Shauna Already Told Us What Her Dark Plan Is After Yellowjackets’ Season 3 Ending

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets’ season 3 finale!Adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) continues on her dark villain path in Yellowjackets season 3’s finale with a letter about taking back the power she once had in the wilderness, setting up a worrying plan against the other survivors. In Yellowjackets season 3’s ending, Shauna is arguably at her lowest point since she was back in the wilderness. After losing the trust of Misty and Tai and being abandoned by Jeff and Callie, Shauna is back in a desperate state of resorting to cannibalism, betrayals, power-hungry greed, and cruel ruthlessness after 25 years.

Mirroring how she read through her old wilderness journals in the pilot episode’s ending, Shauna begins writing down her dark thoughts, feelings, and intentions as she aims to become the powerful Antler Queen again. Shauna writes, “It’s all coming back to me now… The person I was back then. Not a wife, not a mother. I was a warrior. I was a f**king queen. I let all of it slip away from me. It’s time to start taking it back.” How Shauna will “take it back,” however, likely connects to one of her Yellowjackets season 3, episode 8 lines.

Shauna’s Episode 8 Line About Being “The Only One Left” Hints She’ll Try To Kill The Other Survivors

If The Wilderness Wants Blood, She’ll Give It

When Yellowjackets season 3 revealed that Melissa survived the wilderness and was secretly still alive today, it threw Shauna’s sense of security out the door. Melissa explained that she faked her death because of how unsafe she felt around the other survivors, knowing that her life would always be in jeopardy if they thought they might tell the truth about the wilderness. Shauna then has a moment of realization during their talk, which hints at how she’ll approach regaining power over the other Yellowjackets survivors in season 4:

“We can make all the pacts and vows of silence that we want, but if you really think about it, the only way to truly be safe, to be 100% f**king certain that nobody is ever going to spill your darkest secrets, is to be the only one left.”

Until they die, Yellowjackets’ present-day survivors all carry information that could destroy each others’ lives. It’s a ticking time bomb that each of them will have to worry about going off if one of them speaks – unless they’re all dead. With Shauna now trying to take back her power as a “warrior” and “queen” that she had at the end of their time in the wilderness, it seems she’s prepared to revel in that darkness and thrill by going on her own “hunt” after the others that remain.

It seems that Yellowjackets season 4 may follow Shauna’s story of truly becoming “the only one left.” That would mean trying to kill Tai, Misty, and Melissa, though there are still others like Callie and Jeff who are aware of the truth about what happened in the wilderness. With only four characters from the wilderness still remaining in Yellowjackets’ present timeline, the dark power of the Wilderness might prove to be even stronger in Shauna now than it was in 1997-1998, meaning Tai and Misty will have a tough road ahead of them to fight back.

Shauna’s Biggest Antler Queen Threat Is Callie, Not The Other Yellowjackets Survivors

The Wilderness Wants Callie More Than It Wants Shauna

Though being “the only one left” means Shauna will have to go after Tai, Misty, and Melissa, they aren’t her biggest adversaries in gaining the Wilderness’ power and favor. Rather, according to Lottie, the person whom the Wilderness has seen the most potential in is Shauna’s daughter, Callie. Lottie revealed the Wilderness’ plans for Callie to be the executor of its will as the “child of that place,” with her potential for power under the guidance of the Wilderness being even greater than it was with Shauna.

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Lottie noted that Shauna couldn’t love Callie because of her jealousy over her daughter being stronger and prioritized by the Wilderness’ powers, a claim that seems to be further validated by Shauna’s dark desire to reclaim her Antler Queen status. However, based on everything that Lottie said to Callie before her death, it’s Callie who the Wilderness wants to make its Queen. As such, the biggest power struggle in Yellowjackets season 4 will seemingly be between Shauna, who desperately wants to become the Antler Queen again, and Callie, who the Wilderness has chosen but who doesn’t even want the role.

What Tai & Misty’s Alliance Against Shauna Means For Yellowjackets Season 4

Tai & Misty Have To Form A Plan To Stop Shauna’s New Reign Of Terror

If it wasn’t already clear that Shauna was becoming the main villain in Yellowjackets, Tai and Misty’s alliance against her in the season 3 finale cements that reality. Tai was formerly Shauna’s closest friend among the survivors, but their experiences with Adam’s death, “other” Tai taking over, the hunt in the season 2 finale, Van’s death, Melissa’s return, and all the mystery around Lottie’s death completely changed their relationship. Tai is desperate as well, but she knows that, at this point, Misty is a stronger and less ruthless ally to have.

Tai and Misty’s unlikely alliance will likely lead them down a path of trying to find Melissa and get revenge for Van’s death, or even try to recruit Melissa against Shauna after getting some semblance of justice. It might also turn into a case of Misty and Tai working to protect Jeff and Callie from Shauna, figuring out a way to dispel the Wilderness’ influence and powers over them for good after 25 years. The power dynamics will see some drastic adjustments in Yellowjackets season 4, but will hopefully result in more optimistic changes than the season 3 finale.

Yellowjackets

7/10

Release Date

November 14, 2021

Network

Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime

Showrunner

Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco

Directors

Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis

Writers

Liz Phang, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa