Edible Complex

## Episode guide

**"Edible Complex"** is the second episode of the second season of *Yellowjackets*. It premiered on March 31, 2023 on streaming and on-demand and premiered on April 2, 2023 on Showtime.

## Summary

Breaking off that friendship with the person who keeps ghosting you isn’t always easy. Tai speeds through an unexpected reunion, Nat shacks up with Lottie, and Misty encounters a riddle wrapped in an enigma dressed in cargo shorts.

## Plot

### The one with the knife

Shauna is still in the meat shed with the corpse of Jackie. She seems out of it and the imagined Jackie shouts her name, trying to get her to focus. "What?" she asks her and she asks what planet she is living on. "Earth," she replies, asking "What about you?" "Let's taunt the dead girl about her fragile plane of existence," she says. "Not much left," she comments regarding the bear meat and Shauna replies that Natalie and Travis will find something. Jackie tells her that it's one thing to lie to herself, but she's lying to the baby.

Jackie asks her what she did with her ear. She replies that she buried it. She tells her that she didn't, that she put it in her pocket. "So I could bury it," lies Shauna. Jackie laughs, saying she had the funniest vision of an "ear coffin" and saying an "ear prayer." Shauna tells her she's sorry and Jackie suggests that she braid her hair, that if she lays it right, they won't see that the ear is missing. They don't want people asking questions. So Shauna does so, Jackie saying the last did it at freshman homecoming. They share an anecdote about Randy. Back in the cabin, Misty and Crystal say that the food must be done by now. "Oh great, there are two of you now?" grumbles Mari.

The girls grumble about Shauna being in the shed again and Travis suggests that maybe one of them should go out and get her. Taissa gets up, but Lottie tells her not to, that she'll come when she's ready, that she's processing and it's healthy. "Everyone who's seven months pregnant should risk getting pneumonia," comments Natalie. Misty says it's not fair that they're always waiting on her and Van suggests that they eat her portion, that it'll get her to rethink it. Taissa says that nobody is eating Shauna's share and Lottie agrees. Taissa asks who reeks and Van points out that they all do. Taissa says it's next-level. She goes to the pee bucket and Natalie reminds them angrily that "If it's yellow, it can mellow, but if it's it brown... do it outside." She demands that whoever pooped in it fess up, but when nobody does, she takes it and empties it herself.

Back in the meat shed, Jackie asks Shauna how she looks. "Like you might have two ears," replies Shauna. Jackie calls it progress, suggesting she do her makeup. Shauna replies that she doesn't have any. "Then what's that?" asks Jackie, indicating a kit. So Shauna does Jackie's makeup. Jackie calls it a twist, saying that she did it so many times for her and she was helpless in a mirror. She tells her that she only had sex with Jeff so she could imagine being her. She tells her to shut up, but she says it's time to be honest. She tells her she's hungry, and not for bear meat. She holds out her arm, telling her that it's okay, that she doesn't need it anymore. She grabs a knife and cuts into it. "Stop!" Shauna shouts and Jackie giggles. Shauna shouts at her to stop, that it's not funny. "You're the one holding the knife," she points out, and Shauna looks down at her hand to see that she is, indeed, the one with the knife.

### Walking off a cliff

In the present day, Callie sits vaping at Kyle's place. He notes how much she's been using it a lot and she says she might want to vape until her head falls off to deal with the fact that her parents are assholes who only think about themselves, too focused on themselves to worry about her. He says that maybe it's a good thing, that they can do whatever they want. He says his mom wants to know if they want chocolate chip pancakes and she tells him that she doesn't because she's breaking up with him. She leaves.

In the woods, Van awakes to find Taissa gone, having broken the shackle. She exits the attic and the cabin, careful not to wake the others, and races through the woods. She tracks Taissa by her footprints as she wanders through the woods, being led by a vision of the Man with No Eyes. She tackles Taissa to the ground just as she's about to walk off a cliff. Right by the cliff is a tree with the symbol carved upon it. Back in the attic, Taissa wonders how she even woke up. Van asks what she used to cut the ropes and she tells her she doesn't know. Van asks what the last thing she remembers is and she says it was tossing the pee bucket, then eating and coming back upstairs and falling asleep. Van asks her if there's something on her mind and she tells her it's the whole Shauna and Jackie situation. Van tells her she's not a picture of normalcy herself, suggesting they talk to Lottie. Taissa, however, insists that she won't talk to Lottie, that neither of them should. They curl up back together, Van holding on tight and telling her that if she moves a muscle, she'll know.

In the present, Taissa is doing everything she can to stay awake. She's pounding espressos, she's exercising, and popping pills, but in the mirror, she sees a vision of herself that does not reflect her face. In the past, Taissa chops wood and Natalie watches, annoyed, as Travis talks with Lottie. She gathers her gear to go out. Later, as she and Travis go out searching, he tells her that she missed the blessing, but she says she figured he had it covered. He tells her it would have been better for her to be there, that the tea is a symbol of not being closed off and thinking you know everything. Natalie asks how she's not the one being humble when Lottie has gone all witch doctor messiah. He says he was talking about himself and she asks if it doesn't bother him that they're all freezing while she's holding hands and mumbling. He tells her that everyone has their role, that they need more than just food to survive. Natalie tells him to come and go the way she's going, that the wind is blowing from where he wants to go and the brush will be covered in snow. He, however, insists that he wants to go his way, that they've been her way before. She agrees that they can split up, arranging a meeting point for them to come back to when the sun hits the peak.

Present day once again, and Natalie is with Lottie. She tells her that she last heard she was fingerpainting in the loony bin and now she's running a cult. Lottie points out that she last heard she was getting out of rehab for the fifth time, insisting that they're not a cult, but an "intentional community turning something into strength so we can live as our best selves." Natalie points out she kidnapped her. Lottie tells her it wasn't the plan. Natalie asks about the guy she was burying, and she says it was a therapeutic treatment. She tells Natalie that she was worried after Travis died that she would do something stupid. She sent her friends to keep an eye on her and it was a good thing she did, since she stuck a gun in her mouth, and they had to act fast. "You're welcome," she tells her. One of her followers, the one who Natalie knocked out, brings her some tea. She chastises her for adding an herb that enhances libido, telling her that she wanted her focus increased. She tells her she'll drink it anyway. "Sorry about your hand," Natalie tells her.

### Taissa's discovery

At home, Callie considers the charred fragment of Adam Martin's ID. Shauna knocks on her door and enters, asking her how it was at her friend's place, but she just grunts. Shauna tells her that she doesn't speak grunt and she says it was fine. Shauna tells her that Jeff is tied up, asking if she wants to hit the mall. "No, thanks," Callie tells her, lying that she's going out with Kyle. Shauna tells her that she just wants to spend time together. She closes the door and walks away. Meanwhile, Misty puts in a call to Taissa, but gets no answer. She asks if she and Shauna are having a spa day without her, saying she could use the support of her teammates. She logs into a citizen detective forum and reads over a thread she posted, asking for help hacking into the camera she found at Natalie's hotel. There is a response from PuttintheSickinForensics, stating that he might have an idea, if Misty stops poo-pooing his Adam Martin theories. In response, she tells him to stop wasting their time with wild goose chases. She closes her laptop.

In the wilderness, Shauna finally emerges from the meat shed. Taissa enters and is shocked to see Jackie, all made-up by Shauna. She races outside, confronting Shauna and asking Lottie if she's been encouraging her. She says she knew it wasn't alright, demanding that Shauna tell them what she's been doing with Jackie's body. When Shauna doesn't answer, Taissa tells them about her braiding Jackie's hair and doing her make-up. She asks Lottie if it's normal for Shauna to have been posing Jackie like a doll. Lottie tells her that Jackie was her best friend. Shauna sobs, and Taissa tells her it has to stop, for her good and that of the baby. Shauna protests that none of them really know what's good for the baby and Taissa tells her it isn't this. She tells her and the others that they are getting rid of Jackie's body. Shauna points out that they can't bury her with the ground frozen solid, and she says they can cremate her. "Tai, no!" protests Shauna, but Taissa turns to the others telling them to help her gather firewood, that they need to do this before the sun goes down.

In the present day, Shauna is in the kitchen with Callie when the doorbell rings. She goes to open it and it turns out to be Detective Kevyn Tan, asking for a moment to chat. She agrees to let him in. She asks if he's on official business and he tells her it's a heads-up as a friend. They sit together, Callie watching, and he asks if she knows Adam Martin, a local artist missing for a couple days. He shows her his photo and she says she does know him, that they got into a fender bender and had to exchange insurance information.

Kevyn asks if she's still in touch and she says he isn't. He tells her they have records of quite a few texts between them and she says he turned into an asshole and she had to hound him to admit he was at fault. Just then, Callie tells her to come on. "We need enough time before it closes," she tells her. Callie tells Kevyn it's a mall trip, code red. Kevyn tells her they'll be in touch if they have more questions. Shauna asks if she needs a lawyer and he asks why she would. She says she's seen too many cop shows. After he leaves, she thanks Callie for covering. She asks why Shauna lied to the police and she says that cops are sexist, that they would never believe it was just an affair. "So you lied to be feminist?" asks Callie. Shauna says that she did it to protect Jeff, asking her to just go through the back in case Kevyn is still there.

### Lottie's story

Taissa goes downstairs to find Sammy with the dog Steve. "He's so cute, Mom," he says and Taissa asks him what he's doing there. He tells her he wanted to see her and she asks if he walked all the way from school. She hugs him, asking if Simone knows he is there. He tells her she doesn't and she tells him to go play with the dog and she'll make him a snack and call Simone. She does so and Simone's response is curt, asking her what she wants. When she tells her that Sammy is there, she is disbelieving of her having nothing to do with the situation and tells her she's coming to get him. At work, Misty is looking at the same forum thread on her laptop, when she notices a man with a woman in a wheelchair chatting with one of the other nurses, Lynette, about the nursing home's procedures. He asks the nurse about the staff, saying they've all heard the horror stories, and she assures him their staff is the best of the best. He walks by, giving Misty a meaningful look. She goes to the break-room and finds on top of a tupperware box in the refrigerator an envelope addressed with her name. She opens it, but finds only what appears to be a blank piece of paper inside.

Travis wanders the vast snowscape. As he does, Natalie examines some luggage with Javi's name tag upon it. She extracts something from it. When Travis returns to her, she shows it to him, now bloodied. He asks where she found it and the flashback shows her stuffing it into her own bag. She tells Travis it was hanging on a branch a couple miles back. He asks if she looked for him and she tells him everywhere. He asks if she dug. She tells him she screamed, but there was nothing. She is shown making a cut on her own leg, then bloodying the clothing. As Travis starts to head off, she grabs him, telling him to come back. He says they have to go get him, but stops fighting her, crying. She tells him that Javi is gone, that it's okay.

At Camp Green Pine, Lottie stands in a room with Natalie. She lights a candle and tells Natalie that Travis called her the night he died, that he said the wilderness had come back to haunt him and that he knew what he had to do. When she asked what he meant, he hung up and she panicked. She drove all night and found him a mess, terrified and paranoid. He told her that the only way to confront the darkness was to get as close to death as possible, that both she and Van saw something when they nearly died. She told him to stop reliving things, that he was in the vise grip of his trauma. She thought she had gotten through to him, but she fell asleep. Natalie asked if she hadn't thought about reaching out to her, but she says that Travis told her she would only make things worse.

Lottie tells Natalie that when she woke up, Travis had left, leaving instructions on how to get into his bank account and the note reading "Tell Nat she was right." She drove as fast as she could to Willow Brook Ranch. She found him in the barn, having lit candles around him in the shape of the symbol. He had the handle for the crane placed around his neck and he told her he was going to pass out so he could "talk to it." He says that it's just going to be a few inches off the ground for a couple of minutes. She asked how he's going to get back down and he told her that if she didn't help him, he'll do it himself. She told him no and he fingered the remote. "Stop," she told him, agreeing, but saying that she would lower him down the moment he went unconscious. "Do it," he told her. So she did, but as he passed out, she pushed the button on the remote control, only for nothing to happen.

### Natalie's vow

Natalie asks if this is really the story, that Travis is dead because the buttons got stuck. Lottie calls it a tremendous accident, but Natalie says that she knows there's something she's not telling her. "I swear," Lottie tells her, but her flashback continues. As she pushes the button, the candles go dark. She hears the voice of Laura Lee telling her "Put your faith in him, your guiding light," over and over. She recalls her baptism and seeing the figure of Laura Lee, but then her face becomes sinister and ghastly, screaming. In the barn, Lottie whimpers and shouts in terror, then sees Travis hanging high above. "No!" she screams.

In the present day, Lottie tells Natalie that she didn't kill Travis, that she was trying to save him. As the flashback shows her gathering up the candles, Natalie says that it's funny that every time she tries to save someone a lot of bad things happen and now 25 years later the same stuff is happening again, only now she's wearing a Rolex and she has a lot of broken toys around her who think she walks on water. She tells her that she's going to put a stop to it, that she doesn't know how yet, but she will stop it. Lottie says she'll have to stay alive to do it, so that's a win. Natalie demands that she take her to the train station, but Lottie tells her the last train has already left, so she'll have to stay a night longer and her plan for her destruction will have to wait until she's rested.

Simone arrives at Taissa's, confused to find the door chained. She shouts for Taissa, knocking furiously at the door, and Taissa wakes up and comes. She asks her why she chained the door when she knew she was coming and she says she must have done it without thinking. Simone stares at her, telling her that she looks terrible. She asks where Sammy is and Taissa tells her he's playing with the dog, but Simone does not see Sammy there. Taissa says he must have gone up to his room. "Come on," groans Simone and Taissa tells her she didn't plan this They head upstairs, but find the room empty and the window open. Taissa says it must be a cry for attention. "So you left him by himself?" asks Simone. "Let's go find our son," she tells her.

In the wilderness, the Yellowjackets prepare for Jackie's cremation. Taissa brings her body over to the pyre. Akilah asks if the should strip her clothes. Taissa asks if she wants to strip her naked, and she says that she's thinking mostly of her jacket, that it seems a shame to waste it. Shauna pipes up, saying that nobody is taking Jackie's jacket. Van says it's worth talking about, but Shauna replies that they're not going to debate it. There is a big fight, which ends with Lottie breaking things up, saying to give Shauna some space. Lottie removes Jackie's heart-pendant necklace that Shauna gave to her, placing it on Shauna's neck.

### The undercover detective

In the present, Callie is at a tavern with her friend Ilana. She tells her that Kyle is in shock over the breakup, that he wants to know what he did. "Callie?" she asks, getting no response, then tells him that a guy in the bar has been checking her out. "You should flirt with him and go back to his place," she suggests. "Alright," agrees Callie, getting up. Ilana tells her she was joking, that he could be a psycho, but Callie tells her he's doing a crossword puzzle. "Serial killers love puzzles," Ilana tells her, but she goes anyway. She starts chatting up the man. She gets him to order her a drink and asks why he's day-drinking. He first quips that he's a fighter pilot by night. He then tells her that he lives in Brooklyn but he grew up there and that, after 26 years of his parents' messed-up marriage, his mother has finally had enough. She's moving out and he's helping. She says that he must be kidding, that she's kind of in the same boat, that her mother is cheating on her dad. He tells her he's sorry, but that they're okay, that it's not like they're in some dive-bar, getting day-drunk. She introduces herself as Callie, and he introduces himself as Jay.

In the wilderness, Natalie and Travis arrive back, Natalie wondering what's going on and why Jackie's face is the way it is. Taissa tells her they decided it was time to move on and she curses, saying that it's been a day, holding up Javi's clothes. "No, can't be," Lottie says and Natalie tells her not to say another word, but she says that Javi is alive, that she can feel it. Natalie curses and pushes her, asking if she doesn't see how much damage she's doing. She asks her why, what is making her do this, but the others shush her as Shauna approaches the pyre with a flaming stick. She addresses Jackie, saying that she'll never have another friend like her. "I don't even know where you end and I begin. I'm sorry," she tells her, saying that she loves her. She sets the logs ablaze and everyone starts heading back inside. Travis places the remains of Javi's shirt inside the pyre. "Goodbye, Javi," he tells him. He heads inside, followed by Shauna, Taissa and Lottie.

In the present, Natalie retires to the cabin. She finds some clothing for her on the bed, including a heliotrope shawl like the ones worn by Lottie's followers. She discards them on the ground and lies down, breathing heavily and recalling her kidnapping. She sits up, panting heavily. At one, Misty carefully cleans her bird Caligula's cage. As she shines a blue light, telling the bird it's time for some fresh sheets, she comes to a realization. She pulls out the paper she got at the nursing home and shines the light on it. She reads the note, which is narrated in PuttingtheSickinForensics's voice, telling her that he has no doubt she's reading this because she's too smart not to have figured it out. The note continues that the security camera is a dummy for deterrence, but he's IDed a man who's been living at the motel for three months and who thinks he's being interrogated by the FBI tomorrow. He asks if she'd care to join. She turns to Caligula, shaking her head.

At an office, the guy from the tavern is with Kevyn Tan. He offers him some coffee, but he tells him he doesn't do coffee late. He tells Kevyn that he followed the daughter and spent two hours with her at a bar. Kevyn seems troubled and he tells him to relax, that he was a gentleman. Kevyn addresses him as Matt, not Jay, telling him that it's not funny. He curses, telling him that they're not undercover. Matt tells him that Callie confirmed that Shauna was cheating, saying that they could bring her in right now. Kevyn, however, says that Shauna is smart and they need more. Matt asks if he's not conflicted, given that he went to high school with her. Kevyn tells him that he's been on the job a year and to slow down, or he'll mess things up.

### The horrifying feast

Natalie and Travis sit in the cabin in the woods. He takes her hand. They stare at each other and he kisses her. They begin making out, the quickly progress to full-on sex. The entire time, however, Travis has strange visions that it is not Natalie that he is with, but instead Lottie. Lottie then seems to appear behind Natalie and the candles in the room go out. There is a strange rustling in the woods and a tree branch covered in snow falls directly on top of the cremation pyre. As Travis continues to have the strange visions of Lottie, the fire stokes outside and the candles inside reignite.

Taissa and Simone are out driving, trying to find Sammy, when Simone gets a call. She says it's the school and Taissa tells her to put it on speaker. The woman on the other end, Sonya, tells her that Sammy is there waiting for her to pick him up. She says he's been in her office for the past two hours and they are not a boarding school. Simone apologizes, saying that she'll be right there. She ends the call, turning to Taissa and telling her that she's very sick and she needs to stop what she is doing and get help. A flashback reveals that Sammy was indeed never there. As Simone continues that she won't let her be Sammy's mother like this, she turns to her, an evil look in her eye. She revs the engine and a truck crashes into Simone's side of the vehicle.

In the wilderness, the Yellowjackets wake to a strange smell. "What is that?" wonders Van and Taissa says they have to go. They go outside and, on the pyre, discover Jackie's body, roasted. Feeling her belly, Shauna tells the others "She wants us to." They all stare, and the scene changes, to show them all dressed in robes and ceremonial headgear, sitting at a veritable feast. In reality, Shauna takes a knife and cuts into Jackie's body. Soon, everyone present is tearing in and feasting. Everyone except for Coach Ben Scott who stands at the threshold of the cabin, watching, horrified. He backs up, panting against the cabin wall, horrified.

## Cast

### Starring

* Melanie Lynskey as Adult Shauna
* Tawny Cypress as Adult Taissa
* Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna
* Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa
* Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie
* Sammi Hanratty as Teen Misty
* Steven Krueger as Ben Scott
* Warren Kole as Adult Jeff
* Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie
* Liv Hewson as Teen Van
* Kevin Alves as Teen Travis
* Simone Kessell as Adult Lottie
* Lauren Ambrose as Adult Van (credit / opening titles only)

with

* Christina Ricci as Adult Misty

and

* Juliette Lewis as Adult Natalie

### Guest starring

* Ella Purnell as Jackie Taylor
* Jane Widdop as Laura Lee
* Nicole Maines as Lisa
* Nia Sondaya as Akilah
* Alex Wyndham as Adult Keyvn Tan
* John Reynolds as Matt
* Sarah Desjardins as Callie Sadecki
* Alexa Barajas as Mari
* Nuha Jes Izman as Crystal
* Andres Soto as Adult Travis Martinez
* Rukiya Bernard as Simone Abara

and

* Elijah Wood as Walter Tattersall

### Co-starring

* Mya Lowe as Teen Gen
* Jenna Burgess as Teen Melissa
* Aiden Stoxx as Sammy Abara-Turner
* Khobe Clarke as Kyle
* Kelsey Lopes as Ilana
* Brody Logan Romhanyi as No Eyed Man
* Caroline Shaw as Featured vocalist
* Betty Jackson as Walter's mother (uncredited)
* Laura Mac as Lynette (uncredited)

## Trivia

* The title seems to be a wordplay on "Oedipus complex," a psychoanalytic theory, now widely disregarded, stating that a young boy unconsciously wishes to have sex with his mother and disdains his father for having sex and being satisfied before him.
* Songs featured in this episode include "No Room for a Nihilist in Hollywood" by Peachy!, "Inertia Creeps" by Massive Attack, "Little Queenie" by SadGirl and "Climbing Up the Walls" by Radiohead.

## Gallery

### Video

Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 2 Promo - SHOWTIMEYellowjackets Season 2 Episode 2 - Behind the Buzz - SHOWTIME