Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episodes 1-7.Yellowjackets' complex cast of characters is among the series' greatest strengths, as both the teen and adult timelines are unafraid to explore the darkness within the survivors. Whether their questionable behavior stems from their time in the Wilderness or was present before the crash, each of the girls has at least one massive flaw. That's what makes them so entertaining to follow.
However, Yellowjackets also makes sure to highlight the characters' redeeming qualities, from Misty's unshakable loyalty to Natalie's deep-rooted humanity. This allows viewers to become invested in their stories, getting in their corner even as they do incredibly frustrating things. Unfortunately, Shauna crosses a line in Yellowjackets season 3, which makes it more difficult than ever to root for her. And given how crucial Shauna is to both narratives, her character's concerning turn makes it more difficult to watch.
Shauna Isn't Likable In Either Timeline In Yellowjackets Season 3
Her Redeeming Qualities Aren't As Obvious Anymore
Yellowjackets season 1's ending making it impossible not to feel something for the character.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Makes Shauna's Biggest Tragedy Even More Devastating
Shauna Shipman’s biggest tragedy in Yellowjackets happens at the end of season 2, and season 3’s opening episodes make it even more devastating.
Melanie Lynskey also sells adult Shauna, who remains just as flawed as her teen self. But adult Shauna is perhaps even more relatable than the younger version of her character, as she feels trapped in a monotonous life that isn't at all what she imagined for herself. She makes pretty terrible choices, including having an affair with and later killing Adam. However, viewers can still see how the past affects her actions in the present, even if it doesn't excuse them.
Sadly, Shauna is becoming increasingly less likable — and understandable — in both of Yellowjackets season 3's timelines.
Sadly, Shauna is becoming increasingly less likable — and understandable — in both of Yellowjackets season 3's timelines. In the '90s narrative, she's angry and out for blood, pushing the girls to sentence Coach Ben to death and becoming excited when Lottie kills Edwin. While teen Shauna's rage and cruelty could be partly attributed to the trauma of losing her best friend and baby back-to-back, adult Shauna isn't acting much better. She's treating her friends and family poorly, and she's setting herself up for another Adam incident by going after her blackmailer on her own.
Can Shauna Really Be Redeemed In Yellowjackets Anymore?
Her Season 3 Behavior Is Pushing Her To The Point Of No Return
Image via Paramount+
Yellowjackets season 3 is gradually turning Shauna from a complicated character to an outright villain, and it's hard to say if she can still be redeemed. Shauna's actions cross a line in season 3, and she has yet to show much remorse for them. In the teen timeline, we don't see much emotion from her at all. She's too wrapped up in her newfound power, and Melissa seems to stoke her worst impulses. Adult Shauna is only mildly better, and she's headed down a path that could prove she's irredeemable.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Confirms A Massively Harsh Reality About The Present-Day Survivors After Major Twist
Yellowjackets season 3, episode 4 confirms a harsh truth about the adult timeline, with one huge twist raising the stakes even further.
Of course, that raises a deeper question: whether Yellowjackets' leads need to be redeemed. The series tells us from the beginning that we'll be following the descent of the teen characters, and the adult timeline doesn't necessarily have to end on a positive note for them. Shauna's downward spiral suggests both timelines could offer bleak endings for her character — and given Nat's and Lottie's fates, the others as well.
Yellowjackets
- Release Date
- November 14, 2021
- Network
- Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime
- Showrunner
- Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco
Cast
Shauna Sadecki
Tawny CypressTaissa Turner
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis
- Writers
- Liz Phang, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa
- Creator(s)
- Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson
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