Yellowjackets “Bear Down”

So far, while this series has done a good job of featuring the adult Misty, Natalie, and Taissa, it does seem to spend the most time with adult Shauna.  And she may be haunted by teenage Jackie.

Since we haven’t seen her as an adult, am I wrong to guess she didn’t make it?

Eh, I’ll find out.

Yeah, there’s a lot more Shauna drama as she tails her husband with the rather conveniently friendly Adam before they do some bridge diving in their underwear and then some backseat sex.  Teenage Shauna screwed around too, of course, but that’s not what I would like to focus on this time because this episode finally gives the spotlight to Natalie, the burnout played as an adult by a scowling Juliette Lewis.

Now, in the spirit of true confessions, I’ll say right now that I’m not exactly a huge Juliette Lewis fan.  That comes mostly from the work she did in her youth where she never seemed to quite connect to a character the way I generally preferred, but as my tastes and appreciations have changed over time, perhaps I should consider re-evaluating some of those early roles.  Then again, I also prefer these days not to spend too much time watching things I have seen before since I like to see something new more often than not.

Unless I am doing a rewatch with Jimmy.  But that goes without saying.

Regardless, I don’t think I’m going to be in much of a rush to see From Dusk til Dawn or Cape Fear again anytime soon.

However, something about her in this role seems to really work.  Natalie is the one who apparently goes in and our of rehab, having a potentially toxic relationship with Travis (now murdered), and who, as seen in flashbacks, had a pretty horrific childhood.  The episode, rather cleverly, plays up the idea she may have shot and killed her abusive, alcoholic father.  The team lucked out and found a working rifle and lots of ammunition in the cabin, and while Coach Ben knows how to hunt for deer, he can’t with only one leg.  Natalie and Travis both prove adept at shooting and get to go hunting, all while it looks like she’s almost afraid of the rifle.

It turns out she didn’t kill her father.  She came damn close but didn’t know the safety was on, and in his drunken verbal abuse of her, he tripped and blew his own brains out.  In the present, her mother is living in the same trailer and on oxygen.

But she did bond with Travis during the hunt, helping him dig up a ring his late father was wearing as Travis felt his father didn’t like him very much.  It probably helps Travis gave the ring, something that once belonged to his great-grandfather, to his kid brother Javi back at the cabin.

But then in the present, it sure does seem like Natalie isn’t all that innocent as she has no qualms about going out to dinner with the high school best friend-turned-cop Kevyn to get some possible information on Travis.  Of course, Misty is the one who called Kevyn, posing as Natalie, but Natalie isn’t above kissing Kevyn full in the knowledge he was smitten with her when they were teenagers.

It also goes without saying Misty likewise tailed Natalie to the restaurant to watch over her, even giving the alleged reporter Jessica a threat to not underestimate her.

So, I learned more about Natalie, and I liked how the narrative went, but there’s some real joy in seeing the dour Natalie continually get paired with the chipper Misty.

Also, Shauna doesn’t want to hear from Misty either.

I think I want to know more about why they all hate Misty right about now.