It would be an understatement to say that Yellowjackets is a masterclass in foreshadowing. Small information are carelessly introduced in the show often only to play a major role in the plot several episodes or even an entire season later. This is the case with the Queen of Hearts card, which first appeared at the start of the first season of the show before developing into a crucial story component. It’s not until Season 2, Episode 8 that we completely get the card’s significance, despite the fact that many of us had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the cannibalistic rituals the Yellowjackets survivors invented in the woods. However, Yellowjackets showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson immediately pull the rug out from under us after explaining the significance of the Queen of Hearts card. This is because they are aware that the series thrives on unexpected surprises.
What Is the Meaning of the Queen of Hearts Card?
The Queen of Hearts was introduced in the first season’s opening episode, but as the plot progressed, its significance increased. First, we discovered that the survivors assigned tasks, such as cooking and cleaning the urine bucket, using playing cards. We automatically wondered if the selection of victims for each cannibalistic ritual would be somehow tied to the card deck as soon as we learned how it was being utilised. Another indication of the object’s grisly purpose is the fact that grownup Lottie (Simone Kessell) still preserves the Queen of Hearts card she found in the forest.
Though we may speculate as to what the card was for, it wasn’t until this week’s programme that we saw the Queen of Hearts being drawn for the first time. The survivors in Episode 8 are still malnourished and worried that they won’t survive for very long. Lottie (Courtney Eaton), who was severely battered by Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), is on the verge of passing away, which makes the situation even more dire. In order to save Lottie’s life, the gang must obtain food, which is a top priority for everyone who still believes the young woman has a particular bond with the forest.
The only option left to the survivors is to kill someone and use their body as food. The survivors also agree to choose cards at random from a deck in order to make the decision-making process as fair as feasible. The winner of the Queen of Hearts must sacrifice their life so that everyone else can survive. Although it seems like a straightforward process, we quickly realise that something strange is occurring. This is so because Nat (Sophie Thatcher), who is still alive in the adult timeline, is the first person to choose the Queen of Hearts card.
‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 Adds a Mindblowing Twist to That Card Reveal
Kevin Alves, Luciano Leroux, and the yellowjackets in season two episode eightImage via Showtime
If there is one thing we can always count on from Yellowjackets, it’s that it will continue to surprise us. When Nat selects the Queen of Hearts card, exactly that occurs. Nat cannot accept her sacrifice because we know she will survive. Even if we had understood the significance of the Queen of Hearts card for ourselves, we would still be in the dark as to what will occur next.
Due to the unexpected card that is dealt, Travis (Kevin Alves) loses his cool and tries to shield Nat, assisting her in escaping the ravenous horde that is after her delectable flesh. While the remaining survivors arm themselves with whatever they can find and pursue their prey, Nat runs into the snowy woods. Nat’s purported sacrifice quickly transforms into a hunt as the teenagers scream in anguish and despair. As a result, Episode 8 reveals the hunting component of the ritual while also explaining how the Queen of Hearts card influences the survivors’ cannibalistic rites.
We witness a girl flee from an unknown threat in the Yellowjackets series debut before she falls into a pit full of jagged spikes. The hunters find the girl’s body, hang it on a tree, and kill it like an animal while coated in fur. Nat’s escape makes the hunt a part of their cannibalistic ritual, but we still have time before the survivors turn completely savage. Running after their prey not only helps to nourish their bodies but also contributes to the milieu that dehumanises the human victims the survivors are seeking to prepare. It is reasonable to expect that they will utilise this experience as a model for establishing the regulations for the upcoming hunt, whenever that may be.
Although the survivors going in search of human flesh so early in the series was unexpected, that isn’t the biggest surprise Episode 8 has in store for viewers. Nat (Luciano Leroux) encounters Javi while attempting to flee her pursuers. Javi promises to take the girl to an area where he knows Nat is hidden but where no one can locate him. Nat is initially dubious, but she ultimately decides to believe Nat. The two must cross the frozen lake near the cabin in the woods to get to Javi’s hiding place. The hunting party soon locates them and closes in on Nat and Javi while screaming to the heavens. Javi is suddenly submerged in frigid water as the ground gives apart beneath him. Nat first wants to find a way to save Javi. However, when the hunting group shows up, they warn Nat that if Javi survives, she will be the dinner.
Since the survivors interpret Javi’s passing as the forest manifesting its will, his death ultimately saves Nat. Javi was chosen to be sacrificed in place of Nat, allowing her to live to see another day. Although yellowjackets have taught us to be prepared for the unexpected, we were unable to predict Javi’s passing. Javi vanished for several weeks while living by himself in the woods. We all anticipated that when he returned, he would remain and tell us what transpired while he was away. It seems strange to bring a character back only to kill him off right away, but we have to respect this show’s tenacity in trying to shock the audience. We fell in love with Yellowjackets because of unexpected twists like Javi’s passing, and we can’t wait to see what more the show has in store for us in the upcoming episodes.
