A New Jersey high school girls’ soccer team from 1969 has just had their big win and now, they’re going to Nationals in Seattle! These teenage athletes get on a plane with their coach and some others to reach their destination. In a turn of events, the plane crashes. The girls are now stranded in the Canadian wilderness with nobody to find them, nothing to be seen but trees and nowhere to go. What could — well, no. A lot has already gone wrong. The question we’d rather ask is: how much worse could it possibly get?
If you’re the “Yellowjackets,” a lot worse.
Warning! This article will have MAJOR spoilers for everything up to Season 3 of “Yellowjackets” on Showtime.
What is “Yellowjackets?”
Having premiered on Nov. 14, 2021, the show follows two distinct timelines surrounding our main characters. The first is set in 1969 in the Canadian wilderness where the soccer team’s plane had crashed. This ensemble cast stars Ella Purnell, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Liv Hewson and Courtney Eaton among others.
We also get to see a second timeline, with the girls as adults in 2021. An important thing to remember is that, due to the events of 1969 being increasingly unpredictable and dangerous for all the girls, the survival of any of the characters is not guaranteed. The adult timeline is where the audience is given a glimpse of who might have made it out and where they are now. This ensemble stars Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell.
Yellowjackets, at its core, is about survival and trauma. According to the adult timeline, the girls were stuck in the wilderness for 19 months, including a dramatic change across all four seasons at least once. Therefore, a shocking but somewhat expected aspect of the show is the girls having to resort to cannibalism after running out of food in the cold, hard and dull winters in the Canadian mountains.
Yep, you read that right.
Survival At the Expense of Girlhood
The creators of “Yellowjackets” chose to focus the story on a team of young girls for a reason. They found that a lot of people were skeptical that teenage girls could descend into the same level of madness and barbarism as boys, especially given popular works of fiction and reality that depict a group of individuals having to fight for their survival and sometimes resort to uncanny means. “Yellowjackets” challenges this notion by having the female characters be just as depraved but strong-willed as anyone else.
What also comes with this is the notion of female friendships and relationship dynamics. What does it look like when you’re stuck with your best and worst friends in the woods for 19 months with nothing to eat, do or look forward to? Teenage female friendships are inherently complex, but the “Yellowjackets'” environment allows this to be taken to the next level.
The majority of the first half of the show centers around the friendship of Jackie (Ella Purnell) and Shauna (Sophie Nelisse and Melanie Lynskey), who are best friends and love and support each other through everything. Jackie is perfect: she has the perfect life and the perfect boyfriend and is adored by everyone who meets her. Shauna, on the other hand, is more of the black sheep and has somehow settled herself to live in Jackie’s shadow. So much so that she’s been sleeping with Jackie’s boyfriend behind her back prior to the plane crash. As you can imagine, this unfolds in the wilderness — secrets are spilled, friendships are broken … and a life is lost.
The Latest Season
In Feb. 2025, the show premiered with Season 3. This season promised a lot more madness, mystery and thrill, but most importantly, it promised answers. With significant new cast members like Joel McHale and Hilary Swank joining in, fans were excited for what was to come.
The season brought with it compelling storylines and continuations of ones from prior seasons. It received an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes based on critics’ reviews. The website reads, “Still at its very best when lost in the wilderness, Yellowjackets’ third season is inescapably uneven but carried along effortlessly by its stronger elements.” A major highlight of the season overall was the performances, specifically by some of the younger cast members such as Sophie Thatcher and Sophie Nelisse.
However, the season has come with its faults. While 84% is a strong score, it is in fact the lowest out of the three seasons. Fans are satisfied with the answers provided to major mysteries by this season, although divided on the outcomes of some. Fans have noted that the quality of writing in the show seemed to have dipped since the prior seasons. With major character deaths occurring this season, some characters feel as though their stories have ended prematurely and without being fleshed out to the full extent that they could be.
What are your thoughts on “Yellowjackets?” Let us know @VALLEYmag on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter)!
