In the fourth episode of Season 3, Yellowjackets deviates intriguingly, focusing on a wilderness trial that forms its core. Named “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis,” this latest episode draws inspiration from Sidney Lumet’s iconic 1957 courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men. As the survivors bring Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) to trial for accusations of burning down their cabin at the end of Season 2, the episode replicates the tension of a legal proceeding with prosecution, defense, witnesses, and deliberation. This clever tribute not only mirrors the film’s structural aspects but also delves into themes reminiscent of justice, group dynamics, and the challenging task of discerning truth amidst survival and emotional upheaval.
WARNING: Spoilers below for 12 Angry Men and Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 4
12 Angry Men, a movie directed by Sidney Lumet with Henry Fonda in the lead role, came out in 1957, receiving praise from critics, although it didn’t do well at the box office initially. The plot unfolds primarily within a jury deliberation room, where twelve male jurors engage in a heated debate over the guilt or innocence of a young man charged with murdering his father. At first, eleven jurors are leaning towards conviction, while Juror 8 (Fonda) is the sole dissenter, not because he’s certain of the defendant’s innocence, but because he feels the case requires careful consideration before handing down a death sentence. Over the course of the film, Juror 8 skillfully probes and reasons with his peers, eventually swaying many to reconsider their verdicts.
12 Angry Men is a classic film that has been safeguarded in the National Film Registry due to its cultural impact and frequent appearance on lists of all-time great films. This is because it delves into how prejudice, personal experiences, and group dynamics can impact supposedly unbiased judgments – themes that are equally relevant in Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 4, where the characters grapple with questions about justice.
The Thematic Parallel Between Yellowjackets and Henry Fonda’s 12 Angry Men
In Yellowjackets, the central themes of 12 Angry Men are reimagined in a wilderness setting, swapping the sterile jury room for a rudimentary court held within the survivors’ camp. The stories revolve around determining a man’s destiny through an unrefined judicial system. However, Yellowjackets heightens the tension by situating this trial in a lawless landscape where the outcomes are instant and have no possibility of appeal or protection. Yet, it echoes the film’s exploration of how justice operates when it is put into practice by ordinary individuals with intricate motivations, prejudices, and personal investments in the verdict.
In the series, Natalie (portrayed by Sophie Thatcher) sets a two-thirds majority as the requirement for conviction instead of requiring unanimous agreement, which is a key distinction between her wilderness justice system and the one portrayed in “12 Angry Men.” The movie’s unanimity rule creates the main dramatic conflict – a single dissenting juror, Juror 8, can prevent a guilty verdict, underscoring the system’s emphasis on letting potential criminals go free rather than convicting the innocent. However, Natalie’s two-thirds rule is a practical solution tailored to their wilderness setting. When Shauna (played by Sophie Nélisse) argues for a simple majority instead, Natalie justifies her decision by pointing out that “real trials” require unanimity, positioning their two-thirds compromise as a middle ground between civilized justice and frontier practicality.
Additionally, the examination of witnesses in both tales underscores how testimonies are influenced by individual backgrounds. In the movie “12 Angry Men,” Juror 8 systematically dissects witness accounts, uncovering instances where judgments may be skewed due to prejudice, poor vision, or emotional turmoil. Similarly, during the trial in “Yellowjackets,” Misty (Samantha Hanratty) skillfully interrogates witnesses, showing how Ben’s actions can appear vastly different depending on which facts are emphasized. Both narratives illustrate that facts are often subjective and that the same evidence can be used to support drastically contrasting interpretations based on who is presenting it and their intentions.
Ultimately, both narratives delve into how personal biases impact decision-making processes. In Lumet’s film, various jurors’ decisions are tainted by their personal traumas and biases; Juror 3’s strained relationship with his son influences his perspective on the defendant, while Juror 10’s racial prejudice leads him to presume guilt based on the defendant’s background. On the other hand, in ‘Yellowjackets’, Shauna manipulates others in the community to vote for Ben’s conviction. The possibility of the fire being an accident is frightening because it symbolizes the uncontrollable forces at play in the wilderness. Consequently, Shauna and her peers seek someone to blame for their misfortune, someone they can punish and believe they have resolved the issue.
The structure of this episode mirrors the film “12 Angry Men,” but it underscores the profound losses suffered by the survivors. As they strive to replicate a courtroom setting, the essence of justice remains frustratingly hard to grasp. On one hand, “12 Angry Men” reinforces trust in the justice system’s ability to find truth through cautious deliberation. However, “Yellowjackets” paints a gloomier picture, implying that when protective institutions collapse, justice transforms into something indistinguishable from survival instincts and personal power struggles among the group.
New Yellowjackets Season 3 episodes premiere Fridays on Paramount+.
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2025-02-28 15:41