Season 2 of ‘Yellowjackets’ makes this duo one for the history books.
In Season 2 of Showtime’s survival horror series Yellowjackets, there are many pairings that prove quite dangerous. Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and Adam Martin (Peter Gadiot). Natalie (Juliette Lewis) and Lisa (Nicole Maines). But Misty Quigley (Christina Ricci), the socially-maligned outcast among outcasts finally found a kindred spirit in web sleuth Walter Tattersall (Elijah Wood) and it looks like love is in the air. And we all know what happens to people Misty forms attachments to, right? The woman is the embodiment of the “destroy-everything-it-touches” and her approach to maintaining human relationships usually involves kidnapping, murder, or sabotage. Misty first crossed paths (at least virtually) with Walter via a citizen detective forum after he was sniffing around Adam Martin’s disappearance, a crime Misty helped cover up when Shauna murdered him in a paranoia-induced panic. Audiences thought he might have been willing to turn Misty in once, but his actions in the Season 2 finale prove that Walter might be just as deranged as she is. This new couple is a match made in Hell!
‘Yellowjackets’s Misty and Walter Are a Hellish Duo
In the beginning, it seemed like the dangerous duo could end up at odds with Walter casually stalking Misty in her workplace. Misty was conducting an investigation of her own into Natalie’s abrupt departure from her life. Together, they realized they could kill a multitude of birds with one stone if they formed an alliance and combined resources. This would allow Misty to mislead him regarding the whereabouts of Adam and help her track down Natalie. They have many comparable characteristics: the characters are terrifyingly intuitive, highly intelligent, read others quickly, and think on their feet. Other people underestimate or dismiss Misty too quickly and the finale shed more light on Walter’s character in an explicit manner.
Elijah Wood portrays a delightfully weird character and like Misty, is a person with a psychopathic personality who has no qualms whatsoever about murdering people politely. Over the course of two seasons, unlike the rest of the Yellowjackets, we’ve seen how Misty is the only character who revels in horrifying situations. A good example is how calmly she admits to murdering political operative Jessica (Rekha Sharma). Even though she was initially horrified by her actions, let’s also not forget the fact that Misty was responsible for Crystal’s death as well.
Walter’s behavior after poisoning Kevin Tahn (Alex Wyndham) is similarly horrifying. Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci’s dangerous duo are bad enough by themselves, but together they make the perfect tag-team killer couple. They have no secrets from one another and therefore can be their absolutely demented and unfiltered selves, and this could be bad news for the surviving Yellowjackets next season. This season wisely kept the pair apart to resolve the Lottie (Simone Kessell) cult/reunion storyline, and they’ll probably play a much larger role in Season 3. They may even pose a greater threat to the surviving members of the team than Lottie. Since we never quite know what is going on in either character’s mind, this will make Season 3 far more interesting. The idea of Misty as a killer has popped up sporadically with Walter and Shauna each referencing her homicidal tendencies. Walter will give Misty the kind of confirmation bias she has been searching for.
This plot should be explored next year, as it has so much twisted potential. Walter is calculated, and how he handles the problems he encounters is — to put it mildly — appalling. Yet, they do genuinely care for each other and want to make the relationship work. They don’t need to worry about dark secrets or fear rejection in view of the fact they’re harboring homicidal thoughts. It is a really sweet relationship if you can overlook the high body count. Let’s be honest: we all need a little romance in our lives, but for most of us, it doesn’t involve administering phenobarbital or knowing the right bleach to use when cleaning up a murder scene. It begs the question: what happens if they fall out, or (gasp), break up? Who will be left, and what will be left of them?
The Significance of Walter Singing Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns”
Walter singing the Stephen Sondheim song “Send in the Clowns” at first seems like an idiosyncrasy helping him reflect on his current predicament, but in Yellowjackets, it’s loaded with meaning and irony. Originally written for A Little Night Music in 1973, there are multiple renditions of the song, two of the most famous versions from Judy Collins and Frank Sinatra. The song can be interpreted in many ways but always pivots back to its core theme: thwarted love and the obstacles people face when falling in love and how unbreakable one must be to overcome these difficulties. After the finale, we understand Walter is obsessive and likes to be in control of a situation. He gives the impression he is a prisoner of his own desire and held captive by his romantic obsessions. Walter lacks the impulsively reckless streak and demonstrates in the final episode he is very much in control here. Walter manages his narcissism and his murderous grand gestures (“ Making my entrance again with my usual flair”) are pre-planned, neat, and clean. There is nothing volatile or emotionally-driven about his crimes. The singing and listening could still reveal an as-yet-unseen inner turmoil.
Walter probably can and does experience emotions (only at a reduced capacity) and it is unlikely he confuses love with obsession, control, and dominance. His relationship with Misty is a new role he is trying on for size, the possibility he is fostering a warmth and affection he can’t feel too deeply is plausible. Walter sees himself navigating this new relationship within a traditional romantic framework. His addiction to musical theater reveals a curiosity with a fabricated, unreal idealization of love and human connection. The lyrics “Sure of my lines/No one is there” kind of suggest Walter is aware he’s reading from a script that has already been written. Another aspect is the irony in Walter singing the song. It isn’t self-referential character assassination, as neither Misty nor Walter are fools. Self-awareness is another thing they have in common. Their dangerous game-playing, intruding into the lives of others, and always needing to be the person in the driver’s seat. Like the star-crossed lovers in A Little Night Music, it might be doomed and the destination hell-bound, but you can save us all a seat because we’re going to enjoy the ride.
