Yellowjackets’ 10 Big Remaining Mysteries That Season 4 Must Solve

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets season 3.Yellowjackets season 3 answers many of the show’s biggest questions, but there are still several significant mysteries that need to be answered. The Yellowjackets season 3 finale reveals who killed the adult Lottie Matthews (Simone Kessell), who Pit Girl and the Antler Queen are, and how the teenage survivors are able to make contact with the outside world. Earlier in the season, the fate of Coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger) is shown and whether any other characters would appear in the wilderness is addressed in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6’s ending.

Season 3 also answers newer mysteries, including what the source of the wilderness “screaming” is and what the meaning is of the vision Akilah (Nia Sondaya) had of the animals dying. Yellowjackets season 4’s story still has plenty to explore, though, as the teenage survivors still have not been rescued, and the immediate post-rescue timeline has barely been shown. There is plenty of story left in the present-day timeline as well, especially after the death of Van Palmer (Lauren Ambrose).

10

Who Burned The Cabin Down?

The Cabin Was Destroyed At The End Of Season 2

Who burned the cabin down is one of Yellowjackets‘ lingering wilderness mysteries. Before his death in season 3, Coach Ben makes it clear that he had nothing to do with the cabin’s fiery ending, meaning that someone or something else was responsible. The teenage survivors losing their shelter is a game-changing moment in the show, and it is paramount that season 4 reveals what actually happened, even if the truth is that it was an accident.

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The “Other” Taissa Turner (Jasmin Savoy Brown) is potentially responsible, and her being the arsonist would explain why none of the survivors believe it was them. The regular Taissa would not have any memory of lighting the cabin on fire if her other self did it. A great deal has happened since the cabin’s destruction, but season 4 needs to provide closure to this mystery before it is too late.

9

How Does Hannah Die?

She Will Not Make It Out Of The Wilderness

It has already been established in Yellowjackets‘ present-day timeline that Hannah Finch (Ashley Sutton) dies in the wilderness. This led many fans to speculate that Hannah would end up being Pit Girl, but this fate ends up befalling Mari Ibarra (Alexa Barajas) instead, and Hannah is still alive at the end of the season 3 finale. If the Yellowjackets are going to get rescued in season 4, Hannah needs to die in the wilderness before this happens.

Shauna Shipman (Sophie Nélisse) may kill Hannah as early as the Yellowjackets season 4 premiere. After Hannah swapped places with Natalie Scattorcio (Sophie Thatcher), Shauna is furious at being deceived, and that anger could be all that is needed to cause Hannah’s death. Dying before rescue comes will be a tragic ending to her story, as without Hannah, the survivors never would have found a satellite phone, and Natalie would not have been able to make the call.

8

Are There Any Other Adult Survivors From The Wilderness?

Every Season Has Introduced Surprise Survivors

After initially making it seem like Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), Taissa (Tawny Cypress), Natalie (Juliette Lewis), and Misty Quigley (Christina Ricci) were the only adult survivors, the show has gradually introduced more. Lottie’s survival was revealed during Yellowjackets season 1’s ending, followed by Van in season 2, and Melissa (Hilary Swank) in season 3. Season 4 needs to address whether there are any other surprise survivors.

Between those who have died in the wilderness and those in the present day, there are not many options left. One possibility could be Akilah, whose fate is unknown. Each season has seen her become increasingly important in the 1990s timeline, and this could be setting up her return in the present. Another possibility is Gen (Vanessa Prasad). Yellowjackets seemingly confirmed Gen’s death when Taissa mentions that both she and Melissa are dead, but if Melissa is alive, the same could be true for Gen as well.

7

Does The Wilderness Have Any Real Power?

The Overarching Question Needs To Be Resolved

Arguably the biggest mystery in Yellowjackets is whether the wilderness has any real power. Season 3 makes the strongest case to prove that the wilderness’ power is not real. The wilderness “screaming” is revealed to simply be a sound made by a rare species of frog. The Man with No Eyes’ origins end up being rooted in an ice cream parlor commercial Taissa saw as a kid instead of being a supernatural entity. The teens’ visions are the result of inhaling a gas or consuming hallucinatory mushrooms and are not due to a higher power.

At the same time, there is no practical explanation for teenage Lottie (Courtney Eaton) not falling into the pit Travis Martinez (Kevin Alves) lined with stakes, and the wilderness may have been protecting her. Akilah’s vision and Travis’ drawing of Coach Ben also do end up predicting how his death leads to the arrival of Hannah, Edwin (Nelson Franklin), and Kodiak (Joel McHale). If the Yellowjackets are about to leave the wilderness, though, season 4 seems like the last opportunity to answer whether any of the wilderness’ powers are genuine.

6

What Does The Wilderness Symbol Mean?

There Are Many Possibilities

Regardless of whether the wilderness has any actual power, season 4 needs to explain the meaning behind Yellowjackets‘ mysterious wilderness symbol. There have been many theories since season 1, including that the symbol is a map, a hieroglyphic, or a symbol of protection. Since the symbol is carved into the floor of the cabin, it may connect to the individual who lived in the cabin and died there.

The symbol is seemingly a remnant of a person or group who dwelled in this area of the wilderness before the Yellowjackets’ plane crashed. Season 3 establishes that the university Hannah and Edwin are part of had been to this area of the wilderness before, and the supplies they left behind are found by Coach Ben. There is no sign of the wilderness symbol on the supplies, though, so it seems to be separate from the university’s research teams.

5

Why Did Melissa Feel Like She Was No Longer One Of The Yellowjackets After Being Rescued?

Melissa Faked Her Death Because Of This

Melissa explains that she faked her death because after the Yellowjackets returned to civilization, she no longer felt like she was part of them. This could partly be because of what transpires between teen Melissa (Jenna Burgess) and Shauna in the wilderness. The two characters have an ugly breakup that involves Shauna shooting Melissa, and Melissa later tries to kill Shauna. There is likely more to Melissa feeling estranged from the group, though, and this should be explored in season 4.

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Melissa is seen getting close with Hannah, and Taissa mentions their closeness in the present day as well. Hannah’s death could be another turning point that devastates Melissa, especially since Melissa smuggles Hannah’s recording without the others knowing. Melissa may also be opposed to the lies that the rest of the group agree to tell when they return. Plenty can happen to make her feel even more scared and isolated in the wilderness and after being rescued.

4

Who Is The Man In Jackie’s Death Vision?

His Identity Remains Unconfirmed

When Jackie Taylor (Ella Purnell) dies in the season 1 finale, she has a vision that includes a shot of a mysterious man in the cabin. This man has not been seen again, and the show has not done anything to provide further clarity as to who he is or why Jackie saw him in her final moments. He does not appear during the visions that Natalie and Van have when they die, so for now, he is only a part of Jackie’s death.

Jackie returns in Yellowjackets season 3 through visions that the teenage and adult Shauna have. She still has an active presence in the show, and this provides an avenue to answer the ongoing mystery about the man from her vision. Right now, it feels like an unsettling detail that lacks meaning, but this could change if the mystery is answered in season 4.

3

Why Did The Plane Crash?

Was It Human Error, Or Something More Sinister?

The plane crash is fundamental to Yellowjackets‘ premise, but the series has never explained why it happened in the first place. It could be something as simple as pilot error and may not need an intricate explanation. If the wilderness does have actual power, and if it wanted to bring the Yellowjackets there, the wilderness could be responsible for the plane crash. Revealing this would answer the major mysteries about the plane and about the wilderness. Another possibility is that the plane crash is linked to Lottie’s dad as he is the one who paid for the private plane.

While Lottie’s dad struggled to deal with his daughter’s mental illness, it seems like too much of a stretch for him to have planned for Lottie and her peers to be stranded in the wilderness. He may not have intended for his daughter and her teammates to be hurt or killed, but his purchase of the plane could relate to why it ultimately crashed. Lottie’s dad being in season 3’s present-day story makes it more feasible for this storyline to be explored in season 4.

2

What Did Van Mean When She Said “Surviving This Was Never The Reward?”

This Line Needs More Payoff

During her death vision in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 9’s ending, the adult Van finds herself on a plane with her teenage self (Liv Hewson). As she struggles to process her death, the teenage Van says that “Surviving this was never the reward.” The reward may just be Van getting the real Taissa back after the “Other” Taissa had taken control. However, teenage Van’s words feel like they are hinting at something more substantial.

It could be that the reward has to do with what happens to the Yellowjackets in the afterlife. The visions that Jackie, Natalie, and Van have tease a future for the characters after their deaths. Season 4 could see the story of dead characters continuing in the afterlife, and perhaps the show will end with all the characters dead, but reunited.

1

Who Was Javi’s Friend?

He Mentioned His Friend To Coach Ben

After Javi Martinez (Luciano Leroux) is revealed to be alive in season 2, he barely speaks. One of the few things he says, which only Coach Ben hears, is that Javi had a friend in the wilderness who helped him survive. Before his death, Javi does not divulge the identity of his friend. Coach Ben later finds the cave where Javi survived, but the identity of Javi’s friend remains a mystery.

Since both Javi and Coach Ben are dead now, it will be difficult for Yellowjackets to answer this mystery. If the friend is a real person or supernatural entity, and not just someone Javi hallucinated, the character could be introduced in season 4. This is a way of answering this mystery despite the absences of Javi and Coach Ben. If Yellowjackets season 4 partly takes place in the afterlife, Javi could provide the answer there as well.

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