Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Showtime series Yellowjackets, as well as discussions of drugs, suicide, abuse, and cannibalism.
The wilderness is an unforgiving place and it can turn even the nicest people into cruel monsters, as fans see in Showtime’s Yellowjackets. Even teenagers are capable of heinous actions if it means surviving for another day.
The adult counterparts of the titular Yellowjackets still carry their traumatic past with them, which can influence the choices they make in the present. Characters like Shauna and Natalie make grievous mistakes as adults that are inextricably linked to their time in the wilderness as teens. That said, most of the horrific things that have happened in the series so far occur in the woods, where only the plane crash survivors can judge and watch over each other.
Misty Quigley: Destroyed The Flight Recorder
Misty seems like she may become a hero when she first springs into action after the plane crash. Her Red Cross training pays off, as the group relies on her for first aid knowledge and survival skills. Her dark side is soon revealed when she realizes the attention and praise she’s getting from the team is worth more than any possibility of rescue.
As an outcast, the one thing she has always wanted is to be accepted, so she decides to destroy the flight recorder. It’s implied that it also doubles as a beacon and Misty knows this. She is, in large part, responsible for the horrors that happen in the wilderness, as they could have been rescued much sooner if Misty hadn’t been so greedy.
Travis Martinez: Slept With Jackie
Travis and Nat have something special, as the two survivors fall in love with each other and find that no one else can truly understand their struggles. Travis finds comfort through Nat’s words about her experiences with the death of her own abusive father and Nat is glad that he learns to accept and love her for who she is.
This is why it’s extremely disappointing to see Travis throw all of it away after a petty fight. He almost walked away from Jackie, but wasn’t smart enough to do so in the end. Only time will tell how the pair manage to repair their relationship after that blunder, but it has undoubtedly damaged their bond.
Ben Scott: Lied To Misty
Coach Ben may be the only adult stuck with the teens in the forest, but he’s far from being the most intelligent among them. Aside from his personal struggles with his identity, he finds it difficult to carry on after the plane crash, even admitting to the students that he wished he died instead.
His worst mistake is undoubtedly his decision to lie to Misty about his feelings for her, even if it is just to get her off his back. Fans know how vindictive Misty can be, so while viewers haven’t seen the repercussions of Ben’s admission, he’s likely going to pay for manipulating and leading her on in that way.
Jackie Taylor: Slept With Travis
Jackie is a classic teen drama character that viewers can instantly recognize as the “it girl.” She’s popular, pretty, and rich, but completely out of her element in the wilderness. After losing her status and the life she’s used to, Jackie doesn’t adjust as quickly as the other girls do in the great outdoors.
Things take a turn for the worse when she realizes Shauna slept with Jeff before the crash, which is more than enough reason for her to lash out and sleep with Travis, much to her best friend’s disapproval. It’s a frustrating move that will definitely have long-lasting effects on Nat and Travis’ relationship – only time will tell how the girls will treat Jackie after that mistake.
Laura Lee: Ignored Lottie’s Warnings
The deeply religious Laura Lee flew an old plane straight to her demise after believing that it’s her “purpose” to find help for the other survivors. Before that point, Lottie had already demonstrated that her visions can accurately predict the future, just like how she warns about the “river of blood.”
If Laura Lee had stopped to think about why Lottie saw an explosion behind the back of her head as she stood over the lake, she may have realized that it had nothing to do with religion at all. That said, her worst act mostly affects her and leaves the other teens physically unscathed but mentally traumatized.
Jeff Sadecki: Blackmailed The Survivors
Jeff’s story arc turns out to be one of the most shocking ones in the series that’s full of twists and turns. Far from being a typical passive and cheating husband, his jaw-dropping admission towards the end of the first season reveals that he’s the one blackmailing Nat, Misty, and indirectly, Shauna.
This has caused a world of trouble for the women, but impacts Shauna the most. She murdered Adam because she believed that he was responsible for stealing her journals and blackmailing the group, but the real culprit was right under her nose the whole time.
Lottie Matthews: Encouraged Murder
While Lottie’s creepy demonic possession and visions have been harmless for most of the first season, a few psychedelic shrooms push her over the edge and into dangerous territory. She’s not completely at fault for what she does after being unwittingly drugged by Misty, but she’s not blameless either.
When Lottie encourages Shauna to murder Travis in the forest, she’s obviously pushing her friend to do something they’ll all regret when they’re sober. Nat is a great example to use in this case, as despite ingesting the same shrooms they did, she doesn’t become aggressive or violent like Lottie. It’s isn’t too far-fetched to say it’s not the last time Lottie will cause bloodshed in the series.
Taissa Turner: Sleepwalked
Fans won’t soon forget the first time they ever saw Taissa sleepwalking, as the chilling image of her shoveling dirt into her mouth and staring emptily into space leaves a lasting impression. That isn’t the worst thing she does when she’s asleep though, as viewers may remember how she abandons her trekking group – an action that indirectly leads to a wolf attack.
Tai is obviously still guilty about abandoning her post, as even her adult counterpart is deeply affected by that mistake. When she starts sleepwalking around Sammy, she knows that she has to send her family away for their own safety.
Natalie Scatorccio: Used Kevyn Tan
There’s no shortage of badass female leads in Yellowjackets, but Nat is arguably the character fans associate with strength and skill. Her relationship with Travis progresses even after they’re rescued, although audiences have no idea what went on between the two of them until Travis’ suicide.
Whatever their partnership was like, it mattered enough to Nat for her to use and manipulate others like Kevyn to figure out who killed Travis. Fans likely felt bad for the lovestruck Kevyn who couldn’t help but be pulled in by Nat’s flirtation. It’s a ruthless strategy that backfires and irritates Nat, but she has no choice but to keep going to find the answers she needs.
Shauna Sadecki: Stabbed Adam
Shauna’s brief affair becomes disastrous when she lets her paranoia get the best of her. Stressed out by the blackmailer situation and completely oblivious about Jeff’s part in it, she wrongfully accuses Adam and ends up killing him in a fit of rage.
It’s hard to imagine how she must have felt at that moment, as her insecurities about Adam only wanting her for her Yellowjacket status bubbled to the surface. The way she grabs a knife as if in a trance transports her back to her experience in the wilderness and Adam is dead before she even realizes the gravity of what she’s doing. It’s a messy situation that should have never happened if she had taken a step back or if Jeff had come clean earlier.