Burial

## Episode guide

**"Burial"** is the seventh episode of the second season of *Yellowjackets*. It premiered on May 12, 2023 on streaming and demand and on May 14 on Showtime.

## Synopsis

Sometimes the best therapy is cranking the hits to eleven, so today we’re exploring the hardcore kid-care revival movement, 11 o’clock theatrical birdcore numbers, some late hits of the renovationwave era (call us about a spinoff!), flower duets, and a classic live record. Out in the wilderness, Coach Scott does a great Karl Havoc impression for an unimpressed Misty.

## Plot

### Time to wake up

In the aftermath of the loss of Shauna's baby, the Yellowjackets sit in the cabin, listless and sad. Taissa tells her that she needs to drink some water, but she just ignores her and turns away when she tries to force the issue. Lottie turns and looks outside, seeming to have noticed something. Taissa asks what it is and she tells her that the snow finally stopped. Led by Travis, some of them manage to force the door open. Taissa tells Shauna that it will be good for her, that she can take a walk and get some fresh air, saying that she can come with her. Shauna, however, clutching the bundle with her stillborn baby, continues to ignore her. Outside, the group sets to work digging out. Shauna finally goes outside too, but by herself. She digs a shallow grave for the baby, telling him again "It's you and me against the whole world."

At Camp Green Pine, Taissa, Van and Shauna, overseen by Misty, surrender their possessions. Taissa asks if Misty and Natalie have joined a cult and Lottie tells her that it's an "intentional community." Van asks just what the intention is and Natalie tells them that she was on the verge of suicide when Lottie found her. She tells them that it isn't easy, but it's what she needs and they do too. She says that they can finally start dealing with the darkness they brought back from the wilderness.

In said wilderness, Taissa sobs, telling Van that she really thought the baby was going to make it. Van agrees that they were all hoping for this, but it wouldn't have changed the fact that his mother is starving, that they all are. She tells her she thinks it's time they woke up. Taissa stares at her. "What?" she asks and Taissa tells her it doesn't sound like her. Van tells her that she kept surviving things that should have killed her and figured it meant something, that she had some kind of purpose, but she's not seeing it. Taissa tells her that she helped her to see, hear and sleep, that she would be dead without her. She tells her that she needs her. Van tells her that she needs her too, but also needs to know why she's still there.

### Treatments

Lottie tells the group that when someone arrives at the compound, that they often let them choose a treatment without a description, whatever speaks to them. She presents a chart with four treatments: Self Care, Guidance, Forage and Renewal. Van rises, saying that it's not for her, but Natalie tells her she thought the same thing and to give it a chance. Van tells Lottie she's glad she's back from Switzerland and Lottie tells her that was over a decade ago. Van starts to duck out when Taissa declares that she'll take Renewal. Van stares at her and Lottie asks Shauna what's calling out to her. She tells her that her rational instincts are screaming, but she'll go with Self Care. Van takes Forage, leaving Misty with Guidance, which Lottie says is her favorite treatment. Lottie provides them with a landline number, saying to text it to whoever they think might need it, as they're going to be giving up their phones. Taissa is reluctant, but Shauna finds that she can't argue with Misty's statement that phones leave them captive to other people's priorities and Van agrees that she hates hers.

Shauna is led to a barn, where she is presented with a baby goat named Bruce and told that her task is to look after him for the rest of the day. She is told that this means all of the personal discoveries and sacrifices that come along with doing so and she objects to this, saying that they want her to look after the goat and get attached and then at the end of the day, they'll ask her to slit his throat. The acolyte tells her that opting out means mucking out the barn all day, so she gives in.

In the wilderness, as Coach Ben Scott watches the others working outside, he goes into a hallucination in which his boyfriend Paul gets a phone call. Paul is there with him in the cabin and tells the person on the other end that "he isn't ready." He then tells Ben that they need to talk, asking him to sit. Coach Scott refuses, telling him that he's scaring him, and asking him what the phone call was about. Paul tells him that he's scared too, and Coach Scott tells him he doens't understand. He says that he has to go, asking Ben where he thinks he is and saying that he knew he couldn't stay there forever. He tells him he isn't welcome there anymore, that it's just time. He tells him that he loves him, that they all do, and exits the cabin. He turns, screaming Paul's name and Taissa and Van ask if he's okay. He says that he's going to be just fine.

At the compound, Lisa leads Misty into a room with a sensory deprivation tank, explaining that her treatment is just to climb in. Misty objects to it as being a "water-coffin," saying that she thought this was Guidance, and Lisa tells her that the most authentic guidance comes from within. Misty tells her that she gets it, that she's been there and tuned in, but she's not sure this is necessary. Lisa points out that she's been there less than a day and has yet to engage in any actual therapies. Misty asks to use the restroom first and Lisa agrees, but Misty sneaks outside instead. Meanwhile, in the wilderness, Misty overhears a conversation between Gen, Akilah and Mari. They compliment Misty for not even flinching at the end of Shauna's birthing. Mari, however, tells them that she thinks Misty is even more psychotic than they thought, that she thinks she did something to Crystal. They ask why she would kill her only friend and Mari points out that Misty tried to kill Coach Scott, asking why Misty isn't out looking for Crystal now that the snow has stopped.

### Searching

As Coach Scott shaves off his beard, Misty gathers the others, telling them that they need to look for Crystal, who could still be out there, alive. Coach Scott agrees that she's right, that if Javi could survive, so could Crystal. Melissa asks if what if the wilderness took her and the baby. Gen suggests that it might give them something back, but Lottie says that it doesn't work this way, that the wilderness hears them. She says it gave them what they wanted, that Shauna lived, and it could do the same for Crystal. They form a circle, praying "We hear the wilderness and it hears us." Melissa tells Gen that she hopes they find Crystal alive and Gen agrees, but says that it wouldn't be the worst thing if they found her and she wasn't. She says she's not saying she wants to, just that if it's the situation. Melissa agrees it would be disrespectful to the wilderness to waste it. They then both hastily agree that they hope Crystal is okay. Misty stalks out, having overheard this conversation as well. Meanwhile, Shauna stares at the bloodied baby blanket with the symbol knitted by Lottie, having a flashback of her nightmare in which the others cannibalized her baby. In a fit of rage, she grabs it and tosses in the fire.

The others head outside, searching for Crystal and shouting her name. Lottie stops at a stump to make an offering, telling everyone but Taissa to go on ahead, that they're going to take a minute. She tells Taissa that she was the one who knew where Javi was, but Taissa protests that she didn't. Lottie tells her that she nevertheless found him and could find Crystal too, but she tells her that she doesn't think so, that the sleepwalking has stopped since she started doing her circles. She tells her that the other her who knew where Javi was is gone, but Lottie tells her that she isn't, and it's a good thing. Meanwhile, in the present day, Taissa is tiring of her treatment, which involves painting a barn with a makeup brush. She asks her if they can just cut to the chase, that the painting isn't exactly solving her problems. "Okay," agrees Lottie, asking her to tell her what her problems are. She tells her that she's sleepwalking again and needs help. Lottie tells her that the other her had a deep connection to the wilderness, and wisdom. Taissa replies that the other her wants to hurt her family and Lottie replies that she may not want to, that she just doesn't want to be suppressed. She tells her that she's still a part of her and always will be.

Misty finds Shauna sitting by a tree stump. She asks if she's okay and Shauna asks if she shouldn't be in therapy? "Shouldn't you?" asks Misty and Shauna tells her that she's caring for the goat, saying that it's tied nearby. She turns to find that the goat is gone, the rope chewed through. She curses and Misty pulls some food from her pocket for bait, saying that she's been hoarding in case they decide to enforce calorie restrictions to induce out-of-body experiences. They start calling after the goat, Shauna asking why she even cares when Lottie's goons are just going to make her kill the goat anyway. Misty suggests she just pretend that the goat is Adam Martin, saying she was quick to get stabby with him. Shauna chastises her for joking about this, that she doesn't think of killing as a joke. Misty complains that she's the only one who took her killing seriously and she's never grateful. Shauna tells her that she is grateful that her hobby is how to be the perfect serial killer. Misty asks why everyone keeps saying this to her, telling Shauna she's not innocent either. "Do you think I don't know that?" asks Shauna and they hear the goat bleating nearby. She picks him up, asking where he thought he was going. Meanwhile, an acolyte comes up to Misty, telling her that Lisa is looking for her.

### Personal discoveries

In the wilderness, Misty, with Mari and Akilah, continues to shout for Crystal. She starts fake-crying and Akilah asks if she's okay. She tells Akilah that she's afraid, that they'll find her and she might look just like Jackie, a song frozen in her throat. She says she can't deal with this after the baby and Akilah says they know it's hard for her and she should probably just go back. Misty says it's kind of them, Mari seeming dubious, but the second they are out of earshot, Misty tells "Kristen" that she's not going to let them eat her. As she races away, Coach Scott collapses in the snow. Shauna goes to the meat shed, speaking to the place where she had propped up Jackie's body. She pleads that she really needs her right now. "Please?" she begs, then breaks down sobbing.

Shauna returns to the barn and the acolyte, Todd, who had given her the goat. She tells him that Bruce ate some rope, asking her to look at it. He tells her that the animal is under her care. She asks if it looks okay to him, but he says that the insight is inside her, that "the kid's care is entwined with your own." She seems disturbed by the phrasing and tells him that she thinks eating ropes might be fine for goats, but they took her phone and she's going off stuff she remembered from cartoons. She says there's no way the goat is dying while she's watching it and someone will make sure it's okay right now. When he still won't engage, she spots Lottie, telling him she'll take it up with her. She tells Lottie that her Self Care ends there, that she doesn't care about the big lesson, but she won't kill the goat. Lottie tells her that she doesn't have to and she cries, asking if she really doesn't. Lottie tells her that she really doesn't, that she finds it gives a person clarity to have to care for something so innocent. Shauna tells her that she's not crying about the goat. She explains that she's always kept her daughter Callie at arm's length, out of fear that she would die, or was never even real to begin with. She says she tried to tell herself it's okay and that she's safe too, but she thinks that something is broken, that she just can't do it.

Misty stares at the tank and Lisa tells her to please get in this time. Misty asks what if she needs to unlock it and Lisa tells her that there is no lock, that it's super safe and that nobody cares she's there. So Misty gets in. She closes her eyes, takes deep breaths and the tank closes. Inside, she sees flashes of herself, Walter Tattersall and her pet bird, Caligula. She then imagines a human-sized Caligula performing a musical showtune for her and Walter dancing in a tophat and suit. Following this, she finds herself in the dressing room, where "Caligula" removes the bird-head, revealing a human face. She tells him it was amazing. He agrees it was, asking her to tell him what's going on. She asks him if people look at her and see someone desperate for love, a murderer. He asks her what she sees when she looks at herself and she tells him he doesn't know. He tells her to look at the magic, asking how much they all count on her. He tells her to take it from a bird named after a Roman emperor unjustly accused of heinous acts that she is not a murderer but a closer. A phone rings, a pair of lips like the one she had as a child. She answers it and takes a call from Walter on a Garfield phone, who tells her in Morse code that he loves her. She turns to Caligula, thanking him, and he blows her a kiss. The fantasy ends. She goes to the compound's landline and uses it to call Walter. She tells him that he was right about the "thing" and that as a woman trust can be hard, but that she never should have pushed him away. She tells him that she misses him and that his grandmother sounds cool.

### The phantom psychiatrist

In the wilderness, Misty digs for Crystal's body, but does not find her. She calls out both "Crystal" and the name only she knows out there, "Kristen." She tells her that she's sorry, that she tried. She climbs back up and notices Coach Scott at the edge of the cliff. He gets up and steps forward and she tells him to stop, that he's too close to the edge. He tells her that he's not going to keep losing everything and she tells him to stop, not to dare. He turns to her, asking if she could just push him off, but she asks how he could even say this. She says that they need his strength, that people are dying. He ignores this and she tells him that they will eat him, that she will personally savor his high-calorie butt meat. He shouts that he doesn't care and she tells him that she will tell the world their love story and worse, that he impregnated Shauna and that he tried to impregnate them all. She shouts that she will tell the whole world he's gay. "Do it, tell them," he says, turning back to the cliff. She breaks down and starts begging. She pleads with him to stop, saying that she tried so hard to keep the baby alive and that she can't have another death on her hands. He backs away from the cliff.

At Lottie's compound, it has gotten dark. Taissa removes her wedding ring and places it on a rock by some candles. Sitting nearby, Van comments that she doesn't see how marrying the rock is going to solve her problems. She sits, drinking some booze and Taissa asks if she shouldn't be wandering the woods. Van tells her that she chose Forage and decided to forage the booze from her truck. She hands it to Taissa. Taissa tells Van that she can't believe she's back there again. "Making offerings to the dirt," comments Van and Taissa agrees it's something like that. They kiss passionately, but then Taissa apologizes. She tells her she's thought about it, but it's a long road. Van tells her that she can't wait for her, that she doesn't have that kind of time. She tells her that she has cancer. Taissa asks what she means, what the situation is and she tells her that she only has a few months. Taissa sobs, asking how she's deciding to tell her now. Van points out that she showed up on her doorstep, that she wasn't going to tell her at all. Cursing, Taissa asks her why not and she says that they don't know each other, asking what Taissa would have done if she'd contacted her out of the blue. She asks if she would have sent her flowers through her office, or messaged her on Facebook. "I don't know" admits Taissa, frowning, and Van tells her she didn't want to see that face. Just then, Misty comes over, shouting for them to come, and Van gets up, telling Taissa to act normal.

"Even more of them are here now," Lottie tells her psychiatrist, still the substitute. She says its proof of what she told her, that "it" wants them to be together. The psychiatrist asks for what purpose and she says that it's like something deep and primal, that it feels wonderful, but she is also terrified. The psychiatrist asks when self-repression ever serves them, that she was free with she was with them in the past, her truest, most authentic self. She asks what's standing in the way of her embracing that and she tells her that they hurt each other, that people died. The psychiatrist asks her if there's anything of value in life that doesn't come with risk and Lottie asks if she's saying what she thinks she's saying. Suddenly, the form of the Antler Queen is before her, asking her if a hunt with no violence feeds anyone. Lisa knocks at the door, calling her from outside. She is in her own office, and there is nobody inside with her. There never was.

### The offering

Natalie tells the others that she wanted to gather and talk about what they learned, that she hopes they got something unexpected out of the day. She says it's about finding something within yourself you never really knew was there, asking who wants to get started. "Shauna?" she asks and she replies that she's already kind-of gotten started, holding up the bottle of booze. Natalie complains that they're missing the whole point of their therapies and Shauna calls her out on the irony of her being the one to tell them not to mess around. She suggests that they all just hang out a bit, telling Natalie that she learned a lot. Van holds out the booze, but Natalie refuses and Shauna tells Natalie about her experience with the goat. Lottie arrives, finding them all sitting and talking. She tells them she thinks they should go home, but they protest that they just got there. Van suggests that she sit with them, to think of it like group therapy except with booze. Lottie says she can't, but Natalie tells her that they're all there and that she thinks it might be time for her to stop resisting. "Okay," agrees Lottie, bringing out a case of booze of her own.

Natalie asks Misty what the deal is with Walter, if he's her boyfriend. She tells her they met online and that it's new, so they're still defining the relationship. "When you know, you know," she comments. "Does he know?" quips Van. They ask what he does for a living and Misty replies that he's dedicated to his passionate pursuit of knowledge. "So where does he go to prison?" jokes Taissa. Misty then announces that Natalie slept with Kevyn Tan, but Shauna complains that she already knew about this and she wants to hear new gossip. Lottie, however, is interested, it being new to her. Natalie comments that Misty can tell her about it, that she was watching, but Misty complains that she didn't watch those parts. "Was she watching some parts?" wonders Shauna. "That first summer, do you guys remember...?" starts Misty, but Van cuts her off, asking if she really just wants to casually reminisce about their time in the wilderness. Natalie says that she has a weird question, one that she's been thinking about a lot. She asks how much they all remember, that for her, she remembers, but some things are hazier. Lottie says that it's a familiar cognitive response, that the human body can't hold memory well in an ecstatic state. Shauna says that she's okay with never figuring it out if she's repressing things, but Lottie replies that they always end up manifesting in some way.

Van gets up, saying that they're all familiar with the terrible parts. Taissa goes over to her, telling her she knows a specialist at Johns Hopkins, but she just grunts. A song starts playing, "Lightning Crashes," and Van heads back over to the group, saying that she loves it. They all get up and dance, even Natalie at Lottie's urging. In the wilderness, Shauna enters the cabin. Misty is humming the song and Shauna stops, turning to her and asking her angrily where she heard it. In the present, the girls dance happily. The Misty of the past tells Shauna that she doesn't know, that she thinks Crystal was singing it. Shauna decks her in the face as, in the present, Misty cries out, asking if it's snowing. They cheer at the snow as the past Shauna shouts that Misty killed her baby. Natalie tells her that Misty did everything she could and Shauna shouts at her to shut up, that they ate her baby. Taissa shouts that she's acting insane and as Van tries to hold her back, she bites her. Shauna stares at Lottie.

At Lottie's compound, the group heads outside, dancing around the fire pit in the snow. Shauna decks Lottie in the nose. Lottie brushes back her hair, telling Travis to Javi to the bedroom. She tells Shauna that there's a lot of pain and to let it out. Shauna lets loose on Lottie, repeatedly hitting and kicking her. By the time she is done, Lottie's face is little more than a bloody pulp. Shauna lays beside Lottie, panting and exhausted, as the others stare in shock. "Lottie!" shouts Shauna and Lottie snorts and gurgles, breathing heavily. As the others move to tend to Lottie, Shauna races outside, blood dripping from her hands. In the present day, the girls' celebration is interrupted by a visit from the acolyte Todd, who says that there's an urgent call for Shauna from her husband Jeff. She takes the call, asking if something happened to Callie, but he tells her in coded phrases that the police have found the body of Adam Martin.

## Trivia

* Songs featured in this episode include "Something in the Way" by Nirvana, "Sit Right Down" by Cast, "Dream Girl Evil" by Florence and the Machine, "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps, "Sat Nam Mantra" by Jan Pham Huu Tri, "Free" by Florence and the Machine and "Lightning Crashes" by Live.
* The show's theme song, "No Return," is once again performed by Alanis Morisette, but with the music altered and more muted to reflect recent events in the series.
* The complete script for this episode was released on June 22, 2023 as part of Deadline's "It Starts on the Page" series, as was done with the script for the show's "Pilot" episode. All arrangements were made prior to the start of the WGA strike on May 2, 2023.

The script reveals a couple of scenes deleted from the final episode. In one of these, as the girls head off to look for Crystal, Van prepares to head out with them, only for Lottie to ask her to remain behind and clean up the cabin, particularly, Shauna's bloody bed, saying that the cabin needs her "clarifying energy." In another, Travis finds his father's ring that he gave to Javi discarded on the floor. He confronts him, asking what is wrong with him and shouting that he knows he can talk, but still gets no answer. Another scene involves Van discovering a page from a manuscript written apparently by the wife of the hunter, referencing a plotline also cut from other episodes. Still another scene involves Natalie discovering a fish in the gill net, discovering Javi trying to runaway to the symbol tree, and sharing the fish with him.

## 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
* John Cameron Mitchell as Caligula
* Francois Arnaud as Paul
* 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
* Jennifer Lines as Psychiatrist
* Abbie Jenkins as Acolyte
* Samer Salem as Acolyte Todd
* Erik Gow as Acolyte Rob
* Caroline Shaw as Featured vocalist

## Gallery

### Videos

Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 7 Promo - SHOWTIMEShauna Lashes Out & the Adults Let Loose - Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 7 Exclusive - SHOWTIMEInside the Mind of Misty- Musicals and Caligula - Yellowjackets Season 2 Episode 7 - SHOWTIMEYellowjackets Season 2 Episode 7 - Behind the Buzz - SHOWTIME

## References

1. ↑ Rice, Lynette (June 22, 2023). It Starts On The Page: Read ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 Script “Burial” By Rich Monahan & Liz Phang. Deadline. Retrieved on June 22, 2023.