Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 120

Mattel Has a SQUID GAME Building Set for Fans of Shapes and Colors

The biggest and most glaring theme of the South Korean megahit series Squid Game is turning children’s games and toys on their heads for the purposes of making poor people kill each other for money. Love a good capitalism allegory, I do I do. But, I’m also an adult who loves toys even though they’re overpriced for the collector market. So, I really can’t decide if I’m “pro” or “con” a $130 Squid Game block building set from Mattel Creations. It’s impressive, I’ll certainly say that.

The 1,735-piece set, as part of the MEGA building line, lets you erect the distinctive and colorful staircase from Squid Game, as well as the desk and monitor set-up of the infamous Front Man. It also comes with 40 one-inch worker figures which you can make march via the hand-cranked conveyor belt.

Mattel Creations

The set, when completed, measures 9.85″ W x 8.09″ D x 10.03″ H, while the detachable Front Man desk section measures 3.13″ W x 1.62″ D x 2.42″ H. The Front Man figure is 2″ tall while all 40 of the workers are 1″ tall, just so you know who’s in charge. (Netflix, it’s Netflix who’s in charge.) Check out more images of the MEGA Squid Game Staircase Collector Building Set in the gallery below.

Click To View Gallery Mattel Creations Mattel Creations Mattel Creations Mattel Creations Mattel Creations

As I said, the MEGA Squid Game Staircase will run you $130 (plus, I assume taxes and shipping fees) and is available to pre-order right now on Mattel Creations. It’s due to ship on or before June 27, 2025. Just in time for the third and final season of Squid Game due out on Netflix the same day. If you’re so inclined to both partake in commercialism and comment upon it, then this is the set for you.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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The Chili’s from THE OFFICE is Opening in Real-Life Scranton

If you were wondering whether the venue of the Dundee’s was real, now it is! Chili’s is opening a new branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.’s most iconic office. In The Office, Chili’s is known as the home of the Dundee Awards, which are held yearly. This real Chili’s contains callbacks to its in-show heritage with references to different episodes when the gang went to Chili’s and other special features. Watch a promotional video for the new branch below.

Promotions for the new branch feature many stars from The Office, including Melora Hardin who plays Jan Levinson, Andy Buckley who is David Wallace, Brian Baumgartner who plays Kevin, and Kate Flannery who plays Meredith.

Brinker International

To match with the show, this Chili’s has 2000s decor since the show aired on NBC back in 2005. From the retro sign out front to the tiled tables, it’s just like when Michael Scott was there. Chili’s even got the original artist of their interiors back in 2005 to create the interior of the Scanton Chili’s. There is also a special photo booth so you can commemorate your time at the special Chilis. However, the greatest thing of all is that this will be the only Chili’s in the country to serve the Awesome Blossom appetizer. You may remember Michael giving it to a client while he told a joke that almost had “Awesome Blossom coming out of [his] nose.”

The Office

The restaurant opens for business April 7. If you can’t get to Scranton, Pennsylvania, there’s a way to celebrate at any Chili’s nationwide. For one day only, on April 7, a $5 “Scranton Marg” will be available at all Chili’s establishments. You can also go to the Chili’s website on opening day for exclusive Chili’s Scranton Branch merchandise.

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STAR WARS’ John Boyega Gets Candid About Racism in the Fandom

John Boyega, who played ex-Stormtrooper turned hero Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, is being candid about his feelings when it comes to the toxicity and racism in a rather vocal segment of the fandom. Via Entertainment Weekly, we learned that Boyega spoke up about the subject in the new Apple TV+ original documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood. And it’s fair to say he didn’t mince any words. Here’s what he had to say on the subject:

Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something. You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many chocolate chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro! They’re okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering!

Lucasfilm

We don’t think he’s wrong or exaggerating at all. Boyega faced racist harassment on social media from the moment he first appeared in the trailer for The Force Awakens. And it didn’t stop there, continuing throughout the course of the series. In its wake, an entire cottage industry of bigoted (and monetized) Star Wars fandom has sprung up. This all replicated when The Acolyte came out. Before anyone saw a frame of that series, star Amandla Stenberg was the target of racist trolls online. Sadly, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Will Disney/Lucasfilm give in to the vocal haters going forward? Who can even say in this climate? Rumors abound that Boyega will be a part of Daisy Ridley’s Rey-centric movie. But the next confirmed Star Wars film is said to star Ryan Gosling as the lead. We love Gosling, of course, but it is telling that they are leaning into having a white male star as the franchise lead again. Almost as if they’re actively avoiding angering the worst people online. Maybe Lucasfilm could give Boyega a film where he’s a Jedi at last, as the last trilogy suggests he could be. Who cares if it makes the worst people angry? After everything, it’s the least John Boyega deserves.

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Nathan Fillion Joins LANTERNS Cast as Guy Gardner

DC Studios’ Lanterns series on Max has added another ring-slinger to the cast. Via Variety, we’ve learned that after debuting this summer in James Gunn’s Superman, Nathan Fillion will reprise his role as Earth’s most obnoxious Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, in the upcoming series. Rumors of Fillon’s involvement circulated for some time, but it’s now official. It is unknown for how many episodes, but most expect it to be more than just a one-off appearance. Fillion joins Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern Hal Jordan, and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Another Lantern recently cast is Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.

Warner Bros./DC Studios

Nathan Fillion has a long history with the character of Green Lantern. Just not the Green Lantern that he’s actually playing in live-action. Fillion voiced Hal Jordan in several direct-to-DVD animated projects, starting with 2011’s Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. He then reprised the role in 2012’s Justice League: Doom, 2013’s Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, and 2015’s Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. He returned for 2018’s The Death of Superman, and 2019’s Reign of the Supermen. Despite playing Hal Jordan for so many projects, James Gunn chose him to play a different key member of the Green Lantern franchise for the new DCU.

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The Other DC Comics Green Lanterns We Hope to See in HBO’s LANTERNS Series

In the pages of DC Comics, Guy Gardner has a loud and brash personality that gets on everyone’s nerves. A persona that is practically comedic. So it will be interesting to see how that fits on a show DC describes as more grounded and serious. There are still several other Green Lanterns assigned to Earth’s Sector 2814. So it’s possible we might get more cast announcements before Lanterns has finished shooting season one. Chris Mundy serves as showrunner of Lanterns, and wrote the pilot with Damon Lindelof and Batman writer Tom King. Lanterns debuts on the Max streaming service some time in 2026.

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Jason Momoa Says He’s ‘Coming Back’ as Duncan Idaho For DUNE 3

Duncan Idaho died defending his Duke in director Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune movie. It was a noble end for one of Frank Herbert’s most heroic warriors. Only, it wasn’t the end-end for the character. Book readers already know how and why. But while we won’t spoil the specifics of his seemingly impossible return, we can’t do anything about the fact we have no choice but to tell you he definitely will return onscreen, too. For that you’ll have to blame Jason Momoa himself. The actor has spilled all the Spice Melange tea. He confirmed he’s coming back for Dune 3.

Momoa either couldn’t help himself or was strategically revealing information his producers want out in the world when he stopped by TODAY. (A visit we first heard about at Entertainment Weekly.) During his guest spot, host Craig Melvin mentioned Duncan Idaho’s return in Herbert’s second novel, Dune: Messiah. Momoa took that as a chance to reveal something we only assumed would happen but didn’t know for sure. Duncan Idaho will be back in Villeneuve’s adaptation, too.

“Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to get in trouble or not,” Momoa began, before adding that, just like with Game of Thrones, it’s not his “fault” if people haven’t read the books. Once he tried to absolve himself of blame he said, “Yeah, I’m going to be coming back.”

Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures

Will he actually get in trouble for saying any of this? Uh, no? What would that even entail? What are they going to do? Kick him out of the movie? No, the only ones who will get in trouble over this are people like us who have to report his comments. This is a big spoiler, obviously. But like a Swordmaster who must give his life to save his Duke, we too have a heavy burden to bear. Sometimes a famous actor reveals a surprise and the rest of us must deal with the fallout.

But don’t worry. You might know Duncan Idaho is coming back, but you still don’t know how and why. And if you do you already know why, this adaptation would be incomplete without him.

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Live-Action ONE PIECE Season 2’s Joe Manganiello Learned Crocodile Facts No One Else Knows

Ahoy, maties! We absolutely adored Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two. It was really one of our favorite live-action adaptations ever. And that’s why we were extra thrilled to see it get renewed for season two. Yes, Luffy and the gang will be back for more adventures as the huge manga/anime series gets translated into a new form. We have no doubt Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two will continue to deliver on all the wonder of season one.

One of the most exciting new additions to One Piece‘s live-action world is Joe Manganiello’s casting as Crocodile. And this Crocodile is going to come from a very well-informed place. Manganiello recently shared with Parade that he sat down with One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda to learn things about Crocodile that have not been revealed in the manga or the anime. Whether this information gets released on the live-action series or not, we don’t yet know. But Manganiello will certainly keep it in mind.

Manganiello shares, “‘You know, I’m [Crocodile” missing an arm. And there’s other characters in the canon that are missing limbs. And they have things in common with why they’re missing those limbs. And so it made me think about, ‘Hmm, how did I lose this?'” And so, the actor spoke with Oda.

Netflix

He revealed, “There’s things that haven’t been explained about the character in either the manga or the anime, and I had the opportunity to talk to Oda about my thoughts on where his scar came from, how the loss of the limb happened and the hook was replaced, his new choice of profession as casino owner and mob boss rather than pirate, the Devil Fruit.” Those all sound like exciting insights to us. So hopefully, we get to be a little clued in as well.

While we wait to know more, join us as we sail into the high seas of what is confirmed about the series. Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two.

Live-Action One Piece Season 2’s PlotNetflix

We don’t know too much about live-action One Piece season two’s plot. As mentioned, there is a lot of story to choose from. What we do know is that the Baroque Works crime syndicate will feature in some capacity in live-action One Piece‘s second chapter, and that includes the villainous Crocodile. Additionally, last season of the show teased Smoker on the horizon. Dr. Kureha, Dr. Hiriluk, Chopper, Crocus, Brogy, Dorry, Tashigi, Wapol, Dalton, and Nefertari Cobra have also been cast.

NetflixBehind the Scenes

Joe Tracz joins Matt Owens and together they act as showrunners on Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two.

Live-Action One Piece Season 2’s CastNetflix

The Straw Hat pirates we’ve come to know and love will all be back in action in One Piece season two. Inaki Godoy stars as Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Additionally, we’ll see like see the following returning One Piece cast in season two: Morgan Davies as Koby, Aidan Scott as Helmeppo, Vincent Regan as Vice Admiral Garp, Langley Kirkwood as Captain “Axe Hand” Morgan, Craig Fairbrass as Zeff, Peter Gadiot as Shanks, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida, Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown, and more.

Netflix

Of course, as mentioned above there is a ton of new characters and cast joining One Piece in season two. Here is a list of everyone coming on board, and you can read more about each new character, here.

Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton) as Miss WednesdaySendhil Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever, Do Aur Do Pyaar) as Nefertari CobraKatey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy, The Conners) as Dr. KurehaMark Harelik (Presumed Innocent, Preacher) as Dr. HirilukDaniel Lasker (Raised by Wolves) as Mr. 9Camrus Johnson (Batwoman) as Mr. 5 Jazzara Jaslyn (Warrior) as Miss ValentineDavid Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) as Mr. 3Werner Coetser (Getroud met rugby) as DorryBrendan Murray (Raised by Wolves) as BrogyClive Russell (Game of Thrones) as CrocusCallum Kerr (Monarch) as Smoker Julia Rehwald (Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures) as TashigiRob Colletti (The Many Saints of Newark) as WapolTy Keogh (24 Hours To Live) as DaltonJoe Manganiello as Mr. 0Lera Abova as Miss All-Sunday

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David Dastmalchian Talks His DCU Dream Role, KNIGHTS VS. SAMURAI, and Latest Du0026D CharacterLive-Action One Piece Season 2’s Release DateNetflix

We don’t yet know when season two of Netflix’s live-action One Piece will release. However, filming for season two has officially wrapped.

Originally published in December 2024.

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THE LAST OF US Series Will NOT Go Past the Video Games’ Story

When a television series is based on a story from a different medium, fascinating questions always come into play. One that is often asked is whether the television series should be able to transcend its source material in order to continue telling its story. Sometimes, such as with Game of Thrones, which completed its tale without the completed set of G.R.R. Martin’s books, the answer is yes. But in the case of The Last of Us, there is no question in the minds of the creators and showrunners. HBO’s The Last of Us series will not tell a story beyond what is found in its video games. Whether there will be a The Last of Us—Part III game. That’s a different question. But if there isn’t, don’t expect The Last of Us‘ TV series to step in and continue the franchise.

Fans definitely hope for The Last of Us—Part III, which would be the follow-up to The Last of Us‘ two currently published video games. Over the years, the possibility of this third game has oscillated from likely to unlikely. The latest word comes from creator Neil Druckmann, and he tells us “don’t bet on” ever receiving a The Last of Us—Part III game. And, so, we must assume it most likely won’t happen. But does that mean the story of The Last of Us HBO series will also end when it runs out of game real estate?

HBO/Naughty Dog

When asked in a recent interview about whether the series could possibly carry on the story of The Last of Us‘ games, showrunner Craig Mazin shared, “I am not going to go past the game. I’ll just say that flat out.”

When nudged, Mazin followed up to say, “I’m basically setting a decade of my rapidly dwindling life on fire to tell this story. The show is so hard to make. It has to have an end. So I’m not going to go past. Who knows me, there might be a Dunk and Egg The Last of Us show that happens that somebody does. But for me, the only question is: Is it going to be one more season or will it require two more? If this can happen all in one more season, great. If we feel like it makes sense to break it into two, then we will do that.”

That’s pretty definitive. And while it might not be the answer fans of the The Last of Us series or games want to hear, sometimes an ending really is the best thing. A lot could change. But for now, don’t count on the show delivering The Last of Us—Part III if it doesn’t come in game form.

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Max Dresses Up as HBO in Black & White Logo Rebrand (Despite Previous Rejection of Brand)

Oops. Guess who has had to change their tune about the value of the HBO brand. Yes, it’s Warner Bros. Discovery and Max. We all remember when Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it was cutting the “HBO” from “HBO Max” and leaving the streamer as just “Max.” In addition to that, Max tried to distance itself from the HBO brand overall as well, hoping to present a newer, more colorful, less niche vision of itself. But, well, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we could have told anyone who asked that getting rid of the power and prestige of the HBO brand did not seem like a wise move. And, indeed, Warner Bros. Discovery has recently made efforts to reclaim the HBO energy it once rejected from Max. That includes branding things as “HBO shows,” as well as “Max shows.” And most recently, a rebrand for Max has brought its logo and color scheme more in line with the traditional HBO look.

Listen, we all make mistakes sometimes, it’s all about how you own them.

Max

Ding dong, that Max blue is dead. And even though the words “HBO” aren’t back in the title of the streamer, everything else about the look and feel of Max’s latest rebrand screams HBO. Warner Bros. Discovery has traded the Max blue for the traditional HBO black and white monochrome.

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We remember when Warner Bros. Discovery wanted the bright color to evoke the idea that Max had more than just “mature” content (unlike HBO), but had something for the whole family. We’d hate to be associated with a highly prestigious operation as well, especially one known for making quality content.

Warner Bros. Discovery

Max (newly free of “HBO”) began life with a purple aura. However, purple was later exchanged for blue, which CMO Patrizio Spagnoletto told AdWeek is “the most liked color, universally.” Sure. Spagnoletto added, “There’s different types of blue, and if you put us in juxtaposition to Disney or Paramount or Prime, they look different. With our blue and the way that the logo is designed, what we were going for is a combination of premium but accessible.” Spagnoletto concluded, “Consumers will tell us if we got it right, and we think we did. But there’s enough room in the world of blue to still differentiate ourselves.”

Warner Bros. Discovery

Well, this latest change to Max’s coloring tells us it really wasn’t about purple or blue, but, ultimately, about the HBO of it all. We’re sure Warner Bros. Discovery probably regrets wandering away from the quality pasture to the everything and the kitchen sink one. But hey, the return of black and white to Max’s branding makes us think they’re onto something… Maybe one day soon the streamer will even change its name to HBO Max once again.

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There’s a Real Sam Gamgee and He Contacted Tolkien

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you may be surprised to find out there’s a real Sam Gamgee out there. The real Gamgee felt surprised when he discovered that a fictional character in the LOTR universe shared his name. The real Gamgee actually contacted J.R.R. Tolkien upon learning of the fictitious Hobbit played by Sean Astin, who shared his name. The author replied in “letter 184” chronicled in the book The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. TikTok user celebreabird shared the story below.

@itsbreabird

there was another sam gamgee?! #samgamgee #samwisegamgee #tolkien #lordoftherings #thelordoftherings #lotrtok #lotr #lordoftheringstok #lotrtiktok #jrrtolkien #tolkienletters

♬ Conserning Hobbits – Lord Of The Rings Singers + Orchstra

Gamgee, a man from a borough of South London, learned from friends and family that his name appeared during a 1955 radio presentation of The Lord of the Rings. They told him after hearing it mentioned in the series. Subsequently, on March 15, 1956, Sam Gamgee wrote Tolkien a letter, wanting to know how Tolkien came about a name like his.

Here is an excerpt from Gamgee’s letter:

I hope you do not mind my writing to you, but with reference to your story ‘Lord of the Rings’ running as a serial on the radio…I was rather interested at how you arrived at the name of one of the characters named Sam Gamgee because that happens to be my name. I haven’t heard the story myself not having a wireless but I know some who have…I know it’s fiction, but it is rather a coincidence as the name is very uncommon, but well known in the medical profession.

Tolkien naturally felt very surprised when he received the letter and found himself partially delighted. Only a few days later, on March 18, Tolkien replied. He provided Gamgee with the reason for using his surname. Tolkien lived near Birmingham as a child, and they use the word Gamgee for cotton-wool. Tolkien is somewhat of a linguistics nerd, so he asks Gamgee for more information about his name. Finally, he even offers Gamgee all three of the series volumes signed by him. The letter is as follows:

18 March 1956                                   As from 76 Sandfield Road, Headington, Oxford

Dear Mr Gamgee,

It was very kind of you to write. You can imagine my astonishment, when I saw your signature! I can only say, for your comfort I hope, that the ‘Sam Gamgee’ of my story is a most heroic character, now widely beloved by many readers, even though his origins are rustic. So that perhaps you will not be displeased by the coincidence of the name of this imaginary character (of supposedly many centuries ago) being the same as yours. The reason of my use of the name is this. I lived near Birmingham as a child, and we used ‘gamgee’ as a word for ‘cotton-wool’; so in my story the families of Cotton and Gamgee are connected. I did not know as a child, though I know now, that ‘Gamgee’ was shortened from ‘gamgee-tissue’, and that [it was] named after its inventor (a surgeon I think) who lived between 1828 and 1886. It was probably (I think) his son who died this year, on 1 March, aged 88, after being for many years Professor of Surgery at Birmingham University. Evidently ‘Sam’ or something like it, is associated with the family – though I never knew this until a few days ago, when I saw Professor Gamgee’s obituary notice, and saw that he was son of Sampson Gamgee – and looked in a dictionary and found that the inventor was S. Gamgee (1828-86), & probably the same.

Have you any tradition as to the real origin of your distinguished and rare name? Having a rare name myself (often troublesome) I am specially interested.

The ‘etymology’ given in my book is of course quite fictitious, and made up simply for the purposes of my story. I do not suppose you could be bothered to read so long and fantastic a work, especially if you do not care for stories about a mythical world, but if you could be bothered, I know that the work (which has been astonishingly successful) is in most public libraries. It is alas! very expensive to buy – £3/3/0. But if you or any of your family try it, and find it interesting enough, I can only say that I shall be happy and proud to send you a signed copy of all 3 vols. as a tribute from the author to the distinguished family of Gamgee.

Yrs sincerely
J. R. R. Tolkien.

In case you were wondering, Gamgee wrote back, giving Tolkien more information about his family. Of course, he also accepted the gifts from Tolkien. Funnily enough, Tolkien did not quickly forget this incident as he wrote in his journal later, “For some time I lived in fear of receiving a letter signed S. Gollum. That would have been more difficult to deal with.” I, too, wish I could send Tolkien a letter, then receive signed copies of the entire series, but alas. I’m glad the real Sam Gamgee found his way to his fictional counterpart.

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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3, Episode 8 Recap: New Revelations & Questions From ‘A Normal, Boring Life’

Yellowjackets season three, episode eight, “A Normal, Boring Life,” sure was anything other than normal and boring. In fact, this episode was as unhinged as we’ve seen Yellowjackets to date. As we start to get into the endgame of season three, we get some answers about the mysteries of this chapter. However, we also receive many major new questions. Here is our recap of Yellowjackets season three, episode eight, and all the big revelations and new quandaries we have after watching.

[image error]Revelations From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 8—“A Normal, Boring Life”Past Timeline: Travis Admits He Doesn’t Believe in It and Just Made Up That Akilah Was a Prophet

As we suspected, in episode eight of Yellowjackets season three, Travis has fessed that he doesn’t really believe in It or the Wilderness powers. He tells Akilah that she isn’t a prophet and that he just made it all up. “It’s not real,” he says, noting they were drinking mushrooms or huffing gas fumes not communing with forest powers. Travis has seemed like the consummate wilderness believer, so it’s interesting that he’s finally come clean that it’s all been a show. Even more interesting is that he does so when finally in the presence of an external masculine force.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.Past Timeline: Tai, Lottie, and Van All Want to Stay in the Wilderness Instead of Trying to Find Rescue

Akilah leads the team to Joel McHale’s Kodi and they take him back to camp. Kodi says he can help them escape and for a time, the team seems very excited. But reservations emerge. Lottie feels it’s not right to leave, that they wouldn’t be safe back in civilization. And she’s not fully wrong. Tai feels that if they leave the wilderness, she and Van can’t be together, and she is definitely not wrong. Shauna has “a bad feeling” and she’s probably just worried she’ll end up with a boring life and not in charge anymore.

Tai, Lottie, and Van refuse to leave with the team when the time comes to start heading toward the rescue point. Nat says they’re leaving anyway, but Shauna intends to stop them.

Present Timeline: Adult Melissa is Alive and Is Played by Hilary Swank

Suprise! Even though we were told Melissa was dead, it turns out that she’s alive. On Yellowjackets season three, episode eight, we get to meet adult Melissa, played by Hilary Swank. Melissa, now going by Kelly, has married the daughter of biologist Hannah, and they have a child together. Melissa claims her life is boring, totally normal, and absolutely amazing. Too bad Shauna has arrived to ruin it.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPresent Timeline: Melissa Did Not Die in the Wilderness, but Faked Her Own Death After Rescue

If Melissa is not dead, how come all the adult Yellowjackets think she is? Well in “A Normal, Boring Life,” we learn that Melissa actually was rescued from the wilderness. It was only after rescue that she faked her own death, leaving a suicide note and running away. She claims she wasn’t part of the Yellowjackets team after they returned to civilization, and she was truly scared of Shauna. Shauna is curious if Melissa is still in love with her, and we’re pretty sure that’s a hard no.

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Who Does Hilary Swank Play on YELLOWJACKETS?Present Timeline: Melissa Sent Shauna the Tape as a Way to Deal with Her Guilt

It turns out that Melissa did send Shauna the mysterious tape that’s been plaguing us all season. But Melissa claims that it was not meant as a threat. Instead, she reveals to us on, that she actually sent a note explaining the tape to Shauna. Did Callie miss the note? Or did she hide it? Or could Melissa actually be lying about sending the tape to Shauna with good intentions? It’s hard to say.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.

Regardless, according to Melissa, she sent Shauna the tape in order to unburden herself on the orders of her therapist or therapist-adjacent figure, Barbara. Melissa claims that after she saw the news about Lottie’s cult and Nat’s death, she was getting nightmares and feeling guilty all over again about what the Yellowjackets did in the wilderness. And she needed to do something in order for them to end. For Melissa, that something was sending Shauna the mystery tape.

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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3 Reveals Who Sent That Tape to ShaunaPresent Timeline: The Yellowjackets Killed Hannah

Shauna refers to Hannah as “a woman we killed,” while talking to Melissa. We guess it’s bad news for Hannah in the wilderness.

Present Timeline: Tai Wants to Kill in Order to Save Van

We kind of already knew this, but Tai is really into her belief that if she kills someone, Van will live. We’re not sure this belief will hold up to scrutiny. Tai doesn’t kill anyone, but they die as she hesitates about whether she should or not. Very mysterious, but at this point it feels coincidental.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPresent Timeline: We Learn Other Tai Has Locked Away Normal Tai

We also suspected this, but confirms for us that evil/other Tai has locked Tai away in her mind. Tai begs to be let out saying only she can save Van, but evil Tai does not release her.

Present Timeline: Shauna Is Flat-Out Insane (And Tries to Feed Melissa Her Own Skin)

Uhmmmm. We receive an important revelation in “A Normal, Boring Life.” Shauna is flat-out insane. We had inklings of this before, but it is totally apparent now. At the end of the episode, Shauna straddles Melissa and tries to feed her a piece of her own skin? What. We’ll need a minute after this.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEQuestions From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 8—“A Normal, Boring Life”Past Timeline: How Will Shauna Stop Natalie and the Rest of the Survivors From Leaving?

Shauna intends to stop Nat, the rest of the team, Hannah, and Kodi from leaving to hike to the rescue point. But how does she plan to do this? We suppose if she killed Kodi, everyone would be stuck. But it seems like a bit of a difficult thing to do, considering that Nat and Travis are armed. We felt like the team might break off into factions at some point. Is this the splitting point?

Present Timeline: Who Is Barbara?

Melissa can’t really clearly identify who her therapist is, which does raise some flags. Her therapist Barbara isn’t a doctor, or really a therapist, she sounds more like a life coach. And that’s kind of a risky friend to confess all your dark and sometimes criminal secrets to.

Present Timeline: Is Anyone Trying to Kill Shauna?

Throughout Yellowjackets season three, it seems like someone has been trying to kill Shauna. But this episode casts some major doubt on that. Has Shauna just been imagining bad things happening to her? Did she set them up for herself? Or is there really someone out there trying to kill Shauna and now we’re being gaslit by the show.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEPresent Timeline: Did Shauna Kill Lottie?

Misty thinks Shauna killed Lottie. And after witnessing Shauna’s bout of rage in, we feel like she really might have done the deed. She was furious at Lottie after all. And the DNA matched.

Present Timeline: Will Shauna Now Kill All the Adult Survivors?

Shauna seems to arrive at a terrifying conclusion at the end of the episode. That the only way to really be safe from secrets spilling is to be “the only one left.” It sounds kind of like Shauna wants to be the only one left at that. Are the other adult Yellowjackets safe? Will Shauna kill Melissa? Anything seems possible.

Yellowjackets season three only has two more episodes left, who knows where the story could go.

Previous Recaps: Premiere/Episodes One and Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five, Episode Six, Episode Seven

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