Yellowjackets: It Chooses
May 22, 2023 6:17 AM - Season 2, Episode 8 - Subscribe
In the past, Lottie recovers, Ben discovers, Natalie decides.
In the present, keys are thrown, secrets are spilled, drinks are poured.
In the present, keys are thrown, secrets are spilled, drinks are poured.
"That escalated quickly." re: scenes at the compound.
I legit had to pause while they were running across the lake and ask my spouse "Did I doze off, or did they just kinda leap from Lottie says we should eat her to And now we're picking a sacrifice?" When Lottie brought out the drinks at the compound, she turned to me and said "You still didn't doze off, don't worry."
posted by Etrigan at 8:26 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I legit had to pause while they were running across the lake and ask my spouse "Did I doze off, or did they just kinda leap from Lottie says we should eat her to And now we're picking a sacrifice?" When Lottie brought out the drinks at the compound, she turned to me and said "You still didn't doze off, don't worry."
posted by Etrigan at 8:26 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
A few years back I read In the Heart of the Sea and its descriptions of what starvation does to the human body have stayed with me.
That none of the cabin crew looks like they’re starving is something I’m willing to overlook because I don’t want any actors going Christian-Bale-in-The Machinist for this show.
But for a group of supposedly starving girls an energetic and enthusiastic chase through the snow feels like a bit much.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:40 AM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
That none of the cabin crew looks like they’re starving is something I’m willing to overlook because I don’t want any actors going Christian-Bale-in-The Machinist for this show.
But for a group of supposedly starving girls an energetic and enthusiastic chase through the snow feels like a bit much.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:40 AM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
I loved that Misty was the one to save Nat -- not, I think, because Misty wanted a new bestie, but because she realized Nat is way more useful than pretty much anyone else, since she can actually hunt. (Lottie is basically useless, but well, that God stuff.)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:41 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:41 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
But for a group of supposedly starving girls an energetic and enthusiastic chase through the snow feels like a bit much.
I chalk that up to the fact that we're essentially seeing it all through their eyes and memories, like how we often don't get clear bright lines of "This was a hallucination", because the people we're seeing didn't know either. So to them, it was an energetic and enthusiastic chase through the snow, whereas if we (a well-fed neutral observer) had been watching it at the time, we would have seen a bunch of people slogging slowly, occasionally stopping to rest even though they were "running" for their lives.
posted by Etrigan at 9:51 AM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
I chalk that up to the fact that we're essentially seeing it all through their eyes and memories, like how we often don't get clear bright lines of "This was a hallucination", because the people we're seeing didn't know either. So to them, it was an energetic and enthusiastic chase through the snow, whereas if we (a well-fed neutral observer) had been watching it at the time, we would have seen a bunch of people slogging slowly, occasionally stopping to rest even though they were "running" for their lives.
posted by Etrigan at 9:51 AM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
A few years back I read In the Heart of the Sea and its descriptions of what starvation does to the human body have stayed with me.
Since the start of the show, I've been waiting for some explicit nod to the Essex ordeal, since one of the show's co-creators shares a last name with the cabin boy who later wrote an account of the voyage (and which is one of the primary sources for In the Heart of the Sea). Maybe the drawing of lots was the nod I was waiting for?
posted by quatsch at 10:19 AM on May 22, 2023
Since the start of the show, I've been waiting for some explicit nod to the Essex ordeal, since one of the show's co-creators shares a last name with the cabin boy who later wrote an account of the voyage (and which is one of the primary sources for In the Heart of the Sea). Maybe the drawing of lots was the nod I was waiting for?
posted by quatsch at 10:19 AM on May 22, 2023
Lauren Ambrose's delivery wins for me. I've been snorting at her line reading of "Misty, you are nothing if not proactive" all weekend.
So far as adults we've seen Nat, Shauna, Misty, Tai, Van, Lottie and Travis. Do we think that's all of our survivors?
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:34 AM on May 22, 2023
So far as adults we've seen Nat, Shauna, Misty, Tai, Van, Lottie and Travis. Do we think that's all of our survivors?
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:34 AM on May 22, 2023
So far as adults we've seen Nat, Shauna, Misty, Tai, Van, Lottie and Travis. Do we think that's all of our survivors?
I suspect we’ll probably see one or two more if the show gets the full five seasons the showrunners say they have planned. Then again, before this episode I was anticipating a surprise appearance from adult Javi so my career as a prognosticator might be on hold.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:17 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I suspect we’ll probably see one or two more if the show gets the full five seasons the showrunners say they have planned. Then again, before this episode I was anticipating a surprise appearance from adult Javi so my career as a prognosticator might be on hold.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:17 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Then again, before this episode I was anticipating a surprise appearance from adult Javi so my career as a prognosticator might be on hold.
I got five bucks that says he isn't dead yet. He might be mostly dead, but you shouldn't go through his clothes for loose change.
posted by Etrigan at 11:21 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I got five bucks that says he isn't dead yet. He might be mostly dead, but you shouldn't go through his clothes for loose change.
posted by Etrigan at 11:21 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oof, that was awful. Nat is really going through it this season. (I mean -- everyone is, but this is the first time I literally said "oh no, no wonder Nat is screwed up.")
posted by grandiloquiet at 11:34 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by grandiloquiet at 11:34 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
In the Heart of the Sea is a book that ALSO really affected me and I’ve been thinking about it, too! And yes, every time they are doing much of anything I’m internally yelling at them to conserve energy.
HEARTBROKEN about Nugget, that was such a shock to me.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 11:58 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
HEARTBROKEN about Nugget, that was such a shock to me.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 11:58 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lottie is basically useless, but well, that God stuff.
Lottie is an interesting case because whether or not her ideas about the genius loci of the forest are correct she has been the only person so far who has demonstrated the ability to get the other girls in line and moving in the same direction. With their default authority figure checked out, someone needed to fill that role.
I think everyone recognized that Shauna’s grief/rage was going to be dangerous for the group until she had somewhere to direct it but Lottie was the only one to do anything about it, and she decided she would take that beating herself. When the group decided to trade one of their (relatively healthy and not nearly as beat to shit) lives for Lottie’s, I wondered how much of that was because they valued her supposed supernatural insight and how much was because they recognize that none of them are making it out alive if someone, anyone doesn’t act as leader.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Lottie is an interesting case because whether or not her ideas about the genius loci of the forest are correct she has been the only person so far who has demonstrated the ability to get the other girls in line and moving in the same direction. With their default authority figure checked out, someone needed to fill that role.
I think everyone recognized that Shauna’s grief/rage was going to be dangerous for the group until she had somewhere to direct it but Lottie was the only one to do anything about it, and she decided she would take that beating herself. When the group decided to trade one of their (relatively healthy and not nearly as beat to shit) lives for Lottie’s, I wondered how much of that was because they valued her supposed supernatural insight and how much was because they recognize that none of them are making it out alive if someone, anyone doesn’t act as leader.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Friendly reminder that Nat said "there are no queens in that deck" to Travis back in S1 when they found the cabin. Then Javi found a queen card and added it back into the deck in S2, Episode 5 upon returning from his post-Doomcoming several months' walkabout.
So technically, Javi kind of did draw it first (it chooses, indeed!), not Natalie.
I just did a S1 rewatch right before starting S2 (along with my usual watch-every-episode-twice habit) and it's already paid off in spades, so to speak.
I'll show myself out now
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 12:16 PM on May 22, 2023 [12 favorites]
So technically, Javi kind of did draw it first (it chooses, indeed!), not Natalie.
I just did a S1 rewatch right before starting S2 (along with my usual watch-every-episode-twice habit) and it's already paid off in spades, so to speak.
I'll show myself out now
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 12:16 PM on May 22, 2023 [12 favorites]
Thank you - I asked my wife the other night "didn't they say there were no queens in the deck before?"
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:20 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:20 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
It was an Uno deck before. Something is up...
posted by GoblinHoney at 7:56 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by GoblinHoney at 7:56 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
GoblinHoney this deck of cards is also the same one they've used to assign chores (remember when Misty complained about always getting shit-bucket-dumping duty when she pulled a different card? and then Kristen/Crystal volunteered to go out with her?).
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:20 AM on May 23, 2023
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:20 AM on May 23, 2023
I legit had to pause while they were running across the lake and ask my spouse "Did I doze off, or did they just kinda leap from Lottie says we should eat her to And now we're picking a sacrifice?"
There was a cut scene: "There was a scene we filmed that offered a lot of explanation that didn’t make it to the final cut. I don’t know if they’re going to release it later. We don’t know. So I think to justify not having that scene, I think it was a group decision, and it was everybody kind of forcing themselves into believing that this is what Lottie would have wanted, which isn’t true. But I think they’re taking on that natural team dynamic, because they’re a team, and they need a leader, and they’ve always had a leader, and it used to be Jackie. Lottie is this new leader, but she’s out of it. And Misty definitely added some manipulation."
posted by BungaDunga at 5:27 PM on May 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
There was a cut scene: "There was a scene we filmed that offered a lot of explanation that didn’t make it to the final cut. I don’t know if they’re going to release it later. We don’t know. So I think to justify not having that scene, I think it was a group decision, and it was everybody kind of forcing themselves into believing that this is what Lottie would have wanted, which isn’t true. But I think they’re taking on that natural team dynamic, because they’re a team, and they need a leader, and they’ve always had a leader, and it used to be Jackie. Lottie is this new leader, but she’s out of it. And Misty definitely added some manipulation."
posted by BungaDunga at 5:27 PM on May 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
"It's the hunger, Mari. It's just the hunger."
teen Van is so solid.
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:40 PM on May 25, 2023
teen Van is so solid.
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:40 PM on May 25, 2023
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posted by socky_puppy at 8:02 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]