On January 22nd, 2022 the season 1 finale aired for the Showtime series Yellowjackets. Yellowjackets chronicles a high school girls soccer team as they survive a plane crash on their way to a national competition. The show details how the event affected their lives and came back to haunt them, going back and forth between two timelines: in 1994 when the crash took place, and in the present day as the characters are still intertwined with the repercussions and traumas. 

The show even goes an extra step to connect the past timeline to the present by casting powerhouse 90s film actresses as the present-day leads, such as Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Melanie Lynskey. The actresses’ roles are accompanied by young versions of themselves, played by breakout stars Sophie Thatcher, Sophie Nélisse, and Samantha Hanratty. The show includes an abundant cast with many characters, including some who never receive a middle-aged counterpart. Continuing with the theme of authenticity of the 90s, the show is soundtracked with popular artists of that time period, such as Smashing Pumpkins, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, PJ Harvey, and Salt-N-Pepa.

Yellowjackets, like most current series, has an online fanbase with viewers flocking to Reddit to post their complicated theories, memes, and easter eggs. In total, this fanbase has probably come up with every possible explanation for the scenarios on the show, making up hypothetical situations and lingo such as “Antler Queen” and “Pit Girl” due to the vagueness of some plotlines. Many viewers anticipated the grim contents of the rest of the season from the beginning scene. However, the story contains many different plotlines that end up combining to make a killer cliffhanger finale. The predictions of cannibalistic rituals and murder made by fans are pushed to the side, allowing the writers to focus on the psychological elements of the show. 

Viewers have also expressed feelings of a “Yellowjackets withdrawal” since season 1 has finished. With a short first season, viewers are left with many questions about the plotlines opened with every new episode. The everchanging plotlines with twists and turns was an aspect of the show that really drew us in; we became even more deeply invested with every character’s story as time went on. However, if predictions are correct, fans shouldn’t have to wait too long for more episodes. The show has been renewed for a second season and is aimed for a late 2022 release.  Not only that but the show is planned to run for five seasons, meaning viewers might have to wait a long time for their questions to be answered. 

Unlike lots of popular shows, Yellowjackets can appeal to multiple age groups and audiences, using the culture from multiple time periods to its advantage. The nostalgic 1994 timeline may attract adults, and the teenage storyline makes the show accessible and interesting to younger viewers. The thrilling, insidious storyline is bait to horror fans as well, not to mention the overall drama-packed plot. If you are looking for a quick series to binge, this may be the one for you. It can be gory and some of the teenage dialogue is less than believable, but it is an enticing watch and worth it even if you end up hating it. It has earned a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for the Best Drama Series by the Critics Choice Awards. Stream Yellowjackets on Showtime, Sling, Hulu, or YouTube TV now.