Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9 Review

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9 sets the stage for the finale with a brilliant story that features incredible performances from Lauren Ambrose and Tawny Cypress.

When the credits roll, viewers will be left with so many things to ponder, tears in their eyes, and wondering how in the world these writers can top this. I have not been this gutted by an episode of television in years, so let us get into it (without major spoilers, of course). 

Things are obviously coming to a head in both timelines, with a deranged adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) having bitten off a piece of her ex-girlfriend Melissa’s (Hilary Swank) arm and forced her to eat it at the risk of exposing who Melissa really is to her wife (who is the daughter of Ashley Sutton’s frog scientist Hannah from the teen timeline) and daughter. Then you have Van (Lauren Ambrose) on the brink of death in a hospital and being visited by her teenage self (Liv Hewson), who offers a riddle in a way that only she can.

There is also Taissa (Tawny Cypress), whose darker half still holds control of her body, and an intuitive Misty (Christina Ricci), who is still trying to figure out who killed Lottie (Simone Kessell). Elsewhere, you have Jeff (Warren Kole) and Callie (Sarah Desjardins) still pretty much in the dark regarding all of this and pondering if their wife and mother Shauna is worth the trouble. 

The teen timeline sees tensions reach a fever pitch between members of the group who wish to stay in the wilderness, led by Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), and those who stand with Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), who wish to return home with the help of Joel McHale’s hiker guide Kodi. Finally, Van (Hewson) attempts to repair the scientist’s radio and Misty’s (Samantha Hanratty) assistance could prove to be exactly what she needs.

While the main plot of Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9 takes place in the adult timeline and there is a lot to cover there, we do get some interesting nuggets with the teens. Shauna has fully come unglued, with both Lottie (Courtney Eaton) and Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) backing her up. While Shauna and Lottie have embraced their true selves in the wilderness, resulting in no desire to return home, Tai (and her other half) are actually operating on logic. No matter what Kodi (McHale) and Hannah (Sutton) say, there is no guarantee that they will not tell the cops about what the teens did out there. With that in mind, Tai’s thought process in terms of staying ultimately revolves around tying up loose ends and making sure the survivors can live in peace (even if what they have done will never truly leave them). 

Elsewhere, you have Natalie hatching a plan to get everyone home with the assistance of Hannah and a surprising ally. You can feel things between both groups beginning to reach a breaking point. Will Natalie and company succumb to the darkness that has already taken hold of Shauna and Lottie? Or will she find a way to get them home before they fully embrace the side of themselves that they have been fighting since the first winter? 

What would help make Natalie’s decision easier is if Van can find a way to fix the radio used by the frog scientists, which as you can imagine is easier said than done. When all hope seems lost, here comes Misty once again with something up her sleeve. What that is left best revealed when you watch the episode, but rest assured, it is going to change everything in more ways than one.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9 also does a great job of reintroducing elements from past seasons and answering questions that fans have had for a minute. Writer Sarah L. Thompson weaves these elements in easily with what is currently occurring in a way that feels natural rather than jarring. The plot of the teen timeline for Season 3 is clearly about to reach its climax and said climax clearly ties into the bigger picture for the series. Though the adult plot delivers so much more, for those that have been here since the beginning, the teen plot will be satisfying. 

I have stalled long enough; time to dig into the adult timeline plot. We obviously left off with Shauna biting off a piece of Melissa’s arm and she has gone to a dark place, one that we have only seen her return to every once in a while. There seems to be a pattern of Shauna reverting to her primal wilderness instincts when she perceives herself or her family to be under threat. The truth of the matter is that Shauna’s unhinged self is in fact her true form, as the teen version of this character has proven in Season 3.

She refuses to admit that, even if her actions in the last three episodes reflect a broken woman who places the blame on everyone but herself. Shauna is convinced Melissa is the root of current problems when all of these issues can be traced back to her dark impulses and constant refusal to open up to anyone. Her decision making over the past few weeks has drastic consequences in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9. 

One of those consequences involves Callie and Jeff. These two have seemingly had it with Shauna’s secrecy, and find solace in each other. Callie has always wanted to be close to her mom, while Jeff has always felt like he had one foot in and one foot out as Shauna’s husband. These two have been so understanding and are now realizing that this person they love may actually be more trouble than she is worth. This is particularly heartbreaking in Callie’s case, as she faces the possibility of cutting off her mother for her own mental health and safety. 

Then there is Van, Tai, and Misty, who after discovering that Melissa is in fact alive, have to face their former teammate and ease the tension between her and Shauna. Actually, Misty does not stick around long for that. She gives Shauna and the group a piece of her mind before departing to try and solve Lottie’s murder. That turns out to be fruitful as Misty gets a stunning piece of info that we do not see. 

Van, still seeking the answer to her teen self’s riddle, is left with Tai to question both Shauna and Melissa. When she discovers what her teen self meant, this series will be altered forever. Lauren Ambrose gives such an incredibly moving performance and my favorite of the season so far. Her ability to make me feel for Van and make myself and others feel seen is unmatched. Watching her arc unfold has been a treat and Ambrose, Liv Hewson, and the writers deserve so much credit for turning a character who started out as comic relief and a romantic interest into something special. 

Tai, on the other hand, is grappling with her seemingly undying loyalty to Shauna and ongoing battle with her dark side. Tawny Cypress, like Ambrose, has been fantastic this season and in Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9, her work is devastating. The entire season has been building to this episode for Taissa and Van and my guess is that so many will be just as stunned by it as I am.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 9 is not only the best episode of the season, but a real heartbreaker in more ways than one. Certain character arcs are drawing to a close before next week’s finale and others appear headed in that direction. I cannot stress enough how much this season has developed into some of the year’s most compelling television and I am beyond ready to see how things end.

Season 3 Episode 9 of Yellowjackets is now available to stream with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan.