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rogueslayer452Ever since it was announced that the upcoming fourth season of Yellowjackets will be its last, I have been thinking about what that final season will entail, including theories and speculations of the explanations of everything that has been happening and what the ending will be like to wrap up the entire story and the arcs of the characters.
Theory #01: It's Not Paranormal, It's Just Psychosis
"You know there is no, 'It', right? 'It' was just us!"
"Is there a difference?"
Probably the most grounded and logical explanation for the events of the show, that being stranded in the wilderness and being completely isolated from modern society really psychologically fucked them up, leading to paranoia and shared delusions. I talked about this previously as to why the wilderness timeline was my favorite aspect of the show because we really see the psychological breakdown of when you're stranded in the middle of nowhere and have to fight for survival in such harsh and seemingly impossible conditions. In this case, the girls needing some kind of explanation for the things they've done, and personifying the wilderness as an entity they need to appease is the only way their minds can justify those reasons without feeling guilt. And being rescued doesn't erase this, it still haunts them, and they have tried to find ways to cope with that when they integrate back into modern civilization, not always in the best ways, and not all of them have gotten the help they needed to deal with the trauma they have.
Theory #02: It Actually Is Paranormal (And Also Psychosis)
With that being said, the paranormal angle also works, too.
Horror, especially supernatural horror, often plays around with the concept of how the paranormal and trauma interlink with one another in various ways. There could be a mysterious entity lurking in the wilderness where its energy lures travelers and strands them there, needing the spilling of blood to feed its energy until there's nothing left. In this kind of setting, those sensitive to the paranormal would be the most vulnerable and susceptible to its manipulations and lure, and in this case it would be Lottie who, after running out of her medication only days after the plane crash, feels that connection with the wilderness. At first, she's frightened of it, but eventually she becomes emboldened by that connection, and develops a deep belief in the Wilderness because of it. Lottie would be the catalyst for this mysterious entity to use in order to gain the trust and belief of the other girls. Even if some don't believe they still go along with it anyway, which is what the Wilderness wants.
The girls were never supposed the leave the wilderness. Their rescue was an interruption, and ever since the wilderness has been attempting to lure them back by any means necessary.
Theory #03: They Never Left The Wilderness / "It Was All A Dream"
One of my favorite theories is that they actually never were rescued from being stranded in the wilderness, and that the adult timeline is a mere hallucination by one (or more) of the remaining survivors as a means of coping with their predicament. In truth, this is mainly because the adult timeline feels off, tonally it doesn't match the wilderness timeline and much of it doesn't make sense. Of course this is due to the writing not knowing where to go with the adult versions of the characters, an unfortunate downside, but if the explanation was that it's because none of their adult lives were real and it was just a fantasy then that would be interesting of a revelation. As said above, they were never meant to leave the wilderness, and perhaps they never did and were just made to believe they did in order to subdue those who were attempting to leave, if we're to go with the paranormal explanation.
Theory #04: They Were Dead The Entire Time
This one might seem like a stretch, but the idea of them actually having had all died in that plane crash has been toted around as a possibility ever since we've gotten the adult deaths and their souls appearing in an empty plane next to their younger selves. Someone pointed out that when Van died her younger self appeared next to her without her facial scars, the ones she would've gotten in the wilderness. Now, maybe this was merely Van envisioning herself as she had once been before the crash, but it does raise an interesting argument for this theory. Of course everything happening in the wilderness, their rescue and adulthood, is merely their souls being lost and wandering around, uncertain where to go, and perhaps could add more validity to whatever supernatural events keep happening because they are now part of that world.
Any one of these theories would work in my opinion, although I do think the first two are the most likely possibilities with a little bit of the third. In truth however, I very much would better prefer an ambiguous explanation for the events happening in the show, but only if it sticks the landing at being ambiguous with purpose and not just a shrugging of shoulders of "well we didn't know what to do, so we'll explain nothing". I think allowing the audience to come up with our own conclusions would be best since I like speculating these kinds of things.
Now as far as the way Yellowjackets would end, that is a bit tricky. The upcoming fourth season is going to be the final season of the show, and there is going to be a lot of expectations for how everything is going to conclude. I'm not necessarily worried about the wilderness storyline since we know how that one ends, them getting rescued. The adult storyline, on the other hand, isn't faring too well. Over the course of the show it does feel like they don't know what to do with the adult timeline of the story, much less how it will end. Admittedly, it is my least favorite part of the show so I don't really have confidence that they will stick that landing in a satisfying manner.
My speculation: Judging by the way things are going, the show has been attempting to set something up in regards to Callie being something "important" to the grand scheme of things (daughter of the "wilderness" or a representation of generational trauma), and I speculate that both Shauna and Callie are going to be the last ones left standing by the end, either standing together or facing off with one another and one of them will off the other.
What I would want to happen: As a whole I don't know, but I do have a perfect image, of the remaining survivors to return to the wilderness, to the exact location where they were once stranded, including Callie. I think it would be a nice bookend to end where everything started, and for both timelines to converge, the teens being rescued while the adult versions returning. Whatever happens afterwards, it's by the wilderness rules. This is something that I kinda wanted them to do much earlier, because it's clear that whatever is happening they weren't done with the wilderness (or the wilderness isn't done with them) and they all needed to return, and ideally this is something that I think would make the most sense. The show, to me, is only interesting in the wilderness and while the teen storyline is much better than the adult storyline by far, having them all reconnect with the wilderness and even seeing those who have perished there with them again would be interesting to see. Hell, I can even see Callie going off to that location herself so she can experience what her mother experienced and the rest of them following to get her as kind of another interesting angle, too.
Whatever the ending is going to be, at least it will be interesting to see how certain things are wrapped up.
Theory #01: It's Not Paranormal, It's Just Psychosis
"You know there is no, 'It', right? 'It' was just us!"
"Is there a difference?"
Probably the most grounded and logical explanation for the events of the show, that being stranded in the wilderness and being completely isolated from modern society really psychologically fucked them up, leading to paranoia and shared delusions. I talked about this previously as to why the wilderness timeline was my favorite aspect of the show because we really see the psychological breakdown of when you're stranded in the middle of nowhere and have to fight for survival in such harsh and seemingly impossible conditions. In this case, the girls needing some kind of explanation for the things they've done, and personifying the wilderness as an entity they need to appease is the only way their minds can justify those reasons without feeling guilt. And being rescued doesn't erase this, it still haunts them, and they have tried to find ways to cope with that when they integrate back into modern civilization, not always in the best ways, and not all of them have gotten the help they needed to deal with the trauma they have.
Theory #02: It Actually Is Paranormal (And Also Psychosis)
With that being said, the paranormal angle also works, too.
Horror, especially supernatural horror, often plays around with the concept of how the paranormal and trauma interlink with one another in various ways. There could be a mysterious entity lurking in the wilderness where its energy lures travelers and strands them there, needing the spilling of blood to feed its energy until there's nothing left. In this kind of setting, those sensitive to the paranormal would be the most vulnerable and susceptible to its manipulations and lure, and in this case it would be Lottie who, after running out of her medication only days after the plane crash, feels that connection with the wilderness. At first, she's frightened of it, but eventually she becomes emboldened by that connection, and develops a deep belief in the Wilderness because of it. Lottie would be the catalyst for this mysterious entity to use in order to gain the trust and belief of the other girls. Even if some don't believe they still go along with it anyway, which is what the Wilderness wants.
The girls were never supposed the leave the wilderness. Their rescue was an interruption, and ever since the wilderness has been attempting to lure them back by any means necessary.
Theory #03: They Never Left The Wilderness / "It Was All A Dream"
One of my favorite theories is that they actually never were rescued from being stranded in the wilderness, and that the adult timeline is a mere hallucination by one (or more) of the remaining survivors as a means of coping with their predicament. In truth, this is mainly because the adult timeline feels off, tonally it doesn't match the wilderness timeline and much of it doesn't make sense. Of course this is due to the writing not knowing where to go with the adult versions of the characters, an unfortunate downside, but if the explanation was that it's because none of their adult lives were real and it was just a fantasy then that would be interesting of a revelation. As said above, they were never meant to leave the wilderness, and perhaps they never did and were just made to believe they did in order to subdue those who were attempting to leave, if we're to go with the paranormal explanation.
Theory #04: They Were Dead The Entire Time
This one might seem like a stretch, but the idea of them actually having had all died in that plane crash has been toted around as a possibility ever since we've gotten the adult deaths and their souls appearing in an empty plane next to their younger selves. Someone pointed out that when Van died her younger self appeared next to her without her facial scars, the ones she would've gotten in the wilderness. Now, maybe this was merely Van envisioning herself as she had once been before the crash, but it does raise an interesting argument for this theory. Of course everything happening in the wilderness, their rescue and adulthood, is merely their souls being lost and wandering around, uncertain where to go, and perhaps could add more validity to whatever supernatural events keep happening because they are now part of that world.
Any one of these theories would work in my opinion, although I do think the first two are the most likely possibilities with a little bit of the third. In truth however, I very much would better prefer an ambiguous explanation for the events happening in the show, but only if it sticks the landing at being ambiguous with purpose and not just a shrugging of shoulders of "well we didn't know what to do, so we'll explain nothing". I think allowing the audience to come up with our own conclusions would be best since I like speculating these kinds of things.
Now as far as the way Yellowjackets would end, that is a bit tricky. The upcoming fourth season is going to be the final season of the show, and there is going to be a lot of expectations for how everything is going to conclude. I'm not necessarily worried about the wilderness storyline since we know how that one ends, them getting rescued. The adult storyline, on the other hand, isn't faring too well. Over the course of the show it does feel like they don't know what to do with the adult timeline of the story, much less how it will end. Admittedly, it is my least favorite part of the show so I don't really have confidence that they will stick that landing in a satisfying manner.
My speculation: Judging by the way things are going, the show has been attempting to set something up in regards to Callie being something "important" to the grand scheme of things (daughter of the "wilderness" or a representation of generational trauma), and I speculate that both Shauna and Callie are going to be the last ones left standing by the end, either standing together or facing off with one another and one of them will off the other.
What I would want to happen: As a whole I don't know, but I do have a perfect image, of the remaining survivors to return to the wilderness, to the exact location where they were once stranded, including Callie. I think it would be a nice bookend to end where everything started, and for both timelines to converge, the teens being rescued while the adult versions returning. Whatever happens afterwards, it's by the wilderness rules. This is something that I kinda wanted them to do much earlier, because it's clear that whatever is happening they weren't done with the wilderness (or the wilderness isn't done with them) and they all needed to return, and ideally this is something that I think would make the most sense. The show, to me, is only interesting in the wilderness and while the teen storyline is much better than the adult storyline by far, having them all reconnect with the wilderness and even seeing those who have perished there with them again would be interesting to see. Hell, I can even see Callie going off to that location herself so she can experience what her mother experienced and the rest of them following to get her as kind of another interesting angle, too.
Whatever the ending is going to be, at least it will be interesting to see how certain things are wrapped up.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 12:51 pm (UTC)Yes. Which is very realistic (the trauma, not the actual situation, although it was loosely based on a real scenario. Including trauma for teens who made choices that ended badly, or were forced into situations beyond their control.
here could be a mysterious lurking in the wilderness where its energy lures travelers and strands them there, needing the spilling of blood to feed its energy until there's nothing left.
Intriguing...
truth, this is mainly because the adult timeline feels off, tonally it doesn't match the wilderness timeline and much of it doesn't make sense. Of course this is due to the writing not knowing where to go with the adult versions of the characters, an unfortunate downside, but if the explanation was that it's because none of their adult lives were real and it was just a fantasy then that would be interesting of a revelation.
I would actually love that.
(I've seen people argue that they shouldn't know modern technology, etc., but maybe in this universe, modern tech is an illusion. Also, they were stranded when cellphones were becoming a thing, and there were a lot of websites already. It's not that hard to believe that they'd more or less accurately pinpoint how things could progress. Especially as we don't have any specifics. I don't think anyone ever talks about social media, for instance, though I could be wrong.)
. In truth however, I very much would better prefer an ambiguous explanation for the events happening in the show, but only if it sticks the landing at being ambiguous with purpose and not just a shrugging of shoulders of "well we didn't know what to do, so we'll explain nothing".
I know that frustrated a lot of people about LOST (which I never watched, I just remember the outrage). Hopefully they won't make the same mistake.
My speculation: Judging by the way things are going, the show has been attempting to set something up in regards to Callie being something "important" to the grand scheme of things (daughter of the "wilderness" or a representation of generational trauma), and I speculate that both Shauna and Callie are going to be the last ones left standing by the end, either standing together or facing off with one another and one of them will off the other.
Yes, I can see that.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-16 02:05 am (UTC)I've seen people argue that they shouldn't know modern technology, etc., but maybe in this universe, modern tech is an illusion
For me it would just be a matter of suspension of disbelief in regards to that. I mean yeah, it would be a complete retcon of events if that were to be the case, but this wouldn't be the worst or most out there explanation of this theory. There is a horror movie that I think back to that does just this, where it's revealed that the adult version of the character is all imagined and that they're dissociating as a means to cope with the trauma of their current situation. Admittedly in regards to this happening in Yellowjackets it would definitely be a retcon, but one that I would accept.
I know that frustrated a lot of people about LOST (which I never watched, I just remember the outrage). Hopefully they won't make the same mistake.
Interestingly, I often think about Lost when I come back to Yellowjackets, because there are several instances where it seems like it often draws inspiration from or is coincidentally compared to it. Especially with my theories, some even share similarities. I do hope it is in better execution though.
(Although some people have come out in recent years saying that they actually liked the ending of Lost, that it made sense, and that the outrage was overblown and a lot of fans were really into it at the time too. I never watched the show fully myself, only the first season, and I was among those who knew of the series finale because of the outrage but having never seen or experienced most of the show and following the sequence of events leading up to that grand finale I have no say in whether it would've been good or not. Context is key, I think. Same with Yellowjackets, and as we all know series finales are never going to please every single fan.)
no subject
Date: 2025-12-20 11:08 am (UTC)For sure. Good point that even a short time can change some people, let alone a long time. And seeing all of the things they did.
There is a horror movie that I think back to that does just this, where it's revealed that the adult version of the character is all imagined and that they're dissociating as a means to cope with the trauma of their current situation.
Interesting!
I was never into LOST, but you're right that not all fans minded the ending. Finales are hard - you're not going to please everyone. And, when you're on the outside, it's easy to go by what the loudest voices say, only to later learn more people felt differently than you realized.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-30 07:56 pm (UTC)I suppose, as things are now, I prefer theory 1 and 3. I am glad we know how many seasons there will be, but I wonder with the few episodes a season has, if one season is enough to gather all the threads. We will see.