The Worst Episode In Yellowjackets Season 1

If there is one show that has demanded viewers' attention this winter, it is Showtime's new series "Yellowjackets." Equal parts teen drama and survival story, the show has found massive success, earning an astounding 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Revolving around a high school girls soccer team's fight for survival in the Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes, the show parallels 1990s flashbacks to the event with how the experience affects them in the present day, years after being rescued. The drama of "Yellowjackets" continues to build over the course of Season 1, until the characters face an action-packed, emotional finale with a killer cliffhanger. Luckily, the series was renewed for Season 2.

Since the season finale premiered this past January, many fans are already wondering when they can expect "Yellowjackets" Season 2. But this makes for a perfect time to revisit Season 1 and all of its shocking twists. With only 10 episodes in the first season, this should not prove to be a difficult task. Each episode connects the past and present with evocative and heart-wrenching moments. But even with such a celebrated show, there is always a weak link in the chain, and one episode in "Yellowjackets" Season 1 pales in comparison to the rest.

With the Season 1 episodes of "Yellowjackets" never dipping below a 7.5/10 rating on IMDb, it's clear that the show maintains quality throughout the season. However, some storylines still do not work as well as others. Season 1, Episode 4, "Bear Down," is the lowest-rated episode of the season, with a 7.6/10 rating. The episode centers around Natalie's (Juliette Lewis) goal to step up and learn how to hunt for the team, all while she deals with PTSD from her experiences with her abusive father.

Commenters on the IMDb page noted that this episode largely fails due to pacing. Many called the episode slow, with no purpose. "There are extreme pace issues and the plot has already thinned out quite a bit," posted a user named guppie2335. Another poster, mycannonball agreed with this statement, saying, "I really like some the characters, but I feel like the content/story isn't enough for 10 episodes. It feels like it's being stretched to serve the time."

As in every episode, "Bear Down" is split between what the teenagers are doing to survive in the past, and how the adult versions of themselves are faring. In this episode, the adult storyline is not as integral to the main plot as what the teenagers are doing. Most of what happens in the series up to this point focuses on character development. For example, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) addresses her trauma by killing a rabbit in her yard and serving it to her family, and Natalie deals with the ramifications of leaving rehab and her drug addiction. 

However, in "Bear Down," Taissa's (Tawny Cypress) plotline just doesn't feel that necessary. Taissa's main concern is winning the state Senate election, a goal that is not in line with the rest of the characters' goals. She spends most of the episode trying to seek favor from a prominent donor, Diane (Lauren K. Robek). This plotline is unsatisfying because it does not contribute to the overarching storyline of solving the mystery. It is only geared towards Taissa's aim to be in politics. 

While Natalie and Shauna struggle with their emotional issues relating to their past, Taissa's subplot of the episode feels irrelevant. Even when Taissa accomplishes her goal and gets alone with Diane, it doesn't payoff, as Diane is just another gossip monger who wants details on Taissa's time in the wilderness. While Taissa's storyline highlights how she will never be able to escape her past, in the grand scheme of things, this plotline does not matter to the ending of "Yellowjackets Season 1."