Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 4, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis,” is the show’s homage to 12 Angry Men as the teens exercise justice in the Wilderness. In the present, Jeff’s all about balancing the karmic scales, while Lottie’s death is poised to send a shock wave through the adult survivors’ world. Admittedly, the cliffhangers for both timelines are significant narrative turning points, especially for the present. “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” is another solid outing, bolstered by standout performances from Jasmin Savoy Brown, Samantha Hanratty and Steven Krueger.
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Yellowjackets, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis”
We open with Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) and the teens returning to the village with Ben (Steven Krueger) in tow. Travis (Kevin Alves) and Lottie (Courtney Eaton), who remained behind during the Ben hunt, emerge from their dwellings to observe the procession. Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) insists Ben pays for his crimes, while Nat defends him. Perhaps the cabin caught fire at random. Who knows? Surprising no one, Melissa (Jenna Burgess) supports her lady.
So, Nat proposes they do this the right way — a trial. After this, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) volunteers to be the prosecution. That leaves the defense. Nat, Tai, Shauna and Van (Liv Hewson) turn toward Misty (Samantha Hanratty). Initially, Misty is resistant to the idea. However, Nat tells her that if she successfully defends Ben, she could save his life.
Karmic Punishment
Next, in the present timeline, Adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and Jeff (Warren Kole) visit a mechanic to fix the minivan’s brakes. They learn that they have a bad brake booster. So, nobody cut the brakes. They simply went kaput. Well, that rules out Misty or Walter. Jeff believes this is karmic punishment for his involvement, albeit tangentially, in Kevyn Tan’s death.
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Meanwhile, Adult Taissa (Tawny Cypress) calls Adult Lottie (Simone Kessell), who’s galavanting about NYC. Tai asks Lottie about what she said that night Nat died. When Tai wondered what Lottie meant by “It was pleased with us,” the latter responded, “We’ll see.” Now, Tai wants to know what she meant by that.
Lottie doesn’t recall talking about anything after Nat’s death. She tells Tai she needs to go, though, and hangs up. Side note: Doesn’t Lottie’s coat look suspiciously like what she wore during the winter in the Wilderness? In the ’90s timeline, Akilah (Nia Sondaya) approaches Lottie. She tells Lottie about her trippy cave vision. Lottie asks Akilah if she’s ready to get to work. Akilah has a gift; she must forge a deeper connection with It. You better not harm my Akilah.
Rush Hour
Later, Misty slaps Ben, who’s in a makeshift prison cell. She can’t believe he’d attempt to burn down their cabin and leave them. She thought they were friends. Ben insists he didn’t try to torch their home. However, he doesn’t think his prospects are good and calls what will transpire a “high school mock trial.” He believes it’s a farce. Misty urges him not to use that language if he wants to win.
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In the present timeline, Jeff puts his multiple bootleg DVDs of Rush Hour into a bin for charity. He tells Shauna he researched how to reverse your bad karma on wikiHow, as one does. Classic Jeff. He shows her a flyer for a missing cat from two years ago. He will find that cat. Then, Jeff reveals he signed up the family to volunteer. He wants to do some good. Callie (Sarah Desjardins) opts out, requesting her mom and dad bring her back a karma to-go plate.
Meanwhile, Tai and Adult Van (Lauren Ambrose) conduct an experiment. They toss a Queen of Hearts card on the ground and watch to see if someone picks it up. If someone does, this means It chose that person. It’s all part of Tai’s reinvigorated interest in the hunt. Most folks cast the card aside, but one man grabs it, shoving it into his pocket. Tai and Van follow him.
The People vs. Benjamin Scott
Then, we see court is in session in the ’90s timeline. The People vs. Benjamin Scott. He’s being tried on the charges of arson and multiple counts of attempted murder. Judge Natalie Scatorccio presides. Nat emerges from her tent in the Antler Queen garb, complete with a little crown. It’s the Antler Queen regalia we saw in the pilot but in its beginning stages.
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Tai calls her first witness to the stand — Mari (Alexa Barajas). Tai asks Mari if her time in Coach Scott’s “dungeon” was traumatic. Mari claims he made her eat bats. He was also talking to an invisible presence (himself, most likely, or Javi’s “friend”). Mari reveals that Ben held her captive because he didn’t want her to report his whereabouts, nor did he want any reprisals from the group. Tai declares, “No further questions.” Shauna smirks.
Next, Misty questions Mari. She asks her why Ben didn’t leave her in the pit. Mari states that Ben didn’t want her to die. “That doesn’t sound like a murderer to me,” Misty tells the jury.
Volunteer Work
Later, in the present timeline, Shauna and Jeff arrive at their volunteering spot — Misty’s place of employment, the nursing home. Adult Misty (Christina Ricci) spots the Sadeckis and makes a beeline for them. She hopes Shauna’s there to apologize. Of course, “I’m sorry” isn’t in Shauna Shipman-Sadecki’s lexicon. Misty puts Shauna on tapioca duty, deciding that’s even better than an apology.
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Then, in the ’90s timeline, Shauna takes the stand. Misty asks her about that fateful night. Why was Shauna awake? What was she journaling about? Tai objects, claiming the contents of Shauna’s journal aren’t relevant. Nat sustains this.
Misty’s angle is that Shauna could’ve been journaling about starting the fire. Shauna asserts she didn’t try to burn the cabin. Misty acknowledges Shauna’s jealousy about Nat being crowned Lottie’s successor. Perhaps that was her motivation for lighting those matches. Shauna insists she’s innocent.
Is He a Hero?
Now, it’s time for Tai’s questions. Tai asks Shauna if the latter believes Ben’s a hero. Misty objects, wondering where this is going. Tai fires back that she’s building a narrative, mocking what Misty declared earlier. Damn, Tai’s lawyer mode is intense. No wonder she decided to become one as an adult. Anyway, Tai reminds Shauna that when she was in labor, Ben, the only adult, was no help. Shauna recalls what he told her — that he just pressed play on a VHS tape.
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Shauna believes Ben wanted to kill them because he judged them. According to her, Ben judged them for what they had to do to survive. To be fair, Ben proves they didn’t need to rely on cannibalism to survive.
In the present, Tai and Van tail the guy who picked up the Queen of Hearts card to his apartment. Van questions if they should be doing this. Meanwhile, Randy (Jeff Holman) leads bingo for the senior citizens. Jeff provides assistance. However, he eventually takes over due to popular demand. He starts cracking relatable jokes, which the oldies (term of endearment) love. Randy’s envious of Jeff’s newfound fame.
I Know I Hurt You
Meanwhile, Misty finds a potential letter from Walter in one woman’s room. Said woman claims it’s a letter for her comptroller. After this, she checks on Shauna. Misty assumed Shauna would hate this because all she does is cook for her family. Shauna corrects her. It’s not like she’s not attached to her stove or anything.
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Shauna and Misty start arguing. The latter insists she deserves an apology. After all, she didn’t tamper with Shauna’s brakes. Misty imagines stabbing Shauna in the back. Then, she shakes away the fantasy, declaring that this isn’t good for her. Before leaving the nursing home, Misty grabs the letter.
Elsewhere, Lottie apologizes to herself in the mirror. “I know I hurt you. I have a lot to apologize for,” she says to herself. She becomes emotional. I wonder what this is about…
Stuck in the Freezer With You
Then, in the ’90s timeline, Misty questions Lottie. Lottie admits that not everyone believes in It — the Wilderness. Misty acknowledges those among the teens who usually skipped out on Lottie’s group sessions. Tai only started attending because Van was a believer. Gen (Vanessa Prasad) also doesn’t believe. Nat and Melissa aren’t fans of It, either. Lottie admits it could have been any of them who tried to commit arson.
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Next, they take a break during the trial. Shauna informs Tai that Nat knew where Ben was hiding. Shauna learned this from Misty. Uh-oh. Tai’s gonna use this against Nat.
Later, in the present timeline, Shauna carries food into the walk-in freezer. After dropping something in there, the door slams behind Shauna. She struggles to unlock it. Shauna calls out for help. Suddenly, Ghost Jackie (Ella Purnell) appears. She’s baaack. Looks like Shipman’s stuck with her dead best friend, who she was in love with and eventually ate. Oh, and she’s a projection of Shauna’s psyche. Friendships are complicated.
F*ck the Wilderness
Then, Tai and Van arrive outside the card guy’s apartment. Tai notices his front door is unlocked. She almost walks over the threshold, but Van stops her. “F*ck the Wilderness,” Van declares. It’s interesting that Tai and Van reversed roles as adults. Now, Tai’s a believer, and Van’s not about it (or It). Tai’s doing this because she wants more time with Van, which is understandable. Van wants to spend whatever time they have left together. Tai urges Van to meet her at Columbus Circle in one hour.
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In the ’90s timeline, Tai calls our judge to the stand. Tai asks Nat about the last time she saw Ben. Nat reveals it was before she drew the Queen of Hearts card. Then, she backtracks. Tai asks if it was after the Wilderness “chose” Javi but before the cabin burned. Nat confirms this. She saw him outside, but he wasn’t doing anything. Tai counters that he must’ve been doing something. Nat replies that Ben was leaving, even though, as Tai says, “He had just come back.”
Tai wonders why Nat never wanted to ask Ben if he tried to set fire to the cabin. Nat claims she assumed it could’ve been anything — a spark from the fireplace, a candle falling. She adds that Ben wasn’t around to ask. Tai fires back that Nat knew where he was and that Misty figured it out.
Not a Threat
Tai accuses Nat of lying to the group regarding Ben’s whereabouts to protect him and that this trial is a desperate attempt to let him off the hook. Nat admits she knew he was out there; however, Ben didn’t want anything to do with them. Nat hoped they could all live in peace, with Ben on his own. He’s not a threat. Shauna interrupts, questioning why Nat gets to decide if Ben is a threat.
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After Tai declares the prosecution rests, Nat orders Misty to call her witness. She calls Ben to the stand. Then, in the present timeline, Jeff really bonds with the oldies. He’s a hit. Perhaps it’s time to take those jokes on the nursing home circuit. Meanwhile, Shauna bangs on the walk-in freezer door, begging anyone out there to help her. Ghost Jackie laughs. She recalls what Jeff said about karma. Perhaps this is how Shauna will go — she’ll freeze to death, like Jackie did.
Jackie reveals that someone’s trying to hurt Shauna for what she did in the Wilderness and after she returned to civilization. Shauna reminds Jackie that she can handle whatever comes her way. Jackie refutes this, insisting that Shauna never could “handle” anything. Even now, she’s hurling accusations instead of acting. She’s all talk. Death hasn’t stopped Jackie from being the insult queen.
Ben’s Last Stand
Thankfully, Randy hears Shauna in the freezer and breaks her out. She makes a beeline for the lobby desk, asking where Misty is. Shauna accuses Misty of locking her in the freezer. She learns that Misty went home.
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Then, in the ’90s timeline, Ben takes his place on the stand. Misty asks about his teaching background. He claims he never wanted to be a substitute teacher or an assistant coach. Misty reminds the group that Ben had been at Wiskayok High for nine years. Why stay there so long?
Ben admits that the Yellowjackets proved to be the best soccer team around. He was in awe of their talent. He enjoyed helping them improve. Ben jokes that if he wanted to hurt any of them, he would’ve reported them to their parents after they got drunk at a kegger. He also would’ve reported Tai and Van after finding them in the parking lot.
Ben apologizes to Shauna for leaving her alone when she gave birth. He confesses that the teens stopped listening to him, so he wanted to bail before they took him out. Ben pivots, complimenting the teens on their village and how they’ve survived this long. He admires them. We see Lottie and other members of the jury wiping their eyes. “No further questions,” Misty says.
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Majority Vote
Later, in the present timeline, Jeff arrives home, where Shauna awaits him with a cat. She went to NYC to adopt the adorable feline. She plans to give said cat to the owners who spread those missing posters. Then, they’ll get 1,000 karma points. Sure, it’s not their kitty, but that’s irrelevant in Shauna’s world.
Elsewhere, Tai and Van meet for a pretzel and a carriage ride in the park. Tai recalls Van’s dream of doing this exact thing in Central Park. Tai gives Van cash to pay for the pretzel. When Van hands it to the vendor, though, we see her hand shake. Tai asks if Van’s okay, and she brushes it off, claiming it’s the adrenaline from the day.
After this, in the ’90s timeline, Nat orders the jury to cast their vote. Nat, Tai and Misty will sit this out since they’re the judge/lawyers. The jury needs to reach a two-thirds majority vote. When Nat realizes neither side is at that majority, she continues asking for votes until Shauna interrupts, claiming this isn’t working. She orders anyone who finds Ben guilty to raise their hand.
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Naturally, Shauna bullies folks into voting against Ben. Sure enough, the votes switch from most of them in the innocent camp to most finding Ben guilty. Van takes Ben back to his quarters after Nat informs him of the guilty verdict. Melissa tells Shauna that what she has is real power. Melissa is the Renfield to Shauna’s Dracula. Lottie notices them holding hands before they walk away. Lottie sits beside Travis, who shows her a sketch of “the outcome.”
At the Bottom of the Stairs
Later, in the present timeline, Misty browses the Citizen Detectives homepage after trying to decode the letter. She gets a text from Walter, who claims he “heard” about Lottie. He asks Misty if she’s okay. Misty sees a photo of Lottie’s body on the Citizen Detectives feed. We cameras flash at the crime scene, where her body is situated at the bottom of some stairs.
It looks like the candlelit tunnel area from the vision Lottie had while Laura Lee baptized her in Season 1. Creepy. (Also, RIP, Lottie.)
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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