Each week, Jenn and Joe discuss the latest episode of Showtime’s Yellowjackets S03. Spoilers ahead!
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- S01/S02: Murder Made Fiction Patreon
- S03: Episode 1-2 / 3
Episode 3.04 “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis”: The Yellowjackets attempt to spin a hundred suspicions into proof. Coach Scott has an existential meltdown and wonders if the universe really does hate him. Meanwhile, Jeff embarks on a crusade to make things right energetically.
JOE
Karma is the name of the game on this week’s episode of Yellowjackets, Jenn and, in tried and true fashion, what goes around comes around. Still no sign of Hilary Swank <grrrr> but Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) continues to be the butt of life-threatening attacks, while husband Jeff (Warren Kole) makes some attempts to right his karmic wrongs with some volunteerism.
I’ll admit that I started with the 2021 timeline stuff in part because it’s just not as exciting as the “mock trial” events of the 1997 timeline. I could have taken a whole lot more of prosecutor Tai (Jasmin Savoy Brown) vs defence Misty (Samantha Hanratty) in the case against Coach Scott (Steven Krueger).
One reason that the ‘97 timeline held my attention more is because I fucking looooove when characters are forced to speak their truth. So even though we’re only “swearing” on Lottie (Courtney Eaton)’s all-powerful deck of cards, not a Bible, and the trial is taking place in the woods, not a courtroom, everyone in the trial takes their roles and their testimony deadly seriously.
This makes sense, because as we are repeatedly told, the stakes are life and death. The whole squad was nearly burned to death in the S02 finale and Coach Scott clearly worried that his life was in danger because, as he says, “you cut my leg off, you weren’t listening to me anymore, and I was scared that I would be next.” It’s a totally fair and reasonable excuse for fleeing and hiding in the woods.
In addition to getting the cards (heh) on the table, the mock trial also clarifies who is aligning with who. As Melissa (Jenna Burgess) tells Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) at episode’s end when the bitterly enraged girl has swung the majority votes in favour of convicting Coach Scott: “that’s power.”
It’s a big, bold declaration in an episode that literally sees Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) preside over the trial in full Antler Queen regalia. But by the end of “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis”, Nat’s credibility has been not-so-gently torpedoed by Tai, who was fed leaked intel from Shauna. Misty wasn’t wrong to question Shauna about her jealousy and entitlement, but so far no one seems to be connecting the dots about how much sway Shauna has within the group.
Outside of Lottie, that is. There’s a lot of passing glances and concerned looks crossing Lottie’s face this episode, which makes me wonder how much she still believes in It vs how much she’s reading the room. I don’t mean to suggest that Lottie’s up to anything malicious, though her continued tutelage of both Travis (Kevin Alves) and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) still feels like minor cult grooming.
No, I’m still thinking about what Lottie said about Shauna being responsible for her. I won’t lie Jenn, I left this episode with the feeling that Shauna (at least at this moment) is an antagonist in both timelines. Not only has the stuff with Adult Misty (Christina Ricci) not been defused, but teen Shauna is straight-up blood thirsty and dangerous.
But I’ll turn it over to you to unpack some of this: how about you feeling about teen Lottie and Shauna? Did you feel the weight of karma bearing down in Adult Van (Lauren Ambrose) and Adult Tai (Tawny Cypress)’ storyline about feeding “It” another sacrifice? Is Coach almost certainly doomed to be killed and/or eaten? And <MAJOR SPOILER ALERT> what do you make of those final moments with Adult Lottie (Simone Kessell) dead in a fashion not unlike Adult Travis?
JENN
Joe, I absolutely love a mock trial, although I’m a bit dismayed that given A Few Good Men’s 1992 release, no one yelled, “You can’t handle the truth!” Unless I’m the only one who does that. I guess Misty’s delightful warning about the perils of assuming will have to do.
I did thoroughly enjoy this trial, though I have some concerns. First of all, I can’t believe Misty wouldn’t want to cross-examine Natalie and ask why she clearly feels so strongly about protecting Coach Scott. That seems pretty crucial to the narrative she’s building.
Similarly, I’m surprised Tai didn’t want to question Coach Scott. I’m not being a stickler for verisimilitude (although I have seen many episodes of Law & Order), but it feels like there are truths we’re still not revealing. I love Coach Scott’s monologue about why he left and how he truly feels about the team, but I want Nat to stick up for the man that, for a while, was her only friend.
It’s also ironic that he specifically left camp to avoid being eaten, but it looks like that’s definitely on the table for the sentencing phase. Although it’s curious that no one has explicitly spelled that out yet. And it would be the group’s first premeditated murder, which may be more than they have the stomach for.
I’m also questioning why the episode title includes mention of “Drunk Travis” when he does very little in this trial. I was expecting this extended voting sequence to conclude with a tearful confession that he got drunk and burned down the cabin. That’s right, I have a new prediction. I think Travis is the arsonist and set the fire in the aftermath of … eating the body of his little brother.
And given how that went down, could the girls really blame him? That would also explain why Natalie is protecting Coach Scott and seems to just want the whole thing to go away. It also might explain why the couple broke up. Not because Travis is emasculated or Natalie doesn’t want a conflict of interests, but because it’s just too big a secret for them to hold together. I’m throwing my own cards on the table with this prediction (and crossing my fingers).
I don’t know if I’m quite ready to see young Shauna as an antagonist, but I’m filled with rage at her blatant attempts to tip the scale. I feel like Ari Graynor’s Leslie Abramson Rage Hang Manning during the Menendez Brothers’ egregious second trial (flashback to our coverage of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.) Also, considering Misty’s curly, blond ‘do I’m not surprised she’s a kickass defense attorney.
Mari (Alexa Barajas), meanwhile, seems to be fading into the background, and after Melissa’s not-so-subtle hand caress, I’m starting to think you’re right. Swank will be playing adult Melissa, if she ever shows up. Perhaps a former lover is coming out of the woodwork now that Shauna finally has power in the adult timeline.
And speaking of adult Shauna, I agree that this half of the story is not grabbing me yet. Maybe because Walter (Elijah Wood) has disappeared and I will forever defend adult Misty, but we’re meandering a bit too much for my taste. I’m more intrigued by Jeff’s burgeoning stand-up career than finding out who locked his wife in the freezer. (For the record, my guess is Walter.) My ears did perk up when Dead Freezer Jackie (Ella Purnell) alluded to what Shauna did when they got back. Excuse me? Are we talking about marrying Jeff? Killing Adam? Bullying Misty? Or are there horrors we still haven’t seen?
By the way, is this the first time we’ve actually seen someone don the Antler Queen crown?
I’m also fascinated by Van and Taissa trolling for human sacrifices. Planting a card on the street seems pretty ingenious, if specifically designed to trap Ron Livingston’s Berger from Sex and the City. Also, it seems pretty clear that given what we’ve seen, drawing the Queen of Hearts actually serves as protection or at the very least a shift in power. Javi died right after Natalie drew the ominous marker, then she died after Shauna pulled it from the deck. I think Lottie’s death (which I did NOT see coming) is the latest price of someone else drawing the queen.
What do you think, Joe? Would you pick a playing card up off the street? Who do you think Lottie was apologizing to? And will Walter return now that we’ve got another murder to solve?
JOE
Very good questions! It does seem like the card(s) – not unlike The Monkey – have a mind of their own when it comes to who to protect and who to target. The reality is that if there is something supernatural going on, for Tai and Van to think that they can control it is undoubtedly a grave mistake. Nothing is that simple in this world.
Good pick-up about Lottie’s apology, which I had forgotten about in the shock of her death. Considering how rehearsed it was, I can’t help but wonder if she recorded some kind of suicide message for the others, though I’m not sure why would you need to strike the right note for something like that (unless she has some kind of weird ulterior motive)? I think we’ll get immediate clarity on this issue in the next episode, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her death/goodbye spins the narrative in new directions for the rest of the season.
As for Walter: I still think it’s Swank’s Melissa or Mari who locked Shauna in the freezer, left the phone and maybe tinkered with the brakes (I don’t fully buy the mechanic’s insinuation that it was just a faulty part). But rest assured that Walter will be back; Elijah Wood is a recurring character and Misty may need some additional comforting after the death of yet another Yellowjacket.
Circling back to 1997, all of your Law & Order-inspired legalese definitely makes me think we could have (should have?) dedicated more time to this outstanding mock trial. We will undoubtedly continue to see the ramifications of it play out – I’m predicting that Nat will be demoted before season’s end (Shauna, girl, get ready to wear that crown!) and that Coach will be served for dinner.
Though even as I type that, I wonder…
The only time we’ve seen “sacrifices” to It were during moments of extreme starvation and/or drug-induced paranoia. It’s Spring and there are animals and berries aplenty, so even though Coach needs to be punished in the eyes of the group, they don’t need to eat him. I’m very intrigued to see if the girls opt for imprisonment first and then someone (ie: Shauna) murders him to “protect” the group. That could possibly explain Frozen Jackie’s barbed comments.
I do agree with you, though: Coach definitely didn’t set the fire. I like your suggestion that Travis may be responsible (he certainly has the proper motivation!). But yeah, considering the title of the episode, I do believe we’re meant to intuit that Travis is actually drunk throughout the trial, hence his shrug-worthy decision to change his vote.
It’s not visually well-represented, though, and his shift didn’t feel believable and/or supported by the narrative. I think we need an Extended Cut of this episode because it definitely feels like a few scenes got left on the editing room floor.
But back to you, Jenn: have you been convinced that Lottie was recording a suicide message or that Travis was, in fact, drunk during the trial? Are you at all interested in Akilah’s subplot? (Is any of this important?) And which of Jeff’s jokes worked the best for you?
JENN
Joe, I don’t think anything will ever top, “There’s no BOOK CLUB??” but “I’m gonna find this cat.” is high on my list of Best Jeff Moments. I think the “what has a lot of balls and screws people over” was my favorite joke, but I think I’m just happy to see him happy again.
I did not consider the fact that Travis may have been drunk during the trial and that there are likely some additional scenes that we don’t get to see. Honestly, if his name wasn’t in the title of this episode, I don’t know if we’d be mentioning him here at all. This episode definitely seems lopsided towards the ‘97 timeline and you can feel an attempt to balance the scales, even if it means we swap Bingo jokes and puzzle piece thievery for crucial details of this life and death trial.
I agree that Travis’s reversal felt more like a shrug. I’m also wondering how he’s feeling about being the only male survivor left at camp. Perhaps he’s afraid to side with Coach Scott and be seen as turning against the girls. It looks like his tree bark drawing shows a man being eaten again and it’s possible he’s worried he could still end up on the table. We know he survives into adulthood, but he doesn’t know that in 1997.
I also agree that executing Coach Scott will be much more difficult than they anticipate. I’m remembering how thick the tension was when Shauna was preparing to slaughter Nat after drawing the Queen. Yes, Travis intervened, but I’m not convinced Shauna would have been able to follow through.
Also, will they try to preserve his body to eat during the winter months? I’m cracking up at the thought of them trying to imprison this man for an extended amount of time. What are they gonna do: guard him around the clock? Lock him up with the ducks? Since he did deliver a heartfelt apology, the best course of action would be to either banish him or let it go. But it doesn’t look like this more militant Shauna will allow any forgiveness.
Given that this season has focused more on adult Lottie’s more sinister side, I’m also thinking there’s more to her death than meets the eye. I think you’re right that she was practising for some sort of apology video which would make whatever caused her death look like a suicide.
My guess is that this is the Wilderness choosing again because you’re absolutely right that Tia and Van are biting off more than they can chew. Though I’m sad to see our cult leader queen go, I’m excited for Walter’s imminent return.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find a cat.
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Yellowjackets airs Fridays on Paramount+ on Showtime (and/or Sundays depending on where you’re watching)
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