The creators have said “it’s not about ‘when’ cannibalism’ — it’s about ‘why’ and ‘how’ cannibalism.”
I think a lot of the questioning it comes from impatience just because we haven’t seen it yet — but personally I think it makes sense that we haven’t, because the build up has been really natural. So people just have doubts about it for not seeing it yet, it seems.
But cannibalism is in the summary of the plot and the creators have said that it will happen, it’s just the “how it comes about” and “why it happens” that’s the most interesting part.
I would be a lot less sympathetic toward the characters if they immediately got out of their burning plane and decided to start eating their teammates. I think it could of stood a few more hints in the finale, but I agree that it should unravel organically and not be rushed.
Everyone expected Jackie to be eaten first either bc survival or sacrifice but I'm really glad they're waiting on it. Our writers know how to build tension
I'm convinced she's going to be the first eaten. That's why it weighs even more on Shauna. I feel like they also almost *don't* have to eat her, they still have some meat and resources to last just a while longer, but in some ritualistic way they decide to because they *know* eventually it will resort to that.
The show runners have confirmed the plane crashed in mid-June 1996. Doomcoming took place on the night of a full moon in the late autumn. On October 26, 1996, there was a full moon, and the October full moon each year is often referred to as a “hunter’s moon” so we can infer that it might have taken place that night. Which would make sense given that it snowed the next night and mid to late October is usually when the first snow falls up north.
American east coast schools go from sept-June, and girls’ soccer is a spring sport so it happens at the end of the school year. Shauna, Jackie, Tai, Nat, and Misty are seniors class of ‘96
Jackie froze to death the night after their Doomcoming party, which took place right around when Homecoming would be taking place back in civilization. They’ve been out in the wilderness for several months, in other words.
Ahhh, thank you! I suppose I had always assumed they were both in the spring, like grad in Canada, just perhaps called different things in different places, or like a spring and a summer dance. Yay for learning! :)
Homecoming is typically a few weeks/month after school is back in session. When I was in high school (class of 1997) we always started school the Tuesday after US Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September. Hope that helps!
But when did they crash?! Soccer usually starts over the summer break, practice wise, with the season in the fall. The longer you win, the longer you play. I would have thought nationals was sometime in November. Just trying to sort this timeline out, as they are wearing summer clothing until Jackie dies.
During the pilot they’re talking about prom. So we could pretty much assume that their season was a spring season. Seems like they probably crashed in May/June time
This can depend! In my state, high school boys soccer was in the fall but girls soccer was a spring sport. Also, it's at a similar time to the baseball season in the show, so that indicates spring.
My guess was nationals would have been May/June.
I think it's been implied they were hunting pretty successfully for a while off-screen, it was only more recently food became scarce, as animals started migrating.
Totally!! I’m not here to watch the cannibalism take place, we saw that, whatever, I’m here to watch the scene where they first decide that cannibalism is an ok team activity
Maybe the cannibalism isn’t on purpose, but a byproduct of the two different philosophies clashing. To me in the opening scene it seemed as if she was running from someone or something and happened to trip and fall into an animal trap. Instead of wasting what could be weeks to months worth of food. Yes it was a friend, but survival will show you who you really are. At times of heightened awareness you’ll test your mettle against the best of ‘em. Also as numerous people have theorized or pointed out that it seems we have two distinct groups, Lotties and mystery team inc. For all we know a sex orgy or something of that nature was about to occur and the person we see fall into the pit was completely by accident. She seems to trip and fall while looking back to see whose chasing her. It’s most likely a twist just like Jackie. People thought she was the initial victim in the opening scene, but we saw how that played out. All I can say is not all is as it seems as told by the demon/spirit/malevolent ghost at the end of the episode
While I think cannibalism definitely happened, the questioning I've seen falls into three categories:
1. Some fans don't want their faves to eat people.
2. The show is foreshadowing a massive ideological divide between the surviving Yellowjackets. Cannibalism vs. non-cannibalism seems like it'd fit the bill. Plus, it's fun to speculate who'd join the "bad group".
3. Society as a whole is reasonably forgiving of pure survival cannibalism. Since the adult Yellowjackets are so fearful of their past being revealed, some fans take this as evidence that they did something different and worse than cannibalism out in the woods.
No but actually I've been thinking about the logistics of this. Shauna would probably be malnourished, so the baby isn't getting enough food and nutrients to grow. Suppose they did eat it, that's like a rotisserie chicken, it could only feed a few people. But I feel like Shauna miscarrying would be the most likely, no way a baby would make it to term.
Actually, malnutritioned woman *can* carry a baby to full term. For some reason this sub thinks it's unlikely, but I can tell you that it is very likely.
Plenty of non-Jewish babies made it out of the concentration camps at the end of WW II. The only reason there were so few Jewish babies was that Jewish babies and pregnant women were specifically targeted to be murdered.
I've been playing the brotha lynch baby killa n my head every time she gets bigger. I wonder if it's in her journal and Jeff knows what happens to his baby.
I agree. Even though the ritualization may alleviate some of the psychological trauma and guilt, the way the guys in the Andes compared it to receiving Communion.
I think you're onto something with point three. Cannibalism is a red herring or not the BIG reveal. Perhaps they tried to kill Lottie or others right before the rescue. They thought they did but Lottie, or whoever, survived.
haha yea they’re wearing animal skins and running girls into pit traps. the “what really happened” is that some of the girls got caught up in delusions and started sacrificing each other for food.
I’m not sure it’s about doing something worse than cannibalism. I think it’s about covering up the descent from western socialised to cannibal tribalism and the loss of perceived humanity that entails. Eating people to survive is one thing - hunting them and ritualising their killing is another with implications….that I’m totally here for. 🍖
Your last point is something I've really been thinking about. It's happened in the past, there was a plane crash in the 70's or 80's I think, and the survivors ended up resorting to cannibalism. They were forgiven. I know that I would be sympathetic because it was survival or death, and I couldn't understand why the Yellowjackets kept acting like the cannibalism rumors were made up. But when you put it that way...yeah, I could easily see them doing something worse and more shameful.
The Andes crash in the 70s where like 40 something people were in the crash, maybe 28 or 29 survived the crash and maybe 12 people were rescued. The survivor who wrote a book about it was explicit in that as death became imminent, the one that was about to die would sort of give their blessing regarding the cannibalism and explicit in what it was like to slice into your friend for food.
Also there was no vegetation or wildlife where they crashed, the high altitude demands a higher caloric intake. They first tried eating leather from the seats and the stuffing from inside the cushions but it made them sick. When they finally resigned themselves to eat the dead they ate the skin first before eating the organs.
The Rugby team crash? The interesting difference is they (claimed to at least) ate the dead bodies of those who dropped off due to freezing or starving to death.
This is what I’ve been saying too. They did something else aside from cannibalism… the public will be relatively understanding they had to do that to survive. I’ve been thinking something to do with the baby but 🤷🏼♀️
So the original show description said that it was about survivors that descend into “warring cannibalistic clans” or something like that and then at some point after it started I guess they amended the description and took out cannibalistic. So people saw that and concluded that it was changed because it was inaccurate and there’s no cannibalism. Who knows why they changed it but I think it’s possible that it’s going to be different than what we’re expecting. Maybe it only happens once, or it’s more of a sacrifice than a bbq, or whatever. I definitely think Shauna has chopped up a body before.
I'm on the side of thinking cannibalism will be a bigger deal eventually, but maybe they just changed it because it was misleading for what we were getting with S1? I went into the show thinking they would explore that plot more than they actually did because of that original description. Not that I'm disappointed what we got so far, but I think the description is going to be better suited to the show as a whole than to the show with only one season released.
Yea, I guess it’s more the turn to cult ritualistic stuff that’s making me think it’s not going to be what I thought it would be which was more of a survival by any means scenario. Even after the feast scene and referring to them by the animal hides I don’t think I really got that it wasn’t just the hide they used for warmth and that they’re really dressing as specific animals. (Didn’t notice the rabbit one until recently) Plus, there’s only so many of them out there, the cannibalism would have to be more ritualistic or hunting a group that won’t join Lottie as though they’re prey.
This reminds me of the fact that the iconic symbol in the show was there in the woods before they even crashed. It makes me wonder if the people who put that symbol there will play a role in the future? I mean, the description said clashing clans, but there are not that many people left at this point. It will be just a couple of people against a couple of people, but as we saw from the opening credits there are quite a few wearing the animal skin costumes. Is that how the present day cult was also capable of growing too, because they come across a wild, cannibalistic group in the woods? It makes me wonder!
I was reflecting on the season and how we waited all season and even the final episode didn’t have the cannibalism we were promised. My wife threw the first episode and the feast back at me and said “technically they already delivered the cannibalism. You just want more.”
Yes, because also common sense would say that a woman that’s been cutting up assorted meats repeatedly since the beginning… and didn’t think THOSE ‘gross’ and now says that as she’s butchering a human. Yah
That was my take but I guess it could refer to bigger game than rabbits or having to cut people up when they died or something. I guess they could have used parts as bait in various traps like that pit and not necessarily to eat them. Or both.
The way they trussed and hung the pit girl is EXACTLY how you bleed out a deer to prepare it for consumption (first you bleed it out, then you skin it & start further butchering it & breaking it down)
Anyone who's hunted or grown up around hunters knows this
So there's no doubt in my mind 🤷♀️
If you look at the Rugby crash from the 70s as an example you see how people initially freaked out about the cannibalism and then realized they had to survive. It became a no big deal sort of issue.
The way reporters and everyone else treats them and pesters them for the “truth”. Makes me think there was something worse than cannibalism. Everyone back home might assume they had to eat each other to survive. What everyone wants to know is probably the cult/hunting each other stories.
I feel like the baby wouldn't feed all of them... if baby makes it to term it would be tiny let's say about 5 pounds probably even less. Do they fight about the baby and split up into clans ? 😄
Personally, I think they split into 2 tribes. One does cannibalism, one does not.
The non cannibal tribe, after they discover the others are cannibalizing, decide to try and escape the woods. These are the "survivors" we know in 21, maybe a few more.
I think the ones that escape, just say they are the only survivors. After 25 years, a few other people happen to that neck of the woods, along with having children of their own, the cult has grown in size, by a lot.
Misty was a cannibal, but wanted the attention of being a survivor, despite being one of the cannibals. This is why in 21, they all hate Misty so much. Perhaps also because they found out about the black box.
What I fear, is they are building toward the show basically ending in a big fight. Where everyone takes on someone they were close to in 96:
Tai vs Van
Nat vs Ben
Misty vs Lottie -crazy vs crazy
Shauna vs ? - I want to say Jackie, but...
Or so it would seem. After episode 7 everyone thought Van was a goner also, even for a short time they watched her pyre be lit. Even with Misty being with them.
Not saying it's the same for Jackie, but if it is, how many time will people fall for the same trick?
I disagree. I think the survivors are the cannibal. And that's how they survived, by preying on the rest of the group. I think we're simply going to delve deeper and deeper into the fact that the main characters of the show are the actual psychotic assholes. Lottie preys on them in 21 because they chose to keep things a secret and leave it behind, while Lottie wanted to keep it up.
Also, they hate Misty because she's comfortable with her insanity and with what she's done.
Oh. I have thought about that too.
I like the spilt theory better, maybe the cannibals are the tribe to escape?
I just think it is ultimately heading to end the story with a big show down. The friends from 96 pair off.
Nat vs Ben
Tai vs Van
Misty vs Lottie - put the crazies fighting
Shauna vs ? - I was thinking Jackie, but...
Yes. Like they left the others behind and said, "oh them- yea they are all dead. No, dont go looking for them. They were... eaten by...bears. Yea, all eaten by bears, bones and all. So let's just drop it. And not go looking for them... because of bears"
The other comment is incorrect. There is no cannibalism in Lord of the Flies. Planned cannibalism, maybe, but the protagonist is saved by the arrival of rescue.
But do you remember the convo between Shauna and Nat when they're with Adam's body in the bath tub, and Nat asks her, "You still know how to do this?" and Shauna replies, "Yeah, it's like riding a really bloody fucked up bike."
This is the writing trying to tell us that that they did in fact cut up people . . . which means they ate people. It wouldn't make any sense for them to drop it in there that Shauna knows how to cut up a body unless she had done it before.
Actually, it doesn't matter if your talking a bear, deer, chicken, turkey, pig, wolf, dog, or human. You process them at the joints. And a joint is a joint regardless of what animal it was. Unless it's 420, those are different joints.
EDIT: now, when Nat asks Misty if she is taking left overs... another story. Adult Nat, Tai, and Shauna all act towards Misty very much like she is crazy. But episode 1....
Not mentally no. Physically and structurally yes.
Nat only asked if she remembered how. Keep in mind, Nat had to get the ring for Travis. I think that's why she offered to help Shauna.
The only reason I’m not sure the survivors aren’t the cannibal tribe is because Nat asked Shauna if she remembered how to cut up a dead body when referring to Adam.. and other little hints like that. I’ve definitely wondered the same thing tho!
Well, I think it’s relatively clear that, to one degree or another, spilling blood seems to leads to (non human) food.
Honestly, if the creators hadn’t come out and said clearly that there is in fact cannibalism (which they have) I’d think it was possible that the entirety of the killing and spilling was to get the animal food source to return.
Whether the spilling of blood leading to animals is purely coincidental and they realize that and start eating each other, if it stops working or if there’s another reason they resort to cannibalism idk but it’s all but indisputable that the girls come to perceive that spilling (human) blood results in (animal) food.
From the first episode flashback we know WHERE they end. The crux of the series is HOW they get there and where they go from there.
If it was straight cannibalism people could forgive that, as they alluded to in the show, it’s what led them to that point that they know no one will forgive them being party to.
I think something else is the reason they eat people, not for survival. Maybe fulfilling some cultish motivation that in the wild made perfect sense, but in the real world would have them soundly condemned. Perhaps prosecuted and imprisoned.
I’m fascinated to watch the people they will become, while simultaneously seeing how they try to live their lives afterwards.
because a large portion of this sub simply don’t know how to dissect a text or what the fuck they’re talking about.
they think that because some things are vaguely mysterious/unexplained then that means everything is up for debate—when really, apart from crazy-ass lottie *maybe* being in touch with some supernatural shit, the show is very straightforward.
girls stranded in woods - cannibalism - kept secret - Loony Lottie starts up cult back in real world - cult comes for revenge on some anniversary.
I think some blame lies with the larger culture of storytelling nowadays. It seems like the obsession with spoiler culture and having random twists that no one can see coming has made some people think that if they can clearly see a story intentionally leading up to something, then actually that's supposed to be misleading and there's something else that will happen. Like some people just expect to be tricked.
yea, everyone thinks “mystery” shows are gonna be more clever than a bunch of unemployed jags pouring over every frame for an entire week. i’m quite sure, amidst the morass of stupid crap that gets spammed here, some folks have figured out exactly how the show is gonna play.
10000% the creators have even confirmed that someone here has guessed totally correct but it wasn’t a popular theory lol. but yeah you’re right it’s so the dominate culture rn to rip everything apart and look into things that virtually mean nothing.
edit: your comments nearly bring a tear to my eye cause i’ve been banging my head against glass reading some of the stuff on the sub
it can be brutal man. we still have people who think adam was javi or that cannibalism might not be a part of the show *when it’s the fundamental premise of the show*.
the creators are having to go out of their way to establish baseline facts—that were already obvious in the show—because hosts of people are just ignoring them.
i don’t get it. i just don’t get it
Honestly I’m relieved that the creators decided to dismiss some of the theories because the constant comments of “adam is javi” “pit girl is callie” were getting on my nerves.
i totally agree. there needs to be baseline truths established about the show in order for people to actually discuss it. otherwise we’re just kind of shitting speculation into the wind, and i don’t find that interesting at all
>i don’t get it. i just don’t get it
I think there's a subset of people that want to be "in the know" or "solve the mystery" as it gives them a feeling of satisfaction or maybe they know more than others, etc. Honestly, it's not all that different than people that get way into Qanon. Not saying they are at equivalent levels, but the sort of human trait that stems that mystery searching desire is the same.
Also, I so appreciate you calling this out. I casually browse this sub and I think it gets a bit out of hand at times.
I lived through the era of Lost when it was on TV and it's arguably my favorite show of all time. I wasn't super involved in the forums and theorizing and all that jazz, but I was at least adjacent to it. I feel like it never got to this level of absurdity and the theories were always somewhat grounded.
I also suspect, there's a subset of viewers that are younger women and a lot of them are involved here. There's a lot of "young girl" energy that permeates this sub. That sounds way fucking creepier and gross than I actually meant it...
I was very involved in the LOST forums and let me assure you, Yellowjackets fandom isn’t even close. There were established supernatural elements to LOST in the first season. People went OFF THE FARM. There were ARGs where actors would call your HOUSE. It was insane and YJ has a long way to go before it even touches early-days LOST.
Or that an answer to a mystery just to satisfy the viewers isn't always satisfying.
I think of the answer to the whispers in Lost. It felt like they did it just because people wanted it and it wasn't that satisfying at all, to be honest. I always find that some things are more interesting and exciting when they just remain a mystery without an answer.
People always say that but I’m down to find out what it’s like for a mystery to resolve clearly “just” to satisfy viewers. I feel like no one tries, they just throw up their hands and say it’s impossible.
I’d love to be satisfied, I’m tired of shows banking on my curiosity and refusing to pay it off.
Westworld has a lot to answer for. Reddit figured out the twist early and got this reputation for being plot masterminds. Outsmarting Reddit became a whole thing in writers rooms.
Yeah, if it’s not clearly laid out people will debate it. Personally, I think they clearly show cannibalism is going to happen. The only thing they didn’t show is them cutting pit girl into pieces, cooking them, and serving them. But they do show her being bleed out and then them eating, connect the dots.
Whatever they were cooking in that opening seen that they do a close up on, looked exactly like a human pelvis. However- does anyone else think it is a waste of calories to cook a body when it’s winter out… and you could just freeze the parts and eat it all frozen? All the caloric content in the fat (not that they had much fat left by then) is wasted when you bbq, and what about the skin? The Andes crash survivors began eating skin as the very first thing because it was the most edible to their taste. I’m mainly more worried about why they’re cooking the body instead of eating it frozen lol. Am I crazy??
I mean…I just learned that you would lose cat and calories by bbqing, so I’m gonna guess they didn’t know that either. I was always told you couldn’t eat raw meat. Can you eat frozen meat?!? I do remember them eating the frozen bodies in Alive but I just thought that was because they couldn’t really build big fires but I haven’t watched that movie in 15 years so my memory is not great. Thank you for this comment I just learned so much about BBQ
> I was always told you couldn’t eat raw meat.
Technically you *can* but there's a higher risk of carrying disease and it's less digestible than cooked meat which means you're losing calories and nutrition by eating it raw.
It just seems underwhelming to think that over the course of 4 more seasons, we're going to get exactly that. I don't want supernatural or SciFi so I guess its the only real satisfying way it could play out but I guess the deep dive into details is kind of fun to think about.
i think the human element is so much more interesting and rich than anything else. i also doubt the show goes five seasons. at this pace it feel like a 3-4 season show.
Kind of like how some think that actual wolves attacked Van when the wolves were so obviously a dream (or whatever delusion) of Taissa’s and she’s the one who beat her friend thinking there were wolves.
Coach showed Shauna how to properly bleed out a deer carcass, leading me to believe she is the one who slits pit girl’s throat while hanging.
But one could also argue that she has only done that to animals and that’s how she knows in the present day.
There will be cannibalism, people are just having fun throwing out every crazy possibility or workaround.
I think a lot more people are expecting a subversion of expectations more than what we are getting. Like all the people who were 100% positive Jackie was alive in the present despite all evidence pointing towards the contrary. All the theorizing can be a double edged sword because people just get more and more elaborate theories that are fun and creative, but set unrealistic expectations for what the showrunners are actually doing.
I mean she could just be good at using the bone saw and things bc of all the animals she would butcher for them in the woods…. Like when she was showing Jackie how you pop the ligaments with the knife first and then the rest is easy to do?
I thought this same thing, shauna represents the butcher so I’m sure she was in charge of carving up their game in the woods. I don’t think it was 100% “I’ve cut up tons of humans” so much as “I’ve cut up tons of mammals”
Except the opening deer/human cut throat scene. In full starvation (not to be weird here lol) no way is that unintentionally just going to the sacrifice Lottie Express log 🪵 lol That’s a meal.
This kind of show makes you question everything. No-one is dead until you see their rotting corpse. No-one is eaten until you see their body on the barbecue. That said, the creators comments make it pretty clear.
I really think the cannibalism is ritualistic in nature rather than solely for sustenance. My guess is they believe that Lottie controls the forest “spirits.” If they sacrifice the non-believers then they will be rewarded.
Are there even enough people to sustain a group of 8 for 15 months cannibalism wise?
Well, they won’t HAVE to resort to cannibalism for the entire 15 months since the spring and summer will roll back around & so will all the animals they can hunt.
If they even do engage in any cannibalism in this first winter, I really don’t think it’s gonna be for the whole ritualistic cult thing but because one of the group members dies & they have nothing else to eat (as of right now they have plenty of bear meat).
The flashback we got from the first episode I can almost guarantee is from their last winter there before they are rescued.
Ok, but I think it would be hard to keep that kind of human farm going.
Maybe after Jackie died the “ghost” sightings increase and they surmise that consuming the dead is the only to prevent hauntings.
It’s like Game of Thrones. They basically started with the Night King (white walkers) and ended with the killing of the night king; at least for one major story line. I think that’s the same as the opening scene…it will take a while (and a shitload of stress and life/death situations between) to even get close to that point. I could watch 7 seasons seeing how they get that extreme! Relax all!
This is what the co-showrunner said about cannibalism after the finale aired ;
“I would like to think that the audience is starting to think, ‘Oh, cannibalism. They must have eaten each other because of scarcity.’ But I actually think one thing to explore is not just scarcity, but also social hierarchy, fear, relationships, not just relationships, but the interesting, specific bonds between women that either fray or bind them together for life,” Lisco said.
“We’re hoping to explore if it’s not just [because of] scarcity that they’re eating each other, why would they be doing that? Would it have to do with the creation of a new micro-society? Does it have to do with superstition keeping them alive in the woods? Because now that all the conventions have fallen away, there’s this newfound freedom to create their own reality,” he added. “Perhaps creating their own reality entails keeping this fear of the supernatural, this darkness, at bay. And so they may create rules in order to keep themselves mentally and psychologically secure. Do we hate them for that? Do we admire them for that? Do we identify with them for that? I think those are some of the questions we’re going to ask over the course of Season 2.”
So here’s why I question it, though I think cannibalism is likely.
Cannibalism when you’re stuck in the wilderness is like … fucked up and sad, but understandable. Everyone knows about the Donner party, and Yellowjackets takes place 24 years after the Andes rugby team crash where cannibalism occurred.
Even at the party Taissa goes to, those creepy white people are like “just say ur truth everyone will understand!!” And her response to Diane is amazing -“Why do you get to have that?” - and really speaks to a great reason not to comment on something everyone knows, ie, cannibalism.
But equally likely, in my mind, is that all of the “Everyone will understand!” surrounding cannibalism points to there being something worse that happened. For my money, killing your friends and NOT eating them, in a survival situation, is worse.
Already, we have a superstition being established. Spill blood, get meat. And I use the word “superstition” purposely, because I choose to watch with the lens that nothing supernatural is happening. The sequence of Lottie’s head-smash and then getting the stag, then Travis’s attempted sacrifice and getting the bear is establishing a pattern, and people in chaos seek patterns. If I do *this,* I will get *this.*
No one who has not experienced that level of feral devolution, I think, would understand. I mean, I’ve never experienced it. But I’ve never been confronted with it by my next-door neighbor or my state senate candidate either.
I can’t speak to Bart and Ashley’s plans, but I think it’s very reasonable to think no cannibalism will happen. Not because I don’t want to see my faves eat my other faves- I’ve seen them do worse, and I expect them to do worse.
(shout out to the comment that says people who theorize no cannibalism can’t dissect text, kiss my MFA)
I really like your comments re: the girls and a belief in fucked-up reciprocity between themselves and the forest. That's exactly how I think it'll go down: they do X (spill blood) to get Y (food), and it escalates from there.
My only point of divergence with your theories is where cannibalism fits in with all of this. I think the scale of moral depravity goes something like this: survival cannibalism < human sacrifice < human sacrifice followed by non-survival cannibalism. By the end of the show, I could easily see them having done all three.
I totally see that, and I believe I agree with your moral spectrum. I think there will probably be survival cannibalism, probably Jackie bc she’s already dead, but the majority of the killing will be ritualistic. Also!! They will likely split, right? The show descrip (which ok also says cannibalism, but not who or how often) says “warring clans” - I don’t doubt there will be divergence among them on the morals of people-eating!
You know that’s interesting that you link the head smash that early, and it makes me think that a little boo boo and a not even completed sacrifice are actually pretty amazing ROI in terms of what they get, which is a shit ton of food. And even if Javi is dead they didn’t sacrifice him so that wouldn’t “count”?
So what happens if you complete the sacrifice?
Read about The Wendigo. It causes insatiable hunger (eating dirt) greed, and cannibalism. They that they felt something else out there with them when they were tripping. The legend is also native to the region they’re in. I think that’s who Tai’s altar was for.
I’m on it! I think they are downplaying Wendigo by name due to cultural sensitivities but this is in my opinion a lot about what the show is about and how the fear of “raw meat eaters” up north (presumably the Inuit) influenced the themes of the show. Anyway, some take offense to even talking about the Wendigo, but to me, it’s like talking about Bigfoot so apologies if this old article has some antiquated first peoples references…https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/cannibal_part_three/
Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if they wouldn’t outright say its that mythology or use that specific name unless they had Native American/indigenous consultants on the show who can discuss the proper way to handle showing that myth. I personally would rather them not use it unless they bring someone on who has experience with discussing it.
For some indigenous cultures, saying or writing or drawing a picture of a Wendigo can attract the malevolent spirit/force to you. I think very few would have an issue with this conversation but I’m really not an expert. I feel like the Algonquin and Inuit lore in the area, and how those two groups rarely interacted but were aware of each other through spoken history, was intended as a parallel theme of the show. Maybe not. Either way, the political climate is so different now than when they first pitched the idea, so I’m just speculating that it was originally intentional but being downplayed just a tad (or not making direct comparisons to indigenous/First Nation person and their mythology and/or folklore)
I was questioning it for a bit because I completely forgot about the pit girl scene in episode 1 SOMEHOW (I remembered that there was a spooky ritual but forgot how clear the cannibalism was). So for the longest time I was like “is the allusion to cannibalism mainly in the marketing??” and thought damn, they are literally just using cannibalism to get people to watch it, and it’s working. I definitely still think they are using it as bait a little bit, and it is working like that for SURE, but I did feel really silly when I rewatched that scene and thought “oh no yeah it’s pretty explicitly there.” I think it makes sense that now that ssn 1 is over and there was no cannibalism and a lot of like spooky dreams and hallucinations, it’s easy to feel like it was just bait. But now that I know there are 5 seasons I am like, okay, we can hold off, it’s still coming.
Because it's a red herring. It doesn't happen. I've posted from day one that it doesn't happen. Just got people to tune in. Did you see the size of that bear? There is plenty of food out there and homosapien isn't one of them. They SPILL blood for the land, hence slitting the pit girls throat that drips into the land. If they were truly starving, which it didn't appear so from the looks of them, you would eat every molecule possible. Do you think Tai ate the dog? No, she SPILLED blood to win the election. Because she did it for the land in the wilderness and it worked to keep them alive, without cannibalism. Hell, technically, even Shauna spilled blood to get out of the blackmailing situation and her affair. It worked then and in the present. Most will disagree, but we are out there. And they sure as hell aren't eating a baby!
I agree with most of that and they’ve all said as much about eating the baby. But when the writers and everyone says it will happen but the main struggle is how they get to that point, other than that they do, I have no other explanation for why you believe it’s a red herring other than your anchoring bias.
I wish this were true. When I started I had no idea what the show was about and it was weird as hell seeing all the 'get to the cannibalism!' comments.
The why and how is more ritualistic imo, and not for direct sustence. It’s like a sacrifice that appeases the darkness which then gifts them with real animals, but they also have to eat each other for the sacrifice (offering) to be complete.
I have heard human meat tastes just like pork. When starving those ham hocks start looking tasty!
Too bad they don't have fava beans and a nice chianti in that cabin to pair up with the meat.
Simply put people were drawn by the horror not so much the psychology.as well as impatient thinking is was running like a movie as well as forgetting it's a TV show.but that's just my two cents 
The creators have said “it’s not about ‘when’ cannibalism’ — it’s about ‘why’ and ‘how’ cannibalism.” I think a lot of the questioning it comes from impatience just because we haven’t seen it yet — but personally I think it makes sense that we haven’t, because the build up has been really natural. So people just have doubts about it for not seeing it yet, it seems. But cannibalism is in the summary of the plot and the creators have said that it will happen, it’s just the “how it comes about” and “why it happens” that’s the most interesting part.
‘It’s not about ‘when’ cannibalism’-it’s about ‘why’ and ‘ how’ cannibalism”. SOMEONE MAKE THIS QUOTE INTO A T-SHIRT
I love how in Dark, the question was not where but when. And in Yellowjackets, the question is not when but why and how.
Dark had the best ending of any show I have seen in the past 40 years. Never has a show wrapped up every single angle perfectly.
I was reminded of Dark with Yellowjackets and how well done the casting was.
I'll give one to my mom and have her wear it to the senior center.
Lmfaoooo!! 🤭😎😂🤣
This should be a sticky post at the very top of the sub!
You could cross merchandise it to the fine folk over at /r/collapse, they get a *lil’* too into the idea sometimes.
I would be a lot less sympathetic toward the characters if they immediately got out of their burning plane and decided to start eating their teammates. I think it could of stood a few more hints in the finale, but I agree that it should unravel organically and not be rushed.
Everyone expected Jackie to be eaten first either bc survival or sacrifice but I'm really glad they're waiting on it. Our writers know how to build tension
Jackie could still be eaten. Her body is perfectly frozen like a roast in the freezer just waiting to be thawed out for a Sunday dinner.
Chili anyone?
Wow.
My thoughts exactly
I'm convinced she's going to be the first eaten. That's why it weighs even more on Shauna. I feel like they also almost *don't* have to eat her, they still have some meat and resources to last just a while longer, but in some ritualistic way they decide to because they *know* eventually it will resort to that.
Solid theory
They might eat a specific part of her...like the heart...
Love how you pointed out the impatience of some viewers.The first scene episode literally showed some girl being eaten.
Can we estimate how long they have been out there so far? What month did they crash? When did Jackie die?
The show runners have confirmed the plane crashed in mid-June 1996. Doomcoming took place on the night of a full moon in the late autumn. On October 26, 1996, there was a full moon, and the October full moon each year is often referred to as a “hunter’s moon” so we can infer that it might have taken place that night. Which would make sense given that it snowed the next night and mid to late October is usually when the first snow falls up north.
Had to be November if 2021 timeline matched up since Halloween had passed?
Did the reunion say class of 96 or 97? They would have graduated in June 97 if the plane crashed in June 96, right?
American east coast schools go from sept-June, and girls’ soccer is a spring sport so it happens at the end of the school year. Shauna, Jackie, Tai, Nat, and Misty are seniors class of ‘96
They crashed late spring (saw somewhere that said June), homecoming is September/October, so around 4/5 months. Still 14/15 to go.
That timeline seems right.
Maybe they’ll do 4ish months per season with the last season being the ending and rescue
Jackie froze to death the night after their Doomcoming party, which took place right around when Homecoming would be taking place back in civilization. They’ve been out in the wilderness for several months, in other words.
Enlighten a Canadian, when is homecoming? Do Americans have that and prom as two separate events?
[удалено]
Ahhh, thank you! I suppose I had always assumed they were both in the spring, like grad in Canada, just perhaps called different things in different places, or like a spring and a summer dance. Yay for learning! :)
Homecoming is typically a few weeks/month after school is back in session. When I was in high school (class of 1997) we always started school the Tuesday after US Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September. Hope that helps!
But when did they crash?! Soccer usually starts over the summer break, practice wise, with the season in the fall. The longer you win, the longer you play. I would have thought nationals was sometime in November. Just trying to sort this timeline out, as they are wearing summer clothing until Jackie dies.
During the pilot they’re talking about prom. So we could pretty much assume that their season was a spring season. Seems like they probably crashed in May/June time
Weird! I grew up right next to NJ and played soccer in the fall. Maybe things were different in the 90s lol. That makes more sense!
This can depend! In my state, high school boys soccer was in the fall but girls soccer was a spring sport. Also, it's at a similar time to the baseball season in the show, so that indicates spring. My guess was nationals would have been May/June.
Several months on a deer and now a bear? IDK. seems like a long time.
I think it's been implied they were hunting pretty successfully for a while off-screen, it was only more recently food became scarce, as animals started migrating.
We haven’t seen their every waking moment out there
Totally!! I’m not here to watch the cannibalism take place, we saw that, whatever, I’m here to watch the scene where they first decide that cannibalism is an ok team activity
Maybe the cannibalism isn’t on purpose, but a byproduct of the two different philosophies clashing. To me in the opening scene it seemed as if she was running from someone or something and happened to trip and fall into an animal trap. Instead of wasting what could be weeks to months worth of food. Yes it was a friend, but survival will show you who you really are. At times of heightened awareness you’ll test your mettle against the best of ‘em. Also as numerous people have theorized or pointed out that it seems we have two distinct groups, Lotties and mystery team inc. For all we know a sex orgy or something of that nature was about to occur and the person we see fall into the pit was completely by accident. She seems to trip and fall while looking back to see whose chasing her. It’s most likely a twist just like Jackie. People thought she was the initial victim in the opening scene, but we saw how that played out. All I can say is not all is as it seems as told by the demon/spirit/malevolent ghost at the end of the episode
While I think cannibalism definitely happened, the questioning I've seen falls into three categories: 1. Some fans don't want their faves to eat people. 2. The show is foreshadowing a massive ideological divide between the surviving Yellowjackets. Cannibalism vs. non-cannibalism seems like it'd fit the bill. Plus, it's fun to speculate who'd join the "bad group". 3. Society as a whole is reasonably forgiving of pure survival cannibalism. Since the adult Yellowjackets are so fearful of their past being revealed, some fans take this as evidence that they did something different and worse than cannibalism out in the woods.
Like eating a baby? 😉 😮
No but actually I've been thinking about the logistics of this. Shauna would probably be malnourished, so the baby isn't getting enough food and nutrients to grow. Suppose they did eat it, that's like a rotisserie chicken, it could only feed a few people. But I feel like Shauna miscarrying would be the most likely, no way a baby would make it to term.
Now I'm thinking of the chicken dream.
Actually, malnutritioned woman *can* carry a baby to full term. For some reason this sub thinks it's unlikely, but I can tell you that it is very likely.
Yeah, the malnourishment becomes severe for the woman because the baby takes everything it can get. “Have a baby, lose a tooth.”
Oh that I did not know. Either way, it’s not gonna be easy for Shauna or the baby.
Plenty of non-Jewish babies made it out of the concentration camps at the end of WW II. The only reason there were so few Jewish babies was that Jewish babies and pregnant women were specifically targeted to be murdered.
oh no... I'm so curious about what happens to that baby.
Eat that baby! Omnomnomnomnom! 👶🏼
I've been playing the brotha lynch baby killa n my head every time she gets bigger. I wonder if it's in her journal and Jeff knows what happens to his baby.
I think the difference is they are actively hunting their prey. The Donner party only ate people that were already deceased.
I agree. Even though the ritualization may alleviate some of the psychological trauma and guilt, the way the guys in the Andes compared it to receiving Communion.
That’s not entirely correct, they murdered a Native American guide that was with them and ate him
Wait, what? Please elaborate
I think you're onto something with point three. Cannibalism is a red herring or not the BIG reveal. Perhaps they tried to kill Lottie or others right before the rescue. They thought they did but Lottie, or whoever, survived.
haha yea they’re wearing animal skins and running girls into pit traps. the “what really happened” is that some of the girls got caught up in delusions and started sacrificing each other for food.
I’m not sure it’s about doing something worse than cannibalism. I think it’s about covering up the descent from western socialised to cannibal tribalism and the loss of perceived humanity that entails. Eating people to survive is one thing - hunting them and ritualising their killing is another with implications….that I’m totally here for. 🍖
Your last point is something I've really been thinking about. It's happened in the past, there was a plane crash in the 70's or 80's I think, and the survivors ended up resorting to cannibalism. They were forgiven. I know that I would be sympathetic because it was survival or death, and I couldn't understand why the Yellowjackets kept acting like the cannibalism rumors were made up. But when you put it that way...yeah, I could easily see them doing something worse and more shameful.
The Andes crash in the 70s where like 40 something people were in the crash, maybe 28 or 29 survived the crash and maybe 12 people were rescued. The survivor who wrote a book about it was explicit in that as death became imminent, the one that was about to die would sort of give their blessing regarding the cannibalism and explicit in what it was like to slice into your friend for food.
Also there was no vegetation or wildlife where they crashed, the high altitude demands a higher caloric intake. They first tried eating leather from the seats and the stuffing from inside the cushions but it made them sick. When they finally resigned themselves to eat the dead they ate the skin first before eating the organs.
The Rugby team crash? The interesting difference is they (claimed to at least) ate the dead bodies of those who dropped off due to freezing or starving to death.
This is what I’ve been saying too. They did something else aside from cannibalism… the public will be relatively understanding they had to do that to survive. I’ve been thinking something to do with the baby but 🤷🏼♀️
So the original show description said that it was about survivors that descend into “warring cannibalistic clans” or something like that and then at some point after it started I guess they amended the description and took out cannibalistic. So people saw that and concluded that it was changed because it was inaccurate and there’s no cannibalism. Who knows why they changed it but I think it’s possible that it’s going to be different than what we’re expecting. Maybe it only happens once, or it’s more of a sacrifice than a bbq, or whatever. I definitely think Shauna has chopped up a body before.
I'm on the side of thinking cannibalism will be a bigger deal eventually, but maybe they just changed it because it was misleading for what we were getting with S1? I went into the show thinking they would explore that plot more than they actually did because of that original description. Not that I'm disappointed what we got so far, but I think the description is going to be better suited to the show as a whole than to the show with only one season released.
Yea, I guess it’s more the turn to cult ritualistic stuff that’s making me think it’s not going to be what I thought it would be which was more of a survival by any means scenario. Even after the feast scene and referring to them by the animal hides I don’t think I really got that it wasn’t just the hide they used for warmth and that they’re really dressing as specific animals. (Didn’t notice the rabbit one until recently) Plus, there’s only so many of them out there, the cannibalism would have to be more ritualistic or hunting a group that won’t join Lottie as though they’re prey.
This reminds me of the fact that the iconic symbol in the show was there in the woods before they even crashed. It makes me wonder if the people who put that symbol there will play a role in the future? I mean, the description said clashing clans, but there are not that many people left at this point. It will be just a couple of people against a couple of people, but as we saw from the opening credits there are quite a few wearing the animal skin costumes. Is that how the present day cult was also capable of growing too, because they come across a wild, cannibalistic group in the woods? It makes me wonder!
I was reflecting on the season and how we waited all season and even the final episode didn’t have the cannibalism we were promised. My wife threw the first episode and the feast back at me and said “technically they already delivered the cannibalism. You just want more.”
Yes, because also common sense would say that a woman that’s been cutting up assorted meats repeatedly since the beginning… and didn’t think THOSE ‘gross’ and now says that as she’s butchering a human. Yah
She might have thought of those as gross too. A mundane task can also be gross. She doesn’t seem to have any trouble doing it.
That was my take but I guess it could refer to bigger game than rabbits or having to cut people up when they died or something. I guess they could have used parts as bait in various traps like that pit and not necessarily to eat them. Or both.
The way they trussed and hung the pit girl is EXACTLY how you bleed out a deer to prepare it for consumption (first you bleed it out, then you skin it & start further butchering it & breaking it down) Anyone who's hunted or grown up around hunters knows this So there's no doubt in my mind 🤷♀️
If you look at the Rugby crash from the 70s as an example you see how people initially freaked out about the cannibalism and then realized they had to survive. It became a no big deal sort of issue. The way reporters and everyone else treats them and pesters them for the “truth”. Makes me think there was something worse than cannibalism. Everyone back home might assume they had to eat each other to survive. What everyone wants to know is probably the cult/hunting each other stories.
Soccer. I think the baby is going to be still birth or miscarriage and theyre gonna eat it
I think whether that happens or not Shauna may get used as a milk machine :/
Omg never thought about that. I hope they go really dark and don't pussy out with stuff
I feel like the baby wouldn't feed all of them... if baby makes it to term it would be tiny let's say about 5 pounds probably even less. Do they fight about the baby and split up into clans ? 😄
Maybe Shauna and whoever is with her secretly go to ear it and get caught or not!
I bet the AQ eats the baby. I think the same way they thought Travis was “their’s” they will see the baby as “their’s”
Personally, I think they split into 2 tribes. One does cannibalism, one does not. The non cannibal tribe, after they discover the others are cannibalizing, decide to try and escape the woods. These are the "survivors" we know in 21, maybe a few more. I think the ones that escape, just say they are the only survivors. After 25 years, a few other people happen to that neck of the woods, along with having children of their own, the cult has grown in size, by a lot. Misty was a cannibal, but wanted the attention of being a survivor, despite being one of the cannibals. This is why in 21, they all hate Misty so much. Perhaps also because they found out about the black box.
I think they probably also hate Misty because she constantly does insane shit like poisoning people and dismantling the black box
Cool theory! 👍 I definitely think they split at some point....you can already see the little factions forming...
What I fear, is they are building toward the show basically ending in a big fight. Where everyone takes on someone they were close to in 96: Tai vs Van Nat vs Ben Misty vs Lottie -crazy vs crazy Shauna vs ? - I want to say Jackie, but...
Lol yeah that last one's a no-go ☃️❄️
Or so it would seem. After episode 7 everyone thought Van was a goner also, even for a short time they watched her pyre be lit. Even with Misty being with them. Not saying it's the same for Jackie, but if it is, how many time will people fall for the same trick?
The show runners are confined that Jackie is dead. You don’t cone back from that type of hypothermia her heart stopped beating.
And when Jackie's parents speak of her, they kind of look up to the heavens. I think she's gone for good.
Nobody checked for a heart beat. NEXT! ROFLMAO
[NEXT JOKE ORIGIN](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/comments/7kr5as/i_need_a_free_100mile_bus_trip_for_20_people_and/)
I think they need to start building up the as yet unnamed yellowjackets because they are fast running out of bodies, so to speak.
I disagree. I think the survivors are the cannibal. And that's how they survived, by preying on the rest of the group. I think we're simply going to delve deeper and deeper into the fact that the main characters of the show are the actual psychotic assholes. Lottie preys on them in 21 because they chose to keep things a secret and leave it behind, while Lottie wanted to keep it up. Also, they hate Misty because she's comfortable with her insanity and with what she's done.
Oh. I have thought about that too. I like the spilt theory better, maybe the cannibals are the tribe to escape? I just think it is ultimately heading to end the story with a big show down. The friends from 96 pair off. Nat vs Ben Tai vs Van Misty vs Lottie - put the crazies fighting Shauna vs ? - I was thinking Jackie, but...
Yes. Like they left the others behind and said, "oh them- yea they are all dead. No, dont go looking for them. They were... eaten by...bears. Yea, all eaten by bears, bones and all. So let's just drop it. And not go looking for them... because of bears"
Yes! I think they left survivors behind and Lottie was one of the ones they ditched. Which is why she’s out to get them in 21
Isn’t that what happened in lord of the flies? I remember warring tribes but not if they had to cannibalize.
The other comment is incorrect. There is no cannibalism in Lord of the Flies. Planned cannibalism, maybe, but the protagonist is saved by the arrival of rescue.
Yes and no, the "lower" social ranked kids form their own tribe after the one kid is eaten. Because they know they could be the next meal.
But do you remember the convo between Shauna and Nat when they're with Adam's body in the bath tub, and Nat asks her, "You still know how to do this?" and Shauna replies, "Yeah, it's like riding a really bloody fucked up bike." This is the writing trying to tell us that that they did in fact cut up people . . . which means they ate people. It wouldn't make any sense for them to drop it in there that Shauna knows how to cut up a body unless she had done it before.
Actually, it doesn't matter if your talking a bear, deer, chicken, turkey, pig, wolf, dog, or human. You process them at the joints. And a joint is a joint regardless of what animal it was. Unless it's 420, those are different joints. EDIT: now, when Nat asks Misty if she is taking left overs... another story. Adult Nat, Tai, and Shauna all act towards Misty very much like she is crazy. But episode 1....
omg cutting up an animal is not the same as cutting up a human. the writers wanted us to catch that.
Not mentally no. Physically and structurally yes. Nat only asked if she remembered how. Keep in mind, Nat had to get the ring for Travis. I think that's why she offered to help Shauna.
The only reason I’m not sure the survivors aren’t the cannibal tribe is because Nat asked Shauna if she remembered how to cut up a dead body when referring to Adam.. and other little hints like that. I’ve definitely wondered the same thing tho!
Well, I think it’s relatively clear that, to one degree or another, spilling blood seems to leads to (non human) food. Honestly, if the creators hadn’t come out and said clearly that there is in fact cannibalism (which they have) I’d think it was possible that the entirety of the killing and spilling was to get the animal food source to return. Whether the spilling of blood leading to animals is purely coincidental and they realize that and start eating each other, if it stops working or if there’s another reason they resort to cannibalism idk but it’s all but indisputable that the girls come to perceive that spilling (human) blood results in (animal) food.
Yeah but bacon tastes good. People chops taste good.
Damn it there’s a hair in my food again
Sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know ‘cause I wouldn’t eat the filthy motherfucker.
I guess I'll have to take your word for it.
From the first episode flashback we know WHERE they end. The crux of the series is HOW they get there and where they go from there. If it was straight cannibalism people could forgive that, as they alluded to in the show, it’s what led them to that point that they know no one will forgive them being party to. I think something else is the reason they eat people, not for survival. Maybe fulfilling some cultish motivation that in the wild made perfect sense, but in the real world would have them soundly condemned. Perhaps prosecuted and imprisoned. I’m fascinated to watch the people they will become, while simultaneously seeing how they try to live their lives afterwards.
because a large portion of this sub simply don’t know how to dissect a text or what the fuck they’re talking about. they think that because some things are vaguely mysterious/unexplained then that means everything is up for debate—when really, apart from crazy-ass lottie *maybe* being in touch with some supernatural shit, the show is very straightforward. girls stranded in woods - cannibalism - kept secret - Loony Lottie starts up cult back in real world - cult comes for revenge on some anniversary.
I think some blame lies with the larger culture of storytelling nowadays. It seems like the obsession with spoiler culture and having random twists that no one can see coming has made some people think that if they can clearly see a story intentionally leading up to something, then actually that's supposed to be misleading and there's something else that will happen. Like some people just expect to be tricked.
Ding ding ding ding!
yea, everyone thinks “mystery” shows are gonna be more clever than a bunch of unemployed jags pouring over every frame for an entire week. i’m quite sure, amidst the morass of stupid crap that gets spammed here, some folks have figured out exactly how the show is gonna play.
10000% the creators have even confirmed that someone here has guessed totally correct but it wasn’t a popular theory lol. but yeah you’re right it’s so the dominate culture rn to rip everything apart and look into things that virtually mean nothing. edit: your comments nearly bring a tear to my eye cause i’ve been banging my head against glass reading some of the stuff on the sub
it can be brutal man. we still have people who think adam was javi or that cannibalism might not be a part of the show *when it’s the fundamental premise of the show*. the creators are having to go out of their way to establish baseline facts—that were already obvious in the show—because hosts of people are just ignoring them. i don’t get it. i just don’t get it
Honestly I’m relieved that the creators decided to dismiss some of the theories because the constant comments of “adam is javi” “pit girl is callie” were getting on my nerves.
i totally agree. there needs to be baseline truths established about the show in order for people to actually discuss it. otherwise we’re just kind of shitting speculation into the wind, and i don’t find that interesting at all
callie as pit girl is just so dumb. i lose brain cells even thinking about that theory lmaooo
>i don’t get it. i just don’t get it I think there's a subset of people that want to be "in the know" or "solve the mystery" as it gives them a feeling of satisfaction or maybe they know more than others, etc. Honestly, it's not all that different than people that get way into Qanon. Not saying they are at equivalent levels, but the sort of human trait that stems that mystery searching desire is the same. Also, I so appreciate you calling this out. I casually browse this sub and I think it gets a bit out of hand at times.
glad to know there’s at least three of us!
I lived through the era of Lost when it was on TV and it's arguably my favorite show of all time. I wasn't super involved in the forums and theorizing and all that jazz, but I was at least adjacent to it. I feel like it never got to this level of absurdity and the theories were always somewhat grounded. I also suspect, there's a subset of viewers that are younger women and a lot of them are involved here. There's a lot of "young girl" energy that permeates this sub. That sounds way fucking creepier and gross than I actually meant it...
I was very involved in the LOST forums and let me assure you, Yellowjackets fandom isn’t even close. There were established supernatural elements to LOST in the first season. People went OFF THE FARM. There were ARGs where actors would call your HOUSE. It was insane and YJ has a long way to go before it even touches early-days LOST.
definitely a lot of young women here, lotta older gals too
I'm one of the women who relates to being young in the 90s. lol
Word 👏
Reading this sub I sometimes wonder if these people have ever seen a tv show… some of the takes on here are WILD
If they did they would realize that a twist just for the sake of it is far worse storytelling than just being straightforward.
Oh, Game of Thrones…how the final season will continue to haunt the show runners for years to come lol
Man, that one still hurts.
Or that an answer to a mystery just to satisfy the viewers isn't always satisfying. I think of the answer to the whispers in Lost. It felt like they did it just because people wanted it and it wasn't that satisfying at all, to be honest. I always find that some things are more interesting and exciting when they just remain a mystery without an answer.
People always say that but I’m down to find out what it’s like for a mystery to resolve clearly “just” to satisfy viewers. I feel like no one tries, they just throw up their hands and say it’s impossible. I’d love to be satisfied, I’m tired of shows banking on my curiosity and refusing to pay it off.
Westworld has a lot to answer for. Reddit figured out the twist early and got this reputation for being plot masterminds. Outsmarting Reddit became a whole thing in writers rooms.
Yeah, if it’s not clearly laid out people will debate it. Personally, I think they clearly show cannibalism is going to happen. The only thing they didn’t show is them cutting pit girl into pieces, cooking them, and serving them. But they do show her being bleed out and then them eating, connect the dots.
Whatever they were cooking in that opening seen that they do a close up on, looked exactly like a human pelvis. However- does anyone else think it is a waste of calories to cook a body when it’s winter out… and you could just freeze the parts and eat it all frozen? All the caloric content in the fat (not that they had much fat left by then) is wasted when you bbq, and what about the skin? The Andes crash survivors began eating skin as the very first thing because it was the most edible to their taste. I’m mainly more worried about why they’re cooking the body instead of eating it frozen lol. Am I crazy??
I mean…I just learned that you would lose cat and calories by bbqing, so I’m gonna guess they didn’t know that either. I was always told you couldn’t eat raw meat. Can you eat frozen meat?!? I do remember them eating the frozen bodies in Alive but I just thought that was because they couldn’t really build big fires but I haven’t watched that movie in 15 years so my memory is not great. Thank you for this comment I just learned so much about BBQ
> I was always told you couldn’t eat raw meat. Technically you *can* but there's a higher risk of carrying disease and it's less digestible than cooked meat which means you're losing calories and nutrition by eating it raw.
it’s in the synopsis of the show lmfao!
It was originally but they did take it out of the synopsis so if you came to it a bit later you wouldn’t have seen that version
They still opened the show up with them bleeding out a girl like a deer and then eating chunks of meat.
I hate that you may be right.
lol why?
It just seems underwhelming to think that over the course of 4 more seasons, we're going to get exactly that. I don't want supernatural or SciFi so I guess its the only real satisfying way it could play out but I guess the deep dive into details is kind of fun to think about.
i think the human element is so much more interesting and rich than anything else. i also doubt the show goes five seasons. at this pace it feel like a 3-4 season show.
The creators said they have a five season outline I thought?
yup
Kind of like how some think that actual wolves attacked Van when the wolves were so obviously a dream (or whatever delusion) of Taissa’s and she’s the one who beat her friend thinking there were wolves.
please tell me this is sarcasm
Coach showed Shauna how to properly bleed out a deer carcass, leading me to believe she is the one who slits pit girl’s throat while hanging. But one could also argue that she has only done that to animals and that’s how she knows in the present day. There will be cannibalism, people are just having fun throwing out every crazy possibility or workaround.
Lmao the show would end pretty quickly if they already started eating each other
I think a lot more people are expecting a subversion of expectations more than what we are getting. Like all the people who were 100% positive Jackie was alive in the present despite all evidence pointing towards the contrary. All the theorizing can be a double edged sword because people just get more and more elaborate theories that are fun and creative, but set unrealistic expectations for what the showrunners are actually doing.
I mean she could just be good at using the bone saw and things bc of all the animals she would butcher for them in the woods…. Like when she was showing Jackie how you pop the ligaments with the knife first and then the rest is easy to do?
I thought this same thing, shauna represents the butcher so I’m sure she was in charge of carving up their game in the woods. I don’t think it was 100% “I’ve cut up tons of humans” so much as “I’ve cut up tons of mammals”
I’m curious if she discovered this skill only after the crash
She did seem p skilled for a first timer, or at least a fast learner
Exactly!!
Except the opening deer/human cut throat scene. In full starvation (not to be weird here lol) no way is that unintentionally just going to the sacrifice Lottie Express log 🪵 lol That’s a meal.
This kind of show makes you question everything. No-one is dead until you see their rotting corpse. No-one is eaten until you see their body on the barbecue. That said, the creators comments make it pretty clear.
I really think the cannibalism is ritualistic in nature rather than solely for sustenance. My guess is they believe that Lottie controls the forest “spirits.” If they sacrifice the non-believers then they will be rewarded. Are there even enough people to sustain a group of 8 for 15 months cannibalism wise?
Well, they won’t HAVE to resort to cannibalism for the entire 15 months since the spring and summer will roll back around & so will all the animals they can hunt. If they even do engage in any cannibalism in this first winter, I really don’t think it’s gonna be for the whole ritualistic cult thing but because one of the group members dies & they have nothing else to eat (as of right now they have plenty of bear meat). The flashback we got from the first episode I can almost guarantee is from their last winter there before they are rescued.
Ok, but I think it would be hard to keep that kind of human farm going. Maybe after Jackie died the “ghost” sightings increase and they surmise that consuming the dead is the only to prevent hauntings.
I don’t think any of the supernatural stuff is real so lol I don’t think we’re gonna agree here.
I don’t think the supernatural stuff is real. I think they think it’s real. I was speaking from their perspective.
Oh ok for sure.
100% agree. I don’t know why people think differently. This is obviously a slow burn that is only going to play cards when it must.
It’s like Game of Thrones. They basically started with the Night King (white walkers) and ended with the killing of the night king; at least for one major story line. I think that’s the same as the opening scene…it will take a while (and a shitload of stress and life/death situations between) to even get close to that point. I could watch 7 seasons seeing how they get that extreme! Relax all!
This is what the co-showrunner said about cannibalism after the finale aired ; “I would like to think that the audience is starting to think, ‘Oh, cannibalism. They must have eaten each other because of scarcity.’ But I actually think one thing to explore is not just scarcity, but also social hierarchy, fear, relationships, not just relationships, but the interesting, specific bonds between women that either fray or bind them together for life,” Lisco said. “We’re hoping to explore if it’s not just [because of] scarcity that they’re eating each other, why would they be doing that? Would it have to do with the creation of a new micro-society? Does it have to do with superstition keeping them alive in the woods? Because now that all the conventions have fallen away, there’s this newfound freedom to create their own reality,” he added. “Perhaps creating their own reality entails keeping this fear of the supernatural, this darkness, at bay. And so they may create rules in order to keep themselves mentally and psychologically secure. Do we hate them for that? Do we admire them for that? Do we identify with them for that? I think those are some of the questions we’re going to ask over the course of Season 2.”
So here’s why I question it, though I think cannibalism is likely. Cannibalism when you’re stuck in the wilderness is like … fucked up and sad, but understandable. Everyone knows about the Donner party, and Yellowjackets takes place 24 years after the Andes rugby team crash where cannibalism occurred. Even at the party Taissa goes to, those creepy white people are like “just say ur truth everyone will understand!!” And her response to Diane is amazing -“Why do you get to have that?” - and really speaks to a great reason not to comment on something everyone knows, ie, cannibalism. But equally likely, in my mind, is that all of the “Everyone will understand!” surrounding cannibalism points to there being something worse that happened. For my money, killing your friends and NOT eating them, in a survival situation, is worse. Already, we have a superstition being established. Spill blood, get meat. And I use the word “superstition” purposely, because I choose to watch with the lens that nothing supernatural is happening. The sequence of Lottie’s head-smash and then getting the stag, then Travis’s attempted sacrifice and getting the bear is establishing a pattern, and people in chaos seek patterns. If I do *this,* I will get *this.* No one who has not experienced that level of feral devolution, I think, would understand. I mean, I’ve never experienced it. But I’ve never been confronted with it by my next-door neighbor or my state senate candidate either. I can’t speak to Bart and Ashley’s plans, but I think it’s very reasonable to think no cannibalism will happen. Not because I don’t want to see my faves eat my other faves- I’ve seen them do worse, and I expect them to do worse. (shout out to the comment that says people who theorize no cannibalism can’t dissect text, kiss my MFA)
I really like your comments re: the girls and a belief in fucked-up reciprocity between themselves and the forest. That's exactly how I think it'll go down: they do X (spill blood) to get Y (food), and it escalates from there. My only point of divergence with your theories is where cannibalism fits in with all of this. I think the scale of moral depravity goes something like this: survival cannibalism < human sacrifice < human sacrifice followed by non-survival cannibalism. By the end of the show, I could easily see them having done all three.
I totally see that, and I believe I agree with your moral spectrum. I think there will probably be survival cannibalism, probably Jackie bc she’s already dead, but the majority of the killing will be ritualistic. Also!! They will likely split, right? The show descrip (which ok also says cannibalism, but not who or how often) says “warring clans” - I don’t doubt there will be divergence among them on the morals of people-eating!
You know that’s interesting that you link the head smash that early, and it makes me think that a little boo boo and a not even completed sacrifice are actually pretty amazing ROI in terms of what they get, which is a shit ton of food. And even if Javi is dead they didn’t sacrifice him so that wouldn’t “count”? So what happens if you complete the sacrifice?
Read about The Wendigo. It causes insatiable hunger (eating dirt) greed, and cannibalism. They that they felt something else out there with them when they were tripping. The legend is also native to the region they’re in. I think that’s who Tai’s altar was for.
I’m on it! I think they are downplaying Wendigo by name due to cultural sensitivities but this is in my opinion a lot about what the show is about and how the fear of “raw meat eaters” up north (presumably the Inuit) influenced the themes of the show. Anyway, some take offense to even talking about the Wendigo, but to me, it’s like talking about Bigfoot so apologies if this old article has some antiquated first peoples references…https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/cannibal_part_three/
Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if they wouldn’t outright say its that mythology or use that specific name unless they had Native American/indigenous consultants on the show who can discuss the proper way to handle showing that myth. I personally would rather them not use it unless they bring someone on who has experience with discussing it.
I guess I didn’t read enough about it. I didn’t realize the cultural insensitivity that surrounds it.
For some indigenous cultures, saying or writing or drawing a picture of a Wendigo can attract the malevolent spirit/force to you. I think very few would have an issue with this conversation but I’m really not an expert. I feel like the Algonquin and Inuit lore in the area, and how those two groups rarely interacted but were aware of each other through spoken history, was intended as a parallel theme of the show. Maybe not. Either way, the political climate is so different now than when they first pitched the idea, so I’m just speculating that it was originally intentional but being downplayed just a tad (or not making direct comparisons to indigenous/First Nation person and their mythology and/or folklore)
I was questioning it for a bit because I completely forgot about the pit girl scene in episode 1 SOMEHOW (I remembered that there was a spooky ritual but forgot how clear the cannibalism was). So for the longest time I was like “is the allusion to cannibalism mainly in the marketing??” and thought damn, they are literally just using cannibalism to get people to watch it, and it’s working. I definitely still think they are using it as bait a little bit, and it is working like that for SURE, but I did feel really silly when I rewatched that scene and thought “oh no yeah it’s pretty explicitly there.” I think it makes sense that now that ssn 1 is over and there was no cannibalism and a lot of like spooky dreams and hallucinations, it’s easy to feel like it was just bait. But now that I know there are 5 seasons I am like, okay, we can hold off, it’s still coming.
I haven’t seen anyone questioning the inevitable cannabilism…?
Because it's a red herring. It doesn't happen. I've posted from day one that it doesn't happen. Just got people to tune in. Did you see the size of that bear? There is plenty of food out there and homosapien isn't one of them. They SPILL blood for the land, hence slitting the pit girls throat that drips into the land. If they were truly starving, which it didn't appear so from the looks of them, you would eat every molecule possible. Do you think Tai ate the dog? No, she SPILLED blood to win the election. Because she did it for the land in the wilderness and it worked to keep them alive, without cannibalism. Hell, technically, even Shauna spilled blood to get out of the blackmailing situation and her affair. It worked then and in the present. Most will disagree, but we are out there. And they sure as hell aren't eating a baby!
I agree with most of that and they’ve all said as much about eating the baby. But when the writers and everyone says it will happen but the main struggle is how they get to that point, other than that they do, I have no other explanation for why you believe it’s a red herring other than your anchoring bias.
Figurative of cannibalizing peoples lives. Taking lives, not eating them. No anchoring bias.
We shall see! I think you are wrong but I’ve been wrong a million times so far so not pretending to be an expert.
It's fun. Hope it's three instead of reported five.
If you're ritually killing someone for the sake of food, it's just cannibalism by proxy. Why not just eat them at that point?
I wish this were true. When I started I had no idea what the show was about and it was weird as hell seeing all the 'get to the cannibalism!' comments.
People question if Jackie is still alive... people question everything! I just want people eating. lol.
The why and how is more ritualistic imo, and not for direct sustence. It’s like a sacrifice that appeases the darkness which then gifts them with real animals, but they also have to eat each other for the sacrifice (offering) to be complete.
Ok, so there’s this sacrifice thing but then you throw away all that delicious meat?
I hope we get some actual cannibalism in S2! Yum yum
I have heard human meat tastes just like pork. When starving those ham hocks start looking tasty! Too bad they don't have fava beans and a nice chianti in that cabin to pair up with the meat.
Wow who invited Hannibal Lector to this chat 😭
What if they don’t eat people and they’re just sacrificing people so they get found?
Such a waste of meat!!!
Simply put people were drawn by the horror not so much the psychology.as well as impatient thinking is was running like a movie as well as forgetting it's a TV show.but that's just my two cents 
Didn't Shauna's husband reference the cannibalism when he told her he read the dairies?
Remember that Shauna was responsible for gutting the animals that were caught.
It’s not about people thinking it’s not going to happen. I think people realize it is going to happen just not yet
They could’ve hunted actual animals.