‘Yellowjackets’ S3, Ep. 4 Recap: That's Power

Even if Yellowjackets hit a snag with “Them’s The Breaks, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” feels like it gets things going again—at least from the standpoint of the past timeline. There’s a trial that personifies more than Coach Ben’s guilt and innocence concerning who burned down the cabin, a shocking death, and the personification of karma in discussion and perhaps psychosis. At least in the present storyline, the deck is being reshuffled to have each of the four survivors on side missions.

The most intriguing aspect of the fourth episode is the trial and all its layers. As we come to find out in most of the contentious testimony, it’s more the feelings surrounding Coach Ben’s abandonment and perceived shame rather than the alleged arson and “multiple attempted murder” charge. I don’t think anybody can objectively believe that Ben was the one who did it. Did the second season finale show him in a compromising flame to throw us off the scent? Yes, probably. This trial itself was more about getting grievances off the ground and effectively setting the table for the Shauna/Natalie power struggle with the group.

L-R: Melanie Lynskey as Shauna and Ella Purnell as Teen Jackie in Yellowjackets, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, 2025. Photo Credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.

First off, as the defense council member, Misty was a great choice as she feverishly came to Ben’s defense. She wasn’t ready for Shauna to pull out the “Nat knew where Ben was all along” trump card, Shauna would later tell Tai. Boy, Tai needed it because her prosecution was dead in the water. Honestly, Mari completely turning on Ben wasn’t out of left field. She’s an opportunist who will save herself in case things go south. Tai may have been leading, but Shauna was pulling the strings of anger towards Ben.

As Misty thoroughly explains, Shauna’s angst is for a variety of reasons; she’s upset that Natalie was chosen, that Ben left her during childbirth, and that she was the one who had to carve up Javi’s body for the offering. (not to mention seeing her best friend die and eating her after). That’s a hell of a lot of burden someone has to carry – especially from the standpoint of trying to survive after a plane crash. Instead of looking to her fellow survivors for help, she’s full of rage all the time.

Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie in Yellowjackets, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, 2025. Photo Credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.

Misty also points out that it really could have been anyone. But instead of leaving things there, Shauna inflicts her need to take things out on someone to change votes. Overall, the group feels shamed by Ben because he wants to leave them in the first place. Before defending him, Misty had a moment to question why he would want to do that. I wouldn’t blame you for doing the same thing if you saw what Ben saw. But as time goes on and the mysticism of the supposite “entity” (or gas) digs into the group’s consciousness more, there is no room for non-believers. It’s why Shauna was able to sway voters to her side.

“You feel that? That’s power.” Listen to Melissa being an instigator!

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In the present timeline, Tai is adamant about spending more time with Van. Thus, they almost resign themselves to being serial killers to do so. The way they do it is practically non-sensical. A random man picks up the queen of hearts card on the sidewalk. Is this the entity leading him to that? Probably not! But with desperate times come desperate measures. Ultimately, they don’t go through with it because why do you have to resort to committing murder? However, if they don’t do something, Van will get sicker.

The best part of the present storyline in “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” is Shauna’s brief interaction with her hallucination of Jackie in the freezer. Jeff brought up karma, and both needed to install good juju. They should probably be more on top of their break maintenance, but sure, karma. Jackie, perhaps Shauna’s thoughts, mentioned something she did once she got rescued. To stick the knife even further, “Jackie” says she’s the most interesting about Shauna. It also ties back to what Misty said about Shauna having a life where she cooks for her family all day. In the past, her younger self was a doer. Hell, she got everybody to vote to render Ben guilty. Today, somebody is out to get her, and Shauna is going through the motions. It will be interesting to see if she breaks out her more furious nature as an adult.

Sadly, by the end of the fourth episode, Lottie is no longer with us. That marks another adult survivor besides Natalie and Travis who have bit the dust. She’s seen practicing an apology to someone in the mirror and walking out of a bank with a deposit slip. Was she anticipating something happening to her? Yellowjackets does the best with duality when it comes to the timelines. It felt like the show was only scratching the surface of present-day Natalie. Now, the “spiritual” connector of the show is gone.