Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3, “Them’s the Brakes,” boasts David Lynch-esque sequences toward the end that are an absolute blast. I love it when this series plunges into surreal territory, challenging its characters (and us viewers) to define what is and isn’t real. “Them’s the Brakes” is the best episode of Season 3 thus far, with an artful blend of the show’s signature dark humor and creepy, unsettling vibes. Side note: if anything happens to Akilah, I will riot. Maybe even torch a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness.
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Yellowjackets, “Them’s the Brakes”
We open with Mari (Alexa Barajas) sitting in Ben’s cave while singing her remix to “I’m Too Sexy.” It’s perfect. Mari’s got a future in song parodies. Ben (Steven Krueger) brings her dinner — it’s cooked bat. Bon appétit. Mari tries to cozy up to Ben to escape her captor. After all, she’s too sexy to be murdered (or remain trapped in a cave).
Mari’s flirting is in vain, though. Ben tells her he’s gay. He reminds her of the horrid things she said about him. She spread the rumor that he had “raging gonorrhea.” Mari also joked that “gym teacher” is Latin for “pervert failure.” When Ben moves to give Mari the rest of his bat, Mari grabs the bear spray on his person and maces him in the eyes. Ben does the same to her. Look at these two goofballs, macing each other in a cave.
Good News
In the present timeline, Van (Lauren Ambrose) learns that her cancer has stopped metastatizing. No growth. Could she go into remission? Is this because the Wilderness got what It wanted?
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Next, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) makes pancakes for Callie (Sarah Desjardins) and Lottie (Simone Kessell), who claims she needs to reset her gut after all the lard-y food they fed her in the mental facility. Callie is smitten with Lottie. Meanwhile, Misty (Christina Ricci) calls Shauna with intel from the night before. She also explains she had a master plan in mind. Sure, she was unconscious due to Callie’s allergy medication/booze cocktail, but don’t let that fool you. Misty Quigley is always in charge. Misty urges Shauna to meet her at Izzy’s Cafe.
Two Realities
Then, we’re back in the ’90s timeline. Ben monologues about whether any of this is real. He admits to seeing Dave Matthews Band three times but doesn’t like them (talk about emotional whiplash). Ben grew up in the suburbs; he’s not equipped to handle the Wilderness. Suddenly, he and Mari hear that same howling/screeching from the first two episodes.
Mari tells him a story about watching her four-year-old cousin die of brain cancer. “Maybe there are two versions of reality,” she explains. For the majority of the time, the “bad” one lies in wait. Mari vows not to mention Ben’s alive to the others. She’ll claim she fell and hurt her knee. Ben seems to consider letting her go.
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In the present timeline, Callie meets Lottie at a swanky clothing store. Lottie’s curious about Callie’s fascination with her. Callie reminds Lottie that she tried to kill her mother. Lottie asks Callie who she really is. Can she describe herself using descriptors free from shame, guilt and fear? Lottie spots a red dress for Callie and persuades the latter to steal it. She stuffs it into Callie’s bag. Oh, Lottie. She’s back to her shoplifting ways. It’s TJ Maxx all over again.
Cafe Scones and Potential Remission
Later, Misty and Shauna meet at the cafe. Misty informs Shauna about Callie’s interest in the Wilderness and their Truth or Dare game. Misty tries so hard to persuade Shauna she followed the latter’s instructions to the letter. She volunteers to accompany Shauna during her daily errands, which include finding a gift basket for the hoteliers she offended.
Then, Taissa (Tawny Cypress) reads about the server who died while chasing her and Van. Van arrives and shares the good news about her potential remission with Tai. Tai is over the moon. After this, Tai discloses what happened to the waiter. When Tai found out about him at the restaurant, she took her credit card and dashed. Van knows this doesn’t look good.
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However, Tai insists this is because they gave It what It wanted. Firstly, with Nat’s death, then with this server dying. Van’s prognosis is “the gift.” Van resists this idea, which is interesting since she was so pro-Lottie and pro-It during their time in the Wilderness. Tai lights a candle and chants, “We hear the Wilderness, and It hears us.” I love this subverting of their roles here. Now Tai is a believer. Side note: Is it me, or does it look like Other Tai takes over when she talks about Van’s “gift”?
On the Road (and in the Park)
In the ’90s timeline, Ben releases Mari. She pulls his crutch out from under him (payback), knocking him to the ground. In the present again, Shauna and Misty are on the road. Suddenly, Shauna’s brakes stop working. She and Misty speed down the road, winding through traffic, before careening off the road into a park. Thankfully, Shauna narrowly avoids hitting the children.
When the vehicle finally stops, Shauna hurls accusations at Misty. She assumes Misty cut her brakes. Hey, remember when Misty messed with Nat’s car in Season 1? Shauna also assumes Misty left the phone playing “Queen of Hearts” in the restaurant bathroom. So, Shauna kicks Misty out of her minivan. My theory: Walter messed with the brakes so Shauna would blame Misty, thereby alienating her from her friends.
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In the ’90s timeline, Teen Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) writes in her journal. Melissa (Jenna Burgess) sits beside her. Shauna allows her to stay. These two are cute together. This is when Mari returns. Teen Misty (Samantha Hanratty) examines Mari to ensure she’s okay. Initially, Mari is true to her word — she tells the others she fell and hurt her knee.
Mari Fell in It (the Pit)
However, she elaborates that she fell into a 20-feet-deep pit. She emerged triumphantly, though, like baby Jessica. Teen Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) corrects Mari — Jessica fell into a well. Shauna asks how Mari climbed out of the pit with a dislocated knee.
Since everyone’s afraid of Shauna, Mari folds. She admits Ben helped her. Then, he took her hostage to his cave and released her. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) whispers “F*ck” to herself. She knew he was alive, but the others didn’t. Shauna decides to hunt down Ben herself. He must pay for his crimes.
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Elsewhere, Teen Lottie (Courtney Eaton) tries to persuade Akilah (Nia Sondaya) to stay with her and Travis (Kevin Alves) while the others search for Ben. She encourages Akilah to talk to It — the Wilderness. Akilah would rather not, though.
Jackie’s Necklace
Then, in the present timeline, Lottie and Callie sing in the kitchen while cooking dinner. Shauna arrives home after her not-so-fun day with Misty. She spots Jackie’s necklace around Callie’s neck. Lottie claims she gave it to Callie. Shauna didn’t even know Lottie had it. You can see everything Shauna endured in the Wilderness on her face. Melanie Lynskey is such a powerhouse in this scene. She truly commits to conveying Shauna’s white-hot rage.
Shauna kicks Lottie out and rips the necklace off Callie. Before this, though, Lottie insists the necklace never meant what Shauna thought it meant. Hmm.
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Meanwhile, Tai and Van watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse when an old-school commercial for Ozzie’s Homemade Ice Cream Parlor plays. Tai spots the Man With No Eyes/No-Eyed Man (Brody Romhanyi) in said commercial. At one point, the narrator claims the ice cream will make your eyes pop out. That’s when we see No-Eyed Man’s eyes do that special effect. He was just an actor Tai saw long ago and is now part of her visions. Tai persuades Van to accompany her to Ozzie’s to investigate.
It Wants More
Next, Misty heads home and burns the photo of her with Tai, Shauna and Nat at their high school reunion. In the ’90s timeline, the teens hunt for Ben. Shauna tries being nice to Mari on for size. In the present, Tai and Van break into Ozzie’s, which looks like a derelict building that hasn’t welcomed visitors in years.
There, they witness a coyote kill a rabbit. The animal locks eyes with Tai. Tai asks the coyote what it wants. Van responds that they know what the Wilderness wants — “It wants more.” Love the reappearance of the rabbit symbolism here.
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Later, in the ’90s timeline, the teens find the cave. That howling/screeching starts up again. Nat fires her gun skyward to silence the noise. The gang notices one entrance to the cave is blocked off by rubble. Nat orders Shauna, Akilah and Teen Van (Liv Hewson) to take the open path while the rest of them clear the rocks and cross over to meet them.
Three Visions
Our trio crawls through a cramped, wet tunnel before entering the heart of the cave — an open space. The flame in Van’s mug that the trio uses as their flashlight grows in size before going out. Then, Van notices Akilah and Shauna are missing. A door materializes before Van, which, you know, is unusual in a cave. She opens it to find the cabin as it was in its heyday.
There, Van finds a rocking chair before a roaring fireplace that looks an awful lot like Cabin Daddy’s rocking chair in Season 1. Van sits, looking enamored by the flames. Entranced, even. Meanwhile, Akilah winds up in an idyllic-looking Wilderness full of blackberries. She engorges on them.
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Next, Akilah discovers a pen full of chickens, sheep and baby goats. A talking Llama (Vincent Pastore) urges her to exercise caution. The animals bite. “Everything with teeth bites. Everything will defend itself.” Wise words. The Llama adds, “They’re calling you,” as Akilah glances up at the trees. They communicate with her.
Shauna’s Baby
Elsewhere, Shauna floats in the lake, wearing a white dress like the one Lottie wore to her baptism in Season 1. The music sounds like a warped version of the Rosemary’s Baby theme song. How fitting for Shauna, especially when she spots a young boy on the shore who calls her “Mama.” He’s an older version of her stillborn baby. Shauna grins and swims toward him.
Meanwhile, an ember from the fireplace falls on the carpet, setting the cabin ablaze. Van’s rocking chair now looks like her seat on the plane. Arms snake over the back of her seat. One looks like it might belong to Cabin Daddy. The others wear varsity jackets. They try to hold her in place, but Van breaks free, making a beeline for the door.
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“It can be easy, or it can be hard,” the Llama advises Akilah. Regardless, “It’s gonna get what It wants.” How ominous. Suddenly, vines wrap around Akilah’s feet, pulling her through the ground. Van opens the door to a white light. We see two figures behind her in the cabin. Could they be Laura Lee and Jackie?
Lottie’s Class
Our trio winds up in a classroom where Lottie is the instructor. She writes, “Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest” on the chalkboard. Shauna, Akilah and Van are in their soccer uniforms. So is Jackie (Ella Purnell), who sits diagonal to them. No-Eyed Man wheels a squeaky metal cart down the hallway. He glances into the classroom. Jackie’s got a slap bracelet with the Wilderness symbol on it. She gives it to Akilah to try. It fits on her wrist perfectly.
Van tries it out. Unfortunately, the slap bracelet slashes her arm. She tosses it on the floor in frustration. “You shouldn’t play with dangerous things,” Lottie warns. Jackie picks up the bracelet and tells Van not to be such a baby.
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After this, Jackie slaps the slap bracelet onto Shauna’s neck, causing a gash in her throat. Shauna chokes while bleeding out. Lottie orders Akilah to help her while Jackie laughs. If Akilah doesn’t save Shauna, they’ll all die. Fortunately, Shauna and Akilah wake up in the cave. Ben drags an unconscious Van to them while calling for help. He wears a covering over his nose and mouth. He claims this cave contains a poisonous gas (which could be carbon dioxide or ammonia since there are bats).
Finding Ben
Suddenly, Nat trains her gun on Ben. We see Tai and the others behind her. She tells Ben he’s going back to the village with them.
It’s Judgment Day.
Yellowjackets drops new episodes every Friday on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and airs on the SHOWTIME network every Sunday at 8 pm EST/PST.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
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