WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 8!Shauna comes face to face with Melissa (Hilary Swank) for the first time since they were teenagers inYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 8, and she bluntly calls out some harsh realities about Shauna’s family that the others ignore. After Lottie’s surprise survival in season 1 and Van’s surprise survival in season 2,Yellowjacketsseason 3 continues this present-day timeline trend by revealing thatMelissa survived the wilderness. However,Melissa had faked her death shortly after returning home, partially in hopes of avoiding many of the personal problems the other Yellowjackets now facedue to their past actions and reputations.
After discovering thatMelissa sent her the recording of Edwin’s murderfrom the wilderness, Shauna confronts her about faking her death, marrying Hannah’s daughter, and lying about who she is. Melissa’s explanation for hiding the truth about her identity is thatshe worries her family wouldn’t be able to love her if they knew what she had done out in the wilderness, namely if they knew she had hunted, killed, and cannibalized people. Shauna defends herself by suggesting that Callie still loves her despite knowing the truth, which Melissa rightly calls out as a lie that Shauna is telling herself.
Melissa Is Right, Callie Struggles To Accept Shauna After Learning The Truth About Her
Shauna Doesn’t Believe Herself When She Says Callie Still Loves Her
Shauna herself lacks confidence when telling Melissa that her daughter still loves her, andHilary Swank’sYellowjacketscharactervalidates her lies to her family after hearing that response. Even though Melissa has never seen Shauna and Callie’s interactions, she’s right about their relationship. Callie does still love Shauna on some level due to their mother-daughter relationship, butthat deeper love, admiration, connection, and unconditional support that Melissa has from her own family is missing.
Callie’s struggling more and more to accept Shauna as she is, as the tragedies that she experienced in the past don’t justify the violence, horror, criminal actions, and cruelty that she engages in now to cover it up.
In the previous episode,Callie calls out Shauna for not being a good person, a harsh realization that she and Jeff finally have to address. Callie still doesn’t know all the nitty-gritty details about what the Yellowjackets did in the wilderness, but she’s surmised that they killed each other, ate the dead, and have continued to harm others to cover up the truth.
Callie learning more about that time in the wilderness overYellowjacketsseasons 1, 2, and 3 hashelped to better explain Shauna’s demeanor and actions today, but knowing the truth doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. Though Callie and Shauna have made great strides in fostering a closer relationship, it may never be enough to remove the distrust and fear Callie may always have for her mother.
Hilary Swank
Jenna Burgess
Jeff has also continued to defendShauna despite her dark descent inYellowjacketsseason 3, which has made Callie feel more inclined to give Shauna some grace. Even still, Callie’s struggling more and more to accept Shauna as she is, as the tragedies that she experienced in the past don’t justify the violence, horror, criminal actions, and cruelty that she engages in now to cover it up. It isn’t just that Shauna committed horrible acts when she was a teenager;Callie’s reluctance comes from Shauna still being consumed and driven by that darkness today.
Shauna Has Always Been Distant From Callie Due To Fearing How She’d React To Knowing The Truth
Shauna Never Thought That Callie Could Love Her & Never Wanted To Risk Loving & Losing Her
While Callie becomes more aware of Shauna’s crimes and her twisted actions in the wilderness starting in season 2, the strain that Shauna’s past has put on their relationship has been apparent sinceYellowjackets’ series premiere. Shauna had always been guarded and distant from Callie, becauseshe thought Callie would never love her if she knew the truth or got close to her. It’s part of why she can’t understand why Jeff loves her so much, as Shauna still struggles to love herself when contending with everything she’s done and the darkness that lurks within her.
When Shauna had Callie, she kept herself emotionally distant to avoid the pain of loss or rejection from her child.
Of course, Shauna being distant from Callie throughout her life has another tragic reason. It ties into thedeath of Shauna and Jeff’s babyin the wilderness, asshe then feared getting too attached to another child in case she lost them again. The pain that she experienced after her son’s stillbirth is a hurt that Shauna never wanted to repeat, and her grief played a major role in her teenage counterpart’s twisted turn in the wilderness throughout season 3. When Shauna had Callie, she kept herself emotionally distant to avoid the pain of loss or rejection from her child.
Will Jeff & Callie Still Support Shauna After Her Dark Yellowjackets Season 3 Changes?
Even Though They Love Her, Shauna’s Actions Could Make Callie & Jeff Leave Her
Shauna’s conversation with Melissa has forced her to directly face the reality that Callie may never look at her in an unconditionally loving way, and matters may only get worse asYellowjacketsseason 3 progresses.Callie still does love and worry about Shauna, but she also can’t stand by and watchas her mother goes down a path that she may never be able to redeem herself from. As Jeff and Callie admit that Shauna may not be a good person, they also have to question whether they should stand up to her or step away from her.
Wait, Shouldn’t Jeff Know About Shauna’s New Yellowjackets Season 3 Secret Based On A Major Season 1 Reveal?
Jeff is beginning to grapple with the possibility of Shauna’s latest secret, but a season 1 reveal means he should already know the truth.
Considering Shauna bit off a chunk of Melissa’s shoulder and tried to force her to eat it inYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 8’s ending, she’s further crossing a line that Callie and Jeff can’t continue to excuse or help cover up. If they learn the truth about her reunion with Melissa, then thatcould be what makes Callie and Jeff officially decide to take time away from Shauna until she changesand gets the help she desperately needs in order to heal from her past inYellowjackets.
