Jackie's body – especially as many expected it would be a season finale moment and not on the second episode was shocking to watch. It was because it was when everyone least expected it that made for such a powerful moment and only enhanced how excited fans are to see what comes next. The emotions regarding who Jackie was to them are put to the side: surviving was the most important thing to do. The team made the right choice, as it would have been out of touch with the entire idea of the show if this moment was executed in any other way.
What This Means for Yellowjackets Season 2
Season two started strong; the stakes are higher and appear to only go uphill from now on. With the cannibalism discussion on the table (no pun intended), it is now a matter of what else these girls are willing to do to survive. With Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) completely horrified, and the only one that didn't participate in eating his student's flesh, there might be some heavy conflict happening shortly. And more cannibalism is on the way, as many think Coach Ben might be next.
But, like Liv Hewson, the actress who plays Teen Van, told TV Guide "Be careful what you wish for [...] Once it's there, it's upsetting." It was a hard scene to watch and also to make. Some people had panic attacks, some cried, and Sammi Hanratty, who plays Teen Misty, even threw up because of the texture and how real the dummy looked. The hard work was worth it because the scene feels surreal to watch in the best way possible.
As co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco said to Variety, "I think we’ve all said in different ways that the cannibalism is possibly the least transgressive thing that we’re going to see. And when we say that, we’re not saying, “Strap in, buckle in, it’s gonna get more gruesome!” So, you know the drill Yellowjackets fans, sit down and get some popcorn (if you can stomach eating while watching the show), because there is a lot more to come.