It Chooses

## Episode guide

**"It Chooses"** is the eighth episode of the second season of *Yellowjackets*. It premiered on May 19, 2023 on streaming and on May 21 on Showtime.

## Synopsis

Shhh, it’s only going to get worse from here. Despite the whole “winter's never gonna end” thing, the 1996 New Jersey state girls soccer champions decide to start their spring training early with an impromptu cardio session. Callie encounters an old flame, Van proves goalies never say die, most of the adults intentionally commune in the sharing shack, and, Lottie, baby, I hear the blues are calling for tossed salad and scrambled eggs. Mercy!

## Plot

### The fate of Nugget

In the wilderness, Misty and Mari try to help the badly beaten Lottie, who is peeing blood. Misty says that it could be a kidney infection, that Shauna kicked her pretty hard. "Then maybe Shauna should be doing this," suggests Mari. They lay Lottie down and Mari complains that it's making her eyes water. Misty shouts at her to shut up, that Lottie has done so much for them, but she has to be a little brat like she always is. She tells her if she's so grossed out to just take it downstairs and empty it. Mari climbs down the ladder, but drops the bowl about halfway down. She sobs. Up in the attic, Lottie has visions of a number of things, including the Queen of Hearts card with the eyes blacked out. Misty asks if she can hear her.

Downstairs, Akilah sits with her pet mouse, Nugget. She strokes him happily, telling him she'll have him meet her baby nephew when they get home. She tells him they'll go to the beach, get french fries soaked in vinegar and funnel cakes. She tells him she'll buy him a house and a wheel for exercise. Taissa comes over, asking what's in her hands. "Nothing," she lies and Taissa grabs her, telling her to let her see it. She shouts that Taissa cannot touch him, that he's hers. The others stare and Akilah tells Nugget that it's okay. "That thing is dead, Akilah" Taissa tells her. Akilah asks her what she's talking about and she grabs the mouse, holding it up, except it is nothing more than a curled-up skeleton. Akilah stares, and shakes her head in horror, seeing the mouse as it really is for the first time. She curses, clutching her head.

At Camp Green Pine, Taissa comments that the song they were playing is going to be stuck in her head for a while. She and the others' happy revelry is interrupted by the return of Shauna, whom they quickly realize is very troubled. Taissa asks her what happened and she explains that Jeff told her the police found the remains of Adam Martin. Van, naturally, wonders who Adam Martin is and Shauna thanks Lottie for having her there, but says that she needs to be with her family. She starts to walk out and Natalie follows, asking if it isn't a better plan to remain there. Shauna tells her she needs to get home while Misty pesters her, asking if she measured the grave to the standard six feet. Natalie tells her she didn't have a tape measure and Misty complains that she should have just done it herself. "You guys didn't know him?" asks Van, wondering what the panic vibe is. Taissa claims not to know anything and Van looks at her, saying she's lying and she wants to know why. She goes up to Shauna and tosses away her keys into the wilderness.

Shauna asks Van if she's insane. She says that she's starting to feel like it, that they haven't seen each other in years and that there's something going on that they're not being honest about. She says that they're not going anywhere until they tell her and Lottie what this is about. Lottie points out that Jeff called her about it and Taissa agrees that it's strange that Jeff would be the one calling. "Does he know something about it?" asks Natalie and Van comments that whatever this is, they did it. Shauna admits that she did tell him and Misty is annoyed, saying she was very specific about her instructions. They start arguing back and forth, attracting the attention of the acolytes on the compound. Lottie declares that in public is not the place for this, saying that she will meet them at the Sharing Shack. "Do we have to?" asks Shauna and Natalie agrees that they should.

### More hallucinations

In the wilderness, Taissa has a vision of the "Other One." Van stares at her, asking if she's okay. She tells her that she's light-headed. Van goes to Mari, who is making broth, with a belt from Jackie's luggage, saying that it's leather and could be protein. "Belt soup, yum," agrees Mari, adding it to the broth. Shauna goes over to Gen and grabs a blanket. When Gen takes umbrage, Shauna points out that she's not using it, saying that Lottie is cold. "Now you give a shit about Lottie?" asks Melissa and Van shouts that Lottie took the beating to protect them. Natalie comments to Coach Scott that Lottie dying might not be the worst thing and he agrees it might be the best if he's in pain. Natalie says everyone's changed because of her, that Lottie has some sort of weird control. He says it sounds like she's jealous. "Right," she comments, saying that even Javi has gone to the dark side, that she saw him bowing the other day to a symbol tree. He asks her which it was and she says it's not far from the creek. This seems to mean something to him. He goes to a case and opens it, studying a series of drawing made by Javi, particularly the one of a set of strange tree roots. A realization seems to come over him.

Akilah sits, considering the skeleton of Nugget. She tries to eat it, but can't bring herself to do it. Meanwhile, Mari, tending the belt soup, comments that the dripping noise is back. Taissa tells her that she hears it too. She points at one of the cabin walls, saying it's coming from there. Mari turns and stares at the wall, and suddenly there is blood dripping down it. She screams, shouting that they're dead, and Taissa pulls her back, telling her that there's no one there. "Their blood was dripping on the floor, you heard it," insists Mari, but Van tells her that it's the hunger.

Kevyn Tan and Matt Saracusa, along with a pair of cops, arrive at the Sadecki family home. Matt explains that they have a search warrant. Kevyn tells Jeff that Shauna is now officially a suspect in the death of Adam Martin. As they head in, Kevyn asks Jeff if he can ask him a few questions and he agrees. Meanwhile, Callie stands watch as Matt searches her room. Holding up her phone and filming, she asks who he's pretending to be today and if he's going to have a sniff at her panty drawer. He tells her that there's only one deviant in the room and that it was a nice try, lying to his partner about them sleeping together. She comments that it's nice the other cop has his back and he asks who has hers, if it's her mom. "Good luck with that in court," he tells her. She says that a jury only needs to hear about him, an old man, seducing her, how he preyed on her. He tells her when they get a whiff of how much of a liar her mother is, they'll realize the psychopath apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Jeff asks if he should call for a lawyer now and Kevyn comments that Sadeckis are always asking about lawyers, that it makes it seem like they're hiding something. He asks him where Shauna is and he claims that Shauna is at the spa with some girlfriends. Matt enters the room and Kevyn comments that he thought maybe Jeff kicked her out after she admitted to the affair. He tells him they're figuring it out. Matt says that they want to show him a few photos and that they're pretty gruesome. He presents photos of Adam Martin's severed remains, that the serration was almost surgical. Jeff says that this proves that there's no way Shauna could have done it, that she's no doctor. "But she does have certain... survival skills," points out Matt. Kevyn says that whoever did it went so far as to remove his tattoos. Matt says it made it impossible to identify him. Jeff asks how they did and Kevyn tells him that one of Adam's friends had cancer a few years back and he donated his bone marrow, so they were able to identify him from this. Staring at the photos, Jeff gets up, telling them that they're done. Kevyn tells him he has to level with him, asking if he ever thought Shauna could be capable of this. He tells him he's not saying another word without a lawyer.

### Present day revelations

"So this is what you've all been doing with your lives? Chasing blackmailers and murdering lovers?" Van asks the group. Shauna calls it a little reductive, saying that it's in everyone's best interest that Adam is gone. "But especially yours," comments Taissa. "Because I'm the only one here who has secrets he was threatening to reveal" and Natalie asks why she would share more of those with Jeff. Shauna claims that she was scared and needed Jeff on her side. Taissa comments that they all need things they can't have, and Shauna points out her having Van with her, asking how that happened. "Tai just hitched a ride on an 18-wheeler to my place, that was totally normal," comments Van and Shauna says they had lost touch. Taissa says that it's not hard to find stuff like that these days and Misty agrees that she's had Van's address for years, that she could have asked her instead of outsourcing. Natalie asks Misty what she means by outsourcing. "You wanna tell them, or...?" asks Misty, but when Taissa doesn't speak up, Misty explains that Taissa was the one who hired Jessica Roberts. Shauna is stunned, asking if Taissa really paid somebody to look into their past, given what she could have found out. Taissa says that she had to know they weren't going to talk if somebody offered the right amount, that she had to know she could trust them. "The irony," comments Natalie and Shauna asks what would happen if she went rogue. Misty tells them they don't have to worry about that, that she took care of it. "You're welcome," she says.

In the wilderness, Misty sees Ben with a sharp knife. She asks if she needs to be worried about it, but he tells her she doesn't, that he's just making his crutches more snow-friendly. He asks why he would be putting in the effort if he was going to do anything and she agrees that it's good, that fresh air can help clear the bad thoughts. Meanwhile, Travis watches as Natalie provides Javi with some gloves that she knitted. He goes to her and tells her that she's a good person and that he's sorry for ever making her feel otherwise. They hold hands. In the attic, Misty sleeps next to Lottie, who starts moaning and groaning. She asks her what's wrong, telling her to take a nice deep breath in like she has them do. Lottie asks her to promise her not to waste her body if she dies. Misty tells her they're not even going to think about that right now. "Promise," she insists. Misty nods. Downstairs, Coach Scott has out the maps of the symbol trees, Javi sleeping next to him. He gets up and heads outside, making good progress on his enhanced crutches.

At the Sharing Shack, Misty asks what she was supposed to do, if she was just supposed to let Jessica Roberts go after she'd already held her captive in her basement for a week. "Sounds like your hands were really tied-- oh wait, maybe those were her hands," quips Van. Misty replies that she only kidnapped her in the first place because she thought she was the blackmailer, not knowing it was really Shauna's lover looking to get his hands on her journals to extort them. Shauna asks why she's the only bad guy there when Misty has been holding someone in her dungeon and the FBI has been going around asking questions about Natalie. This is news to the others, but Misty tells her to stop, that *she* was the FBI with her "boyfriend" Walter, that they were trying to find out who kidnapped Natalie. "Misty, you are nothing if not proactive," comments Van and Misty comments that the fact that Randy was paralyzed with fear was strange for an innocent man. She notes that Randy mentioned Jeff and Shauna tries to play this off as them being best friends, but Misty says it was more like they had done something he was nervous about. She says that she didn't give it much thought at the time, but that there was someone else who had access to the journals. Taissa agrees that it makes a lot more sense if it was Jeff. Natalie asks Shauna if it was Jeff who sent the postcards, if he was the one blackmailing them.

### Not solvable by talking

In a spacious home, Walter Tattersall sits assembling a large puzzle. He gets a number of pings on his laptop, such as "She's a literal MAN-EATER!" from an "@IntheThickofIt." He sees the pings and then the story posted on the citizen detective board about Adam Martin's body having been found. He types in the address for the website of the Wiskayok Police Department and clicks for the contact form, sending a message saying that he has some information that might be relevant to their investigation. At home, Jeff picks up a book to read when he hears a noise. He calls for Callie, asking if it's her, but goes to the kitchen and finds Shauna instead. He comments that he thought she was at Lottie's and she tells him that she was, but she needed them to be together with everything that's been going on. She tells him he's the only one who really understands her. He strokes her face and kisses her, then suddenly a blade slices him in the stomach. "Oh, sorry, babe," she tells him, as he peels back the skin. He curses and turns to see that her hands have become blades instead. He asks what happened and she tells him not to pretend that he doesn't like this. He asks why he would and she says it's exciting. He tells her it's dangerous and to get rid of it, backing away. She tells him that she can't get rid of it, that it's a part of her. "I thought you loved all of me, like I love all of you" she tells him. He tells her he's scared and she tells him to relax or he'll end up like Adam did. She slashes him in the throat and he wakes up.

He gets up and goes to the living room to find Callie drinking. She tells him she couldn't sleep and he takes the bottle, saying it won't help, then sits and swigs from it instead. She asks him if she's like Shauna and he tells her that she is, that she's smart, good at stuff and doesn't take any shit. She tells him it's not what she means, that Shauna is seriously messed up. He agrees that she is, but tells her that Shauna went through a lot in the wilderness and lost people, her best friend. "Yeah, Jackie," agrees Callie, and Jeff tells her that she lost somebody else, that she had a baby. "It was our baby," he tells her. Callie absorbs this, asking if she had a sister. "A brother," Jeff tells her. He sits next to her, telling her that it's Shauna's burden to bear, and his, but she doesn't have to make it hers. He tells her it'll be okay. Back at his place, Walter goes to his closet and pulls out a purple outfit.

In the wilderness, Misty continues tending to Lottie. She goes to the others and Akilah asks her how Lottie is doing. She tells them that she had said that if she dies, she wants them to make use of her to stay alive. Melissa says she must be really sick to say that and Van says that she can't imagine being there without her. Mari tells them to not, that she won't die, that the wilderness won't let her. Travis replies that there's no way she's going to live if she's starving and Natalie points out that the same is true for all of them. Taissa gets up, saying that they need to find a way to stay alive and that it can't be Lottie. In the present, Taissa complains that Shauna lied and she says that she didn't know what else to do, that she thought if they knew the truth they might actually try to kill Jeff. Taissa immediately calls this insane, but Van points out that Misty "took care" of Jessica Roberts. Taissa says she's been using them all and Shauna says that she's sorry, that she doesn't know what has been happening to her. She admits that she's been telling herself she's been trying to fix things, but has only been doing stuff that makes things worse. She tells them that she lied to them because she knew that if the tables were turned and one of their spouses were the blackmailer, she probably would have killed them. Natalie thanks her for her honesty, saying that they're all messed up and it's time they talked about it. Lottie, however, says that talking won't solve anything, that this isn't something therapies can fix. She says that something greater guided them all there, that it's been guiding her as well. She tells them that she first tried to ignore it, then she tried to bargain with it or will it away, but that it's too powerful. "And now we have to give it what it wants."

### The wilderness chose

In the wilderness, the girls set up an altar with a candle. Van presents a deck of cards and shows them all the Queen of Hearts with her eyes blacked out. She places it back in the deck and shuffles. She presents the deck to Misty, who, relieved, holds up an 8 of Diamonds. Next is Akilah, and a 7 of Spades. Van draws a Jack of Hearts. Shauna draws a 4 of Diamonds and Travis an Ace of Clubs. Taissa gets a 6 of Spades. Melissa draws a 3 of Hearts. Javi gets a King of Spades. He holds it up and runs over to Travis, hugging him, who tells him that it's okay, that they're okay. Natalie draws a card. She stares it in shock and presents it to the others - the Queen of Hearts. Her hand shakes and Shauna steps forward. She tells her to turn around. Natalie does and Shauna places Jackie's heart-pendant necklace around her neck. She grabs a knife and puts it to her neck, but Natalie tells her to wait. She turns, telling her she's going to have to look her in the eye. Shauna again takes the knife to her neck, pressing down. As everyone stares, Travis leaps forward, pushing Shauna aside. He fights off the girls and shouts at Shauna to run. Natalie bolts for the door and Misty shouts that she's getting away. As some hold Travis back, a group streams out, howling. Javi stares at Travis for a second, then runs outside too. In the attic, Lottie has visions of the symbol. Natalie hides behind a tree, temporarily evading the pursuit of the others.

In the Sharing Shack, Shauna tells Lottie that none of it was real. Lottie asks if she doesn't feel something inside her, making her do things. Taissa says it's no secret they're a little messed up, but that it's only reasonable, given what they lived through. Lottie says they have to consider that it's been with them all along and they're messed up *because* they've been denying it. She says that the only way to get out of this may be to give themselves fully over to it. Van asks her just what it is she's suggesting. "We give it what it always wants," says Lottie, presenting them with a tray containing six cups of tea. "One of us," she tells them, saying that it one of the cups is a phenobarbital solution, that they use it to euthanize animals who are suffering. Misty points out that it's also what the Heaven's Gate people used and Shauna says that she might be taking the cult leader persona thing a tad far. "Our lives aren't that bad," she says and Lottie asks if she's the only one who's been listening. She points out that Taissa pushed away her entire family, killed her dog and almost killed her wife, that Shauna is about to lose her family or worse, that Misty killed Jessica Roberts, that Natalie tried to kill herself and that Van used to be full of life but now something seems to have broken within her. Van asks why Lottie doesn't just volunteer to drink it and she says it's not how it works, that they don't get to decide, *it* chooses. Misty says it's convenient she knows which is poisoned and Lottie tells her they're free to shuffle them around. She says it's how they've always given back, that it helped them survive then and can now.

In the wilderness, Coach Scott finds the gnarled tree with the symbol and the moss growing. He studies Javi's drawing and finds it to be a match. He brushes aside some fronds to reveal an opening to an underground passage. He drops one of his crutches and hears it clatter below almost immediately. He crawls inside and discovers a cave with a dripping water, a fire-pit and a number of bones scattered around it.

Up above, Natalie bolts from behind the tree where she was hiding. Javi spots her and shouts at her to stop, telling her that he knows where they can go. She asks what he's talking about as the girls realize that they can no longer hear her. They stop to concentrate and take off in a different direction. Javi tells Natalie that there's a place that the others don't know about, that he can take her there. She stares and he tells her that she can trust him. She nods, agreeing. They race across the frozen lake. Natalie slips and Javi runs back to grab her, telling her they're almost there. As the group begins to close in,, the ice cracks beneath Javi's feet. He falls in and Natalie races to him as the girls spread out so the rest of the ice doesn't break. She tries to pull him, shouting for the others to help her. Only Misty comes, telling her to stop. She pulls her away, telling her that the others will get her if she saves him. Akilah shouts that they can still get him out of there, but Shauna shouts to wait. Thrashing, Javi pleads for Natalie to come to his aid. She stares as his face surfaces one more time and then he sinks. "Grab him!" shouts Taissa and they pull him out, but his body is lifeless. Misty feels for a pulse and finds nothing. Van declares that the wilderness chose and Lottie seems to have a flash of what is happening. Misty rises and everyone stares, ringed around Javi's dead body.

## 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

with

* Christina Ricci as Adult Misty

and

* Juliette Lewis as Adult Natalie

### Guest starring

* Nicole Maines as Lisa
* Nia Sondaya as Akilah
* Alex Wyndham as Adult Kevyn Tan
* John Reynolds as Matt
* Ella Purnell as Jackie
* Sarah Desjardins as Callie Sadecki
* Alexa Barajas as Mari

and

Elijah Wood as Walter Tattersall

### Co-starring

* Mya Lowe as Teen Gen
* Jenna Burgess as Teen Melissa
* Luciano Leroux as Javi Martinez
* Caroline Shaw as Featured vocalist

## Trivia

* This episode reveals the details regarding a couple of key mysteries: how the Yellowjackets selected who was going to die and be cannibalized, as well as the significance of the necklace that Shauna originally gave to Shauna.
* Songs featured in this episode include "Not While I'm Around" by Barbra Streisand, "The Music of the Night" as featured in Andrew Lloyd Webber's *The Phantom of the Opera*, "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by the Smashing Pumpkins and "Poor Sucker" by Low. This is the second time that "The Music of the Night" has appeared in the series, as Misty Quigley played it while holding Jessica Roberts captive in "No Compass."
* A cut scene for this episode expanded on how the Yellowjackets came up with the ritual to determine who would be offered up as a sacrifice. According to Sophie Hatcher (Teen Natalie), it was a group decision, with everyone forcing themselves into believing its what Lottie would have wanted, with Misty adding some manipulation.

## Gallery

### Videos

Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 8 Promo - SHOWTIMEYellowjackets Season 2 Episode 8 - Behind the Buzz - SHOWTIME

## References

1. ↑ Strause, Jackie (May 19, 2023). ‘Yellowjackets’ Star Sophie Thatcher on the Fateful Choice That Explains Everything About Her Character. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on May 25, 2023.