Yellowjackets has masterfully balanced supernatural elements with psychological horror since its debut, leaving viewers constantly questioning what’s real and what exists only in the survivors’ traumatized minds. One of Season 3’s most unsettling mysteries arrived during the summer solstice celebration in the premiere episode, when strange, otherworldly screeches interrupted the festivities. These bone-chilling sounds returned multiple times throughout the season, notably during Travis’ (Kevin Alves) psychedelic trip in Episode 2, during Akhila’s (Nia Sondaya) cave hallucinations in Episode 3, and most significantly during the cannibalistic feast of Coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger) in Episode 6. Each occurrence reinforced the notion that something ancient and malevolent was watching from the wilderness, particularly when Lottie (Courtney Eaton) seemed able to communicate with whatever was making these sounds. However, Episode 7 finally provides a definitive answer about the origin of these haunting calls, and the explanation is far more mundane — yet infinitely more amusing — than fans might have expected.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7
The explanation of the screeches’s origin comes through the introduction of new characters Edwin (Nelson Franklin) and Hanna (Ashley Sutton), two biologists who have ventured into the Canadian wilderness for scientific research. The pair, equipped with professional gear and accompanied by an experienced wilderness guide (Joel McHale), stumbled upon the Yellowjackets’ camp during the horrifying aftermath of Ben’s death. Before their fateful encounter with the teenage survivors, Edwin and Hanna had been methodically documenting their primary research subject: the Arctic Banshee Frog.
This rare (and fictional) amphibian species possesses a remarkable lifecycle that makes it uniquely adapted to the harsh Canadian wilderness. The scientists explain that these frogs remain frozen in suspended animation for approximately seven years, essentially hibernating until environmental conditions trigger their awakening. As it turns out, these frogs are responsible for the spine-chilling screeches the Yellowjackets have been hearing.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Screeches Favor Reason Instead of Belief
What makes the Arctic Banshee Frog particularly distinctive is their mating behavior. Once they emerge from their frozen dormancy, the Arctic Banshee Frogs engage in a frenzied mating season marked by powerful vocalizations that echo through the forest. These mating calls, the very screeches that have terrified the Yellowjackets, earned the species its “Banshee” moniker. The timing of the frogs’ awakening coincides perfectly with the team’s summer activities, explaining why the survivors began hearing these sounds months after the crash. The revelation provides a perfect example of the show’s approach to supernatural elements, consistently offering rational explanations that the characters themselves interpret through their superstitious lens.
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Throughout Yellowjackets’ three seasons, we’ve watched the survivors gradually construct an elaborate belief system centered on “the Wilderness” as a sentient, demanding entity. Lottie’s interpretation of these frog calls as divine communication demonstrates how desperate humans can assign profound meaning to ordinary occurrences, especially when isolated from broader society and scientific knowledge. That’s important to remember because the rational explanation for the screeches doesn’t diminish the impact the frog sounds had on the survivors’ psychology. Regardless of their origin, the screeches still functioned as a catalyst for their descent into tribalism.
Nevertheless, Episode 7’s revelation transforms something ominous into something comically mundane. After all, every time the Yellowjackets cowered in fear of a dark force hiding among the trees, they were just listening to the desperate cries of horny frogs.
New Yellowjackets Season 3 episodes premiere Fridays on Paramount+.
What did you think of the frog being the origin of the screeches? Let us know in the comments!
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Image courtesy of Max
