REVIEWS RETURNING 2024

Series: Yellowjackets, Season 2

Created By: Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci

Genre: Thriller/Drama/Horror

 

Why You Should Watch It:

 

Media centering unhinged women and cannibalism are on the rise and I for one couldn’t be more happy. It’s no surprise to me that this particular femme-centered subgenre of horror and thriller has become so popular. Books like A Certain Hunger and films like last years’ Fresh resonate with audiences for many reasons, but for me the real reason is that women are tired of being a thing to be consumed. Stories about female revenge, cannibalism and just straight up feral behavior are healthy expressions of a history of oppression that goes back all the way to the beginning. Women are fed up and it’s our turn to consume.

 

I loved the first season of Yellowjackets when it came out in 2021 and couldn’t wait for Season 2 to release. I was every bit as engaged, and maybe even more so as we bear witness to the downfall of our favorite now middle-aged soccer players. With a stellar cast, soundtrack and a storyline that just keeps me saying WTF, I’ve never felt more seen.

 

In Season 2, we got a lot of questions answered that were left hanging from Season 1, including the most pressing question. Did they eat the baby? I won’t spoil it for you here. We’re also left with more questions for Season 3, which will hopefully return to us at some point after the writers’ strike is over. I was most surprised to see Elijah Wood as a new character, as well as Lauren Ambrose who I loved as a teen. Seriously, from the soundtrack to the 90s teens to middle-aged unhinged women today, this series feels like it was made for me.

 

My one worry I have for the show is that the storyline is dangerously veering toward territory that I hope they don’t tread. The Antler Queen, a mystical, witchy manifestation of one of the main characters, plus cannibalism and hunger in the North American mountains hits a little too close to certain indigenous folklore. So far, I haven’t heard them say the “W” word, and I sincerely hope that the writers don’t tread there for Season 3.

 

If you’re looking for a gritty, sometimes silly, edge-of-your-seat WTF rollercoaster of a horror drama show, be sure to check out YELLOWJACKETS Season 2!