Yellowjackets’ Major Unseen Characters Can Finally Answer A Shauna Question We’ve Had Since Episode 1

Several important figures have still yet to be introduced in Yellowjackets, and two key unseen characters can help solve a mystery about Shauna.

There are still two key characters that Yellowjackets has yet to introduce who can finally answer a long-standing question about Shauna. While Yellowjackets’ supernatural mysteries in the wilderness continue to pile up each season, the show also has plenty of unanswered questions about the main characters that concern the pre-crash timeline. Only a few characters’ backstories prior to the fateful plane crash have been explored so far, with Shauna’s unexplained upbringing being among the most curious.

Though Melanie Lynskey’s adult Shauna and Sophie Nélisse’s teen Shauna are among Yellowjackets’ biggest main characters in both primary timelines, an air of mystery still surrounds her. Yellowjackets’ pilot episode primarily focuses on Shauna’s relationships with Jackie, Jeff, and Callie, but her characterization in the pre-crash timeline as well as some missing figures in the present-day storyline beg plenty of questions about her past. However, Yellowjackets season 3 has the opportunity to finally solve the mystery about Shauna’s background by introducing two yet-unseen characters.

Yellowjackets Still Hasn’t Shown Shauna’s Parents (Despite Introducing Other Families)

Shauna could arguably be construed as Yellowjackets’ main character, yet so many important details of her background are still unexplored. High among these are her parents, who still haven’t been seen and have hardly received any mention throughout Yellowjackets seasons 1 and 2. While this may seem unimportant given they’re unrelated to the storyline in the wilderness as well as Shauna’s struggles in the present day, their absence is notable due to the various family members of other characters that have been introduced so far, even if only briefly.

Natalie’s parents have received the greatest focus of Yellowjackets’ main characters, as teen Natalie often has flashbacks to her experiences with her abusive father, whose death she experiences guilt over, as well as her negligent mother. Adult Natalie even has a scene with her mother after she returns to her hometown, with her relationships with her parents providing important context for her character’s later actions. Similarly, Tai’s loving parents are seen in the pilot, Van’s mother appears in the pilot, Lottie’s parents are seen in Yellowjackets’ post-rescue and pre-crash timelines, and Jackie’s parents receive memorable scenes on her birthday in season 1’s present-day story.

Meanwhile, Shauna’s parents have been completely absent from Yellowjackets’ plot. Despite the fact that Yellowjackets’ pilot episode features a scene at teen Shauna’s home, neither of her parents are shown. Yellowjackets season 1 also has a notable scene that pans around the wall of pictures in Shauna and Jeff’s home, yet there’s no sign of her parents. Considering Shauna’s relationship with Callie and her conflicts with motherhood and marriage are extremely important to her adult character’s story, it’s curious that her relationship with her own parents hasn’t been worked into this narrative.

Introducing Shauna’s Parents Can Finally Explain Why She Was So Angry As A Teen

When Shauna is introduced as a teen, she has an air of anger surrounding her that isn’t fully explained. While her complicated friendship with Jackie seems to partially provide an answer, it’s clear that her feelings about the world and adolescence go much deeper than that relationship. Natalie’s rebellion seemed to primarily stem from her upbringing with her parents, and it would make sense for Shauna’s rebellious streak to be explained similarly. However, without her parents being included in the show and no mention of them from Shauna, the extent of their responsibility for being the root of this teenage angst is unclear.

Finally introducing her parents in Yellowjackets season 3 would help explain why the Shauna that audiences first meet in the pilot came to have that demeanor and outlook. An offhand Yellowjackets season 1 comment revealed that her parents are divorced, but Shauna herself hardly commented on this and how it impacted her. Reading between the lines, the divorce likely played a role in teen Shauna finding comfort in Jeff even though he was dating her best friend, as well as her decision to marry so young post-rescue. Consequently, introducing Shauna’s parents in any timeline can help build upon and contextualize her character.

Yellowjackets Season 3’s Post-Rescue Timeline Needs To Finally Reveal What Happened With Shauna’s Family

The show’s crew has teased that Yellowjackets season 3 will include more of the post-rescue timeline, with the teens’ re-acclimation into society being a great way to explore their family dynamics. Since Shauna’s parents are divorced, it’ll be interesting to see whether she lives with her mom or dad upon returning home, as well as how they reacted to her disappearance for 19 months. Considering adult Shauna doesn’t appear to have any relationship with her parents, Yellowjackets’ post-rescue timeline can help fill in the gaps about what happened with her family and how it influenced her relationships with both Jeff and Callie.