Yellowjackets sticks the landing (pit and all) in a season - please, let it be the season - finale that’s equal parts haunting, emotional, and gory-as-hell. In “Full Circle,” the show finally reveals Pit Girl’s identity, how the Yellowjackets get rescued, ties up the DAT tape plot (#MelissaTruth), and launches us into an adult timeline deathmatch we’re not emotionally prepared for. One girl calls for rescue. One eats her ex's heart. One dies in a white slip. And the rest? We're about to learn what actually happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.

This week’s pod breaks down the betrayals, blood rituals, and full-circle callbacks that made the Season 3 finale an epic that featured everything you could want - except a reappearance by Allie Stevens.

1997 Timeline: Pit Girl Confirmed, Circle Closed

Akilah stages a fake wilderness “omen” by poisoning the pen animals, and this then convinces the girls a new sacrifice is needed. Pray for Akilah.

Van and Taissa rig the next card draw to target Hannah, but Shauna pulls rank and demands a fair deal. The Queen card goes to Mari, who runs into the woods wearing Jackie’s heart necklace and the same white slip from the pilot.

After an epic hunt, she hits Travis’s old spike trap and is killed - revealing she was Pit Girl all along. Travis, for the record, also confirms the Jackie/Shauna subtext we’ve all been side-eyeing since Season 1. Canon: unlocked.

WE REPEAT: JACKIESHAUNA IS REAL!

Meanwhile, Melissa, Gen, and Akilah quietly worked with Natalie to cover her escape - with an assist from Hannah - using the staged ritual to give her cover.

Shauna gets Mari's hair, and Natalie climbs a ridge with a repaired radio, calls out an SOS - and gets a response.

Present-Day Timeline: Eat Van's Heart Out

We learn that Lottie, hiding out post-escape, steals Callie’s tape and spirals into full wilderness messiah mode in a candlelit basement. She tells Callie she’s the wilderness’ true child and that Shauna's feelings for her are complicated.

Callie responds like any grounded teen would—by shoving Lottie down the stairs. Lottie dies. Shauna’s DNA stays off the evidence (thanks, mother-daughter overlap), and Callie keeps the truth to herself, plus Misty and Jeff.

Elsewhere, Taissa gives Van a forest burial and consumes a piece of her body in a twisted funeral rite. It’s part grief, part vow: Tai is now fully embracing her darkness and consuming Van's spirit.

Shauna reads Melissa’s final letter - yes, the one Callie lost - and finally learns the truth: There was no DAT blackmailer, no curse. Just Melissa trying to get closure with Shauna. D'oh!

Shauna's resolution? Embrace her inner queen reclaim her power.

Later, Tai and Misty meet privately. They agree Shauna is too dangerous to be left unchecked. Walter listens to Slayer.

At season's end:

Pit Girl mystery? Solved.

Wilderness? Still sending out blood invoices.

Shauna? One bite away from her final form.

Natalie? The hero we needed, but also the most emotionally exhausted girl in the woods.

Travis? #JackieShauna confirmed. Let the Tumblr gifs commence.

Season 4 soon, please?

--

Join Glenn and Isa as they break down the finale’s carnage, pilot callbacks, and cannibal catharsis—and brace for the showdown coming in Season 4.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts…or on a burned CD tucked under a moose pelt, next to a broken emergency beacon, a half-drank Fruitopia, and the last shreds of your sanity—bound together with duct tape, teeth marks, and the unmistakable smell of trauma.

📧 Send us your theories and questions: [email protected]

🐦 Glenn – @GlennRubenstein

🦌 Isa – @NYCDemonD1va

🐝 Twitter/X – @YellowjacketsBz

📸 Instagram – @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets? How story ends? Ugh! So many feelings! So many thoughts! So much WTF! Season 3’s penultimate episode is many things: Brutal, bloody, and far from boring. The past and present continue to mirror each other, through fractured alliances, desperate choices, and one death that rewrites the emotional map of the show.

• Travis lures Lottie to a spiked pit trap in a failed attempt to kill her, but when she avoids falling in, he takes it as a sign that the wilderness protects her. Lottie apologizes—genuinely—and for a brief moment, it feels like peace might be possible.

• Shauna’s descent continues. She fires a rifle at Melissa in a paranoid rage, grazing her and terrifying the group. The moment is unhinged even by Yellowjackets standards and confirms her full shift.

• Natalie, Melissa, Gen, Akilah, and Mari plan an escape with Kodiak and Hannah, but when it goes sideways, Hannah stabs Kodiak in the eye. Her shift in loyalty—and that kill—is sudden, brutal, and cements a new passion for science...and murder.

• As hope fades, snow begins to fall again. Winter is back. The escape is off. Natalie breaks down as the cold seals their fate. It’s a direct callback to Season 1’s snowy cliffhanger and a brutal reminder: the wilderness always has the last word.

• Misty, meanwhile, quietly attempts to repair the same emergency beacon she smashed in Season 1. When Natalie catches her, the betrayal is awe inspiring. They may be stuck in the woods, but the emotional fallout hits just as hard.

• Van, hospitalized and unconscious, hallucinates a vision with her younger self (Liv Hewson), who gives her a nudge—literally and metaphorically. Van wakes up and checks herself out, determined to rejoin the group. It's a bittersweet and clever meta-scene co-pitched by the actors, blending past and present in one final quest.

• Shauna tortures Melissa in the kitchen, slicing off a piece of her arm and trying to make her eat it. It’s not subtle, and it’s not metaphorical—it’s cannibalism trauma re-emerging with a vengeance.

• Melissa escapes but doesn’t get far before being captured again by Van, Tai, and Misty. In a twist, Shauna accuses Melissa of killing Lottie and locking her in the freezer. Misty confesses she did the freezer stunt herself, just to stop Shauna from going full Jack Nicholson.

• Misty leaves, seeks out Walter, and snoops through Lottie's cloned phone—and finds something that clearly sparks her. We don’t know what it is yet, but it’s enough to send her running back to the group. One guess: it’s about Melissa.

• Meanwhile, Melissa sets a trap of her own—closing the flue and flooding the cabin with carbon monoxide. Shauna and Tai pass out. Van saves them, but Tai sees Other Tai one last time during the haze and finally rejects her. It’s a turning point, and maybe the first time Tai feels truly whole.

• In the final minutes, Van tries to kill Melissa to save herself—believing, maybe, that a sacrifice will cure her cancer. But she can’t do it. Melissa, however, can. She stabs Van in the chest. Van dies. Tai and Misty arrive seconds too late.

• Van’s final vision is of her younger self, telling her she already found the treasure. The treasure is love, closure, and a little peace before the end? At least Mikey had his marble bag!

Join Glenn and Isa as they break down the carnage, callbacks, and slow emotional combustion of a show that refuses to soften its edges or coddle you.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts…or on a CD-R labeled “For Emergencies,” tucked in a shoebox next to a lantern recorder and a broken compass...and burned on the CD is "One Night in Bangkok" from Chess, Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" and a selection of tunes from Canadian Songstress Anne Murray.

Send us your theories and questions: [email protected]
Follow us:
Glenn – @GlennRubenstein
Isa – @NYCDemonD1va
Twitter/X – @YellowjacketsBz
Instagram – @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets 308 - A Normal, Boring Life

Hi! It’s me, Allie. Reunion organizer and the emotional glue of the Yellowjackets—despite what the literal survivors might say. I missed the flight because of a tragic, noble leg injury, but emotionally? I was absolutely there...in spirit. And let me tell you, this episode? An absolute ride. So grab a glass of something red (or a wine spritzer in a travel mug, no judgment) and let’s unpack it.

1997 Timeline: Slurpees and Splits

So the girls are maybe leaving—finally—and everyone’s like, “Let’s go home!” Except Lottie, who’s in her “this forest is my boyfriend” era. I get it. I once thought I had a thing with Joshua Jackson after we were booked on the same morning show—I was supposed to talk about how I wasn’t on the plane, and instead I just kept telling him he was my favorite Mighty Duck. It did not go how I imagined.

Fantasies run wild: Slurpees. Toilets. Pillow-top mattresses. I once tried ayahuasca and hallucinated a Cheesecake Factory hostess telling me I was radiant—same energy.

Van’s in her feelings. Tai's hanging out with her faceless nightmare man again. We all have demons. Mine is Cheryl from spin class. She always books bike 12. I see you, Cheryl.

In the final act, Shauna, Tai, and Lottie say they’re staying. Nat’s like, “Cool, the rest of us are still going.” But Shauna has other ideas. Classic “I love you, but I might shoot you” moment. We’ve all been there. (Not literally. Also: Don’t Google me.)

2021 Timeline: Bite Me, Shauna

Shauna tracks down Melissa—alive, living under a fake name, married to Alex, the daughter of Hannah, the frog scientist they definitely murdered.

Melissa says the tape wasn’t blackmail—it was a therapist-recommended act of emotional closure. Shauna says, “Cool motive, but no,” and then they fight.

Hasn’t Melissa heard of writing a letter and burying it? That’s what I did when my best friend bailed on her own birthday weekend after I booked the Airbnb and she said she wasn’t "ready for that level of celebration.”

Then Shauna bites a chunk out of Melissa’s shoulder. With her mouth. And tries to make her eat it. Melissa is reluctant. I get it, I refuse to try juice cleanses because it reminds me of that week I tried to purge my emotional baggage through cucumber water. This? Trauma-core.

Meanwhile, Jeff hits his emotional wall and tells The Joels Shauna is crazy. Jeff, there are things you say in therapy, and there are things you maybe whisper while refilling your coffee in a hotel breakfast nook.

Callie is processing all of this like someone who will absolutely become an emotionally avoidant adult. Love her. Protect her. Get her a dorm room with a lock and an RA named Janelle.

Tai, meanwhile, tries to smother a dying man to save Van. I’ve done worse for love—mainly involving expired Groupon couples’ massages and a canoe.

Allie’s Key Takeaways:

Wilderness: Winter is Coming.

Melissa is alive. For now. Bite marks don’t lie.

Shauna feels seen. Maybe not in a good way.

Jeff is in his Jeff Era.

Van is fading. Tai is unraveling.

What’s Next?

Is Pit Girl about to ascend via tragic ritual murder? Fingers crossed.

Shauna: Has she ever been hinged?

Will Melissa survive her shoulder appetizer?

Who actually killed Lottie?

Are any of us ever truly leaving the wilderness? Physically, maybe. Emotionally? No.

Listen to this week’s Yellowjackets Buzz with Glenn and Isa, who break down every forest standoff, trauma spiral, and human meat moment in this show that refuses to let us heal.

Available wherever you get your podcasts… or on a burned CD next to your bootleg VCD of The Blair Witch Project, tucked under your bed beside the notebook you swore you burned in 2001.

Email your theories: [email protected]

Follow:

Glenn – @GlennRubenstein

Isa – @NYCDemonD1va

Twitter/X – @YellowjacketsBz

Instagram – @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz,

Allie

(Wiskayok Class of ’96/’99, Yellowjacket, Survivor of Everything But the Actual Crash)

Yellowjackets: Season 3, Episode 7 “Croak” or "Brain Matter, Frog Science, and Shauna's Emotional Support Knife."

This episode takes us to a very special kind of field trip—one where frog scientists become endangered species, Misty’s curls are nothing short of spectacular, and Shauna is feeling stabby like she’s headed to a PTA meeting with an axe to grind. The vibe? Lord of the Flies meets Unsolved Mysteries, with a dash of Nature Sounds Vol. 6: Frog Mating Calls.

1997 Timeline: The Frogmen Cometh (and Goeth)

Welcome to the Hanna, Edwin, and Kodiak show. They record a frog orgy. They smoke the chronic. They form a love triangle?

Then, as the girls are finishing off Coach Ben, three unexpected guests show up. They smelled BBQ, ok?

Hanna bolts. Kodiak shoots a crossbow (it's bad ass). Melissa takes an arrow. And Lottie? She puts a hatchet in Edwin’s skull, then squishes his brain like she’s auditioning for a Food Network show no one wants to watch.

As they chase down Hanna and Kodiak, Van discovers the source of the infamous “wilderness screams”: frogs. Mating loudly into field recorders. She releases one, whispers “go on, little guy,” and calls out for her mom over the satellite phone. It’s brutal and beautiful—one of the most emotionally raw moment of the series.

2021 Timeline: Tapes, Truth Bombs, and Tai’s Shadow

The Yellowjackets revisit the DAT tape left earlier in the season. The tape was made by Hanna, who—surprise—had a baby as a teenager. That daughter’s name? Alex. And she’s now the top suspect for Shauna's stalker. Hanna's dead. But her daughter might have inherited more than memories.

Shauna, feeling threatened and cornered, gears up to confront whoever dropped the tape. She heads to meet the source face-to-face, first as a group, but then solo (like Ginger Spice).

Meanwhile, Van’s health is fading, and Taissa, desperate, will do whatever it takes (Degrassi TNG style). It works--sort of--for now Van meets her past self Dark Tai in a near death state.

Oh, and Callie? She tells Jeff that she thinks Shauna’s not just troubled—she’s dangerous and done way more in the past than she ever let on. This the worst moment of Jeff's life since the "no book club" conversation.

By Episode’s End:

Shauna: Holding a knife and looking for answers

Misty: Stunning. Scheming. In control.

Edwin: Rest in pieces

Hanna: Not long for this Earth, but her voice lingers

Kodiak: Unconfirmed but probably walking with Sasquatch.

Van: Surviving.

Lottie: Still into blood dirt.

...you know, it would be really nice if the show could clearly tell us who is alive in the present. Oh wait—they did and if you blinked you missed it? D’oh!

Loose Ends (And We Do Mean Loose):

Misty’s hair is incredible. Please acknowledge it with the respect it deserves.

Patrick Dempsey was marketed as the sexiest teenage boy alive in the late ’80s. This is true and somehow relevant.

Shauna pocketing a lock of hair from a murder scene? Not creepy at all. Just prepping her ritual lookbook.

What’s Next?

Is Alex old enough to be Hanna’s daughter, and is Hillary Swank the right casting? Short answer: Maybe. Long answer: Definitely Maybe.

Is Kodiak still out there with a story to tell—and where can we download his podcast?

Will Tai sacrifice more of herself to keep Van alive? Or will Other Tai take the wheel for good?

We break it all down in this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts… or on a bootleg VHS recorded over a Mr. Show marathon, a LimeWire MP3 labeled “Phish - Gin & Juice.mp3,” or a Maxell tape marked “DO NOT LISTEN – SCREAMS.”

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the madness.

Email us your theories and questions: [email protected]

Follow us:

Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)

Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)

Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz

Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets: Happy Thanksgiving! Now Pass the… Oh God, No. Season 3, Episode 6 “Thanksgiving (Canada)” brings us the worst holiday meal since your uncle decided to deep-fry a turkey indoors. Between the mercy killing of Coach Ben, an unexpected nature recording gone horribly wrong, and the Sadecki family’s ill-fated attempt at bonding in what is definitely a C-grade motel, this episode proves once again that survival is a high-calorie nightmare.

1997 Timeline: Fine Dining, Wilderness-Style

Coach Ben’s luck goes from bad to “please, not the Achilles tendon” to “oh no, they’re feeding me through a tube.” The girls, determined to keep him alive (for now), improvise a DIY feeding tube that is somehow less appetizing than that time your mom made you eat carob instead of chocolate.

Eventually, Natalie grants him mercy—aka delivers the Thanksgiving main course. The girls dig in like it’s a Pizza Hut Buffet (RIP), except instead of stuffed crust, they’re enjoying a fresh slice of Coach Tartare. Turns out, butt meat is the highest-calorie cut, and we're all learning things we never wanted to know.

But wait! Just as things hit peak horror-movie energy, a trio of birdwatchers/nature enthusiasts (aka Dead Hikers Walking) stumble onto the feast. The episode cuts to black as they lock eyes with Coach Ben’s severed head on an altar, proving once again that birdwatching is the most dangerous hobby on Earth.

2021 Timeline: Family Bonding, Murder Investigations, and a Surprise Cameo from The Black Lodge

The Sadecki family's Thanksgiving road trip turns out to be less “Hallmark holiday,” more “abandoned Blockbuster snack run at 2 AM.” They settle into a seedy roadside motel where the vending machine is the only dinner option, and the carpet stains have seen things. Meanwhile, Callie starts putting the puzzle pieces together.

Elsewhere, Misty is out here solving Lottie’s murder like she’s the lead in a 90s detective procedural you only ever saw on Lifetime. She tracks down Lisa Lisa (sans Cult Jam) to discuss Natalie, Lottie's mysterious $50k withdrawal, and the fact that Tai saw Lottie the day she died.

Elsewhere, Van is taking calls on unplugged phones (never a great sign) while Good Tai is apparently trapped in “the other place,” screaming for help. It’s David Lynch-coded machinations, and Van is one Black Lodge away from needing a log to talk to.

Then Shauna, Tai, and Van, listen to the DAT tape containing a 25-year-old Wilderness Grudge. This discovery practically guarantees that their drama is far from over.

By Episode’s End:

Shauna & Jeff: Still the most questionable couple.

Coach Ben: RIP, my dude.

Misty: One step closer to exposing a murder… assuming she figures out what to do with that DNA.

Birdwatchers: Congratulations, you’ve made the worst discovery since LimeWire gave your family PC 37 viruses.

Van & Tai: Should probably call a couples therapist. Will probably just keep running from the supernatural like it’s a bad breakup.

We break it all down in this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts… or on an SP mode VHS recorded over an episode of Ren & Stimpy, a Napster MP3 labeled “New Green Day (Real).mp3”, or a burned mix CD where track 12 is just Deep Blue Something’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” three times in a row.

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the madness.

Email us your theories and questions: [email protected]

Follow us:

Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)

Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)

Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz

Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

We'd say “Happy Thanksgiving,” but after this episode? Hard pass.

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 5 “Did Tai Do That?” dives deep into wilderness justice, shady cash withdrawals, and the least believable cable repair cover since Jim Carrey's underrated classic. With a murder mystery in 2021 and a brutal leg injury in 1997, this episode proves that when Yellowjackets say "TGIF," the F stands for fear.

1997 Timeline: Shauna and Melissa’s Bloody PDA

Coach Ben’s day goes from bad to worse to never being able to enter an ass kicking contest as a one-legged man. Taissa draws the unlucky card and attempts target practice, but can't quite channel her inner Stefan Urquelle.

Thankfully for Ben (briefly), Travis and Lottie interrupt with Akilah’s vision declaring Ben their mystical "bridge home." But Shauna isn't taking chances, and in a move straight outta Misery, convinces Melissa to slice Coach Ben's Achilles tendon, ensuring he won't be running anywhere—ever. The subtle, bloody hand-holding as they walk away marks the weirdest PDA since Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie.

2021 Timeline: Sitcom Murder Mysteries

Lottie's found dead surrounded by candles in a sketchy alley, sparking immediate finger-pointing among the survivors. Misty, feeling betrayed and accused, kicks everyone out in a huff, giving major Stephanie Tanner "How rude!" energy.

Shauna, suspicious and paranoid, teams up with Walter—Misty’s former favorite citizen detective. Their awkward team-up marks a delightful reunion between Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, making us nostalgic for I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (hey Netflix, sequel?).

The investigation leads to Lottie’s rich, dementia-stricken dad, who cryptically apologizes about "the accident." Oh, and apparently, Lottie withdrew 50 grand before her untimely demise—was she funding Shauna's entry into a knife-selling MLM? A Wilderness-branded Cutco empire, perhaps?

Meanwhile, Tai’s family reunion with estranged wife Simone and son Sammy quickly spirals into uncomfortable sitcom territory, with Sammy doing his best "you’re not my real mom!" impression. Tai and Van decide to leave town, either fleeing Tai’s alter ego or chasing...something.

By episode’s end:

• Shauna’s serving Antler Queen vibes.
• Misty’s annoyed she wasn't invited to the murder mystery again.
• Coach Ben would rather die.
• Walter suspiciously knows way too much, way too soon.

What’s Next?

Did Tai’s dark alter ego murder Lottie? How is Ben the bridge? And seriously—will Shauna start hosting knife parties like it’s Tupperware 1997?

We break it all down on this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts... or on a bootleg VHS labeled "Family Matters Urkelbot Special," a Napster download titled "Unreleased Nirvana Demo," or burned onto a CD-R labeled “Totally Not Aqua Mixtape '97.”

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the madness.

(And for the reunion no one expected but everyone needed, revisit Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood in I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.)

Email us your theories and questions at [email protected].

Follow us:
Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)
Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)
Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz
Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets: Court is in session, and the verdict is: yikes. A wilderness trial, a cryptic drawing, and a shocking murder in 2025 prove that the Yellowjackets' past decisions are still catching up with them.

Coach Ben is captured from exile, and the group immediately puts him on trial for attempted cabin arson. (No evidence? No problem.) Shauna, still grieving and maybe looking for a little recreational vengeance, takes over the proceedings with all the restraint of a mid-’90s Springer guest.

Misty is the surprise public defender, mostly because she still hasn’t fully processed her mentor complex. She punches Ben in the face first, then tries to save him. Jack McCoy she is not.

By the time the jury (Natalie in a makeshift Antler Queen robe) finishes deliberating, Shauna has bullied enough votes to get Ben convicted. He’s locked up, awaiting his fate.

Flash forward to 2021: If the wilderness demanded a sacrifice, Lottie may have been it. The question is: who cashed in her karma points?

Meanwhile:
Tai nearly convinces Van to stab a stranger to “feed the wilderness.” Van refuses, and now her hands are shaking. Guilt? Withdrawal? Something worse? Is she giving big “Tyler Durden realizing he’s Tyler Durden” vibes?

Shauna gets freezer-burned. Someone locks her in a walk-in freezer. Instead of being trapped on a ski lift afraid of being torn apart by wolves, Jackie is eating at her, telling her to give up and let it go already. Shauna fights back, but as Jackie smugly reminds her, she only sees what her eyes wants to see. Shauna, freezing and panicked, desperately fumbles with the handle… but did she even try pushing it? (Push it real good?) Alas, she doesn't understand freezers! She's just a simple woman trying to defrost a past I can’t escape! Randy saves her, proving once again that his greatest skill is being in the right place at the right time.

Misty finds out about Lottie’s murder through a true crime forum. That’s right, Misty had to read about her "friend" on the internet before anyone told her. Walter texted her suspiciously fast—does he know more than he’s letting on?

Jeff is deep into his “fix my karma” era, but instead of atoning for blackmail, he’s donating old junk and signing up for retirement home volunteer work. Best bingo caller since Saul Goodman. Still, he’s chasing karma by donating bootleg Rush Hour DVDs.

Van? Her shaky hand says she might know something.
Shauna? The trial energy is suspiciously familiar.
Walter? Knew about it before Misty. Enough said.

One Angry Shauna and 12 Scared Girls (to the tune of Ben Folds Five “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”)

You’re not the boss of me now, Nat, so sit your ass down,
I carved up Javi, I’ll burn this place down.
Ben’s on trial but he’s already dead,
I see Jackie at night, and she lives in my head.
Lottie’s got followers, Lottie’s got plans,
If she tries to lead me, she’ll bleed on my hands.
If you want mercy, well, you should’ve picked me,
Now it’s guilty guilty guilty like it was made for TV.

We break it all down in this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts… or on a bootleg VHS taped over a Daria marathon, a Napster MP3 labeled “New NIN Song (Real).mp3”, or a burned mix CD where track 7 just says “Moby” but it’s actually Stabbing Westward.

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the madness.

Email us your theories and questions at [email protected].

Follow us:
Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)
Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)
Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz
Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Four Frozen references, Jeremy? Four? That’s insane.

Buzz buzz buzz.

Season 3, Episode 3 “Them’s The Brakes” delivers paranoia, revelations, and bad decisions across multiple timelines. Between supernatural omens, toxic gas, and a brake failure straight out of Walker, Texas Ranger, this episode proves the wilderness never stops demanding payment.

1996 Timeline: The Gas Face Hits Different

Mari finally discovers Coach Ben’s not-so-secret hideout. He considers going full Wilderness Enemy #1, but kidnapping Mari isn’t a long-term survival plan. He lets her go, and she immediately snitches to the group—because you escaped a 20-foot hole, really Mari? Shauna, still grieving and looking for an outlet, leads the hunt for Ben.

Meanwhile, Van, Shauna, and Akilah take an unexpected psychedelic trip after inhaling toxic cave gas:

Shauna sees her lost baby calling to her across a frozen lake but can never reach him. Very sad. Very Rosemary’s Baby.

Van is restrained by ghostly hands in a burning cabin, belonging to Javi, Laura Lee, and the Dead Cabin Guy. Twin Peaks meets Nightmare on Elm Street meets Evil Dead. Classic Van.

Akilah gets life advice from a talking llama (voiced by The Sopranos' Vincent Pastore), because if you’re hallucinating in the wilderness, might as well go full prestige TV crossover.

By the time they snap out of it, the girls are rattled, Ben is cornered, and Natalie is holding a shotgun. Coach might be running out of time.

2021 Timeline: The Necklace Nobody Wants

Shauna and Lottie’s fragile truce explodes when Lottie gives Callie Jackie’s necklace, the accessory of doom. Shauna kicks Lottie out and makes it clear that whatever hold she has over Callie is ending.

Meanwhile, Van gets news that her terminal cancer is no longer terminal. Taissa, instead of celebrating, believes it’s because the Wilderness was fed and now wants more. Van dismisses it, but Tai is locked in—especially after spotting the Man with No Eyes in an old ice cream parlor commercial from their childhood.

That leads to one of the weirder field trips in Yellowjackets history. Tai and Van break into Ozzie’s Homemade Ice Cream Parlor looking for answers but instead find a dead wolf, blood dripping from its mouth, watching Tai like it’s waiting for orders. As if that weren’t unsettling enough, Ozzie’s old voicemail menu includes flavors like Smashed Pumpkins, which, much like Smiling Politely, may or may not exist. And if you order Hot Dog Water, does it come with a side of Limp Bizkits?

Meanwhile, Shauna, already on edge, loses control of her minivan as the brakes mysteriously fail. She barely avoids a disaster before crashing into an empty field. When the dust settles, she immediately blames Misty—not the craziest accusation, considering her track record. Misty, however, is genuinely shocked and betrayed. Later, in an act of pure symbolism, she burns an old group photo, because if there’s one thing Misty doesn’t handle well, it’s being underestimated.

By episode’s end:

Shauna thinks Misty cut the brakes (she didn’t, but it’s not a bad guess).

Misty, betrayed once again, burns an old group photo (cue ominous foreshadowing).

Tai and Van might be about to make a blood offering.

Callie is getting a little too comfortable in Lottie’s orbit.

We break it all down in this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts… or on a bootleg VHS taped over TGIF, a LimeWire MP3 with a misleading filename, or a mix CD with Eiffel 65 burned onto it five times.

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the madness.

Email us your theories and questions at [email protected].

Follow us:

Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)

Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)

Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz

Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

For those needing a refresher on how unhinged 80s commercials could be, we recommend diving into the 80s Commercial Vault: https://www.youtube.com/@80sCommercialVault

Yellowjackets: The wilderness keeps getting weirder. Season 3, Episode 2 "Dislocation" delivers a dislocated knee, a dislocated coach, and a dislocated social hierarchy in both 1996 and 2021. This episode picks up the tension from the premiere, giving us unexpected moments, new mysteries, and a kiss that absolutely no one saw coming.

1996 Timeline: Mari learns the hard way that being an MVP in the past doesn't mean much when you fall into a hidden pit in the present. Coach Ben, now fully in survival mode, saves her... then immediately kidnaps her so she won’t expose that he’s alive. Shauna, still reeling from her loss, secretly exhumes and reburies her baby’s remains, staking her claim against the group’s growing cult mentality. Meanwhile, Travis trips (literally and figuratively) on Lottie’s latest dose of "therapy," claiming the wilderness might want someone else. Misty and Natalie search for Mari, but Misty suspects Nat knows more about Coach Ben’s fate than she’s letting on.

And then there’s the scene that broke the internet – a heated confrontation between Shauna and Melissa takes an unexpected turn when Melissa kisses Shauna. Shauna kissed a girl, and she liked it, but not in the Katy Perry way—this is full-on 90s Jill Sobule territory. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the unresolved trauma, or maybe it was just the overwhelming appeal of Shauna Shipman at her most bi-ferocity. Either way, it adds another layer of intrigue to her and Jackie's relationship.

2021 Timeline: Shauna gets an unexpected visitor in the form of Lottie, freshly released from The Home for the Differently Sane and looking for a place to stay. Shauna and Jeff try to shut her down, but Callie—surprisingly—argues in Lottie’s favor. Misty is called in to babysit Lottie and Callie, leading to the most bizarre slumber party in history. Callie whips up a batch of Malibu Rum Punch, dares Misty into drinking it, and before you know it, Misty is out cold. What happens next? Just a totally normal night of braiding hair, watching trashy reality TV, and forming unlikely alliances with a woman who once ran a cult.

Meanwhile, Shauna and Jeff’s business dinner goes south fast when Shauna calls out the investors for their nepotism and walks out. Before that, though, Shauna encounters something even stranger: an abandoned cell phone ringing in a restaurant bathroom. By the end of the episode, Shauna makes a call and gets an answer she did not expect. Given the way the episode cross-cuts, all signs point to Melissa being alive and reaching out.

Elsewhere, Taissa and Van’s reunion takes a turn when a harmless dine-and-dash leads to a man having a heart attack, making Tai question if the darkness really did follow them home and what she can get out of it. And Misty, after getting drugged by a teenager, pushes Walter away, reinforcing that her loyalty remains with the Yellowjackets—even if they continue to treat her like an afterthought. Misty really hates when someone tries to "Misty" her.

What’s next? We break it all down in this episode of the pod, available wherever you get your podcasts... or on a DAT tape, HitClips, MiniDisc, LaserDisc, Betamax, 8-track, or any other obscure media format we have lying around.

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and we’ll be here every week to guide you through the wilderness.

Email us your theories and questions at [email protected] – we might shout you out if we use your tip.

Follow us:
Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)
Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)
Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz
Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.

Yellowjackets Hive: The wait is over, and our favorite stranded soccer team is back – buzzing louder than ever!

Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 1 "It Girl" kicks off with high spirits at the best Canadian Summer Camp ever. Winter’s grip has passed, and every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end (hello, ominous 90s lyrics).

Back in the 90s:

• Natalie, Our Reluctant Queen: Newly-crowned leader Natalie grapples with the fallout of Javi’s death and the burden of keeping the group alive.
• Lottie’s Not-So-Retirement: Freed from antler duty, Lottie has given herself to understanding the darkness still lurking in those woods. And maybe she’s not the only one hearing voices in her head before Randy Orton ever did.
• Shauna’s Grief Glow-Up: Still haunted by her baby’s fate, Shauna channels her pain into fierce protectiveness—living her truth, no apologies.
• Melissa Steps Up (Mari, Maybe Tone It Down?): Turns out, Melissa actually has a personality. So perhaps it's time for Mari to dial hers back.

In Present Day:

• Natalie’s Death Looms Large: The aftermath of last season’s tragic cliffhanger wastes no time with the briefest funeral ever.
• Healing, Misty-Style: Misty tries to channel Natalie for some high-risk healing—because when in doubt, do what Nat would do.
• Callie Raises the Gross-Out Bar: High school cafeteria lunch hits a new level of disgusting thanks to Shauna’s daughter. Yes, Jeff briefly fears it could be human meat. (And stop calling it "chronic," Jeff.)
• Tai & Van’s Messy, Tender Reunion: Tai Van shippers rejoice as they navigate Van’s health struggles and Tai’s wilder side in one of the most raw moments of the episode, leading to romantic hijinks. (It's all fun and games until somehow dies. Didn't Silver Spoons teach us anything about the dangers of "dine and dash?)
• Lottie’s New Home: She’s now in a home for the "differently sane"—we'll let you interpret what that means.

We break it all down in this supersized premiere pod, available wherever you get your podcasts… or perhaps on a DAT tape delivered in a mysterious envelope.

New episodes of Yellowjackets drop Fridays at 12:01 AM ET on Showtime/Paramount+, and you know we’ll be here every week to guide you through the wilderness.

Email us your theories and questions at [email protected]—we might shout you out if we use your tip.

Follow us:

• Glenn (@GlennRubenstein)
• Isa (@NYCDemonD1va)
• Twitter/X: @YellowjacketsBz
• Instagram: @yellowjacketsbuzz

Buzz buzz buzz.