Talking to Selection, “Yellowjackets” co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco famous there may be, in reality, a sensible motive for Shauna being the primary Yellowjacket to show to cannibalism. “In fact, she’s hungry and he or she’s pregnant, so she eats the ear that by accident broke off when she pushed Jackie down — nevertheless it’s actually about their friendship,” he commented, including:

“It is about this very particular friendship that Jackie and Shauna had, the place Shauna loves Jackie, but in addition was all the time in her shadow. She adored this buddy of hers, but in addition in some methods, was all the time eager to sort of destroy her — possibly that is going a bridge too far? However I believe that may be very relatable to lots of people who’re in these intense friendships.”

Certainly, this concept of eager to destroy that which you like is not restricted to unhealthy relationships between people. It is additionally on the coronary heart of poisonous fandom, whereby folks kind dangerous attachments to the popular culture they take pleasure in, even tying it to their identities in a approach that brings Shauna and Jackie’s dynamic to thoughts. It is how we find yourself with followers defending firms over people, as they go from discovering official enjoyment in participating with one thing to merely “consuming” the factor. So it’s with Shauna, Lisco reasoned, albeit with “consumption” taking up a way more literal which means:

“And so the following step of that’s consumption, proper? I actually need to eat this particular person, as a result of I like them a lot — however I additionally need them not to exist in a approach. I additionally need to hold them part of me for my total existence. We had been enjoying with that sort of plasticity on a psychological and emotional stage, and never simply have or not it’s about, ‘Oh, I am gonna eat the ear!'”