Editor’s note: All spoilers below! Proceed with caution and catch up on The Buzz right here.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, Yellowjackets fans! Another week means a new episode, and things are unraveling at an alarming rate. Whether it’s coach Ben’s sanity, the trust between Nat and Travis, or Lottie’s grip on reality, each passing hour reveals more and more about our favorite high school soccer team. This week had a tough act to follow as last week’s episode saw rising tension in the aftermath of multiple events. Highlights included what I’m dubbing “All Jackie’s Feast” and the police getting hot on Shauna’s trail over the disappearance of Adam (Shauna and Jeff’s time in the deceased’s art studio has to be brought up again at some point right?). So without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s feral shenanigans.
This week’s episode opens up with 1996 Tai again sleepwalking in the forest with Van closely following her after she nearly threw herself off a cliff. Here comes the weird part: everywhere she stops while sleepwalking has a sigil nearby. I’m calling this mysterious symbol from here on out “The Sigil.” A Sigil is a symbol that contains mystical power, and after last week’s bird massacre, yeah, I’m guessing this one holds some power. The duo take notice of the Sigils they find, trying to figure out why Tai is drawn to them.
In the present, Jeff decides to confront Shauna and informs her that the police know about the affair. Despite knowing his wife was unfaithful, Jeff seems taken aback by how deep and passionate this affair was. He knows covering this up will be more challenging than he thought. Elsewhere Misty and Walter continue their ongoing investigation into what happened to Nat. Misty brings up her past, but Walter seems to have no interest in her Yellowjackets history and is far more interested in her beyond that (possible romantic interest?).
Back at the cabin, tensions rise as Coach Ben confronts the group over the “All Jackie’s Feast” and how they let their feral actions consume them. “What’re you going to do, eat me?” In defense, they bring up Nat’s fruitless hunting expeditions, they’re quickly running out of meat (and someone keeps stealing from the food supply), and quick to point out Jackie’s “sacrifice” possibly saved them from harsh winter starvation. While airing their frustrations, they credit Lottie’s faith in the forest with providing them a bit of extra nourishment in the form of the inexplicable flock of birds delivered straight to their cabin door. As a side note, I’m all for Yellowjackets cannibalism, but the idea of them eating all the dead birds might be the most disgusting thing this show has done.
Jumping forward, we’re presented with a scene of Lottie visiting her psychiatrist, asking for an increase in her meds. This comes after last week’s blood honey vision that left her spooked. In previous episodes, other characters have also mentioned her meds.
In the cabin, the group contemplates what to do about food. Unsure whether Nat’s hunting trips will be successful they decide to hold a competition between Nat and Lottie to see who can best provide for the group. Nat, armed with a hunting rifle, and Lottie armed with her wits and faith.
In modern times, Misty and Walter head into town searching for the cult that abducted Nat. The only issue? They have absolutely no leads to go on. Stumped, they head to a restaurant for breakfast, where their relationship develops, and Walter uses the ingredients from his plate to make a breakfast taco (Elijah Wood is a former resident of Austin, TX where breakfast tacos are a staple, so this is a nice nod). Aggravated, they ask their waitress if she knows of a local cult. She does! And after complaining about their tipping habits, she casually tells them about a farmer’s market where “the purple people” sell honey. Elsewhere we join Tai and her mysterious journey after leaving Simone in the hospital. She’s driven so long that her car has run out of gas, and she’s now on foot, eventually picked up by a trucker that recognizes the Senator-Elect.
Out in the woods, Lottie is on the hunt for food. She seems to have a massive handicap in this competition and is growing weary of her chances of winning. When all seems lost, she stumbles across a tree stump that resembles a makeshift altar and decides to cut her hand and spill her blood onto it. We’re getting right into blood-sacrifice territory, which I’m sure will have repercussions in the long run.
Returning to the present, we join Nat and Lisa, who are supposed to be en route to the farmer’s market to sell honey but instead detour to Lisa’s former home for a visit with her mother. While discussing her life choices, the conversation turns hostile. Elsewhere Shauna knows that Callie found the piece of Adam’s ID and decides to come clean to her about the entire situation. The way Shauna sees it, if there’s any hope of evading the police on this, the whole family needs to be on the same page.
In the past, Van shows Tai Travis and Nat’s map of the woods. Taking note of every spot Tai has stopped at in her nocturnal travels, she’s marked them all on the map. When assessing the markings, Van realizes they form a giant Sigil. I’m not sure what this means, but it can’t be good. We also get a glimpse of Coach Ben, who is still having visions of his partner and seems haunted and more distraught each time we see him.
After an aggressive argument between Lisa and her mother, Nat steps in. A far cry from where their relationship was a few episodes ago, and it’s kinda nice to see Nat bond with someone after being so closed off to the world in the wake of Travis’ death. In a friendly gesture, she grabs Lisa’s pet goldfish so that she never has any reason to return.
On Nat’s half of the hunting competition, she notices a moose in the frozen lake. She heads back to recruit the rest of the group for help, ending the competition prematurely. Elsewhere, Lottie comes across the airplane that Laura Lee died in, and it’s practically in mint condition. As she enters the plane, she’s transported to a mall where all the Yellowjackets hang out in the food court. Laura Lee is at the head of the table, alive and well, and tells Lottie she needs to leave before “pushing” her back to the forest. This scene is absolutely ripe for interpretation, and I’m living for it. Meanwhile, the rest of the group attempts to retrieve the moose from the frozen lake, and in the process, it sinks to the bottom, destroying any hope for food.
After Lisa and Nat bond a bit more, they talk about past feelings of suicidal ideation and the process to get to this point that they’re both at. Nat pushes away her alcohol, no longer using it as a crutch in emotional situations. Across town, Shauna tells Jeff that she was honest with Callie and came clean on the entire Adam situation. Despite his reluctance to involve her in the situation, he can’t help but notice that their family bond seems to be on the path to repair as they start to resemble a happy family again—nothing like a good ol’ fashioned murder to bring people together in the most unexpected ways.
In the past, the group finds Lottie unconscious in the forest, in danger of freezing. Unsure of what happened, the group warms her up, and Nat tends to her to make amends for their recent disagreements.
Back at her compound, Lottie is haunted by visions of what appear to be playing cards. Specifically, a queen with the eyes scratched out. Unsure of what to do, she stumbles out into the woods. There she slices open her hand and offers her blood to a familiarly-styled tree stump. Who knows what will happen here if the past is anything to go by? It could be something good, but it could also be something equally as terrible.
Blasting to the past one final time in this episode, we see Tai and Van discover a patch of melted snow. In a bid of curiosity, they investigate only to discover Javi alive and well. This brings up a whole plethora of questions about how he survived the winter despite missing for months (although this could solve the mystery of the missing meat from the food supply). It’s hard to tell what the explanation for the series’ most mysterious character will be, but I can’t wait to see it all play out.
To close out the episode, we see Senator-Elect Tai arrive at her destination, which appears to be a small town. She enters a ’90s-style video store, and the woman behind the counter is Van. They exchange glances, and the episode ends.
“Old Wounds” was an appropriate title for this episode as we returned to painful pasts this week. The lingering questions about Javi aside, it’s nice to see that Travis’ hope wasn’t in vain. In the modern day, Tai reunited with an old lover that I’m sure will stir up some emotions in her, and Nat seems to be on the path to releasing the past. As we near the midway point of this season, I’m eager to see what arcs these characters will go through and if they can truly move forward in hopes of overcoming whatever supernatural forces may or may not be haunting them.
One thing is for certain, though: Nothing will be the same after this season of Yellowjackets.
