Yellowjackets Review: No Compass (Season 1 Episode 7)

Taissa leads a small group into the woods in hopes of finding help on Yellowjackets Season 1 Episode 7, “No Compass.”

“No Compass” separates the yellowjackets as Van, Mari, Misty, and Akilah follow Taissa to search for help. Their outing gives the perfect opportunity to explore personal relationships in the groups and opens the eyes of a few to Lottie’s gifts.

The only good thing about Taissa’s adventure in the woods is that Lottie now has more believers on her side. As her warnings of the blood river come true, it’s noticeable on Van, Mari, and Akilah’s faces that they now believe in Lottie’s visions.

Signs pointing towards Lottie’s reign as Antler Queen continue to pile up as time goes on. She has Laura Lee, Van, Mari, Akilah, and possibly Misty on her side of believers now, which means she’s garnering a following.

While Taissa may still be skeptical of the supernatural world, even she has to admit that something strange is afoot. Her awaking mid-air on the branch of a tree, holding the flare-gun and weapon Lottie gave to Van, should be an eye-opening experience.

It’s possible that Taissa starts to believe in the supernatural presence the longer they live in the woods and then resorts back to denial after being rescued. Lottie’s confronted Taissa about her sleepwalking, and now she’s experiencing it for herself as she wakes in the tree. She may be a disbeliever, but she’s not stupid, and the coincidences keep adding up.

The group needs to confront Taissa on how she came to be in control of the flare gun, Van’s necklace, and where she was instead of keeping watch. She may not believe that it’s supernatural, but she does need to admit to her sleepwalking. She is a liability to the group as long as she has no control over it. 

With that being said, there’s no way that Van is dead. If Ben can have his leg chopped off and improperly taken care of without getting septic, Van can survive part of her face missing.

As more of the storyline is revealed, all the signs point towards Van being the one to stand over the pit girl in the pilot. The woman standing over the pit has a tattered soccer shirt, has bandages all over their face, and has pink sneakers.

Van checks two out of the three boxes, and the blood river could quickly turn any pair of white shoes a different color. So, my theory is that Van is the girl in the opening scene who looks into the pit.

Where Yellowjackets fails on “No Compass” is the nonexistent growth between Natalie and Travis. They’re in their teens going through puberty out in the middle of nowhere, so yes, sex will be an important topic. However, that doesn’t mean it should be the primary storyline for two significant characters.

Besides the fact that it’s exhausting to sit and watch the same scenarios over and over, it doesn’t make sense. Travis could have mellowed out during his time in the woods and fell for Natalie, but he wouldn’t leave Javi’s side initially.

Anytime Travis is seen at the beginning of the series, it’s next to Javi or has something to do with protecting him. Now? Nothing. It’s as if Javi and Travis are no longer related or have anything to do with one another.

Who does Javi spend all his time with, and where does he spend it? He has essentially disappeared from the screen unless it’s very minute moments with Shauna.

In retrospect, the theory that Adam is Javi could make sense due to the lingering relationship he and Shauna share in the woods. But, part of me still believes he’ll be sacrificed and eaten.

As for the present timeline, Natalie’s storyline continues to break my heart. They’ve all been through a tough time, but as Taissa says, Natalie has nobody. She doesn’t have a significant other or a child to help her get through the bad times.

Natalie’s budding relationship with Kevyn implies potential growth for her character, but it’s cut short due to her secret rendezvous with Taissa and Shauna. Her having to lie to Kevyn wouldn’t be as emotional if she had Travis or anyone else close in her life. But he’s the closest thing to a friend that she’s had in what seems to be a long time.

Shauna and Taissa have virtually given up nothing to figure out who’s blackmailing them. Natalie has sold her car and ruined a potentially good relationship in the pursuit of figuring out the truth. She deserves more credit than she’s given and deserves to have a genuine connection with someone.

All I hope is that Natalie ends the season alive. She deserves to learn the truth about Travis’ murder and get closure. 

Other Thoughts:

• Jackie reading about Jeff’s infidelity with Shauna is a heartbreaking moment to watch. I don’t know what I’d do if I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and found out my best friend was having a baby with my boyfriend. It might just be enough to make Jackie snap.
• I would say that Misty has put herself in quite the dilemma with Jessica Roberts, but it seems as if she’s been in the same predicament before. What single person has a random set up in their basement as she does? No one.
• Adam standing outside Shauna’s home is suspicious as hell. It’s almost as if he knew she would be gone and when she would be back.
• It’s only a matter of time before Misty confronts Taissa about hiring Jessica Roberts. Taissa better be ready for the crazy when the time comes.

Favorite Quotes:

• “We don’t need another speech, Taissa. We need sleep.” – Van.
• “You guys are just as fucked up as I am. You’re just better at lying to yourselves. You’re not healthy. You’re not stable. You’re living on the brink, just like me. If you’re not gonna help me with the plan, I’ll do it myself.” – Natalie.  
• “Actually, I probably shouldn’t drive ‘cause if we die, we will never find out who’s doing this.” – Shauna.

What did you think of this episode of Yellowjackets? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Yellowjackets airs Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

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