Yellowjackets Season 2 Ending Explained: Where Do The Survivors Go From Here? (2024)

WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for the Yellowjackets season 2 finale.

Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9 ended in a way that nearly no one could've predicted — here's what happened in the finale, how it sets up season 3, and what it means for the survivors going forward. Yellowjackets season 2 has been full of surprises and shocking revelations, providing answers to long-held mysteries such as the meaning behind Travis' note to Natalie, the idea that the wilderness is an influential entity and much more. The finale began with the assumption that one of the adult survivors must die to satiate the wilderness' growing need in the 2021 timeline. However, things didn't necessarily go according to plan.

Within that mix, other high-stakes plots played out and came to satisfying conclusions. The police were hot on adult Shauna's tail for the murder of Adam Martin for most of the season, what Misty's "boyfriend" Walter Tattersall was truly up to was explained, and the official sacrificial cannibalism ritual depicted in the 1996 timeline was finally established in full. All of these things collided in Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, which saw equal parts triumph and heartbreak for the remaining adult survivors. After all was said and done, one thing is still certain: the wilderness hasn't finished its work in the past or the present.

Why Travis Ate Javi’s Heart

When the girls returned with Javi's body after he drowned in Yellowjackets season 2, episode 8, no one was more distraught than Travis. Natalie assuredly had her own guilt to assuage after letting him die, but Travis was indeed the one that suffered the loss the hardest. He tried to explain the scope of the destruction they were causing to Van, who, in turn, convinced him that his brother's death was a sacrifice to save the remaining survivors and that he should honor Javi's sacrifice and death. Therefore, Travis took this conversation to heart and engaged in cannibalism with the rest of the group.

Shauna presented Travis with his brother's heart to eat first, almost as a signal to the rest of the group that if Travis was okay with consuming Javi, then the rest of them should be too. Travis ate Javi's heart to prove his loyalty to the group and honor his brother's sacrifice. The moment proved that Travis had fully fallen into his beliefs of the wilderness as an entity and that these sacrifices were both necessary and beneficial to their survival. He saw Javi as a martyr rather than a tragic victim and justified eating his brother by throwing himself into this belief.

How Natalie Became The Original Antler Queen

One of the biggest Yellowjackets season 2 twists was that Natalie was the original Antler Queen, not Lottie. It seemed as though the whole series was suggesting and building up to Lottie being the titular leader, but when she would be revealed in her official garb for the first time, it wouldn't have been all that surprising. However, in Yellowjackets season 2, Lottie decided to step down and give leadership over to Natalie, leaving Shauna somewhat jealous. Looking back, Lottie's insecurities as a leader had been building, as proven by her Mall vision earlier on, but no one expected her to pass the buck.

Lottie chose Natalie because she believed that Nat was always the wilderness' "favorite." She cited the fact that the team tried to kill her when she drew the Queen of Hearts, but the wilderness wouldn't let them. There were signs that point to the wilderness favoring Natalie, such as her being the lead hunter. While Lottie was the first to communicate with the wilderness, the survivors had all learned how to do that, so they didn't need her guidance anymore. It's possible that Natalie not being so swayed by groupthink made her more of a natural leader than a follower, which could be another reason Lottie deferred to her.

Walter’s Plan To End The Adam Martin Investigation Explained

Walter devised an elaborate plan to save Misty and her friends from being found out by the cops, one that involved police corruption. After killing him with phenobarbital, Walter was able to tie a large amount of bank and phone records relating to Adam back to Kevyn Tan. He then shot Kevyn with Saracusa's gun and propositioned him to help him frame Kevyn for both Adam and Jessica Roberts' murders using a narrative that there was massive police corruption that Saracusa "uncovered" and almost lost his life over. He then added that all of this information could be tied back to Saracusa as well if he didn't oblige.

Walter's plan had several major functions in Yellowjackets. First, it proved his allegiance to Misty, something that was debatable for most of the season, especially when he compared her to Sherlock and himself to Moriarty. Second, it showed that Walter himself wasn't above murder and probably shared in his "girlfriend's" psychopathic tendencies. Finally, it spoke to Walter's skills as a hacker and citizen detective. To be able to tamper with evidence in such a way that it pointed to someone entirely unrelated was impressive.

Was The Group Really Going To Kill Shauna In The New Hunt?

Shauna was unlucky enough to pick the Queen of Hearts in the 2021 timeline, and it's possible that the group was preparing to kill her. Throughout the climactic scenes of the ritual revisited by the adults and the mask-wearing chase that ensued in Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, the tone oscillated between the group seeing reality and falling prey to the wilderness. While they initially agreed that Lottie wanting to satiate the wilderness was a bad idea, things got more complicated when Van convinced Taissa to call off the crisis squad that was supposed to interrupt the ritual and take Lottie away to safety.

Adult Van's looks of hunger during the chase were particularly terrifying, and her calling off the authorities certainly painted her intentions in a negative light. Lottie was wholly ready to sacrifice Shauna, completely taken over by the task of feeding the wilderness. Misty, Natalie, and Taissa, on the other hand, seemed the most conflicted. If Lottie had gotten to Shauna first, she would assuredly be dead, and it was possible the same might go for Van based on how taken she seemed throughout the chase. Whether the others would've done it is questionable, but Shauna was nevertheless in real danger.

Natalie’s Sacrifice & Death Explained

Unfortunately, the wilderness did claim another adult survivor, and it turned out to be Natalie. The shocking moment saw Misty try to stab Lisa with a syringe, but Natalie sacrificed herself and jumped in front of her. Natalie's sacrifice and Misty's heartbreaking reaction to killing her "best friend" (again) spoke to several key Yellowjackets moments. Natalie sacrificed herself because the ultimate guilt that she carried from her time in the wilderness was standing aside to let Javi die. Had she sacrificed herself in Yellowjackets season 2, episode 8, she never would've become the original Antler Queen.

Natalie probably felt a lot more guilt than Yellowjackets initially let on for being the Antler Queen and setting the rest of the series' events in motion. The revelation of her elevated status in 1996 and the guilt that followed also helped explain her struggles in her adult life and eventual turn to a suicide attempt. Therefore, when she saw an opportunity to save someone who was good to her, she paid for her past sins by sacrificing herself for them. Misty's reaction also spoke to her devotion to Natalie. It's possible she had been so taken and obsessed with her this whole time because Natalie was her leader.

Where Taissa & Van Sent Adult Lottie (Is She Getting Sent Away?)

Lottie got sent away to a mental health facility known as Whitmore in Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, because of her overwhelming belief that the wilderness entity was back and wanted one of the survivors. The rest of the adult survivors didn't take too kindly to Lottie's phenobarbital plan and were understandably concerned for her mental health when she wanted to play out Yellowjackets' sacrificial cannibalism ritual again. Lottie orchestrating the hunt led to the survivors calling a crisis team to come to get her, though it turned out to be too little too late. Lottie will most likely be spending Yellowjackets season 3 in a mental health facility again.

Taissa promised that she and the rest of the survivors would visit Lottie at Whitmore. Still, Lottie remained convinced that Natalie's sacrifice fed the wilderness and that everyone would see the positive results of this. Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, made it clear that the survivors, Van in particular, feel culpability in Lottie's dwindling mental state. The flashbacks to the 1996 timeline, including Misty's coercions, Van's story about the wilderness, and the fact that Lottie never wanted the ritual to be established in the first place pointed to the girls having a hand in enabling Lottie's psychosis and her eventual breakdown as an adult.

Why Coach Ben Set The Survivors’ Cabin On Fire

The final moments of Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, saw the girls flee as their wilderness home burned to the ground, and only one person wasn't with them: Ben. Ben set the cabin on fire because he was petrified of what the team had become and viewed them as monsters who had been stripped of their humanity. Coach Ben's sanity had been dwindling like the rest of the group. However, he made it clear from the get-go that he won't cross the line into cannibalism and saw a kindred spirit in Natalie. Unfortunately, Natalie rebuffed his attempts to hide out the rest of the winter with him in Javi's cave.

Between witnessing Javi's corpse being dissected, realizing that the one person he found a kinship with has gone to the dark side, haunting visions of the life he could've had, and seeing that the team is now sacrificing one another, Ben had finally had enough. He believed that the team was now too far gone to see reason and stop their bloodshed, and they had now become a full-blown cannibal cult capable of extreme violence. For his own safety, he decided to burn their cabin down to stop the madness from going any further and is presumably hiding in Javi's cave.

The Real Meaning Of Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 9

Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, is imbued with much deeper meaning than the scares on the surface, though it is also an effectively simple horror show as well. The finale of season 2 was something of a turning point for the characters as reveals not only answered questions but also posed even more mysteries going forward. Most importantly, the ending proved that there is something special about the young survivors, and it continues to haunt them in the present. If Yellowjackets has revealed anything about itself it's that almost nothing is what it seems.

How Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 9 Sets Up Season 3

Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9, set up numerous plot threads for season 3 and a whole host of new mysteries. First and foremost, the adult survivors will be dealing with the fallout of Natalie's sacrifice and death. Misty seemed inconsolable over her part in the matter, and while season 3 should see her and Walter in a romantic relationship, she'll be wrestling with something she hasn't before: guilt. Season 3 will also see Natalie in the past as the new leader of the group and her descent into becoming Yellowjackets' Antler Queen. The finale hinted that Shauna is jealous of Natalie becoming the leader, so that's sure to come into play.

Adult Lottie's cult will most likely be disbanded now that she's in a mental facility, and she will likely be visited by the sleepwalking-afflicted Taissa. Yellowjackets season 3 could finally see some peace in the Sadecki household as the Adam Martin investigation has been taken care of by Walter. However, things are going to heat up considerably in 1996 with the cabin burning down. The teen survivors might find out that Ben lit the match since he's the only one not present, but they'll have to find a new home regardless. Hopefully, they don't find Ben lying low in Javi's hideout, so he can survive another day in Yellowjackets.