Yellowjackets: Season 2 [Blu-ray review]

I just finished Yellowjackets: Season 2. For those that don’t buy into what is left of Showtime, the Blu-ray is your chance to catch up on “Girl Lost”. After a buzzworthy first season, the hit Showtime series Yellowjackets descended into even darker territory with its recently concluded second installment.

Centered on a girls soccer team turned savage after a plane crash in the 1990s, Yellowjackets laces its survival horror with interpersonal drama and generational conflict. The new season arrives on Blu-ray packed with illuminating bonuses that take fans behind the scenes of this creepy phenomenon.

Some Yellowjackets background

Created by husband-and-wife team Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets utilizes a split timeline structure to explore the traumatic events that haunt its characters across decades. Half the drama unfolds in 1996 as the high school teammates struggle to endure the remote wilderness after their flight goes down. At the same time, the adult versions played by stars like Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci must keep buried secrets from destroying their present-day lives.

The new season masterfully deepens the mysteries of what unholy acts the stranded teens committed that summer to stay alive. Ominous clues about sacrificial offerings and a coldblooded killer nicknamed “The Antler Queen” leave both viewers and the older characters struggling to learn the truth. Showrunners Lyle and Nickerson delicately balance building anticipation without getting stuck in repetitive loops of teases.

While the core ensemble delivers nuanced work, the introduction of adult cult leader Taissa, played with chilling steeliness by Tawny Cypress, promises to shake up dynamics in the ’96 timeline. Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis continues chewing scenery as the grown-up Natalie, who devolves further into chemical dependency and denial. For 90s aficionados, the soundtrack of alt hits like Veruca Salt, Garbage, and Elastica perfectly captures the period.

Season Two of “Yellowjackets” doesn’t just pick up where the chilling first season left off; it plunges headfirst into the abyss of the past and present. The dual timelines intensify, unraveling the characters’ psyche as the younger and older versions of the survivors grapple with the trauma and secrets that bind them. The Blu-ray edition, with its crisp visuals and haunting audio, encapsulates the series’ raw grit.

Let’s talk about the Season 2 Blu-ray

The Blu-ray’s extensive bonuses include a music video cover courtesy of Alanis Morissette. Plus, you get episodic featurettes and more information about the production. The home release offers a wealth of insights into the series’ singular alchemy of genres from horror and nostalgia to psychological drama.

After cementing itself as a critics’ darling in season 1, Yellowjackets faced high expectations to deliver in its sophomore outing. But the writers adroitly expanded the unsettling mystery and emotional stakes while introducing new wrinkles. The Blu-ray’s behind-the-scenes content attests to the thoughtful creative process and talented ensemble that have fueled Yellowjackets’ rise.

Final thoughts on Yellowjackets: Season 2

Trying to watch a Showtime series anymore as it airs is difficult. Sure, you can buy the add-on for Amazon Video or Paramount Plus, but that’s a hassle that upsets your current plan. While I watched most of this season as it aired, most of the back half was watched for the first time on this Blu-ray.

Season 2 helps answer a ton about The Antler Queen and some of the metaphorical drop-ins that started in Season 1. But, it’s also hard to not watch with a basic brain and just enjoy the mystery of what did we now see the girls do as teens vs. the troublesome adults they later became. From Shauna’s baby to Javi to the coach and how weird Misty became as an adult, it’s all so engrossing.

Two seasons in, the series only seems to be hitting its stride in depicting the corrosive effects of buried transgressions. With equal parts dysfunctional family drama and creepy folk horror vibes, Yellowjackets provides a genre cocktail laced with 90s nostalgia. Don’t miss the chance to relive the latest gruesome trip into the wilderness courtesy of this collector’s Blu-ray set.

Yellowjackets: Season 2 is now available on Blu-ray. Pick up your copy at MovieZyng!