Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 8, “A Normal, Boring Life.”
TheYellowjacketstitle turns literal in season 3, episode 8 with visions of the insects appearing. Visions have been a vital part of the show’s story since season 1, especially where teenage Lottie (Courtney Eaton) is concerned. As the series progresses, an increasing number of characters have been experiencing visions as well. This includes a collective vision that teenage Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), Van (Liv Hewson), and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) experience duringYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 3’s ending, which features an appearance from their deceased teammate, Jackie (Ella Purnell).
InYellowjackets' present-day timeline, the adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) also has a vision of Jackie while trapped in a freezer during episode 4. In both the 1990s and in the present,Jackie’s death and the role Shauna played in it continues to haunt her. Especially as moreYellowjackets diein both timelines, it is unsurprising that Jackie still weighs heavily on Shauna’s mind. What is surprising are the giant yellowjackets that appear in Shauna’s episode 8 visions.
Shauna Sees Giant Yellowjackets Twice In Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 8
The Teenage And Adult Shauna See The Giant Yellowjackets
Shauna has a vision in a dream of her younger self, who is working as a cashier at a grocery store. During this vision, there is a group of giant yellowjackets stuck inside of one of the grocery store lights. They flutter their wings and fly around until the glass shatters, at which point Shauna wakes up. Later in the episode, teenage Shauna has a vision of one giant yellowjacket hovering above the head of Melissa (Jenna Burgess), and there is another glimpse of the other vision with the yellowjackets from earlier in the episode.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
Find out every song that plays as the stories of Shauna, Misty, and Taissa continue in Yellowjackets season 3’s past and present timelines.
WhileYellowjackets' two timelines often feel separate, they arguably feel more intertwined than ever in season 3. Both the teenage and adult Shauna having visions of yellowjackets in the same episode is a perfect example of this. In both instances, the past and the present feel as if they are blurring together despite the decades that should separate these moments. Itmakes the teenage and adult Shauna feel more like they are one characterinstead of two.
The Yellowjackets Symbolize Shauna
Image via Paramount+
In the episode’s first vision, Jackie is present in the grocery store, and when she looks up at the flickering, yellowjacket-infested light, she says,“They’re drawn to the light. Should’ve known better, don’t you think?“The yellowjackets seem to be a metaphor for Shauna and how she is drawn to making self-destructive choices. Just as the yellowjackets are drawn to the light despite it ultimately killing them, Shauna gravitates toward making deadly and harmful choices in this episode.
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Teenage Shauna makes the self-destructive choice to stay in the wilderness and ruin a potential shot at being rescued. Meanwhile, adult Shauna confrontsHilary Swank’s character, the adult version of Melissa. Shauna ends up attacking Melissa, tearing a chunk of skin out of her arm, and forcing Melissa to eat it. In both timelines, neither decision is going to end well, butShauna cannot help herself, and has a penchant for hurting herself and everyone around her inYellowjackets.
