How Yellowjackets Reinvents the "Mystery Box" | Video Essay

[@chrisrubin6445]

the deer with bloody antlers thing has a normal explanation, every year when the new antlers grow in, they are covered with a thin layer of capillaried skin that grows fur, and then once the antlers are grown it dies and falls off and looks all gnarly like that.

[@woudgy]

I love Karyn Kusama. Her movie The Invitation is also a slowly unfolding mystery with elements of past trauma and horror. It was more understated than many horror films, but ultimately it haunted me much more. Her storytelling is the opposite of Lost because she clearly has a strong sense of what the major themes are, what the mystery is, and how it ought to unfold. Lost suffered from the arrogance of the show runners, who just randomly threw nonsensical stuff at the audience because it seemed cool.

[@thegreenreels]

Ohhh, love to see someone mention The Invitation, that was a great, unsettling little thriller indeed! I think she is not involved with the storytelling per se, but I do believe the showrunners took a lot from her playbook, and the fact that they had her as the director to set the tone of the show does say something.

[@woudgy]

@@thegreenreels ah, okay! I thought she was showrunning Yellowjackets for some reason, I guess because I've been waiting for another project from her. I'm still excited to keep watching it!

[@mtver8348]

I love Yellowjackets. This analysis reminds of how Invincible also kind of reinvented the mystery box concept. *vague/light spoilers for Invincible* In Invincible, the mystery is not who killed the Guardians of the Globe- we are shown in the first episode who did. The mystery is why that person killed them and what will happen when other people find out. In Yellowjackets, the mystery isn't who survived - we already know that from the 2021 timeline. the mystery is how they survived and what they had to do to survive.

[@thedaviday5838]

Great analysis! I couldn't agree more: Yellowjackets balances its questions and answers so expertly, all on the back of it's phenomenal cast of characters. I feel like yellowjackets is a prime example of the frankly incredible last ~12ish months of (particularly character-driven) television we've had: this, Arcane, the 3rd season of Succession, Barry, and Atlanta... it's a great time for tv!

[@thegreenreels]

It definitely is! We are truly being spoiled by the TV gods right now.

[@gerbil_is_typing]

Nice choice for Shadow of the Colossus backtrack near the end of the video :)

[@lissafinn4235]

This was a great video and I enjoyed watching it ! I watched Yellowjackets the day it premiered and anxiously waited every week to see what would happen. It’s been a long time since I’ve been excepted about a new show. The only thing I worry about is Ashley and Bart are inexperienced. I know they co-wrote a few different shows with other people but they’ve never run their own show before. That’s probably why Jonathan Lisco was brought in as co-show runner because he’s been around for years and has a lot of experience.

[@stevielove4778]

“Lord of the FIREflies”?? Lol

[@lanzinator4734]

This is very well done! Thank you.

[@mercilessforever]

If you want another mystery box suggestion you need to check out “from” its got the writers from lost and has Michael (from lost) as the main character. Show is thrilling and mysterious

[@carolineneisha]

Thanks for this. Wondering how you felt so that season 2 has aired? Feel the same way? More conviction, less conviction? (Genuine question, btw!)

[@thegreenreels]

This TV season has been crazy, so only now that I'm going to watch it! But I will admit, from the comments I've seen on the internet, I'm VERY scared my video might've aged like milk lol.

[@videostoryanalyses8910]

Very nice analysis. You are a superb english speaker even though it's not your native language. The mystery box is a dubious writing technique, especially if you do not ever get a a a resolution.

[@videostoryanalyses8910]

The weird plane crash where the bear bursts into flames was off putting.

[@thegreenreels]

First of all, thank you for the kind words! Good to know my speech isn't too weird lol. But yeah I agree, it's a very flimsy technique that can easily backfire, a good reason why I made this video was because not only this show's approach to it felt fresh, but also seemed to lay the groundwork to avoid the same pitfalls that plagued so many other mystery shows. Regarding the plane crash, I can def understand the feeling, though I think that was the intention - to horrify in order to make the audience aware of the urgent situation they are in.

[@Andijt]

I've never heard 'ambiguity' pronounced that way. I've always heard it as am-big-YOU-uh-tee. 5 syllables rather than 4.

[@VersieKilgannon]

I have tried to get into this show. Despite the who's who of 90's quirky girl actresses that I love, this is just not the show for me 😅 Maybe if Juliet Lewis was a gray Jedi with a smart mouth that disagrees with the Jedi order, Melanie Lynsky was a benevolent warrior princess protecting her people and leading them to a new home among the stars, Christina Ricci was a potions master witch with unknown allegiances who occasionally joins the good guys for funsies, and they were all joined together to fight some evil space entity, that would be the show for me. But as the show it is, I just can't bring myself to agree with the hype. It's not a good show, imo. There's too much tragedy and not enough hope

[@carter358]

After seeing how he butchered Star Trek and then butchered, raped, and killed Star Wars, no one should follow any technique created by JJ Abrams. @2:09 You mentioned that he says you don't have to have an answer to the questions you create. It's clear that he never had an answer when he created his questions and the questions were stupid and pointless to be with. Having a Star Wars movie based on a magic knife that when held from one specific angle (that the lame, uninteresting heroes successfully view from on the very first try) that tells you where to find something that might lead you to something the dead villain from 30 years ago who without explanation is still alive may well be the stupidest idea in movie history. I think it takes a wayfinder just to find your way through the plot of his movies.

[@joecrowe7062]

I will say, sophie Thatcher was fun to meet in the 90s segment we could come back to this comment and I would say,she seems to have a hard work ethic, but I just Hope Hollywood doesn't over use her like they do most women,and then throw them in the trash,most women age out around 35.Im sure she can do more then horror. I do think your right,there are only so many things that could happen in season 2 and it's going to get stupid quick,or what keep us guessing for another season, I can't see how,

[@thegreenreels]

She is definitely one of my MVPs of the younger cast, she'll no doubt go places! Regarding the show itself, I'm optimistic at the moment, but we'll see. Season 2 will be a good gauge of how well this story will progress.

[@joecrowe7062]

This mystery box is going to end in a crashing plane,it will never make it passed a 3rd season, when the adults get back together shit is going to get dumb as shit

[@wisecontragio172]

i think you were kinda right man, season 2 nowhere near as good as season 1 imo

[@katehengstler]

I feel like 3 seasons is all it needs we just gotta see how they get home and I’m satisfied lol as for the adult versions of them they can all pull a cult special and go out with a bang im sure they’ll figure it out lol

[@bakmei6745]

this show is awful