Joel McHale's Yellowjackets Season 3 Character Explained
Spoilers for "Yellowjackets" season 3 follow.
The two big casting gets for "Yellowjackets" season 3 were Hilary Swank and Joel McHale. Neither casting, though, was announced with a character description. As of episode 7, "Croak," we still don't know who Swank's character is, but she's playing someone in the 2021 timeline. Good money has it that she's Shauna's (Melanie Lynskey) mystery stalker. The latest episode has finally unveiled McHale's character, though, and it resets the whole chess board.
Going into the new season, I assumed McHale would be playing someone in the present day. It's not like the 1996 story could just reveal he was there in the wilderness all along. Plus, McHale is most famous as the sardonic Jeff Winger on the sitcom "Community" — his acting style seemed like a closer fit for the black comedy of the adults' storyline. Just imagine him playing off the two great comedic talents of "Yellowjackets," Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey.
But I was wrong; McHale is part of the Yellowjackets' past, not their present.
The previous episode, "Thanksgiving (Canada)" ended with some campers stumbling onto the Yellowjackets during one of their midnight feasts. "Croak" rewinds to explain this with an extended opening sequence. The campers Edwin (Nelson Franklin) and Hannah (Ashley Sutton) are biology professors. Those sounds that "the trees" have been making this season? It's actually frogs that have come out of hibernation, and the duo are there to observe and record the frogs' mating season. McHale is Kodiak, a crossbow-wielding mountain man they've hired to escort them through the wilderness; his aloofness (and beard) fit the character well.
The title sequence doesn't come until 14 minutes into the episode, when the frog-hunting trio stumble onto the Yellowjackets. Dining on Coach Ben (Steven Krueger), howling at the moon, and dancing around the fire, the girls look like they're hosting a witches' sabbath. Edwin's greeting snaps them back to their senses — and then Lottie (Courtney Eaton) puts an ax in the back of his head.
Joel McHale's Kodiak is part of Yellowjackets' biggest twist yet
The rest of the past storyline sees the girls chasing Hannah and Kodiak through the Wilderness; Hannah is captured and back at camp by morning, while Kodiak is last seen with Travis (Kevin Alves) and Akilah (Nia Sondaya). If they're bringing him back to the Yellowjackets' camp, too, then he'll have to face a vengeful Shauna (Sophie Nelisse). When Kodiak was fleeing, he shot Shauna's girlfriend Melissa (Jenna Burgess) with his crossbow, piercing her shoulder.
Kodiak's exact fate is unclear, but I think it should be pretty obvious he's not getting out alive. He was a witness to Lottie killing Edwin, and could spill about the Yellowjackets' other stomach-churning sins if they leave him alive to talk.
Lottie murdering Edwin is one of the most exciting scenes in "Yellowjackets" thus far this season. Season 2 pivoted away from Lottie as a sinister cult leader enthralled to the wilderness, so season 3 has been reminding us why she was so scary back in season 1. Lottie claims that the wilderness "doesn't want them here" and, as the other girls chase after Hannah and Kodiak, Lottie lies by Edwin's opened skull, rubbing her face with his blood.
The murder is a chaotic scene, but there's enough time to spot Yellowjackets' different reactions. When the axe enters Edwin's head, Shauna is giddy, grinning ear-to-ear and suppressing a laugh. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) is horrified, Van (Liv Hewson) thinks the strangers are the Yellowjackets' ticket home, and Gen (Vanessa Prasad) and Mari (Alexa Barajas) are both in furious disbelief about what Lottie did: "Go f**k your blood dirt, Lottie," Mari sneers.
Beyond splitting the team even further, Hannah and Kodiak offer the chance for answers about the wilderness. Edwin said that "The last team hid a stash [of food] somewhere," which may finally account for that buried box of supplies Ben found in the season premiere "It Girl." The Yellowjackets' new guests might also finally be able to offer some clarity about their wilderness home: where exactly they are and how far away civilization is, what the symbol carved on the tree is, etc. Kodiak's survivalist skills could even make him a perfect guide to lead them out of the wilderness.
One of the problems is that some of the Yellowjackets (Lottie, Shauna, perhaps Melissa) may not want to leave anymore.
"Yellowjackets" is streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.