Yellowjackets is revving into high gear in the second half of its first season. Winter is coming, and no one is truly prepared for what that will bring. Taissa has been wanting to head out in search of help, but her decision could have lasting consequences.
HollywoodLife got EXCLUSIVE scoop from Jasmin Savoy Brown about the challenges that lie ahead in the next episodes. She also opened up about that “deep bond” between Taissa and Shauna, Taissa and Van’s relationship, and gave a small hint about the finale. Read our Q&A below:
Episode 6 was a major episode for Shauna and Tai. Tai was there for Shauna and willing to help Shauna perform an abortion. Do you think Tai would have been able to go through with it if Shauna hadn’t said stop? Do you think she would have done what Shauna asked?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: I actually haven’t thought about that before. That’s such a good question. If Shauna hadn’t said stop, yeah. Tai would have done it because Tai really thinks she can do everything best, like the best way, and knows that Shauna would have done it anyway on her own and probably would have f**ked it up and hurt herself and been alone in that. Taissa wouldn’t want Shauna to be alone in that. Filming that scene, that’s the most intense scene I’ve ever shot in my entire career.
Both of you were incredible. I was just completely gripped by the two of you.
Jasmin Savoy Brown: Thank you. Sophie Nélisse made it very easy. She’s brilliant. This b*tch is like, “I don’t know, am I gonna be able to cry?” She was just goofing off and cracking jokes with me, and then they’re like “action” and she’s weeping. But I was so grateful because that obviously drops me in. I think we kind of freaked the crew out because we could just go in and out of it so easily because you have to with something that dark. You don’t want to stay in that for the two hours it takes to shoot the scene. You want to pop in, pop out. I love, love, love working with Sophie Nélisse, and there’s no one else I would have rather done that scene with.
Tai is the only person who knows Shauna’s secret. Over the course of the 6 episodes so far, alliances have been shifting. This is not the same team as before the plane crash. Does this shared experience bond Taissa and Shauna more than anyone else in the group?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: Oh, fully. They share a deep bond — the bond of the secret but also the bond of the trauma, trying to get rid of the secret. I think that moment is pivotal in their relationship, and everything changes going forward. I think another pivotal moment was when Shauna chose to come up and sleep in the attic with Tai, but the attempted abortion bonded them in a way that few people on this earth are bonded.
This secret has the ability to really disrupt the group even more, especially if Jackie realizes who the father is. Will other people find out? I mean, it is only a matter of time as Taissa points out until people start to figure it out.
Jasmin Savoy Brown: Yeah, everything is only a matter of time in the world of Yellowjackets.
There have been those moments in the past and present where we see Taissa eating dirt in the middle of the night. Will we find out the context of where that response stems from?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: This show is really good at that, giving you a lot of questions and then giving answers. Sometimes when you want them, sometimes when you don’t. So I would say almost every single question that someone has will be answered. I can’t say when. It might be the season, it might not be. But things will be answered.
The group has settled into a routine almost. Natalie and Travis are the hunters. Taissa tries to make sure everyone stays together. They’ve rationed their food. I feel like things are going a little too smoothly. Is there anything you can tease about the next set of challenges they’re going to face?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: They are running out of food, and summer is only going to last so long. So there’s a lot to think about in terms of survival with what they have.
Taissa and Van’s relationship has really blossomed. We haven’t seen much of the team in the present day, including Van. We don’t know what happens to a lot of them, which terrifies me. What’s next in regards to Taissa and Van’s relationship at least in the past?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: Well, their relationship will continue. It will continue to grow, which of course as any growing relationship, means that there will be challenges that present themselves. But fans are going to be happy with how certain things turn out.
Specifically with them or just…
Jasmin Savoy Brown: In general, but yeah, their relationship continues to grow. I think that is fine for me to say.
Are they going to become more open about their relationship, at least with other people in the group?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: In a group of girls, there’s really no such thing as a secret. Whether or not they want it to get out, it’s going to get out at some point.
I don’t know if you’ve checked out Reddit, but there are amazing theories about the flash-forward to winter and who has been dubbed the Antler Queen. Will we get answers regarding that? We know Natalie, Tai, Shauna, Misty, and Travis all make it out, but there are a lot of questions there about how everything is fleshed out.
Jasmin Savoy Brown: They’re going to start giving more clues. There will definitely be more clues. I don’t know that any answers are going to be found as soon as people want them to be, but there will definitely be more clues.
There’s also the girl who falls into the trap and dies at the beginning of the series. People have thoughts on that as well.
Jasmin Savoy Brown: There’s so much we don’t know. I don’t know who that is. I don’t know who the girl is that falls in the trap. I don’t know that any of us know maybe Melanie [Lynskey] knows, but I don’t think anyone else does.
There are 10 episodes of the season. Is there anything you could tease about the finale? I have a feeling there will be a reckoning of sorts.
Jasmin Savoy Brown: People are going to cry. I’ll say that.