Our Favorite ‘Yellowjackets’ Fan Theories
Editor’s note: this post contains heavy spoilers for Yellowjackets.
Yellowjackets has given me a reason to love Sundays again. Every week, I count down the days until a new episode airs. We’ve come full circle to having episodes air every week instead of having whole seasons drop at once. And honestly? Yellowjackets benefits from having a week between episodes so we can digest and ruminate about what’s unfolding on screen. Who is the blackmailer? When do the girls start eating people? Do they actually eat people? This show is incredible at lulling you into a false sense of security, then quickly pulling the rug out.
There are so many theories floating around the internet, especially on the Yellowjackets subreddit. Between lurking on the subreddit, my own theories, and what’s been discussed in various group chats, here are a few of my favorite theories about what’s to come in the Showtime series.
Adam is actually Javi and the blackmailer.
This is the theory I’ve personally latched on to from the first episode of Yellowjackets. And how could you not at least suspect Adam’s motives? He appeared at just the right time to seduce Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) just days before the blackmail threats started rolling in. So at the very least, he has something to do with that plot. In the episode eight trailer, Shauna is shown finding glitter in her closet. The masked man they chased in episode seven knocked over a barrel of glitter, so he’d be covered in it. Then, Adam was forced to hide in Shauna’s closet to keep her husband from finding out about their affair. Adam may just be the one shedding glitter and giving away his identity.
But why could he be Javi, Travis’ younger brother and one of the survivors? First, we have no idea about Javi’s fate yet. Did he survive? No one’s said either way. Javi’s also shown to have an attraction to Shauna while they’re stranded in the wilderness. He may just be trying to get back in her good graces. Or he’s trying to get revenge for whatever unfolded in the woods. Did these four survivors do him dirty? Also, he has that giant mountain tattoo on his back, which could commemorate their time in the wilderness. I’d love to see a stick-and-poke tattoo scene, but that’s just me. But that tattoo could also symbolize something else…
Adam is part of the forest cult and may in fact still be a cannibal.
This one comes from our own Drew Tinnin and I hadn’t even considered it. To him, that back tattoo is either a map of a cult symbol. Yellowjackets opens with a ritual where a group of probably the girls is wearing furs and strange masks while sitting in a circle of lit torches. This foreshadows either a new religion or cult being born in the wilderness as a method of survival. Some have suggested they may even be engaging in sacrifice. Perhaps Adam is the son of one of the survivors who still subscribes to the cult’s beliefs. Or, what if he’s Shauna’s son that was taken from her by the cult? This would take their relationship to a grotesque level. But after seeing what this show is capable of, it may not be out of the realm of possibility.
Jeff is the blackmailer.
Going back to the glitter in the closet, it could also be from Jeff, Shauna’s husband, who comes home late after a supposed delivery at the furniture store where he works. He takes off his shirt and throws it on the floor, then into the hamper, which could also spread glitter in the closet. It’s been heavily implied that Jeff’s having an affair as he stays out late and was seen leaving a hotel with another woman. But could it be that simple in Yellowjackets? With Shauna not receiving a postcard, it’s either her or him and I just can’t believe Shauna is behind this. Emily Gagne proposed a theory that perhaps Jeff and Jackie, who dated as teens, are in cahoots, sending the postcards and blackmailing Natalie, Taissa, Shauna, and Misty. While unlikely, I love the idea of this kind of twist.
Van is still alive.
Well, this one may not be so groundbreaking, but she’s definitely alive. Right? Episode seven ended with Van getting her face torn open by a pack of wolves and she seems to be dead. That lifeless stare is convincing enough. But, in preview and teaser videos, she’s shown with a giant patch across the side of her face that was mauled. Honestly, that’s a nightmare to have a massive wound with no access to antibiotics. What would be even better is if she’s still alive and makes an appearance either later this season or in the next with a gnarly scar across her face.
Jackie is still alive.
I desperately hope this one is true, mostly because it would be a game-changer. Yes, Shauna and Jeff had breakfast with Jackie’s parents in memory of Jackie. But they never say if she died, ran away or disappeared. It just seems too straightforward to have Jackie just be dead. While she does appear to Shauna in visions, it could just be a manifestation of Shauna’s guilt. Some speculate that Jackie somehow separated from the group and still lives in the wilderness. Others think she stayed on purpose and leads a cult of survivors. And then some think she was the first victim of the group’s supposed cannibalism. Only time will tell, but I bet an end-of-season twist involves Jackie.
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