The second season of Yellowjackets ended with the release of its final episode 9. While the first season was thrilling, experimental, and addictive, the second was quite a disappointment. The wilderness continues to be haunting and manages to keep us hooked, but the same cannot be said about the twenty-five-year-later storyline. The characters lacked purpose, especially after the murder of Adam Martin. There is an overall lack of logic, and by episode 9, the present timeline almost becomes a joke. The first season came to an end with the kidnapping of Natalie, and we got to know she was abducted by members of a cult. Lottie was the leader of the all-purple-wearing experimental community, and she had instructed her followers to kidnap Natalie. Lottie was aware of Travis’s death, and when Natalie attempted to take her life, she decided it was time for an intervention. The sudden disappearance of Natalie left Misty confused and invested. While finding Natalie became Misty’s purpose, in the meantime, she met Walter Tattersall, a like-minded citizen detective. In season one, we also came across Taissa’s sacrificial altar, indicating that she was the haunting figure her son would often see at night and that she was responsible for the death of their pet dog. Taissa’s bad side often takes over, but where does it ultimately lead?
Spoilers Alert
‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 Plot Summary
Shauna struggled to let go of Jackie’s body after she froze to death. She had long conversations with the body and convinced herself that Jackie was still alive. When Taissa noticed that Shauna had done makeup on the corpse, she realized it was time to let go of the body. They decided to cremate Jackie’s body against Shauna’s will. In the middle of the night, the fire burned out, and the smell of the roasted corpse woke everyone from their sleep. The girls decided that the wilderness wanted them to consume the body, and Shauna confirmed that even Jackie would have wanted it. They unleashed their savage selves and relished the flesh without an ounce of guilt. The next morning, with the remains of Jackie lying out in the open, there was a sense of awkwardness, but gradually the girls realized that it was all about survival, and they could only survive by keeping the wilderness happy.
Javi went missing in the first season, and most assumed that he had died. Lottie was the only one who believed Javi was alive, and eventually, Taissa’s alter ego guided her to the spot where they found Javi. After returning to the cabin, Javi never spoke. He had sketches of the wilderness that he made when he was alone, but he never shared with anyone the truth behind his survival. It was assumed that the wilderness had protected Javi. In Yellowjackets season 2, Ben suffers from hallucinations. All Ben wanted to do was be with his boyfriend. He regrets hiding his sexuality and offending his partner; if only he had dared to be honest, he might not have been in the wilderness altogether. Ben was the only adult living in the wilderness, and unlike the teenagers, he could not brush aside his conscience and turn cannibalistic. Ben tried to commit suicide, but he was stopped by Misty. Later, when he learned about the symbol and the tree Javi had sketched, he decided to find out the secret behind Javi’s survival.
Ben discovered that underneath the foliage was the entrance to a cave. Inside the cave, he found tiny bones and a fireplace, which suggested that Javi had spent the entire time in the cave. Ben decided he would spend his remaining days in the cave, away from the bloodthirsty teenagers. He only considered Natalie to be sane, and he offered her to share the cave with him. Natalie confessed that she was equally flawed and was responsible for Javi’s death. After spending days without food, the Yellowjackets decided it was time to draw cards and offer someone to the wilderness. According to the rule of the hunt, the one who drew the Queen of Hearts card would be killed by the rest of her teammates. Natalie was chosen by the wilderness, but she was not ready to give up on her life. She ran to survive, and Javi tried to help her by guiding her to his safe place. While crossing the frozen lake, he fell into it, and Natalie chose not to rescue him. The group concluded that the wilderness had chosen Javi for consumption. After learning about Javi’s death, Ben decided to start living in the cave alone.
What Happened To The Adam Martin Case?
Shauna and Jeff burned down all the evidence they had that could connect Shauna to Adam Martin. Callie had been suspicious of her mother, and after noticing the charred remains of Martin’s ID proof that showed his face, she was convinced that Shauna had a role to play in Adam’s disappearance. Callie met Jay at a bar, and they bonded over their parents’ messed-up marriages. She found comfort in Jay, and they started to hang out quite often. Shauna started to doubt her daughter once she figured out that she had been lying about her whereabouts. She checked her room and came across the charred remains of Martin’s ID. Shauna tried to force the truth out of Callie, but instead, her daughter tricked her into confessing the truth. Shauna admitted that she had murdered Adam as a result of a misunderstanding and that Jeff was involved in the blackmail. Shauna warned Callie to keep it a secret, but unfortunately, Callie had already discussed her mother’s affair with the stranger she met at a bar. Callie trusted Jay, and she wanted him to take their relationship forward. Jay’s hesitance made her a little doubtful of him, and when she noticed the name on the bill at the bowling alley, she realized that the man she was with was not Jay. She searched “M. Saracusa” on the internet and found out that he was a detective at the Wiskayok Police Department. She informed her mother about it, and they decided to trick the police by making them believe that Shauna was having an affair with Randy Walsh. But it was not easy to fool Matt. After bringing Shauna and Callie in for interrogation, Shauna admitted that she had an affair with Adam Martin; meanwhile, Callie threatened to sue the cops for trying to make sexual advances toward a teenager.
On the other hand, Misty confessed to Walter Tattersall about murdering and hiding the body of Adam Martin once she realized that she was in love with him. Even though he seemed to be interested in helping the police, as it turns out, he was as problematic as Misty. Donning purple attire, Tattersall blended in with the cult crowd and handed a drugged drink to Kevyn. He knew that Kevyn was working on the case, and he acted as if he were interested in helping him solve the mystery. In episode 9, Jeff entered the community as well, and when he noticed Kevyn there, he decided to take the blame for the murder. He admitted that he killed Adam out of jealousy, but unexpectedly, Kevyn collapsed on the floor. The drug that Tattersall used knocked Kevyn out. Jeff was confused about the entire situation, but he realized that Walter was on his team. He helped Walter stuff Kevyn’s body in the car trunk.
Meanwhile, Matt continued investigating, and Walter distracted him by calling him from Kevyn’s phone. Matt came running to Kevyn’s car and realized that his phone was kept in the trunk. When he tried to open it, Walter came running in and shot Kevyn three times. He offered Matt the chance to shine as the new police recruit. According to Walter’s plan, he would tamper with evidence and prove that Kevyn was involved in the murder of Adam Martin. According to his story, Kevyn was involved in a police scandal, and he was also responsible for the death of political operative Jessica Roberts. When Matt found out the truth, Kevyn tried to resist, and he was forced to shoot him. Matt was at a loss for words, and he ultimately played along with Walter’s plan.
Why Was Natalie Murdered?
After the remaining members of the Yellowjackets gathered at the community, Lottie stated that they needed to conduct another sacrifice to the wilderness, just like they used to in the past. Initially, they were hesitant about it, but Shauna encouraged Lottie’s madness and asked her to prepare for the hunting ritual. Shauna was not on board with Lottie’s plan, but she wanted to keep her engaged with something else while they focused on a way to get away from her crazy plan. Misty and Taissa decided to call for help and get Lottie admitted to a facility, but Natalie and Van did not feel the same way. Natalie was not sure if they would be safe even after she was admitted to an institute, and Van believed that they owed her more than just the basic help that they intended to provide. All of them knew what it was like to live with a voice in their heads controlling them, and they sympathized with Lottie’s condition. Van was convinced that it was their duty to deal with Lottie’s problem by themselves and not involve any outside opinion. Even though they believed it was a crazy idea, they all prepared for the hunting ritual. Cards were drawn around the bonfire, and this time Shauna drew the Queen of Hearts card. She could either accept her fate or run for her life. Shauna had given up hope on Lottie, but she did not expect the rest of the group to wear the hunting masks and be prepared to murder her. Shauna reminded them that there was no “it,” referring to the wilderness and the antler queen. It was their minds that tricked them into believing that there was an outer force asking them to commit the crimes that they did in the wilderness, but in reality, it was always only them all along. But none of them were ready to listen to Shauna. Their lives have been pathetic; they were desperate to get better, and they hoped to heal after offering a sacrifice to the wilderness just like they did in the past.
Shauna ran for her life, and Callie came to her rescue. Callie entered the gated community with Jeff, and she had a gun with her that she stole from her father. She shot Lottie in the arms and asked them to stop attacking her mother. Lottie was impressed by the strength and courage that Callie demonstrated, but she refused to believe that the wilderness was just something that they made up. She could still listen to it, and she continued to feel its presence. The sudden gunshot helped calm down the situation. When Lottie reminded everyone of their wild decisions, Natalie was about to attack her with a knife, but Lisa stopped her. Before the hunting ritual, Natalie had warned Lisa to run away, and she instead chose to find out what they were up to. Lisa had overheard their entire conversation, and she could not believe that they were all wanted for murder. Natalie dropped her knife at Lisa’s command, and she noticed Misty run towards Lisa with an injection in her hand. She knew that Misty intended to kill Lisa, but Natalie was not ready to spend the rest of her life regretting not helping Lisa, like she did for not protecting Javi. She shielded Lisa, and as a result, she was injected with a poisonous liquid by Misty. On her deathbed, Natalie imagined that she was joined by Javi and her teenage self. Teenage Natalie has been on the death ride for years, and it was time for Natalie to accept her death instead of trying to fight it. Natalie ultimately succumbed to the poison and died with her friends around her. Natalie’s death can be interpreted as a choice that the wilderness made for the girls. They wanted to make an offering, and even though they deviated from their original plan, they ultimately ended up making a sacrifice. Will the team reassess their mental condition, or will the death of Natalie bring forth more evil?
Ending Explained: Who Burned The Cabin?
Travis was offered Javi’s heart after the hunt. He was devastated, and it took him some time to accept that his brother was gone. Lottie was a little disappointed when she learned that the girls had conducted a hunt. She was ready to offer her body, but she did not wish for someone else to do it. She started to question the ways of the wilderness and wondered if she truly had a special connection with it. The wilderness spoke to her because she was the only one listening to it initially, but now she believed everyone had the power to communicate with the special force. Lottie declared that she no longer deserved to be their leader because the wilderness had chosen someone else to guide them. She announced that Natalie would be the new leader. By sparing her life, the wilderness indicated that she was a valuable member whose presence mattered. Even though Natalie initially did not believe in Lottie and her supernatural beliefs, she was proud when she was declared the leader of the group. She enjoyed her newfound respect and position in the group, though Shauna felt a little neglected after it.
After trying to light a fire with stones for hours, Ben decided to steal the matches from the cabin. He stood there by the window and watched Natalie happily become the leader. Natalie was the only sensible person in the group, and after watching her become a part of the madness, he lost all hope. At night, when they were all fast asleep, a fire broke out. The group carried only their necessary belongings and ran out of the cabin. Tears rolled down their faces as they watched their home burn to ashes. It was still winter, and they lost the only shelter they had. We can anticipate that the situation will only escalate for the worse, but most importantly, the team will try to figure out what led to the fire. Natalie knows that Ben is hiding away, and the only person who could have started the fire was Ben. If the group finds out the truth behind the sudden fire, Yellowjackets season 3 might be the end of Ben. Meanwhile, before leaving for the mental institute, Lottie announced that the wilderness was pleased by the sacrifice. If the lives of the remaining Yellowjackets go back to normal, the belief in the wilderness will only grow stronger. Are we looking at annual sacrifices, and will they form a cannibalistic sacrificial cult out of their belief? Well, the possibilities are endless with Yellowjackets.
