Yellowjackets season 2 episode 8 review and recap: "On its way to a chilling conclusion"

After Shauna (Sophie Nélisse)'s outburst at the end of episode 7, Lottie (Courtney Eaton) is not in a good way as the penultimate chapter of Yellowjackets season 2 begins. And while the others may not be in quite such a bad way, they're still not in the best shape. Remember Akilah (Nia Sondaya)'s pet mouse? Yeah, turns out that's been dead all along, which she only discovers once Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) discovers her playing with the creature's corpse.

In the present day, secrets are coming to the surface quicker than you can say "buzz buzz". Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) tells the others that Jeff (Warren Kole) knows about Adam, and Misty (Christina Ricci) tells them that Taissa (Tawny Cypress) is the one who hired Jessica Roberts to investigate them all back in season 1 – as well as the fact that she "took care of it" (i.e. poisoned her cigarettes with fentanyl). 

She also admits to pretending to be an FBI agent with Walter (Elijah Wood) in order to question Randy about Nat's disappearance. When recounting their interrogation of Randy, however, she puts two and two together and realizes that it was Jeff who was the season 1 blackmailer and Shauna has been lying to protect him. Needless to say, Taissa, Nat (Juliette Lewis), and Misty, who all helped Shauna dispose of Adam's body, believing him to be the blackmailer, aren't very happy. 

Cut to Walter, looking very at home in a hyper-modern mansion (so much for living on a boat, eh, Walt?), getting notified via the citizen detectives forum that Adam's remains have been found, and emailing the police to tell them that he has information. Considering he still suspected Misty of killing Adam back in episode 5, it's not looking good.

Lottie, in her weakened state, makes it known that she wants the girls to eat her if she dies, but the group is determined to find another way to keep their stomachs full. We then cut to each member of the group taking it in turns to pick a card from a deck, with the target of the exercise initially unclear. However, when Nat (Sophie Thatcher) gets the queen, the atmosphere changes immediately: she now has a target on her back. In a spine-chilling ritual, Shauna clasps Jackie's necklace around Nat's neck and puts a knife to her throat, but Nat insists that she looks her in the eye while she kills her. Travis (Kevin Alves) suddenly tackles Shauna, giving Nat a moment to bolt from the cabin, but the girls chase after her, clutching sticks and even an axe. 

Back in the present day, Lottie has her own ritual in mind. She presents a tray of six cups to the group, informing them that one contains a euthanasia solution, while the other five are safe. She wants them to play Russian roulette and says that 'it' will choose who should drink the poison – in Lottie's mind, one of them needs to be sacrificed to make their pain and suffering (Taissa's sleepwalking, Shauna's trauma, Nat's addiction issues) stop. 

After finding the stash of mysterious and borderline creepy drawings that Javi (Luciano Leroux) has been making since he returned to the cabin, assistant coach Ben (Steven Krueger) finds the tree he depicts in his pictures – and there's a hidden entrance in its trunk with a large burrow lying out of sight. 

Javi starts to take Nat there to help her hide from the other girls – until he falls through the ice in the frozen lake while they're on the run. Nat tries to help him out of the freezing depths, but Misty stops her, saying that the others will kill her if he saves them, as one person has to die. The others pull him out of the water once he's stopped flailing: "The wilderness chose" him.

With one episode left in the season, it finally feels like we're getting somewhere – and the place in question may just be the opening scene in season 1, featuring the ritualistic killing of a character viewers have since dubbed 'Pit Girl.' After a slow start, this season looks to be on its way to a chilling conclusion – in both timelines. With rituals, sacrifices, and a disgruntled millionaire looming over the survivors, it looks like Yellowjackets season 2 may stick its landing (no pun intended). 

The final episode of Yellowjackets season 2 airs next week on Paramount Plus and Showtime – make sure you don't miss it with our Yellowjackets season 2 release schedule.