Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 10 Ending Explained: The Queen Falls, Hope Rises

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 10 Breakdown: Mari, Murder, and Mountain Signals

⚠️ Spoiler Alert: Major spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 10. If you haven’t watched the finale yet, turn back now and prepare to return later, because we’re diving deep into every wild twist.

The Most Hopeful Ending Yet? Yeah, Kind Of…

I’m still emotionally wrecked from the Season 3 finale of Yellowjackets. Honestly, this episode was a brutal, beautiful rollercoaster. For a show that usually ends its seasons with existential dread and total psychological collapse, this finale had a weird—dare I say—glimmer of hope?

Let’s start with that final mountaintop moment. Natalie, our morally grounded, quiet badass, climbed to the top of a freaking mountain (in freezing temperatures, no less) and made contact with the outside world using the transponder Misty had been hiding all along. That little beep? That was more than a rescue signal—it was a symbolic flipping of the power dynamic. It’s not about the wilderness anymore. It’s about escape.

The Fall of Shauna, the Rise of Resistance

Shauna’s arc this season has been one hell of a descent into villainy. She’s now fully stepped into her Antler Queen role, both literally and emotionally. In the wilderness, she’s wearing the crown, commanding the hunts, and threatening Natalie like she’s the HBIC of a high school murder cult. In the present, she’s alone—Jeff and Callie are gone, and she’s tearing up letters that beg her to heal. Her transformation is complete… and terrifying.

But here’s the twist: her reign is already cracking.

Natalie’s escape plan was a team effort. Van, Misty, and Hannah all turned against Shauna. Even Tai, who once held loyalty to the group, is ready for revenge. And Misty, of all people, is now giving sinister grins from the sidelines like she’s plotting her next chaos move. When Shauna screamed in frustration at the end? That felt good. Like, way too good.

The Pit Girl Reveal (And That Gut-Punch)

So… it was Mari. The Pit Girl. Honestly, that one hurt. She was a character we grew to understand more deeply this season, and seeing her fall—both figuratively and literally—was haunting. That pit scene was horrifying, especially the little detail of her finger twitching after being impaled. She was alive. That’s the kind of visual that’ll stay with me for a while.

Shauna knew what was happening. She took the card early, rigged the game, and made sure Mari got the Queen of Hearts. It was a power move, and an evil one at that. Mari’s final words—“You deserve all the bad things that are going to happen to you”—weren’t just haunting. They were prophetic.

Who Killed Lottie?

Okay, so let’s talk about the death that left us all kind of... underwhelmed? Lottie’s death was quiet. Almost too quiet for someone who’s been such a mystical presence since day one. It was Callie—Shauna’s daughter—who accidentally killed her during a confrontation. Lottie started babbling about how Callie was the child of the wilderness and maybe worse than her mom, and Callie pushed her down the stairs.

While it makes thematic sense—Lottie embracing her fate, passing her torch (so to speak), and almost welcoming death—it still felt like the show sidelined her too early. That shot of her not even getting the “ghost plane moment” like the others? Brutal.

Tai's Hunger for Revenge and the Present-Day Power Shift

Van’s death broke Tai. This episode marked a massive shift for her. She’s done pretending. Done repressing. She wants Shauna to pay, and she’s not alone in that sentiment. Misty’s on her side now, and together they might be the force that finally topples Shauna’s twisted throne.

The power dynamic in the present-day timeline is wild right now. Shauna has no allies. Tai and Misty are forming a vengeful duo. Nat’s a symbol of hope (and maybe even salvation), and Callie? She's proven she can go toe-to-toe with anyone—even the mystical wilderness queen herself.

A Killer Finale with a Spark of Light

Yellowjackets Season 3 started slow, I’m not gonna lie. But the last few episodes—especially this finale—completely flipped the tone. We got resolution (RIP Mari), we got twists (Callie killed Lottie!?), and we got our first real sense of hope in this messed-up timeline.

And while Shauna may have worn the crown, she’s already losing her grip on it. Season 4 is shaping up to be less about surviving the wilderness... and more about surviving each other.

Stay tuned for even more feral survival, twisted sisterhood, and psychological chaos with Yellowjackets deep dives right here at Land of Geek Magazine!

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