Yellowjackets: Season 3 Episode 8 – Recap/ Review

Who Hillary Swank is playing gets revealed, as the Yellowjackets of the past dream of what they’ll do first when they get home.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

Episode 8 “A Normal, Boring Life” Details

Air DateMarch 28, 2025
NetworkShowtime
DirectorAnya Adams
WriterJulia Bicknell

Links

Recap

You Want To Stay Here?: Akilah, Travis, Kodi, Lottie, Shauna, Taissa, Van, Hannah

To much surprise, not everyone wants to go home. For Lottie it partly makes sense, because it means being medicated again, feeling like an outsider, and while her influence is already waning amongst her team, it would be gone back in New Jersey. Shauna too, recognizing how much she has changed, flourished, maybe gotten away with more than she would back in Jersey, ends up also wanting to stay behind, and then Taissa.

As you can imagine, this is perplexing for those like Van, but Van also finds herself pushed to question what is there to go home to. With that, even though Akilah set up Kodi, her and Travis to be found, and go back for the others, now there is a need to question, when the rescue team finally did show up, what made that situation different from this one – besides what Kodi and Hannah could reveal?

Falling In Love With A Crazy Woman: Misty, Jeff, Taissa

As Misty riles up Jeff over Shauna abandoning everyone, Taissa is trying to figure out a way for Van to get back to getting better, living longer, and killing someone seems like the only option. But, only Dark Taissa seems capable, or willing, so it seems Taissa might get locked away for a while.

Don’t You Want To Be Free Of This: Melissa, Shauna

Melissa (Hillary Swank)

So, despite Shauna making it sound like Melissa died, with viewers led to assume Kodi’s bow killed her, she somehow survived that. However, it was assumed by everyone that, after returning home, Melissa committed suicide – mainly due to getting close to Hannah, having that tape, and it haunting her forever. But, with faking suicide came creating a new persona named Kelly, and trying to make a new life.

Shauna, despite her own efforts to reinvent herself, looks down at Melissa’s reinvention and shifts the accusations she was formerly aiming at Misty to Melissa, who denies it all. The only thing she did was give Shauna the tape and a message, a message which Callie didn’t pass on. Shauna remains in disbelief, and with coming, ready for a fight, and Melissa poking holes in the life Shauna believes she has, the two tussle and Shauna bites off a piece of Melissa and ends the episode trying to force her to eat it.

Thus showing that, while Melissa may truly have changed or evolved, Shauna has only put a mask on.

Cast and Characters

Introduced Character(s)Actor
MelissaHillary Swank

Review

Trajectory (79/100): Plateau

Highlights

The Unreliable Narrative [81/100]

I’m a bit torn on it being presented that Shauna and the rest can’t be relied on for the truth, and not because they lied. On one hand, learning Melissa did survive is excellent, even if it meant largely dispelling most of what Shauna presented as a potential stalker as coincidences. But, at the same time, as we’re learning about with the frog thing, it could be a lot of what the Yellowjackets has gone through was never some spiritual or weird stuff going on, but just their collective ways of processing trauma.

Now, granted, Taissa, Akilah, and Lottie may have something different going on but let’s not discount Akilah has been inhaling fumes to have visions, it is recommended for Lottie to have medication, and Taissa has her own situation which may also call for medication. So while these three do push the idea there could still be something special going on, we can’t discount Taissa and Lottie had premonitions and other things going on before the plane crash, and Akilah’s visions have been highly dependent on fumes.

Hinting Further What Happened After Rescue [85/100]

The closer we get to the rescue the closer we get to the next major arc for the 90s version of the Yellowjackets, how they deal with getting back home. How do you go from killing people, animals, independence and even being openly queer, to going back to a society where a lot of the talents you gained, you can’t even utilize the same and some aren’t transferable? Never mind, there is no longer the need for a survival mindset, so how does it work to transfer over?

As shown through Natalie and Travis, drugs ended up being how they got through things, and it should be interesting to see how their downfall began. Misty somehow ended up in medicine, Shauna got back with Jeff, despite their history, and Jackie’s death, and there are so many other stories I hope we get to see as the series comes to it’s scheduled conclusion.

Jeff’s Take On His Wife [82/100]

I don’t think enough credit is given to Jeff. He knows Shauna is crazy and despite that, he has been with her for at least two decades in total and will still take her out to meet people, own that is the woman he loves if it doesn’t go well, and while he can certainly be flawed, as of late, he has tried to be a good dad and partner.

Now, could he do more? Maybe in the eyes of some. But I think considering the situation he is in, he is doing better than expected.

Melissa [83/100]

Now, I should note there is always a certain high which comes from a recognizable name, be it the actor or character, join the adults. But, I think what helps Melissa stand out is she is getting a roll out where she isn’t thrusted into the mix but just had Shauna to contend with. Never mind, they were at a stalemate, trading low blows, and Melissa trying to defend her past choices and current life.

In many ways, I don’t feel like Van or Lottie really got the same ability to be reintroduced and really bridge that gap. Van has been stuck as Taissa’s ex to now current girlfriend. Lottie got stuck in being the eccentric weirdo turned cult-leader. She could have gotten some layers through interacting with Callie, but that got cut short.

So with Melissa, having her explain the tape situation, her marrying Hannah’s daughter, raising a kid with Alex, her faked suicide, and reinvention, then filling in gaps regarding her relationship with Shauna? Such as pushing the idea their relationship in the past was based on fearing Shauna, maybe wanting her protection because she was in a power position, than truly loving her? That is the type of stuff I want and crave. Make these adults and all they’ve went through notable. Build noteworthy connections between who they were then and are now for as much as it is has been decades since they were in the wilderness, it isn’t like a strong part of this show isn’t focused on what drastically altered their life.

On The Fence

You’re Telling Me They Stayed Another Winter Because Of Visions? [74/100]

It’s honestly time for a time jump in the past. While the 90s versions of characters has held “Yellowjackets” down from the beginning, the more it is teased regarding life after returning and what we see in the present, or near present, the more it becomes clear we can’t go another season in the wilderness. The gap has to be closed and hopefully, likely in season 4 at this point, maybe half of the season will be about the final months and the other the first few. Maybe with it ending when Shauna got pregnant with Callie.

Dark Taissa [73/100]

I feel like the people behind “Yellowjackets” think Dark Taissa is more interesting than she is. Granted, a lot of the mysteries in the show haven’t led to great or astonishing reveals and as interesting as Dark Taissa could be, she has consistently fallen flat. But, her potentially killing someone could get her a rare cool point rather than just being a entity who is a bit weird but barely worth taking note of.

“Yellowjackets” Guide

TV Shows We’re Covering This Season

Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.

Listed Under Categories:
Related Tags: , , , , ,

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.