Yellowjackets season 3 is currently airing on Showtime and streaming on Paramount+, with a couple of character deaths already shaking up the latest installment. While this season’s losses so far have been devastating, none have quite matched the emotional impact of Jackie’s tragic death in season 1, at least in my own personal opinion.
With a few episodes still remaining in Yellowjackets season 3, there's a strong possibility that we’ll witness more shocking and heartbreaking deaths before the season wraps up. But for right now, Jackie’s death still stands as one of the most impactful moments of the series. Adult Natalie's death in season 2 comes in a close second.
If you're curious about how once queen bee Jackie Taylor died in Yellowjackets, make sure to continue reading because we're about to break down the heartbreaking details of her death. Additionally, we're about to share the exact episode in which it happens.
Spoilers from Yellowjackets season 1 ahead!
Jackie was the quintessential popular teen girl. She had the perfect boyfriend (Jeff), a seemingly devoted best friend (Shauna), and to top it all off, she was the captain of the Yellowjackets girls' soccer team. It seemed like nothing could bring her down, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.
On the way to the national soccer tournament, the private plane carrying Jackie, her teammates, and several others crashed in a desolate stretch of the Canadian wilderness. With no means of escape, Jackie and the other survivors were forced to confront the harsh reality of their situation. However, while the others managed to adapt to the unforgiving environment, Jackie refused to fully accept the grim new reality. She started prioritizing her own survival and not helping the group as much as she could. Her already rocky friendship with Shauna even began to deteriorate, and it's after they have a huge argument that leads to Jackie's demise.
It all goes down in the Yellowjackets season 1 finale titled "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi." After discovering Shauna's journal, Jackie learns that Shauna had been secretly sleeping with her boyfriend Jeff. She quickly pieces together that the baby Shauna is carrying is Jeff's. Instead of confronting Shauna immediately, Jackie pretends that everything is fine. However, this act doesn’t last long, and Jackie eventually reaches her breaking point. The tension boils over into a fierce argument between the two friends, which ends with Jackie storming out of the cabin, unable to stay near Shauna any longer.
While the others stay warm inside, Jackie faces the harsh cold outside, struggling to survive with little protection. As the night wears on, snow begins to fall, and Jackie succumbs to the freezing temperatures. The next morning, Shauna wakes up to find Jackie's lifeless body buried in the snow. That's how Jackie's life tragically comes to an end, and Shauna is left to grapple with the loss of her best friend even though they had been drifting apart.
Look, Jackie might not have been everyone’s favorite character. She wasn’t the best friend to Shauna or the most selfless of the survivors, but her death in Yellowjackets was undeniably tragic and impactful. It also served as one of the most pivotal moments in the series, as it marked a significant shift in the group’s dynamics and set the stage for the darker, more desperate choices that followed. Yes, we're talking about the cannibalism. After Jackie's death, the group's survival instincts took over, and moral boundaries completely crumbled. They were pushed to their limits, and the desperate need to stay alive overshadowed everything else.
You can stream Yellowjackets season 3 on Paramount+ with Showtime or watch it when it airs on Showtime.