Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 4 review – “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” – Amelia in the age of the king

As Yellowjackets Season 3 creeps ever closer to madness, Episode 4 brings one of the most tension-filled and psychologically harrowing episodes of the season. Focusing on a quasi-trial in the wilderness and some disturbing developments on the show’s present-day narrative, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” masterfully into the themes of justice, power, and the reverberations of trauma.

The wilderness chronicles (1996)

The group is on the lookout for answers after a fire burns their cabin to the ground. With no one left to turn to, suspicion soon centers on Coach Ben, who’s become increasingly of an outsider with every passing day. Trying to regain some semblance of control and justice afterwards, the survivors plan for a trial.

The main activity of the wilderness timeline in the episode is the group’s decision to put Coach Ben on trial for arson. As the remaining third adult, Ben has long teetered on the brink of leader or outsider. Now that the group has finally fully embraced their darker instincts, he is at their mercy.

Natalie rules as the judge, practically crowned in antlers and a white dress. The imagery immediately links her to the “Antler Queen” mythology that has hung over the series since Season 1, suggesting how ritualized their behavior is starting to become.

The hope is to corner Ben with this evidence, and Taissa argues that Ben had motive and opportunity to torch the cabin.

Misty's a wild card, but she does defend Ben, trying to find cracks in the accusations. Her defense is half-hearted, though, and that alone says perhaps she no longer believes he is innocent-or, more importantly, she no longer finds him useful.

No matter how heartfelt Ben's testimony is, even apologizing to Shauna for things he has done in the past, the verdict is pretty much pre-determined. The jury finds Ben guilty. But before they can determine his fate, drunk Travis interrupts the proceedings with a loud commotion, which brings the trial to an abrupt end.

This whole sequence is amongst the most disturbing in the series until now. The survivors aren't just desperate each time, but also somewhat organized in their pursuit of justice, however misplaced it might be. The structure of the trial chillingly reflects their eventual descent into ritualistic violence on a grand scale.

Present-day timeline: Redemption, rituals, and a shocking death

While the past narratives are steeped in judgment and fear, those of the present are just as powerful, showing how trauma continues to shape survivor behavior.

Shauna and Jeff’s karmic debt

Jeff's guilt and belief in karmic retribution haunt him to the very end. He convinces Shauna to volunteer at the nursing home where Misty works. Their attempts at redemption are too shallow to ever convince them, and unresolved tension between them can never be resolved. Their interaction is a small mirror of bigger issues within their marriage and of Shauna’s ongoing struggle with guilt.

Taissa and Van’s sacrificial act

Taissa and Van take their supernatural beliefs further when they enact a ritual sacrifice in New York. The disturbing thing about this act is that, after years of having separated from the wilderness, a notion still looms over them, showing that they are far from free from its influence. As to whether they truly believe their actions will have consequences or are simply enacting their trauma, the answer is not forthcoming.

Lottie’s mysterious death

The episode's final moments hold the biggest shock: Lottie is found dead.

Her presence has been very much away in the episode, and when her body is finally found, the details surrounding her death remain frustratingly vague. Was it suicide? Murder? Something more sinister? Her death raises far more questions than it answers, setting the stage for the chaos to come.

Themes and analysis

Justice vs. mob mentality

The wilderness trial timeline is a perfect reminder of how easily justice can be skewed when people become desperate for a resolution. Although it appears that a trial is, perhaps, the most rational form to take in settling disputes, what proves that is only fear and revenge acting as the dramaturgical forces of the trial. It beautifully captures how morality can change when survival is at stake.

The lingering grip of the wilderness

The survivors are still shaped by what they experienced, whether the karmic redemption in Shauna and Jeff or the ritual in Taissa and Van. Their time in the wilderness is not just a traumatic memory—it’s a force that still demands sacrifices, this episode suggests.

The fate of the leaders

Lottie has always been the heartbeat of Yellowjackets—she was that magnetic presence from day one. Now that she’s gone, there’s suddenly this weird void, a real power gap nobody saw coming. Who even dares to step up? And, in most cases, what does her loss mean as the group stumbles forward into darker times?

Final verdict: A tense, psychological power play

“12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” ranks among the most compelling recent installments of the show. It juggles a chill of psychological terror with raw, down-to-earth character moments, pushing the story into unexpectedly murky territory. That trial sequence, buzzing so hard with tension you can almost feel it in your bones, is a masterstroke, and Lottie’s untimely death only ratchets the stakes even higher.

Standout questions as the story unfolds:

1. What really happened to Lottie, anyway?
2. How are the folks out there in the wild going to handle the fallout from the trial?
3. Will Coach Ben manage to limber his way out of being on the hook for guilt?
4. Are Taissa and Van’s sacrifices genuinely tipping the scales, or are they slowly losing their grip on reality?

As the season trudges on, Yellowjackets reminds us—if you’ve been paying attention—that the past isn’t simply behind us. It lingers, almost lurking in the shadows, ready to jump in when you least expect it.

So, what’s your take on the episode? Was the trial a real effort at justice, or just another sign that the group is rapidly unraveling? Let’s talk it over!