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Yellowjackets Season 3 Finale Ruined by Controversial Death

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In Season 3, Natalie Scatorccio emerged as the clear protagonist of the series, a role she had previously been known for being compassionate in. However, this choice to center her character is somewhat perplexing given the creative decisions made by the writers. The departure of Juliette Lewis’ character from Yellowjackets might not have been intentional, but it’s important to note that Present-Day Natalie has been deceased for an entire season.

The unexpected ending of Yellowjackets Season 2 wasn’t initially intended, and the finale of Season 3 reveals how devastating that twist was for the series as a whole. Given what we now know about Nat’s ultimate fate, her teenage struggles in the past seem insignificant. Moreover, the lackluster present-day narrative has suffered greatly due to Natalie’s absence, making the recent deaths of Van Palmer and Lottie Matthews even more impactful than they might have been otherwise. This vacuum left by Nat has also forced characters like Taissa Turner and Misty Quigley into roles that seem contrived as they become increasingly at odds with Shauna Shipman moving forward.

Teen Natalie’s Role as the Hero of Yellowjackets is Rendered Meaningless

In the third season of “Yellowjackets,” the once-struggling survivors plunge deep into darkness, with Coach Ben’s danger and the introductions of Edwin, Kodiak, and Hanna Finch serving as triggers for their descent into evil. The girls, now hardened by survival and pushed to the brink by cannibalism, become ruthless killers instead of mere survivors. This moral decline results in Natalie being dethroned as leader, with another individual taking her place. By the season’s end, Shauna, Taissa, and Lottie conspire to keep their group from returning home, going so far as for Shauna to threaten death to anyone attempting to leave. Despite her moral compass, Natalie’s determination to resist this descent into darkness makes her a true hero, ultimately devising a scheme to escape with the transponder and contact civilization without Shauna’s knowledge.

Despite the intense emotion in Teen Natalie’s final scene in Season 3, it’s challenging to fully immerse ourselves in her struggles. Standalone, her story is deeply moving, powerful, and heart-wrenching. The image of the lone uncorrupted character amidst the Yellowjackets, stranded in the snowy mountains, broken yet holding onto a sliver of hope as she uses the transponder, was a powerful conclusion to the Past timeline this season. However, the impact could have been stronger if Adult Natalie hadn’t perished at the end of Season 2. Since we know that Teen Nat, the determined hero, achieves the least among the survivors and spends decades suffering before passing away unceremoniously, it becomes difficult to feel any real investment.

There’s a discrepancy between the two portrayals of Natalie and the contradictions resulting from the character development of Young Natalie. As we see with Young Nat, who is more than just a troubled girl with a difficult background, it’s challenging to imagine her evolving into Adult Natalie. The actress playing Adult Natalie, Juliette Lewis, departed Yellowjackets due to dissatisfaction with the script for her character. If Adult Natalie had been written in line with how Young Nat has developed, this issue could have been prevented.

The current inconsistencies might not be as significant, but they do leave a mark on the show. Despite the Past Yellowjackets planning to stay in the wilderness for an extended period, there’s no possibility of Natalie rejoining her former companions’ camp. This raises doubts about Adult Natalie’s actions in the first two seasons, as it implies she wasn’t involved in any of the other heinous acts committed by the Yellowjackets, and instead was trying to be a rational influence. It’s puzzling why she felt such intense guilt, considering her supposed participation in the hunt before the Season 2 finale. What’s most troubling is that Adult Nat maintains a cordial relationship with Adult Shauna throughout the series, despite everything Shauna has been through.

Lottie and Van’s Deaths Hurt Yellowjackets More Because of Natalie’s Absence

After the demise of Natalie, Season 3 of “Yellowjackets” continued to make questionable choices, leading to the deaths of Present-Day Lottie and Present-Day Van. Although these deaths were skillfully executed individually, and Van’s was particularly fitting for her narrative, they ultimately proved to be mistakes. Lottie, as an adult, was one of the series’ most intricate and enthralling characters, and the season-long quest to discover her murderer lacks the allure of the character herself. Similarly, in terms of Adult Van, she was one of the few remaining likable, empathetic, and relatable characters in “Yellowjackets”; with her gone, the Present timeline, in particular, is lacking characters fans can support. Additionally, there’s a concern that the stories of their Past selves have lost their depth, much like Natalie did.

In a parallel scenario, having Natalie persist in the current timeline might have made Lottie and Van’s departures feel less harsh for me. Given that I found Adult Natalie as compassionate, if not more so, than Adult Van, her presence could have added even more depth to the narrative. Moreover, it would have been captivating to observe Past Natalie’s story unfold, especially if she was given the writing she truly deserved. This way, I wouldn’t have found it quite so conspicuous that scenes set in the past now only feature characters destined to meet their end. Furthermore, a single character from the Past timeline would remain alive and sympathetic – a character who could potentially balance out the quartet of questionable characters in the present.

Tai and Misty Don’t Work as Rivals For Shauna

The horrific incidents in Yellowjackets Season 3 have led to a significant shift, with Misty joining forces against Shauna. This development, coupled with the show’s effective portrayal of Shauna’s unpopularity, makes it more appealing for viewers to support the other characters, despite their own internal struggles. However, as the series approaches its climax, the fact that Tai and Misty are now Shauna’s adversaries seems illogical.

During Season 3, the backstory develops a deep-seated animosity and intense dislike between Nat and Shauna. They are portrayed as the Yellowjackets’ polar opposite leaders, with Nat representing morality and Shauna embodying immorality. Throughout the season, we witness Shauna brutally mistreating Natalie and others who cross her path. The climax of this tension would be particularly satisfying if it were Nat who prevented Shauna from slipping back into darkness in the present day. In contrast, the teen versions of Tai and Misty have not been set up as the ones to bring about this resolution.

Previously, Misty has been working under Nat and interacts less frequently with Shauna, while Tai is closely associated with Shauna. In Season 3, the plot seeks to explain why Tai and Misty harbor hatred towards Shauna by suggesting she played an indirect role in the deaths of Lottie and Van. However, this explanation falls short for two reasons: firstly, neither Tai nor Misty have a significant history with Shauna like Natalie does; secondly, it’s not narratively convincing that they would simply forget about Shauna’s monstrous behavior.

From a rational perspective, their behavior might be somewhat understandable due to the trauma they experienced in the wilderness, and it’s been pointed out that they don’t recall everything from that time. However, this doesn’t make it any less frustrating that their actions seem like an easy way out. Additionally, it’s disappointing that Shauna and Tai’s close friendship, a key aspect of the series during the first two seasons, appears to have been overlooked in more recent storylines.

In simpler terms, Yellowjackets Season 3 seems to be the weakest part of the show so far, and it’s hard to ignore that many of its problems could have been avoided with Adult Natalie present. If the series continues for a fourth season, it faces challenging tasks such as making the forced Shauna vs Tai and Misty plotline convincing, and keeping viewers engaged despite the decreasing levels of suspense and relatable characters. While there are still many positive aspects to Yellowjackets Season 2, its ending has certainly set high expectations that may be difficult for the rest of the series to meet.

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2025-04-19 17:21

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