Flight of the Bumblebee (Yellowjackets)
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Episode 8
- Cameron Brent Johnson
- Liz Phang
| "Flight of the Bumblebee" | |
|---|---|
| Yellowjackets episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 8 |
| Directed by | Ariel Kleiman |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | C. Kim Miles |
| Editing by | Kindra Marra |
| Original release date | January 2, 2022 |
| Running time | 58 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Flight of the Bumblebee" is the eighth episode of the American thriller drama television series Yellowjackets. The episode was written by Cameron Brent Johnson and co-executive producer Liz Phang, and directed by Ariel Kleiman. It originally aired on Showtime on January 2, 2022.
The series follows a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team that travels to Seattle for a national tournament in 1996. While flying over Canada, their plane crashes deep in the wilderness, and the surviving team members are left stranded for nineteen months. The series chronicles their attempts to stay alive as some of the team members are driven to cannibalism. It also focuses on the lives of the survivors 25 years later in 2021, as the events of their ordeal continue to affect them many years after their rescue. In the episode, Taissa asks Shauna for help when she believes her sleepwalking could be dangerous, while Natalie discovers Misty has been spying on her. Flashbacks depict Laura Lee's decision to fly in the abandoned plane to find help.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.311 million household viewers and gained a 0.06 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mixed reviews from critics, with critics polarized over Laura Lee's death.
1996
In a flashback, Laura Lee (Jane Widdop) jumps into a public swimming pool, hitting her head. The lifeguard pulls her from the water and revives her, but he explains that it was God who saved her.
Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and the girls build a pyre for Van (Liv Hewson), believing her to have died. However, she is revealed to be alive, and they pull her out of the fire. They take her back to the cabin, where they stitch her face back together. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) joins Ben (Steven Krueger) near a river to talk about the end of her relationship with Travis (Kevin Alves). Natalie reveals that she knows Ben is gay, and Ben explains that he was planning to move in with his boyfriend after the championship. Ben helps her with her relationship, explaining that perhaps Travis is simply nervous. During this, Travis tries to fish with Jackie (Ella Purnell), and she tries to fix his relationship. She mentions that Natalie slept with a guy named Bobby, making Travis irate. He confronts Natalie, as Bobby bullied him, and they break up for good.
In the morning, Laura Lee announces that she will take the abandoned plane and fly off to find help, having studied the flight manual. She needs to find medical assistance for Van, as they will not survive the oncoming winter. Jackie also says that Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) needs help, revealing her pregnancy. Ben opposes her plan, but Laura Lee makes it clear he cannot stop her. The group helps her in removing the branches to clear the airfield. Laura Lee sets off, taking her teddy bear with her. The take off is successful, and she heads off across the lake. However, the teddy bear suddenly catches fire, which quickly spreads through the plane. The group watches in horror as the plane explodes mid-air.
2021
Callie (Sarah Desjardins) confronts Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) for her affair with Adam (Peter Gadiot), as she found his wallet in her bedroom. Callie states that she looked him up, and Adam has no social media presence anywhere. Shauna investigates Adam's background and finds that most of his claims are lies.
After breaking up with Kevyn, Natalie (Juliette Lewis) prepares to relapse with cocaine. Suddenly, Misty (Christina Ricci) shows up and throws the cocaine around the floor. When Misty says she was watching her, Natalie realizes that she has a hidden camera in her bedroom and confronts her. Misty defends her actions, explaining that she found that Travis' bank account was emptied shortly after his death. Shauna is visited by Taissa (Tawny Cypress), who is suffering from sleepwalking, suffering a condition wherein she becomes an entirely different person at night. To make her comfortable, Shauna shares her bed with Taissa. Fearing she will hurt Sammy, she begs Simone (Rukiya Bernard) to leave her alone in the house for a while.
Shauna visits Adam at his apartment, confronting him over his lies. Adam admits it, but suggests taking her to a cabin where he can reveal everything about him. Natalie fails to get information when contacting Travis' bank, and relapses after finding some cocaine on the floor. Natalie tries to get information out of Suzie, an acquaintance who works in a bank. After Suzie refuses to cooperate, Natalie threatens to expose their activities, in which they sold confidential information of her customers. While trying on a dress, Shauna discovers glitter on her bedroom closet floor, remembering that the blackmailer fell into a box of glitter as he ran from her. After finding her safe empty, she angrily confronts Adam over his real identity.
Development
Production
The episode was written by Cameron Brent Johnson and co-executive producer Liz Phang, and directed by Ariel Kleiman. This marked Johnson's first writing credit, Phang's second writing, and Kleiman's first directing credit. The episode was originally titled "Fire Walk With Me".[1]