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Episode Details

Episode Title: 12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis
Air Date: February 28, 2025
Network: Showtime
Director(s): Jennifer Morrison
Writer(s): Julia Bicknell, Terry Wesley

Recap

The People vs. Ben Scott: Ben, Taissa, Misty, Natalie, Shauna, Melissa

Ben knows the trial is a sham, but what can he do or say? Natalie, maybe in hopes of saving him, wants this trial to maybe lead to him just being banished again, but with Taissa as prosecutor and Misty forced to be Ben’s defense, what chance did he have? Well, for some time, a decent one.

To much surprise, Misty wasn’t terrible at presenting the idea anyone could have started the fire and perhaps planting the seed for later hatred, she even uses Shauna losing her baby as a means to mount her defense – painting the idea she wanted to punish everyone for not choosing her as their leader, and her grief. After all, as seen in past and present, Shauna loves to blame other people for what happens to her.

But, the best defense ends up being Ben reminding everyone all the times he could have ratted on them, ruined their teenage live in simple times, and admitting he failed them in the wilderness. This includes admitting, and apologizing to Shauna, when he failed her during the birth of her child. Yet, despite the apologies and reminders of when times were good, Shauna coerces a 2/3 majority to find him guilty.

I Have Nothing To Apologize For: Shauna, Jeff, Misty, Jackie, Randy, Callie

Jeff feels like his karma, and carefully tries to push his family karma is too, out of whack. So the idea was for them to do good together and Callie immediately clocks out of doing anything, even donating stuff to charity. But, undeterred, Jeff decides he and Shauna will volunteer where Randy is doing community service – and lo and behold it is Sunnyview, where Misty works.

Shauna, of course, hates this idea and with still being in her feelings, Misty confronts her multiple times. However, Shauna feels she has nothing to apologize for since she has written off Misty as the reason for her problems. Despite her brake line not being cut, but having a bad booster, she thinks Misty did something. When she accidentally gets locked in a deep freezer, and her panic conjures Jackie, she thinks Misty locked her in.

Heck, to show how bad the beef is, she even goes to report Misty at her job – only to learn Misty left hours ago and couldn’t have been the culprit. Thus making it seem, the taunting about karma and so much more Jackie put Shauna through, while in the deep freezer, could mean Shauna is still dealing with unresolved guilt.

Looking For Death In All The Wrong Places: Lottie, Taissa, Van, Misty, Walter

With wanting more time with Van, and Taissa thinking that fox from the last episode was a sign from the Wilderness, she contacts Lottie. This isn’t a topic Lottie really cares about. She has some money, got a refresh on her clothes, and she is heading somewhere, seemingly prepping to give an apology. It isn’t 100% clear to who, but she wants to apologize to someone and get the words down pat.

Unfortunately for her though, maybe to the benefit of Van, Lottie dies. Walter tells Misty, who likely will tell everyone else, and we see Lottie, in this underground space, laid out like someone pushed her and she hit her head hard enough to die.

Other Noteworthy Information

Taissa, after Shauna passes along the information, forces Natalie to admit she knew Ben was alive, potentially to undermine her leadership and set herself up to be next.
Melissa and Shauna share a public moment, intertwining fingers, after Shauna gets enough people to vote Coach Ben as guilty

Predictions

With Jackie hinting at things Shauna did once they came back, there is hope the 25 year gap may begin to be filled with more than noting who went to this or that school or got this or that job.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

Why didn’t anyone accuse Misty of starting the fire, considering she was presenting the idea anyone could have done it besides Coach Scott?

Review

Highlights

The Ballad of Coach Ben Scott [83/100]

With Coach Ben, I never found myself questioning why he decided to choose his job until this season with him pushing it was something to do after he got injured. But, in his impassioned speech, you get a real sense he cared for these girls and it helps you understand why Misty had a crush on him, why Natalie wanted to protect him, and also why some, like Shauna, were so hurt at the likelihood of him trying to kill them.

Considering some, like Natalie and Van, don’t necessarily have a healthy male figure in their life, between Travis’ dad and Coach Ben, they were the ones who took up that spot and him stepping back in their greatest time of need was probably hurtful. But, as Ben said, with losing a leg and the girls not only lessening his influence, but going beyond a place where he thought he could contribute, what could he seriously do?

I mean, at one point, he was dependent on them and rightfully of the mindset, after Javi, he could be next, considering who the Wilderness was choosing.

Shauna Having The Friend She Needs [84/100]

In my mind, Melissa to Shauna is what Crystal (whose name was uttered this episode) was to Misty. She is someone who gets Shauna, knows what to say at the perfect time, and allows her to be seen, without the spotlight feeling embarrassing. Which really makes me wonder, what happened to Melissa?

The stalker plot has been on ice, at least in terms of the stalker doing anything, and add in the brake situation not being an act of revenge, it further makes you wonder, what’s on that cassette?

Continued Jackie Appearances [80/100]

At this point, seeing Jackie is mainly a treat because we enjoy the actress who plays her. It’s been approximately 25 years since Jackie died so her still living rent free in Shauna’s head feels noteworthy but considering it took this long for them to have a conversation in modern times, never mind for Jackie to represent Shauna’s guilt? I’m not in the mindset of seeing this as something special.

However, I will note that with Jackie making it seem something happened once Shauna got back to Jersey, it feels like the first time anything notable has been said about what the Yellowjackets did, beyond school or work, after returning home. So hopefully that huge gap begins to get filled in.

On The Fence

Lottie’s Death [73/100]

I’m going to need them to give it meaning or else it will feel like it was purely about shock value. I get Taissa said the Wilderness wants another, and this likely means one of them, not someone like the waiter who died. But why Lottie?

Is it just because she isn’t latched onto someone like Van? Heck, with the possibility of Akilah, Melissa, and others being alive, couldn’t they have been built up and taken out? I know the Wilderness doesn’t have to explain itself, and technically can’t or won’t, but something about Lottie getting the boot just feels too cheap to be devastating and not frustrating.

Trajectory

Trajectory (80/100): Plateau

I don’t think anything new could be said about the trajectory of this season. The past still remains the most interesting part of the show, and the present day seems to be struggling, even with the talented actresses involved, to match the intrigue. This is what makes Lottie’s death seem desperate for there wasn’t much of a built to it. If anything, it felt like they didn’t know what to do with her, and with struggling with who they already had, a death made more sense. Especially so they could introduce someone new.

But, here is hoping between Shauna’s stalker and Jackie hinting that the gap between everyone’s time in the Wilderness and adult years being filled in, the show can remain steady, if not get better.

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