'Yellowjackets' Episode 1: Was Misty a cannibal even before the horrific plane crash?

As the pilot inches to a close, a herd of cannibals is shown to be feasting on human meat and the ringleader is revealed to be Misty
Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty (Showtime)
Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty (Showtime)

Contains spoilers for 'Yellowjackets' Episode 1

The teen version of Misty (Sammy Hanratty) in 'Yellowjackets' was shown as a fangirl and an absolute outcast. She was the one who tried to fit in, but just couldn't. What she experienced wasn't something of a novelty, but the final minutes of the episode showed a dangerous side to her that just might be the outcome of all the snubbing and ribbing she was at the receiving end of during her teen days. As the pilot inches to a close, a herd of cannibals is shown to be feasting on human meat and the ringleader is revealed to be Misty (the adult version played by Christina Ricci).

Misty is introduced as part of the soccer team personnel. She isn't a player, but as an assistant of sorts to the coach, she is still considered to be one of those inexperienced teens with no idea as to what to do. This is observed when one of the players, Allie (Pearl Amanda Dickson) is seriously injured during a scrimmage ahead of the team's trip to the Nationals. In the present, Misty is shown to be a nurse taking care of a sick woman, only to ill-treat her when she refuses to eat her food.

READ MORE

Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen: How a fairytale turned into abusive marriage and ended in restraining order

Christina Ricci files divorce after domestic battery call, restraining order against husband James Heerdegen

It is revealed that she is considered an outcast even as an adult. However, as one of the survivors, she seems to be seamlessly leading her life as a nurse and a cannibal. As far as the question of how she became a cannibal goes, this pretty much could be attributed to the fact that she was considered an outsider and never welcomed into a group. The lack of relationships and support could have been a trigger and that may have seen her probably form a cult and devour the survivors who were fighting for their lives after the plane crash in '96.

Much of this is pure speculation, however, there is no doubt that Ricci's Misty will play a key role as the survivors' past comes to haunt them. Only time will tell whether she was actually responsible for any deaths during the crash.

'Yellowjackets' airs Sundays at 10 pm ET on Showtime.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

‘Tulsa King’ Season 4, starring Sylvester Stallone, streams every Friday on Paramount+
2026-10-17T10:36:40.000Z
Pavi and her long-lost twin Nisha hunt for their origins as the Havens cheer the last Avatar’s death
2026-10-17T08:37:00.000Z
Season 2 of the HBO Stephen King prequel jumps back to 1935 and a gang of bank robbers
2026-10-17T06:52:24.000Z
‘Fire Country’ season 5 episode 2 reveals Jake’s fate after the shooting as the team uncovers the attacker’s motive
2026-10-17T06:41:28.000Z
Wes ends ‘Sheriff Country’ Season 2 Episode 2 in the hands of Stoyanovs after exposing bakery bug
2026-10-17T05:35:47.000Z
Chad Lowe is the executive producer on ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ and has also directed many episodes
2026-10-17T05:07:28.000Z
Issa López returns as showrunner for a Jamaica Bay story with ties to ’Night Country’
2026-10-17T03:12:59.000Z
Oklahoma’s governor and Dwight’s love interest board a private jet in the first episode of Season 4
2026-10-16T09:30:07.000Z
'Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 Episode 1, titled 'Collide,' featured several surprises
2026-10-16T09:16:04.000Z
'Crystal Lake,' which serves as a prequel to 'Friday the 13th,' stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela
2026-10-16T07:12:15.000Z