Season 3 of Yellowjackets shows why Showtime’s series remains a fascinating exploration of trauma and the lengths humans are willing to go for survival. In the past timeline, the Yellowjackets team have rebuilt their lives in the Canadian woods, feeding their twisted beliefs in the Wilderness spirit. In the present, the survivors still struggle with Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) death when a new mysterious figure emerges to challenge the peace they earned with blood. Both storylines climax in the Season 3 finale, in which some of the biggest Yellowjackets mysteries are resolved. While Showtime has yet to renew the series for a potential fourth and final season, the last episode of Season 3 already gives fans much to discuss in the next couple of years.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 10
Now that Season 3 of Yellowjackets is fully available on Paramount+, let’s break down all the shocking twists and turns of the season finale.
Teen Lottie’s Connection to the Wilderness Is Shattered
In the season finale, Akilah’s (Nia Sondaya) horrifying visions come true when all the animals inside the pen suddenly die in the middle of the night. Teen Lottie (Courtney Eaton) uses the opportunity to convince the other Yellowjackets that the Wilderness is angry with them, and they have to perform another hunting ritual, sacrificing one of their own to appease the dark spirits.
As it turns out, Lottie has convinced Akilah to poison the animals and fake her surprise so that the rest of the girls would continue to believe in the Wilderness’ influence. Lottie is so shackled to her delusions that she’s willing to fabricate tragedy if that means she will remain the spiritual leader of the survivors. That calls into question every other supposedly supernatural event of Yellowjackets, as Lottie could be working to create convenient confirmations of her visions since the first season.
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Unfortunately, the only person who knows the truth is Akilah, who vanishes after she confronts Lottie in the cave and says she won’t abide by the deranged Wilderness visions anymore. While we still don’t know what happened to Akilah, it’s fair to assume Lottie would kill the girl to keep her secrets (and her power) safe.
Who Is Pit Girl?
After the staged animal massacre, the Yellowjackets decide one of them must be hunted, killed, and devoured. Teen Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) convinces Teen Van (Liv Hewson) to manipulate the card drawing so that Hannah (Ashley Sutton) gets the Queen of Hearts. As Taissa reasons, Hannah is an outsider, and if someone must die, it’s best to sacrifice the newcomer rather than one of their teammates.
During the card distribution, Teen Shauna (Sophie Nelisse) realizes Tai is trying to mess with the outcome of the draw. Shauna suddenly changes her place in the circle to ensure randomness is once more part of the process, using her authority as Antler Queen to enforce her will. As a result, Mari (Alexa Barajas) grabs the Queen of Hearts, which was supposed to be Hannah’s. Shauna is ecstatic, as Mari is one of the people who have been challenging her since the beginning of Yellowjackets Season 3.
Shauna places the heart necklace on Mari’s neck and sends her into the snowy woods. The rest of the tribe wears masks and starts to chase Mari down. The girl strips her colorful clothes to better blend with the white snow all around her, and we suddenly realize she’s wearing the same white garment Pit Girl wore in the opening of Yellowjackets Season 1. Mari also has the same dire fate, falling into the spiky trap that Teen Trevor (Kevin Alves) built to try to kill Lottie – which he failed to do. The story comes full circle, with the Season 3 finale connecting with the beginning of the Yellowjackets story.
The Yellowjackets Teens Will Finally Be Rescued
While Shauna and the Yellowjackets are distracted with the hunting ritual, Teen Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) works with Van and Teen Misty (Sammi Hanratty) to repair the satellite radio they found in Hannah’s camp. When everyone else runs after Mari, Natalie grabs the radio and walks away. She’s intercepted by Hannah, who surprisingly offers her help, even after she has become an enforcer for Shauna.
The following morning, after Mari’s feast, Shauna confronts Natalie, as usual, to reaffirm her authority. Desperate, Shauna finds out that Hannah is wearing Natalie’s clothes. The ruse allows Natalie to climb a mountain to get a better reception to activate the satellite radio. The final moments of Yellowjackets Season 3 show Natalie contacting someone through the radio and asking for rescue. That means the Yellowjackets will be rescued in Season 4, ending Shauna’s and Lottie’s reign of terror.
Who Killed Adult Lottie?
The present timeline also reveals the truth about Adult Lottie’s (Simone Kessell) death. When Lottie was staying at Shauna’s (Melanie Lynskey) home, she stole the incriminating tape Callie (Sarah Desjardins) had intercepted. Determined to get the tape back, Callie goes to Lottie’s father’s apartment building, where Lottie is taking shelter. Callie finds Lottie in the basement, wearing a white garment and praying in a makeshift temple surrounded by lit candles.
Lottie is convinced Callie is a child of the Wilderness, brought to them as a replacement for the baby Shauna lost in the woods decades earlier. According to Lottie, Shauna can’t love Callie because she’s jealous of the power hiding inside her daughter. Lottie keeps harassing Callie with her grandiose speeches about how the young girl is dangerous, wild, and brutal — and how Shauna will never love Callie. In a fit of rage, Callie pushes Lottie from the top of the stairs, accidentally killing her. That explains why Lottie’s fingernail residues matched Shauna’s DNA, as mothers and daughters share some genetic material. Callie grabs the tape Lottie had stolen from her and runs, keeping the morbid secret of her actions to herself.
The Yellowjackets Are Unleashed in the Present Timeline
After Van’s (Lauren Ambrose) death in Episode 9 of Yellowjackets Season 3, Taissa (Tawny Cypress) decides to bury her in the woods. Before sending her lover to the ground, Taissa vows to embrace her darker self and stop denying her true nature. She grabs a knife, carves a morsel of flesh from Van’s body, and devours it. Throughout Season 3 of Yellowjackets, Taissa struggled to regain control over her body, which had been used by her darker self. However, this bizarre funerary ritual reveals that Taissa is ready to accept the worst parts of herself if that means avenging Van.
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Similarly, Shauna also decides to embrace her true self. After finding out the truth about Lottie’s death, Jeff (Warren Kole) decides to run away with Callie, knowing that his family is being poisoned by Shauna. Jeff is well aware that Shauna’s darkest impulses are what ultimately pushed Callie to become a murderer, and he vows to protect his daughter from further harm. Shauna finds the letter Melissa (Hilary Swank) sent in her kitchen with the tape, proving there was no one after Shauna in Yellowjackets Season 3. Melissa was right, and Shauna is the true villain in her story. Forced to confront this ugly truth, Shauna admits she had fun in the wilderness, and life has been stale since then, so she must recognize she’s a monster to finally be free.
In a different corner of the city, Taissa and Misty (Christina Ricci) meet to discuss Shauna. Taissa rightfully underlines that Shauna is ultimately responsible for Van’s death, as she keeps stirring chaos into all of their lives. Shauna has also been at the root of all previous seasons’ issues, including Natalie’s death and the blackmail scheme the Yellowjackets were a target for. Taissa is convinced Shauna won’t stop until she’s the last survivor standing, so they should take care of her first. Misty agrees, sealing a dark pact with Taissa and promising to help take Shauna down. The gloves are off, and Season 4 of Yellowjackets will pit all the survivors against each other.
What did you think of the Yellowjackets Season 3 finale? Let us know in the comments!
