
Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Thanksgiving (Canada)
Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 6, “Thanksgiving (Canada),” sees the ’90s timeline grapple with another tragedy while the adults deal with a crisis. It’s a strong outing with significant narrative movement in both timelines, and it finally feels like we’re getting somewhere, notably for the adults. There’s more focus.
Yellowjackets in the Wilderness
“Thanksgiving (Canada)” is Ben Scott’s swan song. We see him slowly waste away by choice after Melissa cuts his heel in the previous episode — you know, the heel of his only foot. While viewers have foolishly clung to hope that Ben would survive the Wilderness, the writing for his death was on the wall as early as Season 1. It was inevitable.
Ben’s passing marks the death of our teens’ humanity. He represented the last vestiges of modern civilization for the titular Yellowjackets. What transpires next will undoubtedly be a steep descent into madness, especially with winter on the horizon.

Performances
Steven Krueger has been a force of nature all season, and “Thanksgiving (Canada)” is the perfect final bow for him on this show. Krueger infuses Ben with apathy, vulnerability, rage, exhaustion — he’s an amalgam of different emotions. It’s interesting that Ben wasn’t ready to die in episode five, but now he’s begging Nat to honor the verdict from the trial. Krueger has his finger on the pulse of the human condition and how we’re a mess of contradictions.
Sophie Thatcher also shines here. The series has cultivated an easygoing, natural chemistry between Thatcher and Krueger, making their final scene together a punch to the gut.
We feel Nat’s pain as she stabs Ben in the chest; we feel how conflicted she was prior to deciding to mercy-kill him. Ultimately, it’s a selfless act. Like Laura Lee, Jackie, Crystal, and Javi before him, Ben’s humanity would be his downfall.
The Bridge to Civilization
The events after Ben’s death might lend credence to Akilah’s vision, depending on whether you fall squarely on the side of “supernatural” or “not supernatural” in the great debate for this series. As the survivors feast on Ben, they commune with the Wilderness, succumbing to their primal nature like the feral teens they are.

That’s when a few hikers stumble upon their village. Does this mean our teens are closer to civilization than they realize? Is Ben’s death their “bridge” home? Interestingly, the screeching we hear on the DAT tape in the present timeline is this scene, meaning we’ll see the aftermath in the coming episodes and why the adults are desperate to find who sent said tape.
Anyway, that ending is pivotal for the teen timeline. It’s such a stark contrast between the hikers — our representation of civilization — and the Yellowjackets — our representation of the Wilderness.
However, the hikers spot Ben’s head chilling on a tree stump, which almost certainly seals their fate. They probably won’t leave the village alive. Regardless, it’s an exciting, tantalizing cliffhanger.
The Yellowjackets in the Present
The present timeline finally (finally) picks up steam. After spending some episodes in meandering, unfocused mode, we have a narrative impetus for the adults. The tape Callie discovered resurfaces, and there’s a good chance it’s connected to Lottie’s death. It also brings the adults together.

Callie proves why she’s Shauna’s daughter, and it’s hilarious that both she and Shauna pull the wool over someone’s eyes in “Thanksgiving (Canada).” Jeff doesn’t get much to do except lie face down on his hotel bed in frustration, but this could lead to an understandable breakdown from him down the line.
As usual, Misty has the most drive in the present timeline and uncovers a slew of clues that could provide context into Lottie’s death. However, besides the DAT tape, the most intriguing aspect of the present arc is the very obvious distinction between Tai and Other Tai. We always knew there was a possibility we were seeing more Other Tai than normal, but this outing confirms we most certainly are.
The scene where Van answers the phone and hears Tai’s pleas on the other end is creepy, as is the scene in the hotel room where Tai wakes up crying out for help, only for Other Tai to take the wheel. Tawny Cypress seamlessly shifts between the two like the pro she is. Tai/Other Tai is a fascinating mystery that hopefully bears fruit in the future.

Yellowjackets is barreling down an interesting narrative path now. Fingers crossed that the final four episodes of the season maintain this momentum and level of intrigue and offer a satisfying payoff.
Stray Observations:
- “You won’t always feel like this. I promise.” Nat saying this to Ben breaks my heart, considering the headspace Adult Nat was in during the Season 1 finale.
- Sophie Thatcher needs to do ASMR or audiobooks with her Nat voice. It’s so soothing.
- When your man surprises you with someone else’s trash … that’s true romance, y’all.
- I desperately want the fake reality show Callie has been watching this season to be real. It looks so fun.
- Van is a bona fide comedian during this episode. Exhibit A: “Do you think Mel has to wear Jackie’s clothes when they makeout?” Exhibit B: “Did I somehow manage to knock you up?”
- The teens are feasting on blackberries now. That’s quite the upgrade from funky organ meats and belt soup.
- The rabbit symbolism is still in full force — Shauna wears the bunny mask while force-feeding Ben, and Akilah cradles a rabbit.
What did you think of this episode of Yellowjackets? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Yellowjackets drops new episodes every Friday on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, with airings on the SHOWTIME network every Sunday at 8 pm EST/PST.
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