Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episodes 1-5.
Rabbits appear frequently throughoutYellowjackets, and that’s because they hold a deeper meaning connected to the characters and their story. Rabbits are used as a symbol from the beginning of the Showtime series, with adultShauna slaughtering a rabbit from her garden inYellowjacketsseason 1’s veryfirst episode. Shauna feeding it to her family is one of the more disturbing uses of the animal in the series, but she also has numerous rabbit trinkets around her house — and it’s mentioned that they were Jackie’s favorite animal.
The rabbit imagery crops up in earnest inYellowjacketsseason 3, which shows more of the animals as the teens in the past timeline face better weather and circumstances out in the Wilderness.. AndYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 5features a moment on par with adult Shauna’s shocking rabbit scene in season 1. While Tai and Van are in the woods preparing for Coach Ben’s execution, Tai slits the throat of a rabbit, sacrificing it to the Wilderness. Given what the rabbits represent, it’s no coincidence that they keep showing up in such brutal ways.
The Rabbits Represent The Yellowjackets' Loss Of Innocence
They Appear More In Season 3 Because The Girls Are Getting Wilder
Rabbits represent the survivors' loss of innocence inYellowjackets,and their use in season 3 drives that meaning home. The rabbits are more present in season 3 because the past storyline is set during the summer, but they also symbolize the girls getting more feral. And the way the survivors use the rabbits — mercilessly slaughtering them for the sake of the Wilderness or because they need sustenance — highlights how much they’ve changed since the plane crash. The teens who first crash-landed don’t know how to hunt or kill, but now it’s second nature to them.
Jackie’s Return In Yellowjackets Used To Be Fun, But Season 3 Is Ruining What Made Her Cameos So Great
Yellowjackets used to bring back Ella Purnell’s Jackie Taylor in meaningful and fun ways, but season 3 has ruined what made her cameos so great.
The fact that Jackie is connected to rabbits — her mother reveals how much she loved them during the Taylors' dinner with Shauna and Jeff — also highlights their link to the girls' loss of normalcy and innocence.Ella Purnell’s character represents the team’s connection to civilization, as well as the lives they led before the plane crash. AndJackie’s death inYellowjacketsseason 1is meant to sever that connection, showing that the girls can never really go back.
Shauna coldly killing a rabbit in the present-day timeline feels like an attempt to return to the wild and free state of the Wilderness.
The rabbits representing the girls getting wilder also makes sense of Shauna’s garden sceneback in season 1. It’s obvious the adult survivors are stuck in the past, and in some instances, it seems like they miss their time in the Wilderness. Shauna coldly killing a rabbit in the present-day timeline feels like an attempt to return to the wild and free state of the Wilderness, and that may be why she keeps so many of the animals around her house.
Why Adult Shauna Has So Many Rabbit Trinkets In Yellowjackets
They’re A Reminder Of Jackie, As Well As Teen Shauna’s Transformation
With the rabbits symbolizing the Yellowjackets' loss of innocence in the Wilderness, you’d think the adult survivors would want to avoid the animals. However,Shauna has numerous rabbit figurines around her house, a development that actually makes sense for her character. Teenage Shauna loses a lot in the Wilderness, but she also thrives there. She becomes a core member of the group rather than continuing to live in Jackie’s shadow. By contrast, Shauna seems disappointed with the mundane nature of her adult life — a fact that her Jackie hallucinations points out to her.
Shauna might not admit it, but the rabbit trinkets in her home could be a hint that she views the girls' time in the Wilderness with rose-colored glasses.
Shauna might not admit it, but the rabbit trinkets in her home could be a hint that she views the girls' time in the Wilderness with rose-colored glasses, at least a little. Since Shauna was able to truly come into her own out in the woods, the rabbits could be a reminder of that version of herself. Of course,the rabbits' connection to Jackie likely factors into Shauna’s choice of figurines, too.Yellowjacketsmakes it known that Shauna is still grappling with the guilt of losing her best friend, and she could view the rabbits as a reminder.
Who Is Wearing The Rabbit Mask In The Yellowjackets Pilot’s Sacrifice Ritual?
Shauna Makes The Most Sense, But It Could Be Melissa
Given the symbolism of rabbits inYellowjackets,it’s interesting that one of the girls is wearing a rabbit mask in the pilot episode’s opening sacrifice. The first scene of the show raises many questions — includingwhoYellowjackets’Pit Girl could be— and the characters' costumes during this ritual may prove important later on. Considering that all the girls lose their innocence by their second winter in the Wilderness, any of them could be beneath the bunny mask. However,Shauna’s rabbit connections make her the most obvious candidate.
Shauna Has Her Worst Moment Of Karma For Jackie’s Death 25 Years Later In Yellowjackets Season 3
Shauna’s guilt over Jackie’s death is evident throughout Yellowjackets, but she finally has her biggest moment of karma in season 3, episode 4.
Shauna’s season 3 relationship with Melissa could also lead to Melissa donning the rabbit mask. This would make even more sense if Hilary Swank’s character is revealed to be adult Melissa. That would confirm that Shauna’s new love interest is still alive during season 1’s opening. Given that Melissa and Shauna’s relationship flips the dynamic of Shauna’s bond with Jackie, it would also be interesting to see Melissa take up a symbol associated with the other girl. Unmasking the rabbit in this way is somethingYellowjacketswill do, but we’ll have to wait to see who’s who in the pilot hunt.
