Real Women of Gaming

Dealing with trauma from childhood is an awful, difficult process. It is necessary, yet daunting. Some people have trauma that is almost unthinkable. For example, say you and your teammates were flying to a soccer championship. Your plane crashed somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, you weren’t rescued for over a year, and you had to survive. In winter. Without fresh food. How would you survive and how would you live with those decisions as you grew up?

That is what the now adults of the class of 1996 are dealing with in the show Yellowjackets. Well, that and a few other difficulties as well. 

Premiering in 2021, Yellowjackets is a thriller with lots of layers to sink your teeth into. High viewer ratings and a slightly frenzied fanbase, which I am now part of, made it unsurprising that the show was renewed for a second season. 

In 1996 a talented girls soccer team qualified for nationals. Spirits are high as they board the plane. Unfortunately, the plan crashes somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, leaving the team, the head coach’s sons, and one surviving coach hoping for rescue. In the present the adult survivors almost make you think that they are healed and well adjusted. Almost. 

The rest of the series tells multiple stories by flashing back and forth between the past and present. Slowly we are shown the horrors of the wilderness. Also the hardships of adulthood and trying to heal from the past. The stacked cast of both sets of characters do a phenomenal job. To tell stories in such a disjointed way can be difficult. Due to the writing and acting the audience is left wanting more.

The use of the soundtrack in this show in unparalleled. The switches from popular music, depending on the time period, to the sounds of the wilderness. This effect is not only jarring but sets the tone of every scene. Costuming is also very deliberate in not only showing characterization, but also the passage of time. Hair and makeup demonstrate how the team is becoming more ragged and–perhaps–more feral the longer they are cut off from society. The scenery changes from comfortable homes to of the wilderness where the team is stranded build a sense of anxiety for the audience. All of these tools are also used to give the viewer a glimpse into how the adults have changed. What they have taken and been unable to get rid of from their time in the wilderness.  

I think this show is just so clever, without spoiling anything. Everything from how Yellowjackets is shot to how stories are told. It really has everything. That being said, the show really does have everything in it, so please check triggers before starting. I, despite not wanting to, broke season one up so that if I felt my mental health dipping I would take a break. The show is funny and full of love but it also has a lot of hard things to watch. There are many difficult themes to sit with. While they are handled with a lot of care, these themes are not shied away from. So just be cautious going in, and take care of yourself during. 

I highly recommend Yellowjackets. I cannot wait to start the next two seasons. I have so many questions that need answers. However, Yellowjackets tends to answer questions in a manner that just leads to more questions…and gasps. 

I hope you will give this show a chance. It is always a treat to watch teenage girls go absolutely feral. 

ALWAYS KEEP SPARKLING!!!