Kailey Schwerman/Showtime
Remember that electrifying moment that closed the last episode of Yellowjackets? The one when—after six(!) whole episodes apart—the old crew finally came back together again? Close your eyes and think about how thrilling that was, how much promise was contained in one powerful shot. Adult Lottie strode over to her old friends, in a fantastic aerial shot, revealing the mysterious cult symbol mowed into the land of her compound. There was suspense, there was excitement, and there was a hint that Yellowjackets Season 2 might actually be going somewhere. Hell, that it might be going anywhere.
Remember this moment as well as the disappointment you may feel. It will be a crucial bit of clarity to take with you.
Episode 7, “Burial,” comes on the heels of last week’s fantastic installment—particularly its haunting final shot, where Sophie Nélisse stares right into our eyes, pleading us to hear the cries from Teenage Shauna’s baby that would never come. Looking back, it almost feels like Nélisse was begging us viewers to hold on a little bit longer, making a silent pact with us that she would try her damnedest to exceed the material that she and the rest of the cast has been saddled with this season. While I certainly can’t fault Nélisse’s bold and courageous work, everything about “Burial” feels like an injustice to what she pulled off last week.