Warning: Spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 8!Well, I guess I was fooled by Yellowjackets after season 3 tried to convince viewers that Gen and Melissa were dead. While Gen may actually be dead, we now know that Melissa is very much alive, thanks to a major twist in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 8. Before that, there had been no mention of Melissa in the modern-day timeline, implying that she died at some point in the wilderness. Then, the show casually revealed the deaths of Gen and Melissa while Shauna, Taissa, Van, and Misty decided to track down Hannah’s daughter, believing she sent the wilderness recordings.
Not only does Yellowjackets confirm the eighth survivor with Melissa’s appearance, but the show also confirms a popular theory that Hilary Swank was cast to play the adult version of Melissa. Whereas Joel McHale joined Yellowjackets‘ cast to play a pivotal role in the ’90s timeline, Swank’s previously undisclosed role has turned out to be crucial to the adult storyline. Granted, the details surrounding Swank’s role come after Yellowjackets totally faked us out.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Revealed Melissa Is Alive Just One Episode After Saying She Was Dead
Melissa Faked Her Death At Some Point After The Rescue
In Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7, Tai, Van, and Misty contemplated who would have sent the tape recording to Shauna. Tai mentioned that Gen and Melissa notably got close to Hannah in the wilderness, suggesting they may have kept the tape, but Van interjected by saying, “they’re both dead.” Just one episode later, we learn that Van’s statement isn’t exactly true, since Melissa is alive in Yellowjackets‘ adult timeline. Even though Shauna had a strange reaction to Van’s comment in the previous episode, it seems like she really had no clue that Melissa was alive.
Melissa also came in contact with Hannah’s adult daughter, Alex, and the two fell in love, got married, and are now raising a kid together.
The others thought Melissa was dead and attended her funeral, but Melissa reveals that she faked her suicide and embarked on a new life as a woman named Kelly. Melissa also came in contact with Hannah’s adult daughter, Alex, and the two fell in love, got married, and are now raising a kid together. However, Melissa hasn’t told her wife about her true identity and connection to Hannah, attempting to erase that portion of her life. Still, she has obviously been keeping some tabs on the other Yellowjackets since she knew about Natalie’s death and Lottie’s cult.
Is Hilary Swank’s Melissa The One Really Stalking Shauna?
Is Melissa Telling Shauna The Truth?
In addition to falling for Yellowjackets season 3’s death fakeout, I also assumed the reveal put an end to Melissa being Shauna’s stalker. While there’s been evidence that Hannah’s daughter could be the stalker, especially since she has the motive, Melissa is the one who sent Shauna the tape recordings from the wilderness. She reveals that the tape has been haunting her, and the only way she could fully move on from her past would be to get rid of the recordings. However, Melissa claims that she wasn’t responsible for the other threats involving Shauna in Yellowjackets season 3.
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Why Shauna, Lottie & Tai Refuse To Go With Nat & The Others In Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 8
New characters in the wilderness have made rescue feel viable for the first time in Yellowjackets, but not all characters want to pursue this route.
If Melissa wasn’t the one who messed with the car, locked Shauna in the freezer, and left the phone in the restaurant, it could mean three things: either someone else is Shauna’s stalker, Shauna is paranoid, or Melissa is lying. Considering Melissa’s attempt to grab her knife to attack, Shauna has more reason to believe that Melissa is the stalker. Rather than continue talking, Shauna pins her down, takes a bite from Melissa’s arm, and tells her former teammate to eat the piece of flesh. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets season 3 episode ends before we witness the rest of their reunion.
