One Thing That Has Been Executed So Well In Yellowjackets Is Nat’s Gradual Evolution Into The Person

One thing that has been executed so well in Yellowjackets is Nat’s gradual evolution into the person we know her as in the adult timeline. When I first started watching the show, there was such a glaring disconnect between Teen and Adult Nat that had me really intrigued as to how they were going to bridge that massive gap and eventually connect the two timelines. And now, after Season 3, they’ve managed to bridge it in such a natural, subtle way that I didn’t even fully realize it until I looked back at Season 1.

Season 1 Nat and Season 3 Nat feel like completely different people, it’s striking. It’s more than just the grown-out roots or the loss of that grungy eyeliner; it’s in her posture, her expressions, the way she carries herself. You can see the loss of hope creeping in, the hardening around the edges. Her vulnerability and softness are still there, but they’re buried deeper, shielded by the beginnings of that detached, cynical armor we recognize in Adult Nat. By Season 3, she feels so much closer to Juliette Lewis’s version of the character than to the fiery bleach blonde version we first met in Season 1. She’s lost that spark/lightness/playfulness that she originally had. She’s shifted into something sharper, more serious and dry. Watching her transformation unfold so gradually makes it all the more heartbreaking, and all the more believable.