We’re back on our nonsense as Yellowjackets returns to our screens with season three. Last season, we had a blast tracking the cannibalism that occurred in season two. And now, we’re back to keep track of what devious acts of eating take place in Yellowjackets season three. After all, cannibalism is the great “Will they or won’t they?” in this surreal series. As with last time, we’ll be keeping track of all things people eating on Yellowjackets. That includes whether cannibalism has happened in Yellowjackets season three, how likely more cannibalism is to happen, and who might be on the menu.
So, has cannibalism happened yet in Yellowjackets season three? Let’s sit down to dinner together and find out.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2: No Cannibalism in Sight, Just Nibbles
After a very cannibalistic season two finale, Yellowjackets season three brought us a diet a little lighter on human flesh. Although Shauna did bite right into Mari, no actual consumption was involved. We’ll call that just a playful (or, in this case, scornful) nibble. However, we do feel that this could foreshadow future Yellowjackets season three cannibalism that could see Shauna biting into Mari for real.
At the moment, though, it’s largely a diet of bunny rabbits and deer for our favorite team lost in the wilderness. Mari even tells Coach Ben, “We don’t do that anymore.” on the subject of cannibalism. Will such a pronouncement stand? Doubtful. But it’s nice they believe it for now.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3: We Eat Bats But No Humans
So far, the team is sticking to their guns on the no-eating people thing. There’s not a whiff of cannibalism on Yellowjackets season three, episode three. Mari and Coach Ben do unadvisedly eat bats, but we guess you have to eat what you can eat when you can eat it on Yellowjackets… but for now, that’s not people.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 4: Cannibalism Is Still Off the Table
There’s certainly a lot of spiritual cannibalism happening on Yellowjackets season three, episode four, as the team turns on one another trying to decide whether Coach Ben is innocent of attempted murder or not in the past timeline. But, for now, there’s no actual eating of people happening. In the present day, murder is on the hearts and minds of all the women, especially Tai and Van, and that could have led to some good old-fashioned Yellowjackets cannibalism. But no killing actually comes to pass.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 5: No Body, No Crime, No Cannibalism
In the past timeline scenes on Yellowjackets season three, episode five, the team sentences Coach Ben to death by firing squad and almost goes through with killing him. In the end, Ben is saved by Lottie and Akilah’s visions and is proclaimed the Yellowjackets’ “bridge home,” so he gets to keep his life. We imagine had the team killed Ben for real; they might have consumed him ceremonially to please the wilderness. But no body means no consumption of body, which means there’s still no cannibalism on Yellowjackets season three.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 6: Meat Is Back on the Menu, Cannibalism Returns to the Wilderness
After holding out for half the season, Yellowjackets season three finally has our first instance of cannibalism. Although the team elected to spare Coach Ben, they did not treat him very well, cutting his ankle badly and tying him up in the animal pen. Coach Ben seemed to want to die, and Nat was unable to withstand his long-term suffering. In the end, she took her knife and killed him.
The team was furious with Nat and rallied behind Shauna, who became the new Queen of the wilderness. Shauna declares that in the Wilderness if someone dies, they are honored. Honored in this case meaning, eaten. Shauna calls this Yellowjackets cannibalism, “giving the wilderness what it wants.”
As punishment for betraying the trust of the team, Shauna orders Natalie to carve up Ben for dinner. And then the Yellowjackets gather for their cannibalistic feast. At first, it is a sedate affair. But Lottie urges everyone into a frenzy. It seems like part of Yellowjackets ritual of cannibalism calls for a real party.
Will this be the last taste of human flesh the Yellowjackets get this season? Somehow, we doubt it.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7: Head Bashing and Murderous Thoughts, But Mostly Cannibalism Interrupted
We enter into the thick of the cannibalistic feast on Yellowjackets season three, episode seven, “Croak.” Biologists Hannah and Edwin, and wilderness guide Kodi, are strangers who enter into the Yellowjackets’ wilderness in the past timeline and stop the party. It’s not nice to disrupt a cannibalism ritual, or we guess, it’s at least not smart, especially not on Yellowjackets. Lottie thinks these strangers sure don’t belong and bashes Edwin’s head in. We don’t yet know if the girls intend to eat him for lunch. So far, his body is just lying in the corner. It’s absolutely possible though.
Meanwhile, in the future timeline, Van is dying and Tai (who is really evil Tai) is having murderous thoughts. But if she does kill to please “It” and save Van, will she also honor the body by eating it? Or is cannibalism just a wilderness thing on Yellowjackets? Only time will tell.
More Cannibalism to Come on Yellowjackets Season 3
We bet there are many dubious dinners to come on Yellowjackets season three. It’s a crazy fairy tale, after all. And it turns out many fae fantasies involve some kind of consumption. It’s only a matter of time before (human) meat is back on the menu. And we are still waiting to see some cannibalism happen in Yellowjackets‘ present timeline. Well, will they? Or won’t they? We’ll keep you posted on how the cannibalism of Yellowjackets season three plays out.
Originally published on February 14, 2025.