Find the Yellowjackets trailer here,and other reviews done by the Voyager staff here.
The Basics
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve seen a show featuring a group of teenage girls stranded after a devastating plane crash, I’d have two nickels. “Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.”
Showtime’s Yellowjackets is a psychological drama available on various platforms, including Paramount+, Showtime, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
The show originally aired in 2021, with its second season premiering in 2023.
Set in 1996 and the present day, it follows a high school women’s soccer team whose plane crashes en route to a national championship game.
Stranded in the wilderness, the girls—along with a few male characters, including coaches and their sons—must learn to survive while waiting for rescue.
The premise isn’t unheard of. A notable comparison is Lost, which aired from 2004 to 2010, featuring some big name actors and actresses like Evangeline Lily, Ian Somerhalder and Henry Ian Cusick. The cast was desperately trying to survive on a deserted island.
Another similar show is The Wilds on Prime Video, where a group of teenage girls en route to a wellness retreat crashes on a tropical island.
Yellowjackets carries an air of mystery and an almost supernatural vibe. Early episodes introduce unsettling images of figures in animal pelts and a mysterious character with a crown of deer antlers. As the story unfolds, bizarre occurrences start to unravel the sanity of the soccer team.
The series isn’t just for teens; it features a large cast showcasing two timelines. The adult versions of the teens deal with the traumatic events from nearly 25 years ago, which resulted in the brutal deaths of their friends. Themes of love, loss, and murder permeate both timelines, ensuring plenty to keep you engaged.
The Review
I discovered Yellowjackets only last week and binge-watched the entire first season in just two days—classes were the only thing that slowed me down! Here are my thoughts:
- Familiar Yet Compelling: While the premise may feel overdone, Yellowjackets offers a gripping narrative that deserves a chance.
- Dual Timelines: The interplay between past and present provides strong context, although some episodes lean too heavily on the present. Personally, I found myself more engaged with the past timeline, likely due to my closer age to the teens than the adults in their forties.
- Character Development: The show introduces background stories for different characters on an episode-by-episode basis, but mid-season, it stalls, lacking development for characters who become significant later. Some characters appear unexpectedly, which can be confusing.
- Nostalgic and Eerie: The introduction evokes strong 90s vibes, complemented by an unsettling soundtrack that enhances the overall creepiness of the series.
- Predictable Yet Surprising: While some moments are predictable, they often come with twists to subverts expectations.
Overall, I’d rate Yellowjackets a solid seven out of ten. It’s an excellent choice for fans of Lost and The Wilds, with cross-generational appeal that resonates with Gen X as well. The series has garnered critical acclaim and features a star-studded cast, including Christina Ricci, Ella Purnell, and Courtney Eaton.
For an engaging mix of survival drama, psychological tension, and supernatural intrigue, Yellowjackets is definitely worth a watch!
