Yellowjackets can't stop, won't stop tripping us out with scenes that lean into the magical realism side of the show, and the latest episode to air on the 2025 TV schedule was no exception. During Season 3's third episode, three members of the Yellowjackets had wild hallucinations before sharing the same one that included a cameo from Ella Purnell's Jackie. I've certainly been curious about what the scene meant and why Akilah, Van and Shauna in particular were chosen to be featured in the hallucinations.
Thankfully, when Variety spoke to the episode's director Jonathan Lisco, he broke down the reasoning behind each character's inclusion in the wild sequence which he said was influenced by the late, great David Lynch. Let's break it down.
Let's start with Akilah. The character played by Nia Sondaya since Season 2 is one of the most good-natured people who really doesn't perpetuate as much drama and intensity as some of the other characters. When Lisco spoke to the hallucination sequence, he said this of her inclusion:
And hey, only Akilah would think up a llama talking to her. This makes a lot of sense, especially considering the emotional weight of the two other characters in the scene.
Liv Hewson's Van has gone through a lot throughout the series, including trying to be there for Jasmin Savoy Brown's Taissa through her sleepwalking bouts that have included her eating dirt. Here's how Lisco continued:
Between her near-death experience on the plane itself, to her face injury and the recent burning of the cabin, Van's part of the hallucination definitely seems tied to her trauma.
I also didn't realize Javi's hand was there. I'm getting chills.
That brings us to the inclusion of Shauna, who definitely seems to have another strong arc this season.
In her own hallucination, she's swimming in a lake when she sees a young boy who seems to be her son, whom she lost while giving birth. As Lisco explained about her piece of the scene:
Ugh, so heartbreaking.
I can say confidently I'm not ready for the trauma this season is about to inflict on me and other fans. Between the trailer hinting at one major character's death to still mourning Juliette Lewis' conclusion on the series last season, or one major mystery being name-dropped, there's a lot to look out for this season. Now, these hallucinations have revealed and reiterated the demons these characters hold and possibly haunting futures for them.