Trauma brings out the best and worst in relationships, and that’s especially true of the thrillerYellowjackets. The show centers on a soccer team that crash-lands in the Wilderness. Shifting back and forth between the past and present-day, it follows the younger characters as they try to survive and the older ones as they deal with the repercussions of said survival.
Yellowjackets
Understandably, many of the show’s friendships couldn’t survive the harsh conditions of the Wilderness, nor the secrecy and high-stakes after leaving. However, others are currently going strong, and withSeason 3 out this week, we’ve ranked the 5 most important friendships in ‘Yellowjackets’ seasons 1 and 2, for better or worse.
10Travis & Javi
Not all brothers are friends, but some of the best friendships arebased in brotherhood. While we don’t see them interacting much, it’s clear that Travis and Javi care deeply about each other. Travis is devastated when Javi goes missing, and after his return, Javi helps Travis by trying to protect Nat during the Hunt. Unfortunately, his good intentions backfire, and he’s chosen by the Wilderness in her place. Later, a tearful Travis mourns his brother (…admittedly, while consuming his body).
Brotherly Bond
When they first landed in the Wilderness, Javi and Travis' father died, and it strained their relationship. However, it soon rebounded, and minus some (understandable) outbursts, they were there for each other to the end. It’s clear that Javi’s death still haunts Travis long after leaving the Wilderness, and it somewhat played a part in his own death later on. Thus, while their relationship was among the best, the way it ended was among the most tragic.
9Nat & Travis
Now that we’ve shown one of Travis' best relationships, here’s one of his worst. To be clear, Nat and Travis weren’t just friends, but also, romantically involved. However, we think any good relationship should have a strong basis in friendship, and when it came to these two, that friendship was pretty turbulent. At times, they really seemed to care about one another, but often, they didn’t understand what the other needed or wanted, and in turn, they brought out the worst in each other.
Ups and Downs
Nat and Travis' placement on this list might be somewhat controversial. However, it’s inarguable that the two caused each other a lot of pain, such as whenTravis cheated on Nat with Jackieor when Nat tried to convince Travis that Javi was dead. In the latter case, Nat had good intentions, but her actress, Sophie Thatcher, has describedNat’s feelings toward Travisas an “obsession.” So, even though she was genuinely trying to support him, she went about it the wrong way, and for some pretty concerning reasons.
8Tai & Van
Like with Nat and Travis, it should be acknowledged that Tai and Van aren’t just friends, but also, past lovers. As kids, they had a super sweet relationship filled with trust, care, and love. Now that they’re older, they seem more distant, but it’s significant that Tai sought out Van when she was at her lowest. Granted, it’s hard to tell whether Tai was fully in control at the moment, since she was sleepwalking again, but either way, it’s also important to note that, despite having valid concerns, Van took her in.
A Fond Memory
Obviously, Van and Tai have both changed drastically since their Wilderness days. Not every relationship is meant to last, and if they tried to rekindle their romance in the present, it could be disastrous. Thus, while we don’t think they shouldget back together romantically, supporting each other as friends is a relationship we could root for. Van obviously needs it, due to her health and more general isolation, and Tai needs it even more, given her inability to control herself and fear of what she might do next.
6 Ways ‘Yellowjackets’ Is Redefining Women-Led Thrillers
The thriller ‘Yellowjackets’ is redefining the genre, as well as the concepts of female friendships and strong women characters.
7Lottie & Travis
Travis can’t seem to get a break on our list. Along with his destructive relationship with Nat, we have to acknowledge his deadly friendship with Lottie. The two are on this list for one main reason: Lottie failed to keep Travis alive. This wasn’t in the symbolic sense like Nat, who would go on to blame herself for his passing. Rather, Lottie was with Travis when he tried to hang himself in order to have a near-death experience and better understand the Wilderness. However, while watching him, she became distracted by a vision of Laura Lee, and by the time she remembered what she was doing, it was too late, andTravis was already dead.
Too Much Death
Believe it or not, this incident alone wouldn’t have put Lottie on our list. After all, the whole event is shrouded in mystery, with Lottie claiming the batteries to stop the crane died, which would mean Travis would have died regardless. However, back in the Wilderness, Lottie was also instrumental in his near-death. After he had sex with Jackie, Lottie declared that the girls had to go after the pair, and she referred to Travis as a “stag” who they needed to catch. To be fair, she was under the influence of magic mushrooms at the time, but the fact that her words almost led Shauna to slit Travis' throat, combined with her role in his actual death, makes everything seem a bit personal.
6Nat & Lisa
Unlike many of the characters on this list, Lisa wasn’t a survivor of the Wilderness, but rather,a survivor of depressionand suicide. She and Nat quickly built up a relationship at the compound, with one of the sweetest moments in the series coming when Nat stood up to Lisa’s mom and stole Lisa’s fish for her. Later, Lisa would give Nat the fish to help break her out of her own depression. In this sense, the two women were there for each other at their lowest, countless times, including at the very end.
A Bittersweet Ending
To be fair, Nat and Lisa’s friendship didn’t start off on the best foot, with Lisa playing a part in her kidnapping and Nat stabbing Lisa with a fork in response. Additionally, things got a little difficult toward the end when Lisa confronted Nat in the woods, correctly thinking she’d killed people. However, Nat ultimately saved Lisa from Misty’s injection, which led to Nat’s death instead. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t see where this friendship would go, but it ended on a bittersweet note of true friendship.
5Misty & Kristen (Crystal)
If not for their final episode together, Misty and Kristen would easily have made the top of our list—for best friends, not worst. The two oddballs shared secrets and laughs together throughout Season 2, showing an ease of friendship that seemed more at home in normal, everyday life, not the Wilderness. However, the girls' secrets went too far when Misty revealed that she had destroyed the plane’s transmitter. Kristen rightfully responded with horror and disgust, which led toMisty threatening to kill herand Kristen accidentally stumbling off the cliff to her apparent death.
The Aftermath
To Misty’s credit, she seemed truly remorseful about Kristen’s death, refusing to tell the others where her body was to avoid it being eaten. On that note, the body has yet to be found, which means it’s possible, if unlikely, that Kristen is still alive. If so, we doubt she’ll be too happy about what happened, which means that, for all the promise it showed, this friendship is dead either way.
12 Mysteries We’re Still Waiting On Yellowjackets to Solve
From disappearing bodies to enigmatic symbols, Yellowjackets is abuzz with mystery.
4Nat & Coach Ben
Coach Ben Scott is the only surviving adult from the Yellowjacket’s plane crash. He is shown to care a great deal about the girls, and while starving and losing his leg made it difficult for him to be a leader, he tried to be there when they needed him. This was especially true when it came to Nat, to whom he offered relationship advice and more general support. In turn, she helped him feel more secure in his sexuality, and toward the end of Season 2, they both acknowledged the other as being “better” than the rest of the Survivors. Coach Ben even tried to get Nat to leave the others so that they could survive the winter together underground, but ultimately, she turned him down, due to her guilt over Javi’s death.
Tragic Ending
Of course, some might find it inappropriate for a coach to befriend one of his players. However, given the unique circumstances of being stranded in the Wilderness, as well as the completely platonic nature of the friendship, we don’t think that argument holds water. However, the conclusion of their friendship does cast a shadow over their previous relationship, as it ends with Ben believing Nat is as bad as her teammates. He then seeminglyburns down the cabin, which could have led to Nat’s death, and if the two come across each other in Season 3 (which they likely will), we doubt it’ll be a happy reunion.
3Shauna & Jackie
On the surface, Shauna and Jackie had an amazing friendship, but you didn’t have to look much past that surface to see the cracks. Even before they were stranded in the Wilderness, everything wasn’t rosy, with Shauna constantly feeling in Jackie’s shadow and going so far as to sleep with her boyfriend. For Jackie’s part, she often treated Shauna more as an accessory or as someone “less than” herself. Don’t get us wrong, there was certainly love and care between the two, but that doesn’t mean they were good for each other.
Symbolic Demise
At the end of Season 1, Jackie died in a blizzard, and Shauna began playing with her body as if it were still alive. In this sense, she gained control of the relationship that Jackie previously had. Later, she joined the other girls in eating Jackie, symbolically showing howtheir friendship had been eating away at herand distorting her own identity. At the same time, there’s an argument to be had that Shauna simply could have talked to Jackie rather than let things devolve to something so negative. In short, while she wasn’t perfect,Jackie deserved betterwhen it came to her friendship with Shauna, as well as her friendships with the rest of her team.
Yellowjackets: Where You’ve Seen the Cast Before
The cast of Yellowjackets can get confusing because of the different timelines. Here’s a who’s who and where you’ve seen the actors before.
2Tai & Shauna
Out of all the characters inYellowjackets,Tai and Shauna are perhaps the only two who trulyunderstand and support each other, both as teens and adults. In fact, Tai and Shauna are at their most vulnerable when around one another. For example, a teenaged Tai is the first to realize that Shauna is pregnant, and she later offers to help her with an abortion. Additionally, both teenage and adult Tai seek out Shauna’s help when Tai’s sleepwalking becomes a concern.
Sure, they aren’t always truthful with each other, but that more-so speaks to who they are as characters. What’s interesting about their relationship is that, in spite of their misgivings and trauma, theywantto trust one another, even if, sometimes, they can’t.
More Friendship to Come?
For most of the show, Shauna is seen as Jackie’s friend, while Tai is most often with Van. It’s interesting to think how the series might have changed if Shauna and Tai had been close from the get-go. They mutually respect one another, which means calling each other out but also defending one another. Now that the women are all back together, we’re hopeful we’ll see this friendship continue to develop (even ifthe trailer suggests more carnage, instead of camaraderie).
1The Survivors & the Wilderness
It might seem strange to pick a group of girls and an abstract concept as the worst relationship on our list. However, the girls very much seem to view the Wilderness as something “alive” that is influencing their fates and actions. More to the point, the girls believe that the Wilderness is providing for them, when in fact, the Wilderness is the reason why they’re slowly starving to death. It’s also the reason why they later resort to hunting one another for food and why so much of their trauma persists present-day.
Wildly Toxic
Sure, Lottie claims that the Wilderness sent them a bear to eat, but if that’s the case, why can’t it keep sending more? It seems to be demanding a lot from the girls and offering little in return, which isthe definition of a one-sided relationship. Additionally, many of the positive friendships that soured can blame the Wilderness for how things devolved, and the characters themselves changed greatly (and for the worst) due to their time with it. So, even if the Wilderness isn’t alive, we still see it as a toxicimaginary friend, one who not only brought out the worst in the girls, but simultaneously convinced them that its harmful actions were done out of care.
