There’s a lot more to this show than just the cannibalism.
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What happens when a high school girls’ soccer team crash-lands in the middle of the Canadian wilderness? If you guessed survival drama, you’re only halfway there. When it comes to modern series, Yellowjackets is in a league of its own. The show is like Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls—except with cannibalism, cult vibes, and unhinged female rage.
For the unfamiliar, Yellowjackets tells the tale of a high school soccer team called the Yellowjackets whose plane crashes in the middle of the forest on their way to a match. The show jumps between two timelines: the ‘90s, where the girls are stranded and forced to do whatever it takes to survive, and the present day, where the now-adult survivors are still haunted by what went down in the woods.
And let’s be clear: This show doesn’t view teenage years through rose-colored glasses. If you’re looking for that next binge watch that delivers on the drama, tension, and enthralling take on young adulthood and trauma, this show is calling your name. Scroll down for a crash course on why Yellowjackets should be on your watchlist.
Survival? More Like Savage Mode
Stranded in the mysterious wilderness, the Yellowjackets have to unlearn every “good girl” lesson society drilled into them. Politeness won’t keep you alive—ruthlessness will. A group of mostly young women are left to deal with some of the most traumatic experiences imaginable.
Even though the surviving Yellowjackets try to live quietly and pretend nothing happened, any attempt at a normal life falls apart the moment someone starts asking questions. What makes the show special is that it doesn’t just delve into what happened in the wilderness, but it shows the survivors as adults, and clearly, they are still not okay. The series (which is currently airing its 3rd season) moves between the past and present, showcasing how the consequences of their actions done during their teenage years have not left, making for compelling plotlines that explore the effects of unhealed trauma.
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Whether it’s Shauna, who starts as a quiet, popular girl and ends up taking on a ruthless, leadership role after the crash, Lottie, who spirals into a controlling cult-like figure, or Misty, the creepy, socially awkward girl who becomes disturbingly useful and manipulative, each woman’s survival is driven by rage and trauma.
It’s not just about surviving the wilderness—it’s about how they handle the emotional wreckage that comes with it.
ATE, and left no crumbs
@epicscreenshots The Yellowjackets casting process was like solving a giant puzzle! Melanie Lynskey and Sophie Nélisse, playing the older and younger versions of Shauna, shared secrets and built a history together. Sophie Thatcher and Juliette Lewis? They have the same mannerisms! Samantha Hanratty and Christina Ricci as Misty? They absolutely nailed it! With Tawny Cypress and Jasmine Savoy Brown as Thaisa, everything clicked, especially with their coordinated gestures. This casting was about more than just a physical match—it was about capturing the spirit of each character. 🎥💛🖤 #Yellowjackets #YellowjacketsCasting #MelanieLynskey #SophieNélisse #SophieThatcher #JulietteLewis #MelanieLynskey #SophieNélisse #SophieThatcher #JulietteLewis #SamanthaHanratty #ChristinaRicci #TawnyCypress #JasmineSavoyBrown #EllaPurnell #LivHewson #KevinAlves #StevenKrueger #CourtneyEaton #WarrenKole #SimoneKessell #LaurenAmbrose #ShaunaShipman #YoungShauna #MistyQuigley #YoungMisty #ThaisaTurner #YoungThaisa #NatalieScatorccio #YoungNatalie #VanPalmer #YoungVan #LottieMatthews #YoungLottie #JackieTaylor #BenScott #AdamMartin #LauraLee #CallieSadecki #CoachBen #SamanthaHanratty #ChristinaRicci #TawnyCypress #JasmineSavoyBrown #MistyQuigley #ShaunaShipman #ThaisaTurner #BehindTheScenes #CastingProcess #TVDrama #EnsembleCast #TVShows #ShowtimeSeries #CastingPuzzle #Acting #CharacterDevelopment #MysterySeries #PsychologicalThriller #TVActors #ActressLife #TVEnsemble #YoungAndOld #MatchingMannerisms #SpiritOfTheCharacter #TVProduction #EnsembleActing #YellowjacketsFans #BehindTheScenesLook #CharacterCasting #YellowjacketsSeason #CastingDirectors #OnSetVibes #ShowtimeOriginal #YellowjacketsLove #TVShowCast #YellowjacketsBTS #MistyMisty #YellowjacketsFandom #ShaunaAndMisty #ShaunaAndThaisa #ChristinaRicciFans #JulietteLewisFans #SamanthaHanrattyFans #SophieThatcherFans #TVShowLove #YellowjacketsObsessed #YellowjacketsHype #CastingGenius #OnScreenMagic #BehindTheScenesTV #YellowjacketsSeries #ThrillerSeries #TVDramaFans #ShowtimeHit #TVCastPerfection #YellowjacketsFamily #TVShowOfTheYear #MustWatchTV #CastingMagic #IconicCast #MistyAndShauna #YellowjacketsJourney #ThaisaTurnerFans #ShaunaShipmanFans #MistyQuigleyFans #TawnyCypressFans #JasmineSavoyBrownFans #YellowjacketsTV ♬ original sound – EpicScreenShots
Yellowjackets has a killer cast, mixing familiar faces with up-and-coming stars. Christina Ricci, the original Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family and Sleepy Hollow, brings her signature eerie energy as adult Misty. Sophie Thatcher, one of horror’s newest it-girls and fresh off Heretic and Companion, totally owns the role of Natalie.
Ella Purnell, who voiced Jinx in Arcane and starred in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, plays Jackie, while Sarah Desjardins, known from Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, absolutely nails it as Callie. Seriously, this cast is everything and they deliver both as individuals and as an ensemble.
Violence? Unapologetic AF
In most media, female anger is something that needs to be “fixed”—but not in Yellowjackets. Here, the women are allowed to be angry, messy, and downright violent without any attempt to sugarcoat it.
The hype around Yellowjackets usually revolves around trying to figure out who’s going to be the next Antler Queen or Pit Girl—two mysterious figures linked to some seriously messed-up rituals and power struggles in the wild. In Season 2, we saw Lottie (played by Simone Kessell) who steps into the new Antler Queen position and takes control. Meanwhile, the identity of the Pit Girl, a tragic and brutal victim, leaves us questioning who will step into the deadly role next.
But honestly, the show’s twists and turns make it clear that these answers are never that straightforward. As the layers peel back, the real drama isn’t who’s next—it’s how far they’re willing to go.
Why We Eat This Up (Pun Intended)
Watching women let loose and go full chaos mode? It’s cathartic. There’s just something about watching women’s rage on screen, especially one that’s not rooted in or driven by men. In a world that constantly tells women to “calm down,” Yellowjackets flips the script and says, “nah, let’s burn it all down instead.”
Just like Shauna’s twisted mind games, Misty’s chillingly effective ways, and Natalie’s self-destructive path—they all seem chaotic, but when you dig deeper, it’s clear why they act the way they do.
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The show keeps circling around this heavy question: “Once you’ve eaten your friend, how do you go back to normal life?” Spoiler: you really can’t. It’s kind of like Plato’s cave allegory, but in real life—they can’t go back to their old lives. Crazy, right? The whole thing is about the transformation from innocence to something much darker, which makes for a transfixing binge.
With Season 3 already here, the rage levels are only going up. Will the survivors embrace the darkness they left in the woods, or will it consume them? Either way, Yellowjackets isn’t just about survival—it’s about what happens when women stop holding back. And if the past seasons are any clue, things are only going to get messier.
You can stream Yellowjackets seasons 1 and 2 on Prime Video with season 3 currently airing on Paramount+.
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