'Yellowjackets' Episode 6 Review: Taissa shows her dark side in engrossing chapter
Contains spoilers for 'Yellowjackets' Episode 6 'Saints'
'Yellowjackets' starts off the second half by showcasing the dark side of the characters. Taissa (Tawny Cypress), in particular, shows a side most wouldn't have expected. With her political career at a crossroads, and her son going through therapy, her strained relationship with her wife brings out a shade that wasn't shown in the first five episodes. Also taking enough screentime are Natalie (Juliette Lewis) as he begins a newfound bond of sorts with Kevyn, while Shauna (Melina Lynskey) grapples with her past relationship with Jackie (Ella Purnell).
By now, it can safely be assumed that Jackie is dead, and Jeff, despite all the smooth-talking, is still having an affair. Shauna's journey of self-reflection doesn't really have great timing considering there is a mysterious figure threatening to expose their past. Whether this is actually one of the survivors whose adult version we haven't met so far in the episode or just one of the survivors gunning for revenge remains to be seen.
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Meanwhile, Misty (Christina Ricci) continues to play the unpredictable and volatile character and still qualifies as the suspect who just might be doing this to exact revenge for all the ridicule she endured by the other survivors after the plane crash. She was already shown destroying the black box, being shunned by the girls, and also cast aside by her coach (who later agrees he has feelings for her). There's also that brief storyline where Lottie is baptized so that she could be one with the almighty, but that occult and ghosts and visions storyline ends as abruptly as it began.
'Saints' clamps down on the horror again, though it does maintain the same level of icky-factor. There are generous doses of lesbian romance and some teen love, but it's all overshadowed by Taissa's bloodied hands and disturbed mental state in the final minutes of the episode. Has she been "The lady in the tree" that's causing her son to lash out and react violently? At the moment, she is the most likely suspect. So the smear campaign too could be her doing in some ways.
The cast deserves due credit for making 'Yellowjackets' an intriguing affair. The adult versions bring out their multiple shades of grey immaculately and that makes the Showtime series worth tuning into. With another four episodes left before the season ends, it feels the psychological thriller has a lot to offer, so expect the remaining episodes to be as action-packed, gory and enthralling as they can get.
'Yellowjackets' airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on Showtime.