For the “Yellowjackets” showrunners, that shocking ear scene was so much more than a gimmicky slide into cannibalism. As Jonathan Lisco pointed out while speaking to Variety, not only does Shauna’s hungry, pregnant body play a role in her ghastly decision, but so too does her complicated friendship with Jackie. “She adored this friend of hers,” Lisco said, “but also in some ways, was always wanting to kind of destroy her.”
Ashley Lyle also spoke to the layered meaning behind the ear sequence, adding, “The ear is … this metaphor for the intensity of those female friendships. And that bizarre desire to want to be the other person, and to almost want to consume the other person.”
“Yellowjackets” has never been known to be precious or squeamish about violence, and the ear scene is no different, even down to the sound effects. “There’s a crunch, yeah,” said Lyle. “We went for it.” For the showrunners, however, they’re not including gore for the sake of gore, and “Yellowjackets” Season 2 promises to include even more disturbing surprises. “If we do our job right, the eating of a person will not be the most transgressive thing that these young women do in the wilderness,” Lisco told EW. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
