"Yellowjackets" Review: What Really Happened In Those Woods?

Season 1 of "Yellowjackets" is currently available on Showtime. It's the story of a championship high school soccer team (the Yellowjackets) who were on a plane that crashed in the Canadian wilderness. The survivors were finally rescued some 17 months later. The girls garnered a great deal of publicity but still have a number of secrets. The show takes place in two timelines-- one in 1996 with the teens trapped in the wilderness and the second in present day with the now adult survivors. We meet a large cast of characters but follow four people into adulthood. Shauna (played in adulthood by Melanie Lynskey) is living an ordinary life with her family in suburbia., Taissa (played in adulthood by Tawny Cypress) has gone into politics. Natalie (played in adulthood by Julliette Lewis) has had lots of problems with drugs and alcohol. Lastly, Misty (who may or may not be a psychopath) is played in adulthood by Christina Ricci. The women have not been in touch with each other for the last 25 years. That is until someone starts sending them post cards with a strange symbol and attempts to blackmail them.

I love all the characters but Misty is the standout for me. She (at least in season 1) has fared well in their new situation. She's gone from the team's equipment manager to the closest thing they have to a substitute doctor/nurse/whatever. She amputates a guy's left with a machete and then cauterizes it. Ouch! In president day, she actually becomes a nurse but is still as cray cray as back then. Maybe that's what such situations require-- someone crazy enough to take big risks and break all the rules.

I wont' give away all the details but the end of the season raises even more questions. What really happened in those woods? Did it descend into a "Lord Of The Flies" scenario? Luckily Showtime announced season 2 which will air in March 2023 (as well as a season 3). I hope next season they focus more on the supernatural nature of the show and who the girl was in the opening scene of the series. Someone died a horrible death at the hands of what appeared to be the other girls. We just dont know who or why.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). "Yellowjackets" shifts from tragedy, to dark comedy to drama to mystery and back again. The excellent adult and teen actors make the show addictive. It's the second most watched series EVER for Showtime (behind "Dexter: New Blood"). "Yellowjackets" was also nominated for a number of awards in 2022 including seven Emmy noms--. for outstanding drama series, best actress for Melanie Lynskey, best supporting actress for Christina Ricci, etc. I cant wait for season 2. You can bet these yellowjackets have some major stingers.