Yellowjackets (Season 2)

Creators: Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson
Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Kevin Alves, Simone Kessell, Lauren Ambrose, Elijah Wood, Ella Purnell, Steven Krueger, Warren Kole, Sarah Desjardines, Alexa Barajas, Rukiya Bernard, Aiden Stoxx, Alex Wyndham, Nicole Maines, Nuha Jes Izman, François Arnaud, John Reynolds, John Cameron Mitchell
Original Airdate: 2023

**The Following Review Contains Plot Spoilers For The First Two Seasons Of 'Yellowjackets' **

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)   

Sometimes the big test for a dramatic series is whether its showrunners can make the tough, uncomfortable decisions that serve the story's larger purpose. And now after Yellowjackets' latest nine episodes, it's becoming easier to envision there is one. In ending its first season with a major character's death, the psychological survival thriller hinted it wouldn't be shying away from those difficult calls, generating optimism and dread surrounding what's next for the 1996 plane crash survivors and their emotionally traumatized adult counterparts. As such, this entire second chapter may as well share the same title as its eighth episode, "It Chooses." 

What "It" is has emerged as a show defining question, or even the dividing line that separates real from imagined and past and present. But whether the catastrophes in these two timelines can be traced to a supernatural entity or exists primarily in the survivors' heads is becoming harder to distinguish. Whether it's a combination of both, or neither, there still isn't a way for them to change what's happening. We're getting a lot of answers, as creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson rarely drag their feet, reeling us in by introducing new complications and dangling some unresolved threads awaiting a pay off. 

They know we're hooked for the long haul, and even if this season is noticeably different and crazier, there's no drop-off, with the 90's timeline becoming increasingly unpredictable despite knowing the fates of some involved. And after hints and glimpses of forthcoming tribal violence, attempted murder and cannibalism, this follows through, retaining its dark, twisted sense of humor in the process. And it all culminates in a finale that will have fans scratching their heads as to what lies ahead. "It" may have chosen, but not without shocking consequences that will surely take these characters to even more disturbing places. 

It's late 1996 and the team of plane crash survivors struggle to make it through a brutal winter in the wake of Jackie's (Ella Purnell) death, turning to their anointed leader Lottie (Courtney Eaton) for spiritual guidance, believing she can talk to the wilderness. But as a guilt-ridden, pregnant Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) remains incapable of processing her best friend's death, Taissa's (Jasmin Savoy Brown) nightmares and sleepwalking incidents escalate to alarming levels, with girlfriend Van (Liv Hewson) desperately trying to contain the problem. 

Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) helps Travis (Kevin Alves) continue the search for his missing brother Javi (Luciano Leroux) while Misty (Samantha Hanratty) forms a bond with quirky teammate Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman). Depressed and withdrawn, the one-legged Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) is the odd man out, morally disgusted by the girls' actions as they fall deeper under "Antler Queen" Lottie's mystifying spell.

The adult Yellowjackets aren't faring much better in 2021, with Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) enlisting the help of Taissa (Tawny Cypress) and Misty (Christina Ricci) in covering up her boyfriend Adam's (Peter Gadiot) murder. But with cops closing in, husband Jeff (Warren Kole) and daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins) prove surprisingly invaluable in protecting Shauna and keeping their family intact. 

Plagued by escalating hallucinations and a personality disorder that's put estranged wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard) and young son Sammy (Aiden Stoxx) in grave danger, Taissa finds Van (Lauren Ambrose), which introduces a new set of challenges. And in reluctantly teaming with eccentric fellow online "Citizen Detective" Walter (Elijah Wood), Misty attempts to rescue a kidnapped Natalie (Juliette Lewis), realizing all roads lead back to Lottie (Simone Kessell), whose woodsy spiritual retreat more closely resembles a cult, dredging up painful memories for the Yellowjackets.                       

After the finale tease of Lottie being behind Natalie's abduction, one of the bigger curiosities heading into this season was the potential addition of more adult survivors. But Lottie and Van's presence is a little more complex than anticipated, at least so far as the former's motivations, as she psychologically teeters on the edge, hinting at something more sinister. Then again, the same could be said for everyone who made it out of the wilderness in one piece, yet remain permanently shattered by the experience.

Simone Kessell keeps us guessing as the middle-aged version of the Lottie, now going by Charlotte. On one hand, she's credible as a spiritual guru you want to believe has the purest intentions in helping Natalie, until realizing that's exactly how cult leaders operate. Still, it's clear both the younger and older iterations of the character suffer the same painful effects of being able to see what no one else can. Upon their arrival at her compound, the team again becomes quickly entangled in Charlotte's web, discovering what Nat and troubled followers like Lisa (Nicole Maines) already know. Forgiveness is a nice idea, but letting go is harder than it looks. 

As owner of the incredibly named "While You Were Streaming" video store, adult Van also hasn't moved on or dealt with what happened twenty five years earlier. And Taissa showing up does little to improve that, even if their connection is still immediately apparent and seemingly stronger than ever. It's fun contrasting how fan favorite Lauren Ambrose plays Van character in comparison to Liv Hewson's '96 take. While there are still shades of her younger counterpart's sarcastic humor, whatever joy she had as a teen has been wiped clean away in the decades following the crash. And the fatal medical diagnosis she's withholding from Taissa only makes her depression that much worse. 

Adult Misty further pushes the envelope of what we perceive she's capable of after eliminating Taissa's hired investigator Jessica Roberts (Rekha Sharma) last season. Her unbridled excitement at helping Shauna dispose of Adam's body is typical Misty, even as the plan implodes, bringing her no closer to achieving the respect and acceptance she's always craved. The arrival of true crime soulmate Walter provides reassurance, bringing out a certain vulnerability, energizing her with the possibility someone truly sees and accepts who she is. 

Ricci and Elijah Wood's Ice Storm reunion is the highlight of the season, if not the entire series thus far. If you thought Misty and Nat road trips had spin-off potential, a show with these two joining forces to solve crimes would easily top it, as Ricci continues to play Misty as the show's most desperately likable sociopath. She and the equally eccentric Walter each harbor legitimate doubts they can trust each other, while we speculate whether he'll even survive the season. Walter's obsessive interest in Adam's disappearance raises Misty's suspicions, even as their relationship takes some outrageous detours, including a surreal Twin Peaks-inspired musical dream sequence featuring John Cameron Mitchell. 

Even with Misty's criminal expertise, Shauna's doing enough on her own to attract suspicion from detective Kevyn Tan (Alex Wyndham), as Jeff temporarily shelves his shock and anger over Shauna's affair to help cover up Adam's murder. But considering how Jeff's blackmail plot with buddy Randy (Jeff Holman) partially led to this mess, he proves surprisingly loyal, with Warren Kole adding some needed dimension and humanity to his overgrown jock character. 

Sarah Desjardines basically steals these episodes as Callie, flipping the script on last season's angry teen trope and proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. When Callie's involvement with undercover detective Saracusa (John Reynolds) jeopardizes everything, she quickly adjusts, showing an aptitude under pressure few expected from this previously irritating character. Of everyone, she might be the shrewdest, as an impressed Lottie eventually finds out firsthand. But as sad at it seems, it took Shauna killing someone to finally bring her and Callie closer.

It's not difficult to see how the loss of Shauna's baby would directly inform that dysfunctional relationship with Callie later on. Shauna's doomed pregnancy is hard to watch, as is the team staring in stunned silence as she later beats the hell out of Lottie, nearly killing her. But the group's impromptu Midsommar-like feast (with Jackie as a main course) is a bridge too far for the disgusted, suicidal Coach Ben. He's haunted by his decision to board that plane and leave behind an unexplored life with boyfriend Paul (François Arnaud). Misty's friendship with Crystal goes south, as we knew it would, but more revealing is how she covers up her bestie's barely accidental death, planting seeds for the Citizen Detective she'll become.

Nat makes some morally questionable calls in dealing with Travis before her number seemingly comes up. It's alarming how quickly the team's bloodthirst kicks in, becoming all too eager to hunt and kill her because the wilderness "chose." But if what happens to the returning Javi is any indication, it's the Yellowjackets calling all the shots. They could have saved him and didn't, instead getting another meal and paving the way for Lottie to pass the Antler Queen baton to Nat.

Adult Nat won't be so lucky, but at least goes out sacrificing herself to save Lisa. This is as big a death as it gets on an ensemble drama like this, placing the remainder of Nat's story in Sophie Thatcher's hands. And she often doesn't get enough credit for channeling Juliette Lewis's mannerisms and voice, with many opting instead to focus on a perceived lack of physical resemblance (which isn't true upon looking at clips and photos of a younger Lewis). 

Heightened by the use of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," Nat's strangely moving death sequence is more notable for seeing Thatcher and Lewis act side-by-side in the same scene. As the character passes over to the other side having apparently found some kind of peace, you remember just how interconnected everything is. Because the format can sometimes make this feel like two different shows, any chance to see the older and younger versions of these characters interact on screen is bound to feel special. And this definitely does.

With adult Shauna apparently in the clear over Adam's murder thanks to Walter, Misty will have to wrestle with the fact she's directly responsible for Nat's demise. Beyond that, everything's a question mark in that timeline, almost as if it's wrapped up. The past looks a little clearer, as more death, betrayals and dark days seem inevitable until rescue. Feeling increasingly dispensable, Coach Ben's burning of the cabin indicates he's officially gone off the rails, setting him up as a far bigger threat and making those brief glimpses of the team's 1998 return home even more intriguing.   

Like most second seasons, this tries to jam a lot in, but even as we're sometimes left perplexed by character motivations or storytelling holes, it's kind of shocking how steady it remains. And while the musical choices seem a little more on the nose compared to last season, it's tough to complain about such an impressive catalogue of mid 90's hits, along with an Alanis Morrisette cover of Craig Wedren and Anna Waronker's brilliant "No Return" opening theme.

Considering its perilous setting and a plot dependent on physical survival, the makeup and costuming needs to be unmatched, which it is. This also seems to be outgrowing all those early, superficial comparisons to Lost, as you sense the writers know the importance of having enough creative guardrails in place to prevent the series from devolving into an impenetrable puzzle-box. But based on what we've seen, Yellowjackets is still headed in an upward trajectory, delivering a tight sophomore season that doesn't overstay its welcome and still has us clamoring for more.