Yellowjackets season 2 episode 2 finally answers series's big question

From the moment Yellowjackets first burst onto our screens, it made no bones about what the women at the centre of this grisly tale are capable of.

In the opening scene, an unidentified member of the girls’ football team is hunted down by her peers and eaten. It's an audacious entry point – albeit unsurprising given the options laid before them: wither and die or feed on one another and live.

But how they came to practice cannibalism remained a mystery. That is, until the drama's sophomore season.

The premiere primed us for what was to come when Shauna chowed down on Jackie's ear, a moment even she wasn't prepared for. But what we witnessed in the latest episode was a full-blown cannibal feast in which everyone – except Ben – partook. In stark contrast, the assistant coach watched on, horror and disbelief splashed across his face as the teens gorged on Jackie's freshly cooked corpse.

Her body had been stored in the meat shed for two months during which time Shauna would sit with her and imagine the conversations they'd have if she was still alive, jumping between gentle provocations and acid-tongued jibes. Recently, she had graduated to braiding Jackie's hair and rouging her cheeks, which was met with disgust by Thaissa, who vehemently insisted that they cremate their former team captain. And with that, the pyre was constructed, all hands to the pump, with Jackie laid atop, awaiting the flames that would envelope her and finally allow her peace.

But fate – or a malevolent spirit, it’s yet to be clarified – had other plans. Her body was blanketed with a mound of snow and as a result, the heat from the fire became a slow burn rather than a blaze, with Jackie's flesh slowly roasted. Overnight, she was transformed into dinner rather than dust.

At first, the group were tentative as they edged towards the body, cognisant of the weight attached to what had crept into their thoughts, aware that there could be no going back if they stepped into that space. To eat Jackie would be to commit the ultimate taboo. But once they crossed that boundary, allowing their all-consuming hunger to obliterate any doubt, to quell any hesitation, they became rabid, like a pack of hyenas tearing at the carcass of a freshly killed deer.

The scene fluctuates between glory and gore. We see the reality of what they've descended into – a grim but unavoidable symptom of what it truly means to be stranded in the wild with no other viable option if they want to live – and something akin to an imperial Roman banquet.

It's a Bacchanalia, the guests of honour donning white robes, their crowns adorned with gold laurel leaves as they guzzle and scoff, revelling in their gluttony, and freed, if only momentarily, from their living hell. It's a banquet fit for queens and kings, for Gods, a reward for their toil and torment. It is a celebration, for they will live to see another day. The Yellowjackets are victorious and resplendent once more.

But there is a distinct contrast between what led to this and what we observed in the season 1 opening. In this scenario, they act without thought. Jackie's death was an unforeseen tragedy and the decision to eat her was unscripted. But a successful hunt requires meticulous plotting.

Death is on the mind long before it happens. To catch and kill, you must be premeditated.

Following the answering of that initial key question, more unknowns filter through. How quickly does the group graduate to seasoned killers? Who rallies the troops, and do those leaders display any doubt, or mercy? In their private moments, are they haunted by what they've become?

Who hesitates, uncomfortable with their new world order, one foot in and another back in New Jersey where judgement awaits? And crucially, who pays the ultimate price?

Yellowjackets season 2 is available to stream on Paramount Plus now – get Paramount Plus for no extra cost on Sky, or get a seven-day free trial of Paramount Plus on Amazon Prime Video.

Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.