Friendship, supernatural occurrences, the great outdoors, occasional cannibalism — what’s not to love?
By SAVANNAH ANNO — arts@theaggie.org
Everyone is a fan of the all-girl ensemble drama; Shows like “Big Little Lies” (2017), “The Wilds” (2020), “Pretty Little Liars” (2010) and beyond, are known for their jaw-dropping twists and unique depictions of female relationships. “Yellowjackets,” which premiered in 2021 via Showtime, is no stranger to embracing the flaws and complexities of its core cast. Bringing each character’s darkest instincts to the surface, the series has solidified itself as one of the most prominent thriller-dramas streaming today, holding a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 10 Emmy nominations.
With the premiere of season three just weeks away, prospective viewers have one last chance to catch up on the first 19 episodes. A small feat when you are immediately sucked into the mysterious nature of each character and plot line.
Imagine “Lord of the Flies” but with teenage girls; Then, imagine that instead of being set on a tropical island, they are lost in the middle of the Canadian Rockies; Then, imagine that you got to see the cast not only while they were stranded, but 25 years later as they try to live “normal” lives as adults.
With not one but two ensemble casts — one in their teens, one in their 30s — “Yellowjackets” is full of both legendary and upcoming actors. Big names like Christina Ricci from the iconic “The Addams Family” and Elijah Wood from “The Lord of the Rings” play a psycho but lovable couple in the show’s second season, while newer actresses like Sophie Turner and Ella Purnell can be found in recent religious horror movie “Heretic” and the highly acclaimed “Arcane” animated series.
Made up of over 10 main and supporting characters, some who survive to the second timeline and others who do not, “Yellowjackets” shines not only in its gory and oftentimes creepy visuals but also in its complex depictions of friendships. Undergoing the ultimate test, the young girls of the series experience the average teenage dramatics of jealousy and romance while they also fight over authority, food and even spirituality as they do everything it takes to survive what they come to call “the wilderness.”
Moving back and forth between the cast in 1996 as they struggle to adapt to the woods and in 2021 as the smaller cast of survivors tries their best to cope with the past, writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson make it clear that each of the character’s actions has consequences.
The 1996 timeline opens, of course, with a deep nostalgia for the decade. Teenage girls in New Jersey, high off of winning a spot in a national soccer tournament — hence “Yellowjackets,” their team name — are dancing in their locker room, dressing up for a party and arguing over a junior varsity player with no idea that they would be stranded the next morning after surviving a plane crash.
In the present-day timeline, viewers are unsure how many of them survived their 19 months in the wilderness or the extent of what occurred while they were there, though the opening scene of the series gives some idea. Images of the girls in the dead of winter, faces covered in handmade masks and wearing animal furs as they eat a very much human meal hint at their ultimate dissent from civilization.
If you are a fan of the psychological or the supernatural, “Yellowjackets” serves as the perfect blend of both. Are the characters hallucinating and engaging in horrific acts because they have been starving all winter or is there something with them in the wilderness, bringing about their animalistic behavior? Answer the age-old question of how far someone will go to survive by tuning in to the can’t-miss drama series.
Written by: Savannah Anno — arts@theaggie.org
