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From time to time, Vultures critics convene to hold a discussion about a current piece of culture.
Jen Chaney:Yellowjacketspacked multiple plot twists into the final hour of season two.
Most significantly, adult Lottie leads an attempt to make a present-day blood sacrifice to the Wilderness.
I watched all of this with interest but did not have a strong emotional response to any of it.
Is this just me, or have you both been having a similar experience?
Kathryn VanArendonk:It is not just you!
The issues of the two timelines, as theyve understandably gotten less mysterious, have also gotten more frustrating.
I do want to know about the Wilderness!
And I want to know about the secret underground lair.
Roxana Hadadi:I feel fairly rabid about season one.
Compare that to the 2021 story line.
I worry were seeing an admission thatYellowjacketswas a great idea for one timeline but not durable for both.
JC:The 90s wilderness story line has resonated with me much more than present-day.
It was like she became a ghost before she even died.
Kathryn, how did you feel about the decision to kill off grown-up Natalie?
KVA:I am of two minds about it.
Instead, it landed somewhere in the middle, and I found it functional but emotionally ineffective.
Look at Lottie, who is now seemingly going back to a mental institution.
Why structure the entire second season around her?
Was it guilt, or was it love, and is there a difference?
Well give you cannibalism!
sort of trolling that made me think of the first season ofThe Terror.
KVA:I did like the burning cabin, though!
I have seen how this plays out onAlone, and it is not good!
(But now Im worried well never find out more about the mysterious man who once lived there?)
But to move into a new mode that can feel exciting and unexpected once again.
It opened all kinds of questions and little plot threads.
Every move seems potentially wrong.
Im not surprised this season wobbled a bit, is what Im saying.
Season three now gets to be free of a lot of that burden.
Theres energy and theres opportunity to strike out in new directions.
More explicit Coach Ben antagonism is one possibility.
RH:Unfortunately, I do think the removal of grown-up Natalie and Lottie does open up this story.
MaybeJeff will again say somethingas instantly iconic as Theres no book club?!
Its not thatYellowjacketsdoesnt already have intriguing elements that need more exploration.
I really loved young Vans speech in this episode about not feeling any shame about resorting to cannibalism.
Lets talk about that,Yellowjackets!
