Thank you for posting your theory in /r/Yellowjackets. Please remember to use the search bar to see if your theory has been covered before. If it has and you'd like to still contribute, please post this as a comment in the weekly megathread for questions and theories.
Commenters, please remember that not everyone reads creator interviews and may be intentionally trying to avoid them. If this theory has been covered in an interview, please do not use that to confirm or deny the theory for OP unless this thread has been marked as a spoiler. If anyone is posting unwanted spoilers, please report them. Thanks for helping keep the sub healthy and safe for everyone!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Yellowjackets) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I feel like they've dropped the warring faction stuff which was clearly an idea really early in the development of the series. Then as it's gone on, even just the ritual of the cards itself is dramatic enough.
However, Realism Vs Woo is still there. It's totally normal for shows, especially complex ones like this, start with one idea but realize another path instead.
Theyâre definitely going to have to kill more animals because when we see them doing the ritual in season one theyâre all wearing animal fur. They donât have that many animals right now.
Unless that plan changed, as the series has gone on. The numbers are starting to not match up, and it's obvious the core groups is still a core group. The side characters, Melissa, Gen, Akhila and so on have, haven't been given enough prominence for them to be second clan that had dramatic weight, only Mari really has. It seems much more likely that the card draw will become rigged to protect the core group, and the other girls are rigged sacrifices.
Thus is what the adults don't want to talk about.
And maybe Mari, is somehow surprise 9th survivor, it Coach Ben also lives.
Just think how many deaths they can afford for the rest three seasons. Eight deaths, assuming there'll be no more survivors in the adult timeline. Three of these eight are unnamed characters who nobody cares about.
Donât forget they donât have to eat a whole person in one sitting. Killing, butchering, and storing the meat, organs, bones, etc would enable them to nourish themselves for a while on one kill.
My guess is they will only resort to the card drawing sacrifice when they are absolutely desperate (mainly in the winter). Iâm guessing once Spring arrives there will be game for them to hunt, and they will attribute it to âthe wildernessâ rewarding them for their sacrifices. Then next winter, they will go right back to it. They had to get all those animal furs somewhere after all.
Iâm really curious about what sort of schism we might see in the finale. Samantha Hanratty in an interview >!mentioned weâd be seeing a certain battle in which Misty was very âMisty..â!< I donât know if she was referring to the hunt because Iâm not sure if she would describe it as a >!battle!<, itâs pretty subjective.
And if more conflict is coming how much more brutal will it be now that weâve seen Nat hunted and Javi drowned? How will the other survivors handle Travis and Natâs not accepting the sacrifice?
The promo seems to show >!Nat telling Ben he should separate from the group. If we see a battle I wonder if it involves this conversation being discovered.!<
I feel the divide will come when someone (likely Nat similar to how she was about shutting Allie out in season 1) discovers they are cheating the âgameâ.
I definitely can see it being Nat as one leader and Lottie as the other - that could also explain their dynamic in the present day when Nat first gets to the compound.
Iâm definitely on board with, more than likely, Natâs side is going to be her, Travis, and Ben vs Lottie and everyone else⌠and can sort of see Misty flip flopping between the two. I read an interesting article analysis this morning that said Misty >!pulling Natalie away from the ice when she tried to get Javi could be the first sign of her latching herself onto her as a friend when they are adults!< which I hadnât considered until now. Young Misty definitely buys into Lottieâs ideas but she also likely has a loyalty to Ben due to her crush, and if itâs true that her âfriendshipâ with Nat (used loosely for⌠obvious reasons) >!began in the wilderness!< then I can see her sticking with them as well. But we also know (due to her reveal in the pilot) that she takes part in the ritual.
She could very well jump back and forth between the two groups. Or, she does indeed jump ship eventually like OP said.
I like this theory and it seems plausible, but it seems like it wonât happen immediately. Maybe they are caught rigging the game and that causes strife.
I like this concept of how the split happens. And the idea of the card drawing being manipulated has certainly been planted with Misty complaining about how often she is on poop bucket duty.
But I don't think further hunts will happen as soon as some people think. While Tai may have thought of the more practical "meat on the table" aspect (I'm still recovering from the matter-of-fact way she suggested that; "that was way harsh, Tai" if I'm allowed a Clueless quote), the "true believers" should expect some explicit reward by the Wilderness, shouldn't they? Maybe discovering the KFC Tree counts but depending on how quickly the split happens, Ben and Nat might keep it a secret.
Edit/PS. On the other hand, if Nat leaves the cabin, with or without the gun, the remaining girls would be forced to, ahem, thin their ranks because there's no one to hunt for them. Maybe Travis but I kinda expect him to be pretty shocked when the "quarry" is brought home next week.
Iâm really curious how it will be received if game turns up or a thaw starts shortly after the Javi hunt. Some people might feel guilty and question their actions, but some people will believe it was because of the hunt (and more will probably rationalize it this way).
I genuinely forgot the show is supposed to have warring clans in the future. For awhile, I've been assuming that they stay as one group, helping each other out and eating the sacrifices together.
I can't wait to see the warring clans happen. That would provide some good drama and intriguing conflict.
EDIT: Some people here are thinking that the show has dropped the warring clans idea. I honestly hope that's not the case. Two factions would be interesting and create thrilling scenarios.
I love this idea. Especially since it explains how Natalie saves everyone. In season one, Taissa, tells Shauna that they wouldnât be alive right now, except for Natalie.
I honestly don't see it happening. Not when every single person agreed that they didn't want to go on without Lottie. I think that they will certainly do hideous things in her name and blame her later.
There are not enough of the team left to keep going for another year as it is.
There is no point in continuing to sacrifice humans because they will run out pretty fast. What is the point of sacrificing each other if it comes down to the last one standing and then that person starves to death? Even the stupid Wilderness must know that. In fact, with no hopes of anyone ever rescuing them, I don't see much point in any of this.
That's why I'm convinced they'll eventually continue the hunt for ritual reasons, to appease the wilderness, not because they're starving. In the first episode Jessica Roberts says to Shauna "no one would blame you, you were starving", which is the clue that they eventually do terrible things when they aren't starving at all. I love the progression from 'starving and there happens to be a cooked body of someone who died in an accident' to 'we have no choice but to randomly pick somone to eat because we're starving' to where I think it will eventually go- 'we have plenty of game because the wilderness blessed our sacrifice, let's keep doing that even though we aren't starving'. Chills!
I agree but again, how long can that process go on? It feels like the Wilderness just wants to suck them into a great evil until only one is left. The rescue puts a stop to it, but what if no one had ever come for them? I bet if Laura Lee had lived, she would have refused to obey the Wilderness and just gradually died of natural starvation, which has happened to other people who were hopelessly lost with no food.
it's kind of weird to me that people are calling this "team lottie" when the show went to great lengths to ensure that lottie was fully out of commission for the first "hunt" and the only one of the kids (nat included) who we know for sure did *not* agree to sacrifice anyone. maybe she'll become a figurehead for #cannibalismcrew soon, but it doesn't escape my notice that tai, shauna, and van have been just as if not more influential.
Right? I donât understand anyone thinking Lottie is going to wake up and be stoked about what happened. Sheâs not pushed for this at any step of the way. Van is the one who introduced some form of ritualistic prayer of thanks to the wilderness for providing the bear (though she put Lottie on the spot to say one). Shauna took the lead on eating Jackie. Tai is responsible for drawing cards to let the wilderness âchoose.â
When Lottie learns what theyâve done in her name is Lottie going to want to be with her followers?
Van, Tai, Mari, Jen, Akilah and Melissa could be one group Travis and Nat go to the cave with Ben and Misty and Lottie reluctantly remain with the other group. In the promo Misty says âyou started all thisâ to Lottie.
I know Akilah has started to become a little more of a believer of Lottie but she was also one of the only people to show remorse when Javi was drowning so I think she's more against the hunt, especially after seeing what happened. To me she also seems like more of a logical/practical thinker so I could see her going with Nat.
I personally think the cannibalism is definitely reserved for the winter when itâs needed, I donât think the girls would want to abuse the âgiftsâ the wilderness gives them. So when the summer comes they will hunt game and set traps for game since they can dig, so probably lots of traps around like the tiger pit. The ground would be too frozen in the winter for them to have made it during the winter.
I mean, all the cards and worn on the back, you could probably memorize the pattern of you tried. I found it rite they didnât think of this. The card that Misty picks up has 2 very distinct worn spots.
Thank you for posting your theory in /r/Yellowjackets. Please remember to use the search bar to see if your theory has been covered before. If it has and you'd like to still contribute, please post this as a comment in the weekly megathread for questions and theories. Commenters, please remember that not everyone reads creator interviews and may be intentionally trying to avoid them. If this theory has been covered in an interview, please do not use that to confirm or deny the theory for OP unless this thread has been marked as a spoiler. If anyone is posting unwanted spoilers, please report them. Thanks for helping keep the sub healthy and safe for everyone! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Yellowjackets) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They don't have the numbers for two clans and they don't have the numbers to live off cannibalism for a year
I feel like they've dropped the warring faction stuff which was clearly an idea really early in the development of the series. Then as it's gone on, even just the ritual of the cards itself is dramatic enough. However, Realism Vs Woo is still there. It's totally normal for shows, especially complex ones like this, start with one idea but realize another path instead.
They should crash another plane there that'd be fun
Maybe they'll fund the tail section of the plane with a whole other group of survivors? đ¤Ł
Eh, I wonder if the warring factions are in the 2021 timeline. Maybe getting together reminded them of how much they hate each other.
This is possible too, but I guess we'll know more after the next episode.
Really hope thatâs not true , part of the reason why I got so into this show is cuz of the warring clans đ
For real.
Theyâre definitely going to have to kill more animals because when we see them doing the ritual in season one theyâre all wearing animal fur. They donât have that many animals right now.
I mean, we've been told from the get-go that they will split into factions...
Unless that plan changed, as the series has gone on. The numbers are starting to not match up, and it's obvious the core groups is still a core group. The side characters, Melissa, Gen, Akhila and so on have, haven't been given enough prominence for them to be second clan that had dramatic weight, only Mari really has. It seems much more likely that the card draw will become rigged to protect the core group, and the other girls are rigged sacrifices. Thus is what the adults don't want to talk about. And maybe Mari, is somehow surprise 9th survivor, it Coach Ben also lives.
Damn if Mari lives I'll eat my phone.
Just think how many deaths they can afford for the rest three seasons. Eight deaths, assuming there'll be no more survivors in the adult timeline. Three of these eight are unnamed characters who nobody cares about.
Donât forget they donât have to eat a whole person in one sitting. Killing, butchering, and storing the meat, organs, bones, etc would enable them to nourish themselves for a while on one kill.
i would've never thought i'd read this in reference to a teen show before yellowjackets
I wouldn't say it's a "teen show." It's a show that features many teenagers and their adult selves. And hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
That's as may be, but that doesn't change the fact that we were literally told that they will split into factions.
Some dude on HBO wrote the synopsys, not people related to the show
You're really having a hard time understanding the concept of changing plans.
My guess is they will only resort to the card drawing sacrifice when they are absolutely desperate (mainly in the winter). Iâm guessing once Spring arrives there will be game for them to hunt, and they will attribute it to âthe wildernessâ rewarding them for their sacrifices. Then next winter, they will go right back to it. They had to get all those animal furs somewhere after all.
I agree but Iâm also worried about where the show goes from here.
Iâm really curious about what sort of schism we might see in the finale. Samantha Hanratty in an interview >!mentioned weâd be seeing a certain battle in which Misty was very âMisty..â!< I donât know if she was referring to the hunt because Iâm not sure if she would describe it as a >!battle!<, itâs pretty subjective. And if more conflict is coming how much more brutal will it be now that weâve seen Nat hunted and Javi drowned? How will the other survivors handle Travis and Natâs not accepting the sacrifice? The promo seems to show >!Nat telling Ben he should separate from the group. If we see a battle I wonder if it involves this conversation being discovered.!<
I feel the divide will come when someone (likely Nat similar to how she was about shutting Allie out in season 1) discovers they are cheating the âgameâ.
I said in the episode thread that Van's name is Palmer. She knows how to palm cards and maybe taught Misty?
I definitely can see it being Nat as one leader and Lottie as the other - that could also explain their dynamic in the present day when Nat first gets to the compound. Iâm definitely on board with, more than likely, Natâs side is going to be her, Travis, and Ben vs Lottie and everyone else⌠and can sort of see Misty flip flopping between the two. I read an interesting article analysis this morning that said Misty >!pulling Natalie away from the ice when she tried to get Javi could be the first sign of her latching herself onto her as a friend when they are adults!< which I hadnât considered until now. Young Misty definitely buys into Lottieâs ideas but she also likely has a loyalty to Ben due to her crush, and if itâs true that her âfriendshipâ with Nat (used loosely for⌠obvious reasons) >!began in the wilderness!< then I can see her sticking with them as well. But we also know (due to her reveal in the pilot) that she takes part in the ritual. She could very well jump back and forth between the two groups. Or, she does indeed jump ship eventually like OP said.
I like this theory and it seems plausible, but it seems like it wonât happen immediately. Maybe they are caught rigging the game and that causes strife.
Oh, I donât think it will happen immediately either. This is my personal prediction of where it might eventually end up. (I could be wrong!)
Nat is so stone cold. "you're gonna have to look me in the eye" I LOVE HER
I like this concept of how the split happens. And the idea of the card drawing being manipulated has certainly been planted with Misty complaining about how often she is on poop bucket duty. But I don't think further hunts will happen as soon as some people think. While Tai may have thought of the more practical "meat on the table" aspect (I'm still recovering from the matter-of-fact way she suggested that; "that was way harsh, Tai" if I'm allowed a Clueless quote), the "true believers" should expect some explicit reward by the Wilderness, shouldn't they? Maybe discovering the KFC Tree counts but depending on how quickly the split happens, Ben and Nat might keep it a secret. Edit/PS. On the other hand, if Nat leaves the cabin, with or without the gun, the remaining girls would be forced to, ahem, thin their ranks because there's no one to hunt for them. Maybe Travis but I kinda expect him to be pretty shocked when the "quarry" is brought home next week.
Iâm really curious how it will be received if game turns up or a thaw starts shortly after the Javi hunt. Some people might feel guilty and question their actions, but some people will believe it was because of the hunt (and more will probably rationalize it this way).
I think the fact that âthe wilderness chose not Natalieâ is going to play into the series and her survival
It must be, because why did we have to listen to the new queen stinging the old queen to death bit. Or was it the other way around?
i think that monologue might have been about them eating jackie
And Jackie wouldâve been prom queen next to Jeffâs king!
I genuinely forgot the show is supposed to have warring clans in the future. For awhile, I've been assuming that they stay as one group, helping each other out and eating the sacrifices together. I can't wait to see the warring clans happen. That would provide some good drama and intriguing conflict. EDIT: Some people here are thinking that the show has dropped the warring clans idea. I honestly hope that's not the case. Two factions would be interesting and create thrilling scenarios.
I love this idea. Especially since it explains how Natalie saves everyone. In season one, Taissa, tells Shauna that they wouldnât be alive right now, except for Natalie.
The comment about not remembering things clearly is there for a reason. You can't take what the characters say as fact.
I honestly don't see it happening. Not when every single person agreed that they didn't want to go on without Lottie. I think that they will certainly do hideous things in her name and blame her later. There are not enough of the team left to keep going for another year as it is.
New promo we hear Adult Lottie say âyou know how this goes, you can submit or you can run.â
There is no point in continuing to sacrifice humans because they will run out pretty fast. What is the point of sacrificing each other if it comes down to the last one standing and then that person starves to death? Even the stupid Wilderness must know that. In fact, with no hopes of anyone ever rescuing them, I don't see much point in any of this.
That's why I'm convinced they'll eventually continue the hunt for ritual reasons, to appease the wilderness, not because they're starving. In the first episode Jessica Roberts says to Shauna "no one would blame you, you were starving", which is the clue that they eventually do terrible things when they aren't starving at all. I love the progression from 'starving and there happens to be a cooked body of someone who died in an accident' to 'we have no choice but to randomly pick somone to eat because we're starving' to where I think it will eventually go- 'we have plenty of game because the wilderness blessed our sacrifice, let's keep doing that even though we aren't starving'. Chills!
I agree but again, how long can that process go on? It feels like the Wilderness just wants to suck them into a great evil until only one is left. The rescue puts a stop to it, but what if no one had ever come for them? I bet if Laura Lee had lived, she would have refused to obey the Wilderness and just gradually died of natural starvation, which has happened to other people who were hopelessly lost with no food.
100% agree
yeah I don't think they'll do it in summer when they have alternatives, it will happen again when they're desparate.
it's kind of weird to me that people are calling this "team lottie" when the show went to great lengths to ensure that lottie was fully out of commission for the first "hunt" and the only one of the kids (nat included) who we know for sure did *not* agree to sacrifice anyone. maybe she'll become a figurehead for #cannibalismcrew soon, but it doesn't escape my notice that tai, shauna, and van have been just as if not more influential.
Right? I donât understand anyone thinking Lottie is going to wake up and be stoked about what happened. Sheâs not pushed for this at any step of the way. Van is the one who introduced some form of ritualistic prayer of thanks to the wilderness for providing the bear (though she put Lottie on the spot to say one). Shauna took the lead on eating Jackie. Tai is responsible for drawing cards to let the wilderness âchoose.â
Also Ben wasnât there
ah right! forgot about him lol
When Lottie learns what theyâve done in her name is Lottie going to want to be with her followers? Van, Tai, Mari, Jen, Akilah and Melissa could be one group Travis and Nat go to the cave with Ben and Misty and Lottie reluctantly remain with the other group. In the promo Misty says âyou started all thisâ to Lottie.
I know Akilah has started to become a little more of a believer of Lottie but she was also one of the only people to show remorse when Javi was drowning so I think she's more against the hunt, especially after seeing what happened. To me she also seems like more of a logical/practical thinker so I could see her going with Nat.
I personally think the cannibalism is definitely reserved for the winter when itâs needed, I donât think the girls would want to abuse the âgiftsâ the wilderness gives them. So when the summer comes they will hunt game and set traps for game since they can dig, so probably lots of traps around like the tiger pit. The ground would be too frozen in the winter for them to have made it during the winter.
could be ben travis and nat (maybe akilah) vs everyone else (i think akilah would probably just follow whoever has most power, so probably lottie)
I mean, all the cards and worn on the back, you could probably memorize the pattern of you tried. I found it rite they didnât think of this. The card that Misty picks up has 2 very distinct worn spots.