Warning! Spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7, “Croak”!
Yellowjacketsseason 3, episode 7,“Croak,” is the return to form I never thought we would get from this lackluster season.For the last six episodes, I’ve been twiddling my thumbs, hoping that these haphazard plot threads and disappointing action sequences would add up to something.Yellowjacketsseason 3, episode 6provided the biggest twist of the season, and I was worried the series would immediately squander this opportunity. However, “Croak” gives us everything we’ve been wanting throughout the season, even if I’m still wondering whatYellowjacketswas waiting for.
Our big question going into episode 7 is who these new people are and how on Earth they stumbled upon the Yellowjackets' camp. Another series might’ve spent more time getting to know the newcomers, who includeJoel McHale and Ashley Sutton, two extremely necessary additions to theYellowjacketswilderness cast.However,Yellowjacketswastes little time getting right to the meat of the episode at long last. Of course, I would’ve preferred thatYellowjacketshad forgone the drawn-out Coach Ben storyline and brought us here sooner, but we can’t go back in time.
The Team Gets A Much-Needed Shakeup In Yellowjackets Episode 7
Though The Wilderness Is Always Interesting, Yellowjackets Gives It A Fresh Coat Of Paint
My heart goes out to Nelson Franklin, who plays the first outsider the girls have seen in monthsand summarily gets axed in the back of the head by a deranged Lottie. However, Lottie’s actions are a strong suggestion of what’s to come, as one-half of the team might be thrilled at the potential of being rescued, but Lottie isn’t the only one who isn’t ready to leave the woods. McHale and Sutton will provide a new chorus of voices and additional plotlines, but they’ll also throw a wrench into the delicate balance the girls have found in the woods.
Based on the final days of Coach Ben’s tenure,it will be interesting to see how the Yellowjackets react to adult influence.They never listened to Ben, but these newcomers aren’t aware of their pasts. As a lifeline to their escape, with no expectations for the Yellowjackets to be anything less than wild, it’s possible they won’t be easily overpowered and that McHale and Sutton will be series regulars moving forward. The fact that they were introduced meansYellowjacketsknew the plot was getting stagnant, but all this is going to change.
While it’s a little too convenient that the tape somehow survived the wild, I’m hoping this will lead to adult Melissa being revealed in the next episode.
I’ve been happily surprised by Jennifer Morrison’s direction this season, as she returns for “Croak” after helming “12 Angry Girls and One Drunk Travis.” It seems that her experience acting in the action scenes inOnce Upon a Timehas paid off, as “Croak” outmatches the season’s other episodes in pace and intrigue. Every time we returned to the past storyline, I was thrilled to see how seamlessly the pieces of the season fit together and that it seemsYellowjacketswill be looking toward the future in the final episodes.
Meanwhile, in the much less interesting present, accusations are flowing like water when it comes to the identity of Lottie’s killer, and it could honestly be anybody. Shauna feels too obvious, and having her be a murderer for the second time would be boring. Taissa is a likely candidate, as Van’s hallucinations have confirmed that it’s the other Taissa who’s been calling the shots, likely for longer than we know. While it’s a little too convenient that the tape somehow survived the wild, I’m hoping this will lead to adult Melissa being revealed in the next episode.
“Croak” Both Confirms & Denies Our Suspicions About The Wild In Yellowjackets
It’s Uncertain How The Supernatural Elements Will Play A Role In The Coming Installments
“Croak” begins by telling us that the screaming in the woods has been nothing but the sounds of mating frogs. A funny idea, to be sure, but this also takes away a big plot element that pointed to the existence of the forces outside the girls' control. Many aspects ofYellowjacketsseason 3 have indicated thatit’s possible all supernatural moments have been nothing but tools the Yellowjackets use to deny culpabilityin their actions. Callie raises a good point in “Croak”: Is Shauna really a good person, or has she been telling everyone a story, including herself?
Then there are the hallucinations, the visions, and the fact that the girls in the woods are thwarted at every turn in their attempts to find a way out. There are plenty of explanations for all these, but the fact is thatYellowjacketswants to keep us in the dark. When it came to what the season was planning for the long-term arc, this was frustrating to me. However, this episode ofYellowjacketshas made me less afraid to place my faith in the series, even if they should’ve dropped this bombshell much sooner.
Yellowjacketsairs weekly each Friday at 3 AM EST/12 AM PST on Paramount+ and on Sundays at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST on Showtime.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is a television series exploring the survival ordeal of a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the remote wilderness after a plane crash. It interweaves psychological horror and coming-of-age themes, simultaneously depicting their harrowing transformation and its lasting impact on their lives 25 years later.
