The wilderness is calling and we are happy to answer. Yellowjackets is back for season two and things are already off to a chaotic start. While we’ve had to wait many months for its return, only two months have passed for our soccer crew in the woods. Everyone on Yellowjackets is going through their fair share of difficulty, but Shauna is having a particularly hard time dealing with the aftermath of losing Jackie. And what we see is both heartbreaking and disturbing. Let’s get into the Shauna and (ghost) Jackie happenings in the first two episodes of Yellowjackets’ season two.
We discover that Shauna is spending a lot of time in the group’s meat shed. At first, this seems normal considering she’s known for her ability to skin and break down animal flesh. But, that is not what’s happening here. Shauna is talking to a ghost version of Jackie, with whom she’s playing a version of MASH. Interestingly, Jackie points out that future Shauna will be a housewife who marries Jeff and lives in New Jersey. Shauna rejects this and we quickly discover that she is not just talking to a ghost, but actually interacting with Jackie’s corpse. In the cabin, Mari points out that it is odd for Shauna to be outside talking to a two-month-old corpse. Lottie and the coach, among others, say it is okay for Shauna to process things how she needs to.
Meanwhile, Ghost Jackie insists on grilling her about the past, particularly the details about Shauna hooking up with Jeff. After Jackie presses Shauna about why she made the first move on Jeff, Shauna pushes her. She panics after realizing that Jackie’s ear fell off. Shauna puts the appendage in her pocket before going back inside the cabin. Later on, Shauna paces in the cabin while holding Jackie’s ear before she suddenly eats the whole thing like a potato chip, thereby becoming the first Yellowjackets member to participate in cannibalism. To be fair, she is pregnant and very, very hungry with little to no food options available.
At this point, it was not clear what would happen between Shauna and the Ghost of Jackie in the future. Shauna eating that ear would go in either two directions: a growing taste of human flesh or profound regret over snacking on her former BFF. In episode two, we discover that it goes towards the latter realm as the wilderness crew dines on Jackie’s roasted corpse in its first full yet poignant act of cannibalism.
The Ghost of Jackie returns to taunt Shauna some more. Honestly, I would too if someone ate my freaking ear. Jackie asks Shauna to braid her hair and put makeup on her, which she does. Jackie tells Shauna that she’s hungry… like hungry for dead bestie flesh. It seems that Jackie is cutting herself for Shauna to eat, but Shauna is the one holding the knife. Yikes.
Tai finds out and informs the group that Shauna’s “Jackie time” is going way too far. She tells them that they must cremate the body (because it’s too cold to bury) so that Shauna can move on. Lottie is opposed to this but the majority eventually agrees that it is the best option. Shauna is devastated but they do it anyway, with her saying a very tearful goodbye to her friend. However, the woods have other plans, as a strong wind blows through and puts out the fire, leaving a perfectly roasted Jackie corpse. Shauna tells them that Jackie wants them to not go hungry, her spirit suggesting that they use her body to survive. And that’s what they do, consuming Jackie until every morsel of meat is gone. Wild.
We know that Ghost Jackie does come to Shauna in the present time. But, will we see her anymore in the wilderness? Maybe so. Just imagine what cannibalism jokes she’ll have for us.
Originally published on March 24, 2023.
