Tamal Kundu
‘Yellowjackets’ is a horror-drama series that revolves around a group of elite young women soccer players stranded in a snowy setting for 19 months after their plane crashes. Desperate to survive, they let go of their humanity and embrace savagery. ‘Yellowjackets’ is an unconventional show. It amalgamates themes from movies such as ‘Alive’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’ to create a terrifying rendition of survival horror.
The show is filled to the brim with memorable imageries in its pilot episode. In the opening scene, a girl is shown attempting to escape in the woods from an invisible group of assailants. If you are wondering what really happened in the woods in ‘Yellowjackets,’ we got you covered.
What Happened in the Woods in Yellowjackets?
The opening sequence depicts the murder of a young girl by her former teammates. The Yellowjackets are the pride of not only their Wiskayok High School but also their entire New Jersey town. But exposed to the harsh landscape after the crash, they begin to make certain horrible decisions. They split up into warring clans that hunt each other for food. The opening sequence seems to be one such hunt organized by Misty’s (Christina Ricci as adult and Sammi Hanratty as teenager) clan. They direct their victim toward a trap they have set up in the snow, leading to her death.
Afterward, they hang the body of the girl upside down, drain her blood, chop her into pieces, roast them, and eat. In the process, they presumably survive one more day in that environment.
Who Died in the Woods?
‘Yellowjackets’ makes heavy implications about the character who dies in episode 1. The victim has a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant around her neck. The last time we see the necklace is when Jackie (Ella Purnell) gives it to Shauna (Melanie Lynskey as adult and Sophie Nélisse as young) for good luck before the flight. Now, we know that the victim isn’t Shauna because she is alive in 2021 and married to Jeff, Jackie’s former boyfriend. This means that the victim is probably Jackie, at least, that’s what the show wants its audience to believe.
Every scene of ‘Yellowjackets is a testament to its creators’ love of misdirection and subversion of conventional plot points. They make you think that Shauna is romantically attracted toward Jackie before revealing that Shauna and Jeff are having an affair. So, while the hints might make us think that Jackie is the one who died in the woods, the answer can be quite different.
From the conversation between Shauna and Taissa at the diner, we know that there are more survivors beyond the four protagonists, and neither Taissa nor Shauna know where they are. Jackie can potentially be one of them. As for the necklace, we see how easily she gives it to Shauna. It’s possible that she gave it to someone else to help them get through the ordeal.
Jackie is a natural leader, chosen as the captain by her coach because she has the ability to positively influence people. If she is indeed dead and has been eaten by Misty and her clan, the conflict and deaths are bound to increase in the coming months.
Read More: Is Yellowjackets Based on a True Story?
