The season two finale of Yellowjackets is here and boy is there a lot happening in both timelines. The past includes a predictable act of cannibalism as the crew consumes Javi. We also get an unexpected passing of the torch as Lottie declares Natalie the new leader of the group. We aren’t sure if Natalie will be the Antler Queen; however, we now know how her story comes to an end. Yellowjackets made the startling choice to kill Natalie off in the present-day timeline, and her death will certainly change the surviving crew forever.
Natalie, Van, Tai, Lottie, Misty, and Shauna decide to go back to their wilderness ways in the Yellowjackets season two finale, and unfortunately, as usual, it ends in death. Lottie is convinced that “It” brought them together once again because “It” needs more blood. They decide to draw lots and do another hunt. Shauna, Tai, and Misty are not cool with this and believe that Lottie’s mental health requires hospitalization. Van disagrees and blames them for Lottie’s state of mind. Natalie agrees that Lottie isn’t well but also doesn’t see hospitalization as the answer. Van convinces Tai not to bring in a psychiatric crisis team, and they end up in the woods drawing cards.
Shauna gets the unlucky Queen of Hearts, also known as the death card on Yellowjackets, and what barely passes muster as a chase begins. Callie quickly ends it by shooting Lottie in the arm. After some arguing, Lottie’s compound member Lisa comes onto the scene with a gun to protect her leader. She aims it at Natalie, who tries to calm her down. Misty decides to inject Lisa with a syringe of phenobarbital, but Natalie shoves Lisa out of the way. The needle goes into Natalie, effectively sentencing her to death, as Misty and the rest of the Yellowjackets group react in complete shock.
Natalie has a vision of herself on the plane alongside a young Lottie, Javi, and her younger self that strongly suggests that she believes she’s the sacrifice to the wilderness. It’s a sad and pivotal moment for the group that will change their already terse dynamic forever.
Van and Tai have to contend with their decision to not call the psychiatric team, which ends up coming for Lottie anyway. And Misty is heartbroken over accidentally causing Nat’s death, which surely reminds her of what happened with Crystal/Kristen. It seems the more she tries to help people and fix things, the more damage is done. Lottie believes that the wilderness is satisfied with them. But is it? What is the cost of continuing to “feed” this entity? Is it worth everyone dying over? There are so many questions following Natalie’s death on Yellowjackets that need answers.
It’s sad to see Natalie—a woman who went through trauma before and after the plane crash—die such a preventable death on Yellowjackets. She finally found some peace and healing at Lottie’s compound, but it also became the place where she’d lose her life. However, her decision to push Lisa out of the way makes sense. Natalie’s guilt over Javi’s death (and Travis’, to an extent), among other choices, drove her not to allow someone else to die. Still, we will miss her and can’t wait to see how her time as the wilderness group leader goes in season three.
Featured Image: Showtime