The Yellowjackets realize their choices have snowballed into a catastrophe far beyond their worst-case scenario. Misty sets her sights on a fresh suspect, and even she's surprised by the plot twist. Meanwhile, Taissa's desperation is peeling back layers she didn't even know she had, and what's underneath isn't exactly reassuring.
So many storytelling possibilities emerged with the reveal of three adults stumbling upon the Yellowjackets in the wilderness. It directly ties into the mystery in the present as well. Shauna believes someone is trying to kill her. Someone actually did kill Lottie. It's easy to connect the stories. Of course, everything is much more complicated than that. Yet it still indicates how the Yellowjackets are capable of anything. Nothing is beyond the realm of comprehension. Callie searches for the truth. Shauna knows her daughter will find out eventually. She wants to keep it from her for as long as possible. That may be entirely futile given all Callie has already pieced together. The Yellowjackets were forever changed during their time in the wilderness. It was more than what they did to each other. They were bonded by this trauma. They survived. They aren't friends. They carry the same secrets. That keeps them involved in each others lives even though they don't like one another. Shauna and Misty didn't know Van was dying of cancer. They receive that news during a medical crisis. It's still not enough to distract from the task at hand. Shauna has her focus locked on the person she believes is endangering her loved ones. The sad truth is that she is the greatest threat to their safety. She can never get out of her own way. Callie and Jeff are starting to accept that.
The appearances of Edwin, Hannah and Kodi offer answers about the wilderness. The Yellowjackets have been plagued by noises that weren't present in this environment a year ago. It turns out a unique species of frog has awoken from its seven year hibernation for its extensive mating season. The audience sees that in its full glory right away. That's what brings these researchers and their guide to this place. They continue the work that was started by their peers during the last cycle. The supplies left behind in the wilderness were from that team. They planned for the future. It was all in the aim of understanding this frog. Its croaking is beautiful to those fascinated by this research. It's terrifying to everyone else. Hannah is amazed. She isn't paranoid about Kodi either. He refuses to share any personal details. She believes he's trustworthy. Edwin is more skeptical. He's relieved by the sounds of other humans. He wants to reach out. Kodi knows it's a bad idea given how far away they are from civilization. They are only inviting trouble. That's exactly what occurs. Van immediately thinks of home upon seeing these strangers. Meanwhile, Lottie attacks. She kills Edwin under the belief that this isn't what the wilderness wants. She claims to be the expert. Yet she just made everyone's lives worse.
Shauna, Taissa and Van immediately recognized the recording on the tape. It actually depicts a murder. Hannah fears for her life. She records a message to her daughter. She hopes it will make it to her one day somehow. Now, this invites even more questions into the proceedings. None of the adult Yellowjackets knew about this tape previously. They didn't know Hannah had a daughter. Gen and Melissa got close to Hannah. Yet they are both dead. Melissa is shot in the shoulder with an arrow by Kodi. Her prognosis wasn't looking good before the present-day road trip confirmed her fate. Her injuries haven't become fatal yet. The wilderness will claim many more lives. The season has set her up with a personality only to kill her off at some point. That's a familiar structure. One the show has to embrace in order to maintain narrative urgency. It will all be done to provoke a reaction from Shauna. That will be compelling. She's the leader now. Both Natalie and Lottie acted without considering the group. They aren't the only ones to do so. In quick succession though, they have eliminated new opportunities for hope. Natalie killed Coach Scott as an act of mercy. Lottie kills Edwin out of selfishness. She needs to be connected to the wilderness again. She wants this to be a worthy sacrifice. She's responsible. The Yellowjackets now have to cover up that crime in order to return home. They have witnesses to the brutality too. They must make the agonizing choices of what to do with Hannah and Kodi. Travis and Akilah save Kodi from the cliff while Hannah provides supplies to help treat Melissa.
Meanwhile, Shauna sits outside Alex's home in Richmond, Virginia ready to pounce. She wants to take action. She embarks on this trip. She wants to do so herself. No one can hold her accountable for what she does. She thrives in that. Walter calls Misty saying the DNA under Lottie's fingertips was a match for Shauna. That's incredibly damning. Misty was quick to accuse Taissa simply from her meeting with Lottie on the day of her death. Taissa didn't tell anyone. Now, it seems like the Other One has been in control and reached out for ways to save Van's life. That's her focus. Van receives clarity on her girlfriend being suppressed by her split personality. She doesn't know how long it has been either. She knows to be afraid. She worries whenever Taissa mentions killing someone. Van doesn't want that. She wants to enjoy the time she has left. She fears she was always living on borrowed time given everything she survived in the wilderness. Her internal fears are killing her now. They are amplified to the extreme. She's losing control. She has no agency over her disease. Taissa is the only one who cares as a friend. Misty is simply stranded with them. These characters are isolated. They are together physically but alone mentally. That's how they want to be. They push others away. No one can understand their lives. And so, they don't try to change. Everything they are was cemented in the wilderness. That includes murder in the aim of preserving these secrets. Everything was bound to come out. They must suffer together because they accepted this path of darkness. It fuels them and makes them skeptical of anything normal in this world. So, Shauna is right at home with her trusted blade ready to kill when the moment strikes.
