When it comes to Showtime’s Yellowjackets, there are characters you can sort of relate to in some capacity—maybe not in the cannibalism side of things but in how they react to the situations that they find themselves in. You might be a Misty (Christina Ricci), who instantly knows what to do when there’s a dead body to get rid, of or maybe you’re a Natalie (Juliette Lewis).
What I did not expect to do was … relate to Jeff. Played by Warren Kole, Jeff was seemingly clueless about Shauna’s affair with Adam until it was too late, because he was trying to frame the Yellowjackets for money. And so, to start season 2 with me relating to him was … well … shocking.
Jeff’s life is in shambles, and part of it is his own fault, and the rest is because of his ridiculous extortion plot leading Shauna to murder Adam. Yes, again, the reason they are trying to hide a murder is, in part, because Jeff tried to frame Shauna’s friends for money, but still, he’s going through it.
Not only did he have to come to terms with the fact that his wife cheated on him, but he’s actively trying to cover up the murder of her lover and is constantly reminded about what happened because of it. And the first episode back really just has Jeff breaking down in such a relatable way.
Cut my life into pieces …
Jeff is sitting in a car, unpacking what his life has become, and he’s doing so while listening to “Last Resort” by Papa Roach. Yes, that song. I don’t know what it is about seeing Warren Kole head banging in a car that really just makes me feel seen on television, and yet there I sat, screaming while it happened.
Maybe it’s the song choice or maybe it’s just Jeff choosing this as his coping mechanism, but the scene meant a lot to me? Which feels odd but it’s the truth! There are few things I love like seeing a man just take a moment to rock out to Papa Roach. It is oh so very telling that this man, who would have been in college/in his early 20s when this song came out, still turns to it over 20 years later.
The thing is: We’ve all been there. Maybe it wasn’t a Papa Roach song that you needed to listen to, but there have always been those moments where you really just need to get your rage out through a song. And yes, it does feel relatable that it is a song like this. For me, I have found so many times in my life where I just want to belt “Last Resort” or even “Scars” (because they do remind us that the past is real) just because it’s the way so many of us cope.
So in a surprising twist, I relate to Jeff Sadecki on Yellowjackets, and honestly? I’m okay with that.
(featured image: Lorenzo Agius/SHOWTIME)
