Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 Review

Seeds are clearly being planted throughout Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3, which is a fantastic and trippy experience.

When “Them’s the Brakes” opens with one of the most parodied songs of all time and leads into a darkly hilarious joke, you should know that you are in for a ride. There are multiple plot lines addressed here and that begins with Mari (Alexa Barajas), still being held captive by Coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger), who appears to have drifted into his own state of madness. These two are an early highlight, as Barajas and Krueger play off each other well offering viewers some comedy followed by an absolutely heart wrenching moment. Once again, the writers are building up a particular character in Mari whose only purpose, at least it seemed, was to be cannibalized by the group. At this point, it would be so sad if that were to happen because we have gotten to connect with Mari over the course of these past few episodes. Her encounter and kidnapping by Ben has done wonders for both characters while also providing the teen timeline with an early focal point. 

As far as the other teens are concerned, we get another Shauna (portrayed by Sophie Nélisse in the teen timeline) and Melissa (Jenna Burgess) interaction. This pairing has been one of Season 3’s biggest surprises and they continue to work better together than I think anyone anticipated. Then you have Akilah (Nia Sondaya), a member of the group who has also been given a lot more to do this season as it seems that the local wildlife has gravitated towards her. She is being pursued for plant experiments by Lottie (portrayed by Courtney Eaton in the teen timeline) after Travis (Kevin Alves) told the former Antler Queen that the wilderness currently has a stronger connection with Akilah than him. Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 reveals that he might not have been entirely wrong about that, even if he seemingly only told Lottie about the wilderness calling to Akilah in order to get her off his back. 

As mentioned last week, one of the biggest positives of the season so far is that you have characters such as Mari, Melissa, and Akilah who are beginning to feel like actual human beings rather than cannon fodder. These three continue to actively contribute to the teen timeline’s arc, making it even more difficult for audiences to determine which, if any of them, made it out of the wilderness and thus adding to the overall tension.

This week’s teen timeline plot is all over the place in the best ways and features some things that really made me giddy. It uses Mari and Ben as a jumping off point and furthers the arcs of several characters by the time Episode 3 concludes. Additionally, we still do not have a clear picture as to what is happening in the wilderness, You still have the prevalent screeching going on, but we also get a few more pieces of evidence that hint that whatever this is might be supernatural and possibly even the group crafting an alternate reality to cope with their situation. Either would be satisfying and right now, there is no way to know other than to keep watching. 

The adult timeline plot only adds to that confusion, as Van (Lauren Ambrose) gets some unexpected news and Taissa (Tawny Cypress) has a revelation of her own. Then there is Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), Lottie (Simone Kessell), and Misty (Christina Ricci) handling the fallout of Shauna’s daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins) attempting to press Lottie for information about what happened out in the wilderness. Each of our main survivors has something to do in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3, which is a huge plus. 

Callie continues to grow closer to Lottie, but only time will tell if the teenager gets the answers she seeks. How Shauna handles their connection is a big focus of her arc this episode and she ultimately makes an impact on Misty, who if you recall was told by her maybe boyfriend Walter Tattersall (Elijah Wood) that her “friends” do not really care about her. Where things really get interesting in the adult timeline is with Van and Taissa, who each have revelations that will no doubt impact both timelines moving forward. Tai’s discovery in particular further blurs the line of if what happened in the wilderness was supernatural or something else. That is the only bit of information you are getting out of me about “TaiVan” in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3. Well, that and the fact that their relationship is really starting to grow on me thanks to the chemistry of Ambrose and Cypress.

What fascinates me the most when it comes to this week’s episode is the fact that showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson are clearly following their plan, but said plan is littered with misdirections and seeds that may or may not come to fruition. Audiences are left wondering what the truth is each and every week and unlike with something like ABC’s Lost, it seems as if Lyle and Nickerson will be able to stick the landing without getting too ridiculous. In my mind, this is because Yellowjackets has always sprinkled in humor in an effort to keep things from getting too serious, no matter how dark the series gets. Lost, on the other hand, took itself so seriously that it became too convoluted for its own good. 

This writers’ room also knows how to create a great cliffhanger, they are three for three this season. It is not an easy art, knowing exactly when to end an episode to get people talking, ensure they come back for next week, and have that conclusion feel natural. Based on how things started and everything presented during Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3, where things end makes perfect sense.

My other kudos for Episode 3 has to go to the entire Yellowjackets cast. This is one of television’s best ensembles. Everyone, whether their parts are big or small, is on their A game week in and week out. Lauren Ambrose is incredible, making you feel the emotional weight of adult Van’s discovery. Then in the teen timeline, you have Steven Krueger as Coach Ben Scott, who delivers his most emotional monologue of the series in “Them’s the Brakes”. I never thought that Ben of all people could bring me to tears, but Krueger brought forth raw emotion and it was impossible for that not to leave an impact. Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 represents another episode of this series that gives viewers just enough answers while building on existing plot lines and creating more questions to keep them coming back. On the heels of several reveals and a superb ending, next week should be very interesting.

Season 3 Episode 3 of Yellowjackets is now available to stream with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan.