"Yellowjackets" Season 3 Episode 6 review

Season 3 Episode 6 of “Yellowjackets” is sure to go down as one of the best episodes across all three seasons. Titled “Thanksgiving (Canada), the girls get a huge wake-up call.

This post contains spoilers for all three seasons of “Yellowjackets.”

Episode six begins with Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) telling her family about the death of Lottie (Simone Kessell). Callie (Sarah Desjardins) becomes frantic as she finally gives her mom the DAT tape that was sent to their house, addressed to Shauna Shipman.

With no hesitation, Shauna instructs her family to pack a bag, saying that someone is trying to kill them.

In the wilderness, Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) tends to Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) over the course of a time jump from spring to late fall. The montage shows Nat bringing him plates of food that he refuses to eat as he continuously begs her to kill him.

The deterioration of Coach Ben’s appearance over the series is truly astounding.

Something amazing about Steven Krueger has been his ability to also deteriorate Ben’s character on the inside, showing how he spirals as one of the only survivors to still have sane morals.

The cast of “Yellowjackets” is and will probably always be its biggest achievement. Those casting directors really did their big one.

After Shauna and her family arrive at their hotel, she calls Taissa (Tawny Cypress) to enlist help from Van (Lauren Ambrose) in playing the mysterious tape.

Van doesn’t understand Shauna’s persistence until she goes over different types of people who use DAT tapes: weird garage bands and super intense birders. Saying this, her and Tai’s faces both fall.

As the teens find that Coach Ben has been starving himself, they create a makeshift feeding tube to force him to eat during a loathsome scene.

Misty (Christina Ricci) is still investigating Lottie’s death when she finds Lisa (Nicole Maines), a former member of Lottie’s cult, and interrogates her.

Van and Taissa meet up with Shauna to listen to the DAT tape. The entire recording is not shown, but part of it is played where the girls are heard as teenagers, screaming and singing. The women pause the tape abruptly after hearing young Lottie (Courtney Eaton) scream “No!”

Shauna, Tai and Van seem terrified of where the tape had come from, with Van saying “The only people who know about this are either us or dead.”

The significance of the DAT tape is still unclear at this point, but the way the writers build up suspense between scenes of both timelines creates so much anxiety in the viewer.

Back in the woods, Natalie has to make a heart-wrenching decision of morality as she takes a knife to where Coach Ben resides. Seeing Ben’s face light up in happiness as he realizes what Nat has come to do creates the most intense and emotional season of the season so far.

Samantha Hanratty delivers an award-worthy acting performance as Misty when she gets one last moment and scene with Coach Ben.

Later that night, the girls have a ritualistic feast. They dance around, singing and screaming like they did in the DAT tape until they are interrupted by some unwanted guests.

Once again, “Yellowjackets” has left the audience on a cliffhanger. With things really heating up, the remaining episodes are bound to be insane.

Rating: 5/5

Sarah Gavlak is a third-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sn.g5393@psu.edu.