In episode 3, titled ‘The Dollhouse,’ the narrative focus shifts to Taissa (Tawny Cypress as adult and Jasmin Savoy Brown as teenager). Jackie’s (Ella Purnell) inability to adapt to her current situation becomes more apparent, and Taissa emerges as the group’s new leader. The survivors find a lake; from there, they spot a cabin. In 2021, Sammy’s behavior rapidly becomes uncharacteristically violent and disturbing. Shauna (Melanie Lynskey as the adult and Sophie Nélisse as the teen) follows Jeff (Warren Kole as adult and Jack Depew as teen) to a nearby hotel believing that he is having an affair and runs into Adam, who just happens to be there.
Natalie (Juliette Lewis as adult and Sophie Thatcher as teenager) and Misty (Christina Ricci as adult and Sammi Hanratty as teenager) track Travis (Kevin Alves) down in Eden Falls, New Hampshire, but their visit comes to a tragic end. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of episode 3 of ‘Yellowjackets.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Yellowjackets Episode 3 Recap
In 1996, away from societal norms and regulations, Jackie and her leadership crumble bit by bit. When Taissa spots a lake a few miles away and tells the other girls that they should go to it to secure a water source, Jackie adamantly refuses, claiming that the best option for them is to stay near the plane and wait for the rescuers. But as some of the girls point out, it has been a while, and the authorities probably don’t even know where they are. The audience knows this to be true. After all, we have seen Misty destroying the emergency transmitter.
Eventually, they reach the lake. As the survivors take a brief respite from their worries and fear and start to relax, Lottie spots a reflection in the distance. She and the others go looking for the source and find a cabin. Their hope that it is occupied with people that can help them is soon dashed when they realize that no one has been there in years. Still, it’s an improvement on their living arrangements from the previous few days.
It appears that Lottie takes some kind of drug that helps her with her mental health. But she had brought only a handful of them during the trip, and the supply is rapidly dwindling. In 2021, it is revealed that Taissa hired Jessica to figure out if someone among the survivors has been speaking to her opponent, Phil, in the upcoming election. Later, she calls Phil and threatens him that she will tell the media about his daughter’s drug arrest if he doesn’t stop the campaign ads that make not-so-subtle references to her days as a cannibal.
Yellowjackets Episode 3 Ending: Who Killed Travis? Did Travis Kill Himself?
Natalie and Misty take a long trip to Eden Falls, New Hampshire, after the former learns from the latter’s research that Travis is there. During their journey, Natalie figures out that Misty indeed sabotaged her car. They arrive at Travis’ home and find it to be empty. Natalie then proceeds to break in, but they are soon found by the police and are arrested. Natalie reaches out to Taissa, but she refuses to help. It is revealed that Taissa is the one who paid for the rehab. But now, she refuses to continue enabling Natalie’s behavior. Eventually, Natalie’s friend Kevyn, whom Misty has been catfishing, pretending to be Natalie, bails them out.
Unwilling to leave the town without seeing Travis at least once, Natalie visits his workplace, only to discover that he has apparently hanged himself and is now dead. As they return, a grieving Natalie claims that Travis didn’t kill himself. Misty then shows her the note she found at Travis’ home, in which he said to tell Natalie that she was right. By all indications, this can be construed as a suicide note, and Misty seems to believe so as well. But Natalie asserts that while she doesn’t know exactly what she is supposed to be right about, she knows one thing — Travis didn’t kill himself.
It’s evident that Natalie and Travis grew close in those 19 months, but their relationship wasn’t particularly healthy for either of them, or at least according to Taissa, it wasn’t. Travis eventually left Natalie, which appears to have caused her latest relapse. So, Natalie is not really reliable enough as a character for us to believe her to be right about Travis. He had issues, probably a multitude of them, and might have thought that suicide was the best way out. However, there is some possibility that Natalie is right, and Travis was killed. Then the question here obviously is, by whom.
Taissa has resources, but it’s highly unlikely that she sent assassins after a man whose location she didn’t know until a short time ago. But then it’s possible that Jessica visited Travis before Natalie and Misty, and their conversation prompted the suicide. We know that Travis was living paycheck to paycheck, and yet, Natalie and Misty find a $200 bottle of whiskey on his table, indicating that he has gotten money from somewhere recently. It’s entirely possible that it’s from Taissa’s opponent, Phil.
What Do Taissa and Lottie See in the Attic of the Cabin?
In this episode, Sammy’s behavior becomes far more violent and creepy. He punches another boy in the playground for saying certain things about Taissa and then behaves like he has been possessed by something when Taissa tries to discipline him. The episode’s closing scenes draw a parallel between a young Taissa when her grandmother died, a teenager Taissa in the cabin, and an adult Taissa dealing with her son. On her deathbed, her grandmother claims that she has been visited by a person with no eyes, whom the young Taissa sees in the mirror.
In 1996, she finds Lottie in the cabin’s attic, staring at a skeleton of a man long dead. The mysterious symbol from episode 4 has been etched on the floor. In 2021, she finds that Sammy has plucked out the eyes of his doll. This sequence implies at least two things. Number one, there were people in that part of Ontario wilderness before the survivors got there, and they were no less violent. Number two, Taissa’s family seems to be suffering from a curse. It had manifested for her grandmother before her death and likely for Taissa during those 19 months. And now, it has come for Sammy.
Read More: Is Yellowjackets Based on a True Story?
