Be warned that the season 2 premiere of “Yellowjackets” discussed in this post includes spoilers. Despite being dormant for the past year, the characters in Showtime’s popular supernatural survival show are about to face a harsh winter. The new season starts with a jump in plot time to the ’90s, but that’s not the only major change. With the survivors living in close proximity, several previously peripheral characters are now much more prominently featured.
At the same time, in the current timeline, two Yellowjackets who were presumed dead by viewers are about to make an appearance, along with a new guest star who may be familiar to fans. It can be difficult to keep track of all of these developments, even without the influence of psychedelic soup, so we’ve put together a brief guide to the show’s characters. Keep reading to remind yourself of everything “Yellowjackets” – before one or more of these characters become potential prey.
The star players
In the very first episode of “Yellowjackets,” the soccer team that the show centers around crashed in the wilderness, and over the course of the subsequent nine episodes, the group of survivors has been tragically reduced to a small group. However, from the beginning, a few teammates stood out, due in part to the fact that we were told at least four of them made it out of the woods and back into civilization. With casting announcements for the new season, we now know that number has increased to six: Shauna, Taissa, Misty, Natalie, Van, and Lottie all survive into 2021.
However, in the ’90s timeline that season 2 begins with, these characters are facing a variety of difficulties. For example, Shauna (played by Sophie Nélisse, known for “The Book Thief”) is pregnant by her best friend’s boyfriend and struggling with the aftermath of an argument that led to her friend Jackie’s death. Meanwhile, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown, known for “Scream”) is trying to kick a troubling sleepwalking habit with the help of her boyfriend, Van (Liv Hewson, known for “Santa Clarita Diet”). The outcast of the group, Misty (Sammi Hanratty, known for “The Vampire Diaries”), is also having a hard time after accidentally drugging her teammates during Doomscoming in the previous season.
In addition to these characters, the core cast includes Natalie (Sophie Thatcher, known for “The Book of Boba Fett”) and Lottie (Courtney Eaton, known for “Mad Max: Fury Road”), who have very different views on the “powers” of the forest they are stranded in. Before the crash, Natalie had a difficult home life and a bad reputation, but she has since revealed herself to be a skilled hunter. Lottie, on the other hand, has demonstrated mystical abilities, including killing a bear for the group in the season 1 finale. While she previously took antipsychotic medication, Lottie also has a strange connection to the forest that she explores through witchcraft.
Their grown-up counterparts
The Yellowjackets are no longer lost in the wilderness, but their past experiences continue to haunt them in the present day. Shauna, played by Melanie Lynskey (“The Last of Us”), is now an adult with a teenage daughter, but she’s still trying to cover up the affair that ended in a fatal mistake. Natalie (Juliette Lewis, “Natural Born Killers”) and Misty (Christina Ricci, “The Addams Family”), who crossed paths last season, are on a collision course again. Misty, now a caregiver and self-appointed detective, has committed several crimes, including murder, while Natalie is being pursued by a mysterious group connected to Lottie. Taissa (Tawny Cypress, “Heroes”) has become a politician, but her sleepwalking has returned, and she’s implicated in the gruesome death of her family pet. Her family is understandably upset about this turn of events.
Teammates and survivors
Typically, a soccer team comprises 11 players. While the first season of “Yellowjackets” kept some members of the team in the background, the cabin setting in the new season allows us to become more acquainted with the remaining members. Alexa Barajas (“The Flash”) portrays Mari, who has so far portrayed the mean girl trope and occasionally acted as Jackie’s second-in-command. Nia Sondaya (“Truth Be Told”), who was initially portrayed by Keeya King in season 1, plays Akilah.
In addition to the team, other survivors of the plane crash include Assistant Coach Ben (Steven Krueger, “The Originals”), who Misty amputated his leg and poisoned him to make him love her, and Travis (Kevin Alves, “Locke & Key”), the coach’s son who died mysteriously last season but survived to adulthood. It’s worth noting that Coach Ben is gay and had a boyfriend back home but told Natalie that they broke up because he didn’t want to move in with him.
Moreover, the new episode concentrates on Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman, “FBI”), a musical theater enthusiast who hums incessantly but seems to be a good match for Misty. The episode also introduces two characters, Gen (Mya Lowe, “Fakes”) and Melissa (Jenna Burgess, “The Night Agent”), whose names aren’t mentioned. Additionally, there’s Javi (Luciano Leroux), Travis’ younger brother, who hasn’t been seen since Shauna ordered him to run away during Doomscoming, and only Travis seems to hold out hope that he’s still alive.
Family and friends
In the present day timeline, viewers should also pay attention to some important characters. Jeff (Warren Kole, “Shades of Blue”), Shauna’s husband, is noteworthy for his comedic presence and for being the blackmailer that was revealed in the previous season. Jeff confided his scheme to his best friend Randy (Jeff Holman, “Being The Ricardos”), but Shauna threatened to harm him if he told anyone. Additionally, Shauna’s daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins, “The Night Agent”) appears to have realized that her mother is responsible for a murder.
While Natalie and Misty don’t have much connection in the present day, Taissa has a family that includes her wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard, “Van Helsing”) and their son Sammy (Aiden Stoxx, “Supergirl”). Simone supports Taissa’s political campaign, but grows increasingly concerned by Sammy’s reports of a “lady in the tree” and his unusual behavior. By the start of the new season, Simone has discovered that Taissa is responsible for the family dog’s gruesome death and is now extremely protective of Sammy.
Gone but not forgotten
“Yellowjackets” has a substantial body count in just 11 episodes, with multiple characters meeting their demise. The initial crash of the soccer team also resulted in the death of several people, including the flight crew, Coach Martinez, Javi and Travis’s father, and a teammate named Rachel. Laura Lee, a religious girl who tried to fly a plane to safety, also died mid-way through the last season. Additionally, Jackie, Shauna’s friend and critic, perished during a fight between the two. However, Ella Purnell still appeared in the latest episode.
In the present-day, Travis’s apparent suicide left Natalie and Misty skeptical. Two Yellowjackets also appear to have committed murders by the season finale. Shauna killed her lover Adam, whom she mistakenly believed was a threat to her family, while Misty kidnapped and poisoned a fixer posing as a journalist named Jessica. Although Jessica’s fate remains unknown, the last we saw of her was passed out in her car after smoking a laced cigarette, and the situation looked dire.
Coming soon to Yellowjackets season 2
In the season premiere, several new characters are introduced, including Lottie, who is alive and running a mysterious compound. Another familiar face to watch out for is Van, who survived the 19 months in the wilderness and appears in the present day. Elijah Wood makes a high-profile cameo, and comedian John Reynolds briefly appears as a detective. Additionally, the Lottie acolyte who is stabbed by Natalie is Lisa, portrayed by Nicole Maines. “Yellowjackets” episodes air on Showtime on Sundays.
Source: Slash Film
