Yellowjackets S2 Finale: Something Is A Little Off About That Last Scene
Contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 9 of "Yellowjackets"
The gap between the past and present has grown even smaller in the closing chapter of "Yellowjackets" Season 2 as the shelter for our remaining survivors literally went up in flames. For reasons that have yet to be confirmed (we've got our eye on you, Coach), the survivors' makeshift home was burned to the ground, leaving us wondering just how worse things actually got for the Yellowjackets before they returned to civilization.
It's undoubtedly a pivotal moment in the past for the remaining survivors, and while we've yet to point fingers about who is responsible, it's the reaction from those that witnessed it that is worth discussing.
In one of the final shots, the group is bathed in the light from the fire, distraught by what's happened and understandably fearful of what they will do now. Well, all except one. While the cries fill the night, one person is almost smiling at the image, and it's one who seemingly has bent the most to the will of the wilderness.
Almost laughing at the scenario was Lottie (Courtney Eaton), bruised and having recently stepped back to let Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) become the new Antler Queen (long live the queen, right?). So why the smile? Well, the answer could very well be in the wilderness.
Lottie couldn't hear the wilderness, and the wilderness may have heard
Before the past and present collided with the crowning of young Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) and her death in the present (farewell, Juliette Lewis), past Lottie revealed she had stopped hearing the wilderness, believing it was because everyone else was finally listening to it. Her job was seemingly done. That theory might well be burned, though, following the cabin's destruction.
Could the new power shift be seen as a curse on the survivors? That they chose poorly, and Lottie taking the lead again would be seen as the better option? This could be the reason for her smile and mean that she's seen (or heard) "its" message, as their only safe haven was being turned to cinders. Alternatively, it could be for a recent action that they're all guilty of, even if it left them all a little full.
With Javi (Luciano Leroux) being the latest to end up on the chopping block for the Yellowjackets in place of Natalie, this could be the punishment for the rest of the group for sending the wrong lamb to the slaughter; a burning message that Lottie hears loud and clear, hence the smile among the madness. Either way, there's a high chance that the survivors of the past will be looking to her for guidance, which could cause a rift in the group next season. For now, we can only wait and let things simmer over, probably before someone else does.