Yellowjackets season 3 is finally answering some of the series’ biggest questions, but there’s no denying it has a Shauna problem — and it’s making the show difficult to watch. 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
Shauna is unlikable from Yellowjackets season 1, but she’s also portrayed as somewhat relatable. She’s an underdog who feels overshadowed by her best friend, and she comes into her own in the Wilderness — a journey that makes her teen character sympathetic, even as she cheats with Jeff and is indirectly responsible for Jackie’s death. She also shows guilt and grief over these mistakes, with Sophie Nélisse’s performance during Yellowjackets season 1’s ending making it impossible not to feel something for the character.
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 m onotonous 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?
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.
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.
