I Think Yellowjackets' Latest Episode Set Up A New Antler Queen And Hinted At Another Character's Doom

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't caught up with Yellowjackets' latest episode on Showtime or with a Paramount+ subscription.

With the punny title of "12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis," Yellowjackets' latest Season 3 episode was largely dedicated to the soccer squad putting Coach Ben on trial for allegedly burning down the cabin in the twist-filled Season 2 finale. It was quite the complicated affair that drew parallels to the characters' future lives, with Tai playing prosecutor and Misty as defense attorney, and Antler Queen Natalie presiding as ye merry judge.

In the end, a two-thirds majority of the jury ruled that Coach Ben was indeed guilty of endangering the occasional cannibals' lives by setting the fire that destroyed the group's former lodging. I'd fully bought into the notion that he was guilty before this episode, but his impassioned apology may have shifted my beliefs, for all the good that does.

I Think Shauna Will Take Over As Antler Queen

I absolutely love the haunting occult majesty on display as the honorable Natalie emerges from her hut, with the Antler Queen headpiece marking her leadership accordingly. But with her indiscretions coming to light regarding knowing that Coach was still alive and relatively well out there, others’ faith in her has wilted a bit. And where her influence weakens, Shauna’s manipulative hold on the group strengthens.

The episode made it seem as if Shauna was conjuring up some kind of dark Wilderness energy to wordlessly convince others to raise their hands and join her in cementing Coach’s guilty verdict. The way that the teens quickly changed sides without much hesitation was probably influenced more by a desire to not have Shauna hock loogies into their nightly meals, but my more speculative side would love to buy into the idea that their surroundings are governing their actions in part.

(Read more on my evolving theories about the trees and Wilderness.)

Given the way the present-day story has gone, Shauna obviously oozes main-character vibes and is a narrative anchor in both timelines. So it only makes sense that she would at some point hold the honor of being Antler Queen during the harrowing ‘90s arc. Especially at an age when she hasn’t entirely developed her sense of morals and predictive hindsight, and thus is more willing to do whatever it takes in whatever situation presents itself.

Plus, I don’t think that Yellowjackets would set up its Antler Queen in the past only to immediately kill the character off in the current day. Which means Natalie was never long for the role. And that almost unbelievable last-second shocker, where Misty finds the picture of a bloodied and seemingly dead Lottie, makes me think that Courtney Eaton’s character also isn’t destined for the metaphorical throne.

No, I think Shauna has her eyes on the prize, and will chew her way through whatever competition stands in opposition. I predict her reign will be long and joyous, and that it will result in choosing the mysterious Pit Girl from the show’s earliest moments.

I Think Anisa Harris' Robin Is Already Doomed

One of the rather unique issues Yellowjackets has dealt with is having a loose number of teen survivors to focus on, without having the screentime to devote to well over a dozen soccer gals right from the start. As such, the second and third seasons have added some teammates who seemingly weren't there in the early days, but are presumed to have been just sitting behind one big tree trunk or another.

In any case, new Season 3 recruit Anisa Harris already appears to be short for this relaxation-lite existence. Her character Robin emerged from the background in Episode 304 in a noticeable way, only not in one that added any relevant info or expanded anyone's familiarity with her. She did seem convincingly more distraught than others by what was playing out at the trial.

A handful of distinct moments featured Robin's distressed and sometimes sobbing face squared up and getting key camera focus. In each shot, she seems to be right next to Travis, which is possibly to set them up for some kind of temporary romance. But regardless of what happens between them, I think the fleeting moments we shared with Robin are indicative of her impending death.

Otherwise, if the point is just to build up the community's sense of unease, I'd see no reason to sharpen the focus specifically on her dismay more than once during the episode. And if I hadn't ever watched any other TV shows in my life, I might not think this was the case here, but television has featured many instances of sudden and heavy attention going to characters specifically so that their imminent exits mean more to viewers. Not sure how that'll happen with Robin beyond her sadness. but I'm waiting for it.

Yellowjackets airs new episodes every Sunday night on Showtime, with Paramount+ customers getting early-bird streaming drops on Fridays.