Bear Down

## Episode guide

**"Bear Down"** is the fourth episode of the first season of the Showtime series *Yellowjackets*. It premiered on Showtime on Sunday, December 5, 2021.

## Summary

The girls play with guns to determine who is the most responsible; Natalie untangles a lifetime of piecing together broken men; Taissa greets the rich.

## Plot

### Out of food and feeling it

The interior of the plane is once again shown as it crashes. The camera focuses on Natalie, but now there is a man sitting next to her, drinking an alcoholic beverage. "Dad," she says, gasping and he turns to her, half of his head blown off. He tells her that he doesn't know what she's so scared of, that she already has blood on her hands. She clutches a gun as he comments that they're almost there and that it's been waiting for them. In the cabin, she wakes up. It was a nightmare. She sees Lottie sitting up, staring at something. She tells her that it's okay, that they buried the dead man. She, however, comments that bad things happened there.

Natalie drives along in the present day. She takes a phone call, which turns out to be from Misty. Misty has an article open on her computer: "What to (and Not to) Say to Someone Grieving a Suicide." She tries some of these platitudes on Natalie, but Natalie is just confused by her assertion that "this was not your fault." Misty notes that people don't normally write notes before they're murdered, but Natalie says to think about the fact that they both got the same creepy postcard. She asks if it's really a coincidence and says she's going to find out who killed Travis. Misty tells her she knows a guy who can get into Travis's e-mail, but says they need to get together first and strategize. Natalie looks disgusted at her suggestion that they meet and hangs up, telling her that she has plans.

In the woods of the past, Misty helps Coach Scott to use the restroom. He pleads with her to stop talking, but she sings him a song to try to comfort him. Travis points a rifle at a squirrel and Mari races up and takes it away from him, telling him he doesn't know what he's doing. He says it's stupid that they're not using the gun and fires a shot at the squirrel, but misses. Coach Scott tells him to give it to him. Travis does so, finally, and Scott tells them that it's a dangerous weapon and must be handled as such. He says that even so, Travis is right that they're out of food and they're all feeling it. He says his father used to take him deer-hunting, but with his being down to one leg, one of them will have to learn how to use it.

### The opposite of a turn-on

In the present day, Natalie pays a visit to her elderly mother. The place is a mess and Natalie says it hasn't changed. She stares at an old photo and her mother says you never appreciate things until they get ripped right from you. Natalie has a flashback of her young self entering the place along with a teen Kevyn Tan. It really does look much like the scene from the present day. The two enter her room and chat about the band Nirvana and how Kevyn feels that they've gone too mainstream. "It's not their fault everybody loves them," notes Natalie. He agrees, but says that he liked them better when they were "just ours." Suddenly, they hear footsteps and Natalie tells him he has to go and to use the window. It's too late, though, as Natalie's father barges in on them. He starts shouting at Kevyn and Natalie tells him they were only listening to music. He asks if she thinks he's stupid. She tells Kevyn to go and her father asks her if she's a slut. In the present, Natalie's mother tells her to take her stuff, saying that she's not a storage unit. Her room still has the posters from the past on it. She takes a tape, "Kevyn's Mix for Nat," saying to herself that it's all she really needs.

Taissa Turner reviews backgrounds for a dinner that she's attending with Simone. They discover Sammy in a cabinet, spying on them. Simone tells her to relax, but Taissa says that Bathurst's ad has her tanking. She says that the money and influence of Diane Rafelson could turn everything around. Simone tells her to be herself and if all else fails "pull out the Tina Turner and Hooch bit." In the woods of the past, Coach Scott tests the girls on using the gun. He has them each take a turn to see who can get closest to a target. Travis actually manages to do fairly well, but then Natalie takes a turn. She imagines her father with the blown-off head and chokes. Mari takes the gun and Travis tells her that next time they can stick to something she's good at, like folding laundry. She grabs the gun, saying she's going again. Coach Scott decides to allow it. She aims the gun and makes a clean shot, by far the best yet. Elsewhere in the woods, Shauna writes in a journal. Javi asks her if she's not going to try the gun and she says she doesn't think she's meant for it. He asks her about the journal and she says it's her way of trying to make sense of her feelings about what's going on. She tears out a page, suggesting he try it too.

In the present day, Shauna applies some makeup. She remembers being in bed with Adam. In the woods, Coach Scott puts together a competition, with the winner at best of five. Laura Lee suggests that maybe they should be saving bullets. Coach Scott agrees this is true in theory, except the nut-job that lived there was hoarding for the apocalypse. Travis gets three out of four. "So close, Flex," comments Natalie and he turns on her. Scott tells him to put the gun down. He hesitates, but then lower the gun before turning around and hitting the last target. He hands the gun to Natalie, telling her not to choke. She nails all five targets. In the present day, Natalie apologizes to Kevyn for the confusion with the texts that were sent by Misty. He admits they didn't really sound like her. He asks what the deal is the breaking and entering and she tells him about what happened with Travis. She asks him just how he ended up being "Officer Kevyn." He admits that his band was a bust and that he needed a job. Meanwhile, Misty sits outside with an elderly Indian woman and orders a chocolate martini.

In the woods, Coach Scott says that the truth is they may be out there longer than they anticipated. He says that Natalie and Travis need to rely on each other. Travis stalks off and Natalie tells him to wait up, that they need to look for tracks and such. He tells her that she can follow him, but to not slow him down. In the present day, Taissa Turner is at her dinner, a hodge-podge of wealthy individuals, with Simone. They glad-handle a rich man, who calls them a power couple. He tells them to get drinks and that they're going to love dinner, a whole roasted pig. Simone comments that Taissa forgot to eat beforehand. Taissa chats with a man about the county building code. Meanwhile, Shauna sits with Adam in a car, where the two are planning to "make up for their misspent youth." Shauna gets a guy to make a straw purchase of liquor for them on the pretense of she and Adam having forgotten their IDs. He tells her she won't get carded, then agrees to do it for an extra 20. She tells him to get the cheapest stuff he can and flashes two thumbs up to Adam. Back in the car, he asks her just how she missed so much of her high school experience. She says his obsession with biographical minutiae is the opposite of a turn-on, but that she got straight As and married young. They drink.

### The official story

Outside of the cafe where Kevyn and Natalie are meeting, Misty spots Jessica Roberts and wonders what she's doing there. She texts Natalie, informing her of Roberts's presence. Seeing no response, she calls her. Natalie rejects the call. Back at the dinner, Taissa chats with a businessman who tells her that he wanted to earn enough to really give and she needs someone who can handle money. She begins to space out, especially upon seeing the roast pig. One of the big-wigs suggests that it would come across as strong if she "wrested control of her story." He says that people just want to know how she really survived. In another room, she sees a hallucination of a wolf heading outside She heads outside and takes a smoke. A woman, Diane Rafelson, comes out, asking to bum a cigarette. She agrees and giggles, saying that she's been desperate to talk with her all evening. Now that she finally has a chance, she's had too much champagne on an empty stomach. The other woman agrees that there's never enough food at these things, saying that the pig is barbaric. At the cafe, Kevyn spots Misty. Natalie confronts her, asking what she's doing there. Misty tells her about Roberts being there. Natalie asks what *she* is doing. Misty says she's having her back. Natalie tells her they're not *Rizzoli and Isles* and she doesn't need her. "Go the *fuck* home," she tells her. The Indian woman says she reminds her of her granddaughter. "Nobody really likes her either." She heads over to Jessica Roberts. She tells her she has her eye on her. Roberts asks her road trip goes. "I know when you look at me, you don't see somebody you should be afraid of," Misty says. "But you're wrong."

Shauna and Adam continue their date, now at a mini-golf course. They have reached the final hole and plan to whack the ball into the residential neighborhood behind them. They make a bet - if Adam wins, she has to tell him something personal about herself for real. If she wins, she chooses what they do next and he has to do it, no questions. She wins by a mile. In the woods, Akilah stops Misty from eating some poisonous berries. She stops one of the others from eating some other poisonous berries and Misty suggests that she show them something that's actually edible. Lottie sees the strange symbol carved in a tree, but before they can examine them further, Jackie calls for them all to come over. She has discovered an old Cessna plane. They figure it must have belonged to the dead guy. Laura Lee gets in and tries to operate it, only to very nearly mow over Vanessa. Jackie jumps in front of her, pushing her aside, and Laura Lee manages to stop the plane inches from her face. "They didn't want him to leave," comments Lottie.

At the dinner, Taissa continues her chat with Diane. She talks about how it fills her with hope to see so much growth in one generation, that a woman can look at her and see it as a thing for her be married to another woman. She says she's rambling, but the woman compliments her genuine positivity as "refreshing." She says she doesn't have it and it's why she's never run for office. She says there's no limit to how far Taissa can go. She tells her that she wants her to show her who she really is. "Of course," agrees Taissa. Diane says it's settled, saying that she'd be shocked the things that people have confided in her, a well that you whisper your secrets into. She asks her to tell her what really happened in the woods. Taissa tells her that she's not sure anyone else could understand. "We scavenged and we starved," says Taissa. Diane, however, says she's heard the official story. Taissa asks what makes her think she's entitled to her story, just because she's rich and powerful. Diane asks if she's really that naïve. She says Taissa has her to thank for all she's done for women's and black causes. She tells her to watch her tone. Taissa replies that she'll perfectly calibrate her tone as she tells her to go fuck herself. She walks off.

### Book club

Natalie tells Kevyn that she has something for him, handing him the tape. "No way!" he muses, saying he was just looking for it. He says that last time he saw her, she got out of his car and said she would call him tomorrow. It was a million years ago, she was his best friend and she just vanished. He tells her he was totally in love with her. He moves to kiss her, but she stops him, saying that she just can't stop thinking about Travis. She tells him that it's the not knowing if he was loaded and he tells her he can make a couple of calls and maybe get a copy of the toxicology report. She hugs him. In the woods, Natalie is shocked to discover that Travis has brought the two of them back to the crash site. "Why?!" she demands. He says it doesn't concern her and she tells him he may be messed up, but that doesn't give him a pass to be a dick. She says they're supposed to be a team and he asks if she even knows why people call him "Flex." He explains that it's because in 7th grade, he had back surgery for something like spinal fusion. Back at school, one of the kids saw the scar and told the other kids that he had gotten one of his ribs removed so that he could be flexible enough to suck his own dick. He digs at the ground and Natalie asks if he's psycho. She tackles him and he explains that his father was wearing a ring, one that belonged to his great-grandfather. He keeps digging and pukes. He tells Natalie that he can't. Natalie says it's just a ring and to let it go. He tells her he can't, that he has to bring something back. "For Javi," Natalie realizes. "Which hand?" she asks. "Right," Travis tells her and she starts digging herself, cutting off the finger to get the ring. In the plane's wreckage, they sit together and Natalie smokes. She asks him if he really can suck his own dick. "I wish," he says, smiling. He says his father didn't even like him.

Natalie flashes back to the past and her father asking her if she's a slut. Her mother comes in, asking what he's doing, and he slaps her away. He then starts wailing on her, complaining about her sleeping all day while Natalie has boys in the house. Natalie races off, then returns with a rifle, pointing it at him. She cocks it and he turns. In the wreckage, Natalie shares the cigarette with Travis, saying that no matter how awful parents are, it still messes you up when they're gone. In the present day, Natalie agrees to give Kevyn a call, thanking him for being there. She kisses him and heads on her way. Meanwhile, Adam and Shauna stand at the edge of a bridge. He tells her that he'd have done the same thing if he'd won. She tells him to stop stalling, asking if he's chicken. They take off their jackets. Then, Shauna sees a vision of Jackie. "Somebody's going to get hurt," the vision tells her. She closes her eyes, ignoring it. "Let's do this!" she declares and the two of them take off their shirts, then dive off the bridge into the water below. They return to her car, sopping wet, and make out passionately. He stares at her and she nods. They enter to the car to have sex.

In the woods, Natalie and Travis are out walking when Natalie spots a deer. She pulls out the rifle and aims. The younger Natalie aims the rifle at her father. Her father says that she cried when she killed a turkey, asking what she's going to do, if she would really shoot him in the head. She fingers the trigger, but nothing happens. He grabs the gun, saying she has the safety on. He says he'll show her - "on, off, baby girl." In the woods, Travis tells her to breathe. Her father tells her that it's okay to keep a gun in the house if your kid's too stupid to use it. Her mother sobs and he shouts at her to shut up, saying that he never thought she could be more useless than her mother. He stalks off and she shouts that he's the useless one. He turns and lunges at her, asking what she just said and the gun goes off, splattering his blood on the outside wall. In the woods, Natalie fires. It's a clean shot and the deer is dead. In the past, Natalie's mother sobs over her dead father. Natalie just stares.

In the woods, the girls are busy trying to make salad out of the plants from the woods. Jackie comments to Vanessa that they're even now when Natalie and Travis arrive with the deer. Travis says it was all Natalie. They stare at it in wonder and Natalie asks what they do now. Coach Scott says that the first thing they have to do is bleed it out. He produces a knife, asking who wants to try. Misty raises her hand, but Shauna takes the knife, saying she'll give it a try. "Right across the throat," Coach Scott tells her. She does so and that night, they all feast on deer meat. Travis presents Javi with the ring, saying that he forgot he had it. Coach Scott walks towards the cabin and Misty trips him, seemingly on purpose. She tells him to be more careful. In the present day, Shauna arrives home. She receives a call from Misty. "It's been so long," she says. Shauna says she told her to never call her. Misty says that it's something really big, that she knows she would want to hear about. Shauna tells her she doesn't have time. "Travis is dead," Misty says. Shauna, shocked, cuts the call and heads inside her home. "How was book club?" asks Jeff.

## Cast

### Starring

* Melanie Lynskey as Adult Shauna
* Tawny Cypress as Adult Taissa
* Ella Purnell as Jackie Taylor
* 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

with

* Christina Ricci as Adult Misty

and

* Juliette Lewis as Adult Natalie

### Guest starring

* Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie
* Liv Hewson as Teen Van
* Jane Widdop as Teen Laura Lee
* Keeya King as Akilah
* Peter Gadiot as Adam Martin
* Alex Wyndham as Adult Kevyn
* Kevin Alves as Teen Travis
* Alexa Barajas as Teen Mari
* Rekha Sharma as Jessica Roberts
* Rukiya Bernard as Simone Abara
* Lauren K. Robek as Diane Rafelson

### Co-starring

* Luciano Leroux as Javi Martinez
* Aiden Stoxx as Sammy Abara-Turner
* Mya Lowe as Yellowjacket #1
* Princess Davis as Yellowjacket #2
* Derek Hamilton as Natalie's Dad
* Sean Martin Savoy as Teen Kevyn Tan
* Balinder Johal as Mrs. Singh
* Benjamin Wilkinson as Robert Garrity
* Paul Moniz de Sa as Gerald Sussman
* Hyuma Frankowski as Davey Bronson
* Cheryl Swan as Thisbe van Doren
* Eric Pollins as Calvin van Doren
* Naomi Simpson as Older Vera
* Leah Jacksties as Younger Vera
* Rohain Arora as Finance Guy
* Matt Afonson as Young Man

## Trivia

* The following songs are featured in this episode: "Mountain Song" by Jane's Addiction, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something, "Feel the Pain" by Dinosaur Jr., "Maid in China" by The Father Figures, "So Alive" by Love and Rockets and "Ready to Go" by Republica.

## Gallery

### Video

Next on Episode 4 - Yellowjackets - SHOWTIMESome people just can’t take a hint. -Yellowjackets -shorts -showtime