Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 144

A POKÉMON Shaped Cheeto, the Cheetozard, Is Up for Auction and It Is Pricey

A Cheeto shaped a lot like Charizard, affectionately named the Cheetozard, is up for sale. Yup, you read that right. If this interests you, don’t fret. It has not sold yet and will go to the highest bidder. There’s about a week left to bid on this Pokémon shaped Cheeto if you have over $2,100 to spare. It is really hard to believe that someone put a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto up for auction! I had better start examining every bag I eat now. Who knows, maybe there will be a Cheetolax.

Goldin

Goldin, an auction house for high-end collectibles, is auctioning the Cheetozard. It’s a lot in their 2025 February Pop Culture Elite Auction. The Cheetzard went on sale February 10 with a starting bid of $250. However, the Cheetozard is sitting at over $2,100 with eight days to go. Bidding ends March 1st at 7 PM.

The description of the Cheetozard on Goldin is, “presented is a 3-inch long Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the shape of the Pokémon Charizard, affixed to a customized Pokémon card and encapsulated in a clear card storage box. It was initially discovered and preserved sometime between 2018-2022 by 1st & Goal Collectibles. The Cheeto surged in popularity on social media platforms in late 2024.”

1st & Goal Collectibles created the Cheeto’s funny Pokémon card-inspired casing. They documented the process on their Instagram below.

Did someone modify the Cheeto or not? “The Cheeto was found this way and has not been modified,” said Goldin in a statement to Polygon. There are many weird things out for auction, but one that makes sense is Prince’s shirt from Purple Rain. The cheeto may seem ridiculous, but previously, a Harambe-shaped Cheeto sold on eBay for $99,900, so never say never. And you should probably start eyeing your Cheeto bags. You never know what look-alikes await inside.

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DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Featurette Dives Into Stunts, Storylines, and More

When the Netflix Marvel shows moved to Disney+, fans hoped they might see some familiar faces incorporated into the MCU’s world. Although there were many good iterations of Marvel characters in the Netflix shows, one hero that fans particularly hoped would return for a solo show or movie was Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Happily, Marvel Studios didn’t make us wait very long. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the studio announced that Daredevil would receive a new MCU series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again. Since that announcement, the series had some ups and downs, including an overhaul of its creative team. But now it is 2025, and the series is just around the corner.

The below special look featurette for Daredevil: Born Again takes us right back into the drama in Hell’s Kitchen. We learn a few things, including ongoing plot threads and that the Netflix show’s stunt coordinator is back to make this show just as action-packed.

If there’s one thing we know about the series in its final form, it’s that it promises to be very violent.

Here’s everything we know about Daredevil: Born Again.

Disney+/Marvel StudiosTitle

The title of the MCU Daredevil series will be Daredevil: Born Again. This is also the title of one of Daredevil‘s famous comic arcs.

Marvel StudiosDaredevil: Born Again‘s Plot

Daredevil: Born Again will have eighteen episodes and pick up a few years after where the Netflix show left off. In an interview with Empire, Charlie Cox opened up about the status of Matt, Karen, and Foggy. ” A lot of the history follows on,” said Cox. “The relationships and dynamics set up in the previous seasons still exist… A few years have passed. In that time, Matt, Foggy, and Karen have found a pretty good rhythm.”

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Things are great at Nelson, Murdock, & Page… until Kingpin comes along.  “Matt’s made peace with his role both as a lawyer and a vigilante,” Cox affirmed. “Then, of course, shit hits the fan.”

Here’s a trailer for Daredevil: Born Again:

Marvel Studios

Daredevil: Born Again‘s official synopsis reveals the following:

In Marvel Television’s “Daredevil: Born Again,” Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course. The series also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is showrunner. Episodes are directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd; and executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Chris Gary, Dario Scardapane, Chris Ord & Matt Corman, and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead. “Daredevil: Born Again” launches on Disney+ on March 4, 2025.

Marvel Studios

Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, spoke at D23 about the upcoming Daredevil series on an ABC panel. The video for that panel hit the internet recently and he had something quite interesting to say.

Marvel Comics

“Imagine if New York City was as intricate and problematic and scary as the world of Game of Thrones,” he said. “All these forces vying for control, and it can be really hopeful at times, and really violent at times, and dark-but also there’s light at the end of the tunnel if you could just fight for it.”

Marvel Studios

Daredevil: Born Again will be even more violent than its Netflix predecessor and we didn’t think that was possible. Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane shares, “The level of violence is way up there for a Marvel/Disney show. I don’t think there’s anything else even in the ballpark. There’s a moment in this that is just absolutely batshit, and way past anything Netflix ever did.” 

Star Vincent D’Onofrio adds, “There’s a world in which you might think that if that show kept running, we’d be in this place eventually, or something like it. But we’ve gone further in the darkness, the action, the nastiness.”

Behind the Scenes

The Hollywood Reporter shared the superhero crime series has added Dario Scardapane as its showrunner. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will direct the rest of the episodes for the first season. Scardapane has experience with The Punisher, while Benson and Moorhead directed episodes of Loki season two.

Netflix/Marvel StudiosDaredevil: Born Again‘s Cast

Charlie Cox returns as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin. Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Punisher in the MCU series as well, and Deadline shares that Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye will also make the leap. Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson will return as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively.

Marvel Studios

Also joining the Daredevil show are Nikki M. James, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, Sandrine Holt, and Lou Taylor Pucci. Their roles remain unknown as well as Carnival Row‘s Arty Froushan as part of the cast. Genneya Walton will reportedly play “a young journalist with connections to a character from the original series.” Clark Johnson, in addition to directing, reportedly has a recurring role in the series.

Marvel Comics

At D23, we learned a male White Tiger is coming onto the scene in Daredevil: Born Again. We glimpsed White Tiger in a sneak peek from the series, but no casting information was yet revealed. This White Tiger is likely Hector Ayala who uses ancient amulets to transform into White Tiger, a “master of martial arts.” Perhaps we will see Daredevil defend him this season, as White Tiger is often mistaken for a criminal and gets into tight spots.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s Release Date

Daredevil: Born Again will debut at Disney+ on March 4, 2025.

Originally published January 5, 2023.

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DC Studios’ CLAYFACE Movie Hires SPEAK NO EVIL Director James Watkins

As recent reports have suggested, the first Batman villain to feature in their own solo project in James Gunn’s DCU is none other than Clayface. And now, the Clayface film has a director attached. According to The Hollywood Reporter, director James Watkins (Speak No Evil) has signed on to helm the horror film about the shapeshifting Gotham City villain. Most excitingly, the script comes from horror master Mike Flanagan. For those unaware, that’s the genius behind Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, and Doctor Sleep, among several others.

Warner Bros. Animation

According to the original report, the film has a relatively modest budget of $40 million. That’s more akin to a studio horror film than a superhero movie. The movie centers on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a strange substance to keep himself relevant in Hollywood. He later discovers that he can reshape his face and body, becoming a walking piece of clay. This is very in line with the character’s appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. With a wee dash of The Substance thrown in for good measure. It’s unknown if they’ll be using the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, or his Matt Hagen persona. Batman has fought multiple villains named Clayface over the years.

In terms of the DCU connections, a version of Clayface has already appeared in canon. He popped up as a villain in the animated Creature Commandos series. That version appeared to die in battle, but James Gunn posted that reports of Clayface’s death had been exaggerated. Does that mean it’s the same Clayface? The one in Creature Commandos did not seem like a former Hollywood actor. Most likely, just like in the pages of DC Comics, there is simply more than one Clayface. The one in the film may simply derive his powers from the other one. We’ll find out for sure when DC Studios’ Clayface hits theaters, on September 11, 2026.

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What’s Really Going On with Burt on SEVERANCE?

The first time Irving showed up to Burt’s home on Severance he was banging on the door screaming the former O&D employee’s name. In season two’s sixth episode “Attila,” Irv returned under very different circumstances: Burt invited him to dinner. But that quiet, awkward dinner of Cuban-glazed ham still made a whole lot of noise. New information and a breakin have us wondering if a certain “scoundrel” is hiding something truly sinister.

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The gentle, sweet relationship between Irving and Burt’s Innies was one of Severance‘s best developments in season one. It seemingly ended forever when Burt retired without warning. Only Lumon’s attempts to destroy the duo’s burgeoning love pushed Irv to agree to the Overtime Contingency Protocol escape plot. Once his Innie found himself in the real world he discovered his Outie had a locked chest with a list of severed employees and their addresses. Burt was among the people Outie Irv has clearly marked on a map. Desperate to talk to someone he could trust, Innie Irv found himself banging on Burt’s door screaming his name.

In season two, while Irv has been busy calling an unknown, anti-Lumon accomplice from a payphone, Burt was following Irving around in his car. In episode five, the two finally spoke, revealing they didn’t already know one another. Burt also said and did some things that didn’t exactly add up in the moment and seem even worse now. Irving said/asked, “You’re with Lumon?” and Burt didn’t actually respond. He did eventually say the company had recently fired him. “I got canned a couple of weeks ago,” Burt said. “When I pressed them for a reason, they said my Innie had an unsanctioned, erotic entanglement with another worker. They wouldn’t tell me who.”

Apple TV+

That didn’t make sense, and after “Attila” it seems to have been an outright lie. Lumon never tells Outies the real reason why it has fired them. They don’t even share the truth about injuries suffered at work. What happens on the severed floor stays there, and Outie are never supposed to know the truth. Yet in this specific case they told Burt exactly what was going on with his Innie? They told him about an “unsanctioned, erotic entanglement?” Lumon doesn’t even want to acknowledge romance can happen, especially after a severed employee once got pregnant at work and it was a public relations nightmare. They would certainly never tell a fired employee about one.

Plus, you know, Burt wasn’t fired! He made a very warm, grateful retirement video for his Innie. At no point in that recording did Outie Burt indicate he’d been fired or that there were any hard feelings between him and the company. He clearly left on good terms.

Apple TV+

Why the two very different stories about the end of his Lumon career? One answer explains everything: he didn’t actually retire or get fired. He’s still working for Lumon in his most important, oldest role at the company.

During dinner, an inebriated Fields said his husband Burt has worked at Lumon for at least 20 years. That would put him at the company at least eight years before the first severance procedure. Burt said being severed was the entire reason he went to work for Lumon. Normally we could give Burt some benefit of the doubt and say that a drunk Fields made a mistake about the timeline. We can’t do that here, though, after hearing the story of why Burt claims he went to work at the company.

Apple TV+

Burt said he was a “scoundrel” in his younger years. So much so that his own Christ-loving husband believes Burt’s Outie will burn in Hell for eternity. They both hoped that severance would allow Burt’s Innie to at least get through the Pearly Gates.

What exactly did Burt do that was so bad his church-going husband has given up hope on Burt ever atoning for his sins? Burt must have done some truly terrible things, crimes of the soul much worse than what we’d expect from a “scoundrel.” We know one thing that would definitely qualify: doing evil things for an evil company who treats its founder as a messianic figure. And we know what would prevent someone from finding penance for those acts: still doing them.

Apple TV+

Burt’s Outie appears to still be doing just that. He lied to Irving to manipulate and control him. He told Irv about an Innie romantic relationship to gain Irv’s trust and draw him to his home. Then, during that dinner, Mr. Drummond just happened to know it was the perfect night to break into the house of a man who usually spends every evening at home painting all night. Mr. Drummond also knew he could take his time slowly rummaging through Burt’s locked chest of Lumon files. It was as though someone tipped of the company’s loyal watchdog to Irving’s plans. Plans for an evening of good food and interesting conversation with a possible love interest Irving just learned about.

For as lovable and warm as Burt’s Innie was, his Outie seems to be duplicitous and corrupt. He’s likely working for Lumon, just as he has for decades, doing horrible things to good people like Irving. That might sound like a big jump for a character who until now has never given us a reason to doubt him. But we’re not the only one who doesn’t trust Burt. Fields knows him better than anyone, and he thinks so little of his husband’s soul and actions he believes Burt is doomed to eternal damnation.

Apple TV+

We have no reason to trust Burt anymore and plenty to think he’s another Lumon monster. We do have hope, though. Hopefully that Lutheran pastor was right about Innie’s being their own people. The Burt that Irving fell in love with at work doesn’t deserve to suffer for his Outie’s sins.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He isn’t sure what his Outie does off hours and he doesn’t want to know. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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What Happens When You Call the Number in YELLOWJACKETS’ Ice Cream Parlor Ad?

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Yellowjackets’ third episode of season three is quite a doozy. From Shauna totally losing it on Lottie to a trippy sequence in the past, there’s so much going on in both timelines. One of the stranger parts of this episode (besides those cave fever dreams) was Tai and Van’s big adventure to the defunct Ozzie’s Homemade Ice Cream Parlor. After discovering that the Man with No Eyes was its mascot, the duo go to the place and discover that It wants more. In the ad, there’s a phone number for the place, which is 732-858-5242, and you know I had to call it. Here’s what happens when you call the phone number for Ozzie’s ice cream parlor from Yellowjackets. 

The message is quite long, fun, and very weird. Similar to the phone number from the Stranger Things 5 Eleven poster, the message becomes quite garbled at some points and isn’t super easy to understand. Unlike the message from Stranger Things 5, it was pretty easy to get through the line and give it a listen. We won’t spell it out word for word because, well, it is pretty long. 

Paramount+

It starts off with a chipper guy greeting callers over corny music. He says they have been delivering the finest sweets and treats for the community since 1981. This gets interrupted by a man who speaks in a deadpan voice and says their scoops are broken and their doors are closed for the last time. He mentions something about 34 years ago before the OG message comes back and says that they are scooping eye-popping flavors like Smashed Pumpkin. The OG message keeps getting interrupted by the same man who appears to have a mental spiral with each message as he talks about cigarette ash and says that times are weird and how moments feel permanent while they are melting away. He says he can still hear the bell ringing above the front door ringing. 

RELATED ARTICLE

Who Is the Man with No Eyes on YELLOWJACKETS?

It certainly looks like we will get more about the Man with No Eyes and perhaps Ozzie’s in the coming episodes of Yellowjackets. How does this all fit into Tai’s life? What, exactly, does that 34 years mean? It is still 2021 in the Yellowjackets timeline, so 34 years before that would have been 1987.

While that’s a rad year, it is nine years before the plane crash. Did something happen that year that is connected to the Wilderness? Or is this voicemail just a way to mess with our heads? We shall see as season three moves along. In the meantime, that Ozzie’s phone number and weird commercial really makes us want Yellowjackets’ merch about this strange ice cream parlor.

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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3, Episode 3 Recap: New Revelations & Questions From ‘Them’s The Breaks’

Yellowjackets season three has wasted no time in swinging things into high gear. Season two perhaps moved a little slowly and didn’t round out its stories as much as it could have, but there’s no such complaint about the current season. Yellowjackets season three, episode three, “Them’s The Breaks,” was perhaps one of the most intense Yellowjackets episodes to date, and there have been some doozies. Between revelations about Jackie’s necklace, poison gas in the wilderness, and the Man with No Eyes, and new questions about the very fabric of reality on Yellowjackets, there was a lot to chew over this episode. If you’re still digesting, join us as we recap Yellowjackets season three, episode three, “Them’s The Breaks” and review all the episode had to offer.

Revelations From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3—“Them’s The Breaks”Past Timeline: Mari and Shauna Have a Ceasefire in Season 3, Episode 3 of Yellowjackets

It seems Shauna and Mari can get along. Although they basically wanted to kill one another in Yellowjackets season three’s premiere, they seem to understand one another much better, or at least one another’s rage after Mari returns from being “kidnapped” by Coach Ben. We didn’t think we’d ever see them on the same team again.

Past Timeline: The Girls Are Ready to Kill Coach Ben After Mari Betrays HimParamount+ with SHOWTIME.

Though they were living a more or less peaceful existence in their new community, the Yellowjackets team is ready to turn to murder on a dime in “Them’s The Breaks.” Mari outs Coach Ben’s existence and location without even really hesitating, and the group gets ready to go on a witch hunt. Mari leads them back to the cave Coach Ben’s is staying in and it feels like the girls will attack him on sight. They even acknowledge they will probably kill him. Both Natalie and Misty try to talk them down, but neither tries that hard.

Past Timeline: There is Some Kind of Poison or Gas in the Caves That Causes Hallucinations

In a very trippy sequence, we learn that there is some kind of gas or poison in the caves below the Yellowjackets‘ wilderness that can cause massive hallucinations. Shauna, Akilah, and Van all get pulled into an episode where they find themselves in a heavenly setting that quickly turns murderous. The poison, or maybe it’s the wilderness, speaks to them in this place and basically threatens their demise. Ghost Jackie, Lottie, and the Man with No Eyes also make appearances.

Coach Ben saves Van from death by the poison, but in the end, the girls all turn on him anyway.

Present Timeline: Van’s Cancer Is in Remission in Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3

We guessed it. In a huge shock, or not, Van’s cancer has gone into remission in Yellowjackets season three, episode three. When Van goes to get her foot checked out after stepping on some glass, her bloodwork reveals that her level four cancer has stopped metastasizing. Given adult Nat’s death and the death of the waiter at Van and Tai’s dinner, the pair immediately assume the Wilderness has returned to touch them. But at what cost? For now, they don’t seem to care about that or even about the deaths they assume helped cure Van in these early episode of Yellowjackets.

Present Timeline: The Man with No Eyes Was in a Commercial for an Ice Cream ParlorShowtime

What?! In by far one of the most bonkers sequences on Yellowjackets to date, the Man with No Eyes appears in a commercial for Ozzie’s Ice Cream Parlor in episode three of season three. Tai and Van happen upon the ad while watching an old episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Tai says she used to watch it every weekend and then thinks she must have somehow seen the Man with No Eyes in the ad and used the form for her hallucinations. But that doesn’t account for Van, Akilah, and Shauna seeing the same figure in their wilderness trips.

Present Timeline: Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3 Reveals Lottie Has Jackie’s Necklace

Jackie’s necklace is an important item on Yellowjackets, and a lot of death seems to cling to it. We’ve seen the necklace mark its wearer for doom several times. It turns out its most recent owner was Lottie. In Yellowjackets season three, episode three, Lottie gifts it to Callie, Shauna’s daughter. She tells Shauna that “it just feels right.” She asks Shauna if she feels it, too. Shauna, understandably, is outraged and throws Lottie out of her house.

Present Timeline: Misty Finally Acknowledges Shauna Is a Bad Friend Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

It’s about time. Misty Quigley finally announces she deserves better than Shauna’s vision of friendship only when it’s convenient in Yellowjackets season three’s “Them’s The Breaks.” And you know what she does. But if Misty isn’t Shauna’s friend, is she her enemy? Uh oh.

New Questions From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3—“Them’s The Breaks”Are There Really Two Realities in Yellowjackets World, as Mari Suggests in “Them’s The Breaks”?

In Yellowjackets season three, episode three, Mari tells Coach Ben that she thinks that there are two versions of reality; the bad one is just hiding or waiting, but they’re all real. The implication here is that the wilderness has revealed the bad reality and they are now in a different plane of existence. Could this be the truth of Yellowjackets universe? Other shows (see: Lost) have dabbled with the idea of hell realms and limbo existences as a part of their realities. Could the girls have been transported into a dark universe?

Are The Wilderness Rituals Less About Cannibalism and More About Sacrifices and Miracles?

We thought the wilderness rituals revolved around eating people. But now it seems like it’s really the death that counts. The concept of sacrifices for miracles has arisen increasingly in Yellowjackets season three, and we’re curious to see where it will go.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEWho is “It” Exactly, and What Does “It” Want?

“It” is also being brought up more frequently. We’ve heard of “It” before, but it feels like what “It” is will soon be defined on Yellowjackets season three. As for what it wants, we’re guessing death, as evidenced by the coyote with a dead rabbit in its mouth that Van and Tai see while considering this very question. But we’ll wait to learn specifics.

Past Timeline: Are the Noises of the Wilderness Real? Is It Poison Gas or Forest Gods?

Once again, we must ask, is it magic or madness? As of “Them’s The Breaks,” the Yellowjackets are hearing more and more shared groans, screams, and growls from the wilderness at seemingly random times. Could they all be hallucinating as a group, or is the forest really making noises?

Past Timeline: What Will Happen to Coach After Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3?

Coach is toast, but is he dead? It certainly seemed like the team wanted to kill him in episode three of Yellowjackets season three, but could he convince them not to? We kind of hope so! We like Coach Ben.

Present Timeline: Why Is Callie So Drawn to Lottie? Kailey Schwerman/Showtime

“Them’s The Breaks” touches on this question but doesn’t answer it. Why is Callie so drawn to Lottie? Is it curiosity, fate, or something more?

Present Timeline: Will Van’s Cancer Stay in Remission on Yellowjackets Season 3?

We’re still sensing tragedy for Van on Yellowjackets. Van’s cancer might be in remission as of Yellowjackets season three, episode three, but will it last? And how many people will Van and Tai murder in the hopes of getting Van to stay healthy? It feels too good to be true, and it probably is.

Present Timeline: Who Messed with Shauna’s Car and What Do They Want?

Shauna’s car breaks stopped working while she and Misty were mid-drive in “Them’s The Breaks.” And for once, we really don’t think Misty was behind it. But if not Misty, who could have messed with Shauna’s breaks? Is it the mystery person following her? Does someone want to kill the Yellowjackets in season three? We’ll have to stay tuned and see.

Present Timeline: Does Yellowjackets season 3, episode 3 Hint That Callie Is Pit Girl?

Shauna’s daughter Callie has long been speculated to be Pit Girl (second in popularity only to Mari), and Yellowjackets season three, episode three, moved the needle a little bit closer to pointing at her. After all, Pit Girl has dark hair and is wearing Jackie’s heart necklace. In “Them’s The Breaks,” Lottie gives Callie the necklace based on a feeling. Could that feeling be foreshadowing?

Present Timeline: What Is the Man with No Eyes Doing in an Ice Cream Parlor Ad?

We really have to ask, what? What does the Man with No Eyes have to do with ice cream? Is it purely a coincidence? Is he really just very sweet on the inside? We’ve always liked him, but this was a totally random connection. We hope to understand how the Man with No Eyes and Ozzie’s Ice Cream Parlor connect in the future.

And that is our recap of Yellowjackets season three, episode three, “Them’s The Breaks.” Join us next week as we continue to unfold the mysteries of Yellowjackets.

Previous Recaps: Premiere/Episodes One and Two

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YELLOWJACKETS Season 3 Answers a Big Question About An Important Item

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There are many, many questions that we hope Yellowjackets will answer soon. We wanna know the identity of the Pit Girl and Antler Queen, for Christ’s sake. While we don’t get those answers in this season’s third episode, we do get an answer to a question that perhaps most people haven’t even considered in a while. What happened to Jackie’s necklace in Yellowjackets? Until now, some people assumed that it remained on the dead body of the Pit Girl or perhaps was left in the Wilderness. Others believed that Shauna probably retrieved the necklace and brought it home along with her diary. Guess what? Neither of those is true. Lottie is the one who had Jackie’s necklace all of this time. 

Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

In Yellowjackets season three’s third episode, Jackie’s necklace comes back into play. We see that Callie continues to be fascinated by the quirky and free-spirited Lottie. They even do a little light shoplifting together and giggle like school girls. It is not clear what, if anything, that Lottie revealed to Callie about the Wilderness era. But she does tell Callie that she believes she can tell her exactly who she is, which is rare. Shauna comes home to discover the duo cooking up delicious food and dancing. She spots Jackie’s necklace on Callie and immediately becomes upset, asking where she got it from. Jackie’s necklace is clearly not just an accessory on Yellowjackets, but something that will grow into great significance.

Lottie says she gave the necklace to Callie, to which Shauna questions how she even got it. This means that Shauna thought the necklace was either lost in the woods or purposely left behind. In this episode of Yellowjackets season three, Lottie shares that it “felt right” to give Jackie’s necklace to Shauna and says that the piece of jewelry “never meant what you thought it meant,” and boy, does all of this set Shauna off. She kicks Lottie out and snatches the necklace off Callie’s neck before knocking all the dishes into the floor. Whew. 

RELATED ARTICLE

YELLOWJACKETS Cannibalism Tracker: Who Gets Eaten in Season 2?

We know that Jackie’s necklace was previously a symbol of the girls’ ritualistic hunting, which we saw when the group tried to hunt Natalie down in the last season of Yellowjackets after she drew the Queen of Hearts. And again, we know that another Yellowjackets victim will don Jackie’s necklace and die wearing it. Jackie, of course, was also wearing her necklace when she died on Yellowjackets. We can see why Shauna wouldn’t want her daughter anywhere near that thing, honestly. Shauna looks at the necklace and sees death, pain, and loss, while Lottie likely sees it more as a symbol of righteous sacrifice, protection, and survival. Now, we can’t wait to follow the journey of Jackie’s necklace in both timelines this season on Yellowjackets.

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YELLOWJACKETS Brings Back a Major Character for a Truly Disturbing Scene

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Yellowjackets’ third episode of season three takes us on a trip in more ways than one. There is a lot that goes down in both timelines, from Shauna losing it on Lottie for good reason to a wild hunt during the Wilderness times. One thing that happened in this Yellowjackets season three episode that didn’t shock too many of us, considering we saw her in the Yellowjackets trailer, was the return of Ghost Jackie for a cameo. It’s not the first time she’s visited from the dead, but this is by far the strangest one. 

Paramount+ with ShowtimeHow Does Jackie Return in Yellowjackets Season 3?

In the Wilderness timeline, Coach Ben makes the (probably not good) decision to let Mari go after they have some seriously cringe and hilarious moments. She goes back to the girls’ camp and Shauna pressures her into telling the truth about Ben’s whereabouts. So, this leads everyone on a hunt for Coach Ben. While in the tunnels of the cave, Shauna, Akilah, and Van end up having a series of trippy ass dreams. Ben claims that there is some kind of gas that is permeating the air and causing the dreams and hallucinations. This could be true to some degree, but considering all the girls are hearing howling noises, it is possible that they are 1) simply losing their sanity after enduring so many things or 2) consuming herbs and such that are causing some weird trips. Who really knows at this point? 

Anyway, the three have their separate dreams, which include Shauna trying to swim to an imagined version of her son, Van being in a cabin and then consumed by fire in an airplane chair, and Akilah talking to a weird llama. It seems the Wilderness will get what it wants… whatever that truly means. As the third episode of Yellowjackets season three continues, the three of them are in a dream together in a classroom where Lottie is the teacher/leader and Ghost Jackie returns for a cameo. It is not clear exactly whose dream it is, and it is not impossible that they are having a shared experience, but it seems more likely to be Shauna’s dream, considering the Jackieness of it all.

Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEWhat Does Ghost Jackie Want with Shauna, Akilah, and Van?

All three of the Yellowjackets are dressed in their soccer uniforms and Ghost Jackie is hitting a slap bracelet on her arm. They pass the slap bracelet around among the three of them at Jackie’s behest and try to use it. Akilah is able to do it easily and Van gets a cut on her arm and a warning that she “shouldn’t play with dangerous things” from Lottie. But then Ghost Jackie slaps it around Shauna’s neck. She begins to bleed out, and Akilah tries to help her but cannot.

Lottie says they will all die if Akilah doesn’t save Shauna. We assume this is some sort of foreshadowing that Akilah will save Shauna’s life for real at some critical moment in Yellowjackets season three or beyond. They all wake up to see Coach Ben, who says there is gas somewhere that is poisonous. Tai and a shotgun wielding Natalie show up and say he is coming with them. 

What Does the Ghost Jackie Dream Mean in Yellowjackets? 

It is hard to interpret exactly what the dream with Ghost Jackie means in Yellowjackets season three. Elements appeared in the dream that didn’t even have anything to do with those three girls. What was up with the Man With No Eyes, whom Tai often sees, strolling the hallways? Saying that there is only one dream speaks to their interconnectedness as a group of people trying to survive the Wilderness, which is calling to them all at this point. It makes sense for Shauna to see Jackie return in her Yellowjackets wilderness dream and for her to be the one to attempt to kill her after she indirectly caused Jackie’s demise. There’s certainly a lot of guilt on her end for good reason.

Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

The various reactions to the slap bracelet may also be indicators of the girls’ status with the Wilderness in Yellowjackets, which Jackie is now forever a part of spiritually. If Shauna doesn’t give in and give It what It wants, she will certainly die. Akilah is in tune, especially considering her connection to flora and fauna. Van is mostly there, but there are hints that she has done (or will do something) to flirt with danger. Van has evaded a few literally fiery situations. So her connection to that dangerous element is much like Tai’s to the wolf. Akilah and Van are far more willing to engage and try, while Shauna is not. It is indeed a weird dream that may be giving us clever clues for the remainder of the season.

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Either way, this won’t be the last we see Ghost Jackie return to cameo in Yellowjackets season three. Her appearance in the trailer is different from this one. It seems she will even play a role in the present timeline, considering Lottie gave her necklace to Callie before Shauna rightfully took it away and kicked Lottie out of her house. Let’s see how it all goes down in future episodes.

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SEVERANCE Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: New Revelations and Questions From ‘Attila’

From awkward dinners full of really dark theological discussions to emotional affairs with your own spouse, Severance season two’s sixth episode had a whole lot to dig into. What stood out the most and what new problems did it raise for Innies and Outies alike? Here are the biggest revelations and questions from “Attila.”

[image error]Revelations From Severance Season 2, Episode 6, “Attila”Dylan Told His Colleagues About the Testing Floor and Irv B.’s MapApple TV+

Innie Dylan’s meetings with his Outie’s wife Gretchen are keeping him in line, but only to a point. While he’s still not being totally honest with his coworkers, he did tell them about Irv’s secret map to the Testing Floor.

Helly was ready to go grab it and get down there (a moment that feels like possible foreshadowing that the map is already gone), because she assumes that’s where they’re keeping Ms. Casey. Only, Dylan and Mark weren’t exactly eager to get going. That could change quickly, though, as Innie Mark finally started to see his Outie’s life thanks to reintegration.

Milchick Is Taking His Performance Review Very SeriouslyApple TV+

Seth Milchick clearly blames Miss Huang for the highly specific criticism he received during his performance review. He’s also taking it very seriously. He spent hours putting paper clips on the “right” way before he practiced speaking in a simpler manner. By the end of that exercise he seemed to be giving himself an angry pep talk about the need to “grow” so he can rise even higher at Lumon.

Mr. Milchick’s story has been one of the best and most surprising during Severance‘s second season, but rather than realize Lumon is manipulating him with this absurd performance review he’s fully embracing the company. Considering he’s also “tightening the leash” on MDR he could become as evil as the still MIA Harmony Cobel.

Mark Finally Told Helly What He Did With HelenaApple TV+

After initially keeping the truth about his tryst with Helena-pretending-to-be Helly, Mark S. finally came clean about what he’d done with Lumon’s future CEO. It was yet another violation of Helly’s autonomy by her Outie and also the worst. After taking this upsetting information poorly, Helly responded by refusing to let Helena steal Mark’s affections from her. So, rather than wallow, Helly asked Mark if he wanted to have sex with the real her, which led to a very tender moment in a makeshift “tent” in an abandoned office on the severed floor.

It was a loving moment in an episode full of romances that could end badly, but it caused Outie Mark problems later when he saw himself sleeping with (what he thought) was Helena Eagan. Everything Mark is doing and risking is for his wife Gemma. Now he also has to deal with knowing his Innie had sex with a woman keeping his not-dead wife locked up in a basement.

Mr. Drummond Found Irving’s Lumon IntelApple TV+

Mr. Drummond and his little frolic hand tattoo broke into Irving’s Lumon-owned home and found Irv’s intel on severed employees. Those papers have some curious handwritten notes and markings. Irv underlined random letters in names and speculated on whether someone agreed to severance because of a car crash settlement, something that stands out when you remember Gemma Scout “died” in a car crash herself.

Why did Drummond break into Irv’s house at all? Irving is working with someone, but that person he’s calling from the payphone could be a double agent. It’s also possible Lumon has every payphone in Kier tapped. Whatever reason Drummond had for investigating a former employee, Lumon now knows what Irving knows. And unlike us, Drummond probaly knows exactly what those notes really mean.

Helena Eagan Is a Sociopath Who Pushed Mark To Risk His LifeApple TV+

After finding out Helena Eagan stole her identity and slept with Mark, Helly said, “It’s probably another tactic.” She thought it was another way to divide MDR and control them, but we know Helena Eagan hates herself and her life and was jealous of her Innie. Now it seems she’s also a sociopath who wants to also have sex with Mark’s Outie. She came on real strong after Mark was done shoveling Chinese food into his face.

He played the whole interaction very cool considering he was meeting with the woman who has his “dead” wife locked up at work. That is until reintegration forced him to reckon with the fact he knows Helena already. BIBLICLY. That led him to run home so Dr. Reghabi could flood his severance chip, speeding up his reintegration.

That….that didn’t go so great.

Questions From Severance Season 2, Episode 6, “Attila”Wait…Is Mark Going to Die from Reintegration? Apple TV+

“Attila” ended with a bang. Specifically, Mark’s reintegrated head banging on his kitchen floor. He was already losing huge chunks of time before he let Reghabi flood his severance chip. His Innie had already also started to see his home life. But the procedure proved too much as Mark fell unconscious and began frothing at the mouth as his horrified sister Devon looked on.

So, uh, is Mark going to die like Petey? That might seem like an absurd question since Adam Scott’s character is the show’s main character, but we aren’t asking if they’re going to kill his character off. We’re asking if Mark is going to die and be brought back to life by Lumon as the company possibly did with Gemma.

Apple TV+

Ms. Casey is weird. Miss Huang is weird. Possibly because both died and Lumon brought them back as severed employees with no Outie. What if Lumon does something similar with Mark? On Severance, that’s not an outrageous possibility, even if it’s obviously far more likely Reghabi will save him before he actually dies.

Was Mark a Good Husband to Gemma?Apple TV+

Mark’s conversation with Reghabi at the episode’s start felt like a partial confession by Mark. who talked about all the things he was willing to “bargain” with to get his wife back. That emotional moment is the first time we’ve wondered if Mark’s drinking problems and everything they cause began before his wife’s passing.

If it did, what if she was out of the house the night of her “fatal” crash because of his actions? What if he’s been coping with both grief and guilt this whole time? It would make an already heartbreaking story even more brutal.

Is Burt Really a Lumon Shill?Apple TV+

Burt said he used to be a “scoundrel” who was so bad his own husband doesn’t think his Outie can get into Heaven. Burt also lied in the previous episode when he told Irving he’d been fired from Lumon for a romantic relationship. (If he had, he wouldn’t have willingly made a happy retirement video for his Innie.) He is also seemingly lying about how long he has worked for Lumon, with his employment going back well before he claims. And while he was busy fibbing, Mr. Drummond just happened to know that specific night was the perfect time to both break into Irv’s house and take his time rummaging through Irving’s secret intel.

So is Burt secretly a loyal Lumon mole? Is he a scoundrel doomed to eternal damnation because he’s done evil things for an evil company? The evidence certainly pointed that way even before that last ominous shot of him watching Irving leave.

Is Lumon Really Going to Destroy Dylan and Gretchen’s Marriage?Apple TV+

“I sometimes wonder if you’re just not happy.” We know Gretchen was talking about her Outie husband when she said that to Dylan G. However, we’re going to respond as if she was speaking to us because we are not happy watching Lumon’s manipulation possibly destroy a marriage.

With Dylan G., Gretchen can emotionally (and physically) cheat on her own husband with her…own husband? And that’s leading to lies at home with her actual husband, all of which is undermining what seems to have been a loving marriage before.

Is this really going to happen? Is Lumon’s desire to control Dylan G. in service to “Cold Harbor” really going to breakup a family? We really hope not because this arc is especially hard to watch unfold.

If Helena/Helly Gets Pregnant, Who Is the Baby’s Mother?Apple TV+

Severance raised some truly amazing, deep and deeply troubling theological and philosophical questions about the human soul in this episode but we’re already wondering about a potential issue that could come up very soon: If Helena/Helly R. gets pregnant with Mark’s child, which one of them will be the mother?

We’ll hold off on speculating in case it never happens…but it’s definitely going to happen, right? And if it does, we know which of them we hope gets maternal rights. Spoiler alert: it ain’t the sociopath.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who isn’t sure what his Outie does. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER’s ‘Bitter Work’ Episode Is the Show’s Most Underrated and Inspirational Gem

I’m not sure why we, this godforsaken human race, are seemingly designed to find faults within ourselves. Maybe it’s just a depressing fact of life? Maybe there’s a science behind it. Do we have to hate ourselves so we might seek to evolve? Perhaps we notice our flaws so profoundly and therefore are encouraged to improve for whatever the universe throws at us next. Whatever the reason, it stinks. And I, for one, have struggled mightily over the last few years (and possibly longer) with hyper-examining my flaws and genuinely hating myself for them.

Nickelodeon

I unfortunately see myself as an underperforming, lazy, unintelligible cluster of cells that for some unintelligible reason fused together enough to create a living human. It’s hard to see the point in things when you don’t see the point in yourself. But thankfully Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically its “Bitter Work” episode from season two, exists. It is an underrated gem within a series that is always healthier for the soul.

It’s pretty much impossible to make a better show than ATLA. What always stands out to me with every rewatch (which I’ve done every summer for 10 years now) is how singular each episode can be. There’s of course a main story. But there are so many episodes, each with their own themes and lessons—from responsibility, to sexism, and even imperialism—that can also be experienced, and appreciated, in a vacuum. 

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But with my aforementioned struggles, I’ve found that my favorite episode in the series may be “Bitter Work.” It follows Aang’s first attempt at learning earthbending. Newcomer Toph is a ruthless mentor, appropriate for the element of Earth and rock-moving, and Aang’s training is going…not great. 

This episode marks a distinct change for the series. Up to this point in the peripatetic adventures of Team Avatar, Aang was almost exclusively a master of nearly everything. He is the Avatar, after all. Picking up waterbending, communicating with the spirit world, and even channeling his inner Godzilla are just some of his many accomplishments. And yet, earthbending presents a challenge. Aang, for his literal cosmic-level of talent, is a mess, and frustrations with his struggles lead to a noticeable depressive episode.

Coinciding with his struggles is the show’s other main protagonist, Zuko, who is doing his own separate, but not coincidentally similar, training. The ever wise and affable Uncle Iroh teaches Zuko the importance of each element—in what might be as tasteful, and gentle, of a way to illustrate the importance of balance that’s possibly ever been shown—with a little branch to draw the symbols of each nation. Considering his background as a general for the fire nation army, his monologue about each nation feels especially valuable. Iroh gained his wisdom, both in philosophical and technical (e.g. learning to redirect lightning) from studying others.

So, what is the lesson we get from Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s “Bitter Work” episode? Different situations call for different approaches and different people handle different things differently. Different cultures have different priorities. Understanding, and learning, from the differences is what can bring you true balance and peace. It’s a heady concept, one that seems far from what you’d expect from a Nickelodeon series. But this lesson is imperative for anyone, no matter the age.

It makes what Aang goes through all the more important. Unlike the other elements, or other skills, he’s learned thus far, he cannot rely on his talent. Sometimes, in his case, there’s no shortcut around a problem. You just have to do it. and it can be an ugly, imprecise, and an undignifying grind. It’s almost as if the episode is trying to get the point across that everyone, including a prince and quite literally the most talented kid in the world, will struggle mightily. Will their struggles be the same? Of course not. But the path of simply learning, at some point, for all of us, is rife with obstacles. 

It also makes me wonder if we are we using the word “talent” too liberally. Admittedly, I don’t have much of an alternative for that word. This isn’t a take meant to be harsh or even critical, but the normalization of the word “talent,” I think, implies that there wasn’t any work of the… [winks towards the camera] bitter ilk put in. 

Moreover, there’s an implication made that the many influencers and Success Experts littered across today’s media sphere have some sort of clandestine understanding of achieving success. But sometimes the journey of life, the part that gets romanticized in boxing moves or your Shōnen anime of choice, just kind of sucks! 

Maybe there isn’t a secret. Maybe everyone has incredible talent, but the world tends to lend itself more to a certain kind of talent. But regardless, there are a litany of skills, lessons, people, and even cultures that we can learn from. Good Will Hunting showed us an academic genius, but far from an emotionally intelligent one. Aang was a prodigy, until he came across not just literal earthbending, but the mindset of an Earthbender. Zuko thought he knew everything, but not until he experienced the lives of those different from himself. 

I’m not sure I’ve taken the lessons of the very underrated Avatar: The Last Airbender gem “Bitter Work” to heart. There’s still what I can only imagine is a little demon goblin in my brain leaving its toxic, self-deprecating waste all over each cell. But with a new year underway, I want to try again. I want to try and remember that there is value in everything, and that life’s journey is way too complicated to assume it’s all about some people having it completely all together, and others not. 

Maybe all you can do is just get to work.

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