A really frustrating first season that leaves with more questions than answers but by no means is this a bad thing.
Yellowjackets Season One
Those familiar with my normal ‘Honest Reviews’ will see that I am trying a new format called “Honest Thoughts” in which my reviews are shortened.
SPOILERS
I managed to binge watch the whole first season of Showtime’s new psychological drama Yellowjackets in around 4 days. When reading the description of the show I saw it combined two of my favourite things football (or Soccer ugh) and survival horror. The premise follows a female football team being involved in a plane crash that leaves them stranded for 19 months in the Wilderness with the series detailing the story of how they survive and how in the present day the survivors are coping as adults. There was a large amount of gore in the show which really added to the the horrors of the situation the girls faced.
Right of the bat I absolutely love the opening grungy theme song “No Return”, accompanied by a hypnotic and chaotic VHS visuals breathing an aura of 90s nostalgia every time it comes on. I have had the chorus repeated in my head for days. Most of the time I skip the theme songs of shows but not this time, one of the best theme songs in a long time.
I must praise the actresses both playing younger and present day characters. My favourites have to be Shauna, Natalie and Lottie but I may have a slight bias as I couldn’t believe that Rose from Two and a Half Men (Melanie Lynskey) and Audrey from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Juliette Lewis) were in the same show. Melanie sarcastic yet evil genius esque persona is brilliant to watch while Juliette comes off as a total takes no s**t badass who seems no different to her character in the aforementioned Christmas film.
I didn’t like Jackie’s supposed death, was very lacklustre for a main character. I thought it was going to happen in the dream sequence Shauna had in which it looked like all the group members were gonna straight up murder her, I feel that would have been better but then that leans into more the supernatural/ possession side of the show that the writers don’t want to give too much away. I also do not believe how on earth Van is alive. She had half her face ripped off which would have become greatly infected and without medical attention it seems ridiculous she is alive and able to talk normally, unless there are supernatural powers at play keeping her alive???
After finishing the finale I was left feeling frustrated but craving the next season as I had so many questions created with virtually none of them being answered such as. I was gripped after that scene in the first episode which hints that the girls resort to cannibalism in the midst of winter. And so with every passing episode I was waiting for Winter to hit but it never did until the final last moments of the finale.
Some of my questions I need answering:
1-Is Lottie really alive in the present?
For someone who has tried so hard to hide their identity it seems a bit dumb for our blackmailer to reveal their alive so easily
2-Who turns to cannibalism first?
I feel its the four main heroes in the present who start it all with maybe Coach Ben being our first victim. The main is weak and has lost all power and with an enemy made in Misty his future does not look good.
3-Are there supernatural powers at play in the forest?
I think so
4-Does Taissa have a split personality or is she actually possessed by some kind of demon?
Bit of both.
5.Whose heart is in Taissa hidy hole?
The heart seems too big for the Dog’s
6.Who is the Antler Queen & Pit Girl?
Obvious answer in Lottie but this show likes to throw curveballs.
7-Did the cult pre-exist before the crash and how do they have modern day followers outside of the Wilderness?
8.What happened to the rest of the group who are not in the present
Most likely dead but how?
9.How are they rescued?
It looks like the forest wants to keep them there hence Laura Lee’s plane failure and giving the group the bear (who chose to die) as they were on the verge of starvation so that group members would be grateful and begin to honour the forest?.
Conclusion
Overall I enjoyed the flash backs and flash forwards of the show and although the pacing was slow at times it really created a tense atmosphere. At times the show can be really brutal and your invested into seeing how these girls managed to survive such a horrendous situation for such a long time. Bring on season two.
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