Pit Girl’s Identity & Alternate Options Explained By Co-Creator

The article contains spoilers for the Yellowjackets season 3 finale, “Full Circle.”

Yellowjackets co-creator talks about Pit Girl’s identity and other candidates. Initially teased in the pilot, Pit Girl refers to the unidentified girl who was seen running for her life through the woods in the harsh winter season barefoot, died, and then was eaten after she fell into the pit. Her identity was revealed to be Mari (Alexa Barajas) in the Yellowjackets season 3 finale, “Full Circle,” who had fallen into the pit earlier in the season but was saved by Coach Ben.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Ashley Lyle talked about how they decided on Mari being the Pit Girl instead of any other girl. She revealed that, like the Yellowjackets, they had grown attached to Mari and wanted to explore other options, but eventually realized the fact that they “didn’t want it to be Mari” is why it was “exactly the right decision.“ Read her comment below:

We knew, and yet still, over the course of three seasons, you kick around other ideas occasionally. Strangely, it was in season three when we were doing the work that we always knew we needed to do to build her character up to that point, we almost fell pity to ourselves because we’re like, “But we love Alexa, and we love Mari now.” You start to go, “Is there any way we could not have it be Mari?” But the fact that we didn’t want it to be Mari is what let us know that was exactly the right decision, and that we had at least for ourselves, done the job well. There was no looking back at a certain point. Alexa did an incredible job this season. I think she has a really big career ahead of her. It’s hard to say goodbye. It really is. Especially when you not only start to love the character, but you love the actor as much as we do.

Mari Was Always Going To Be The Pit Girl

Mari took a more central role in season 3 when the show revealed what happened after she was saved by Coach Ben. Lyle’s comment indicates that Mari’s season 3 arc was building up for her to be the Pit Girl through foreshadowing and how she betrayed Coach Ben’s trust, which led to his death. In the same interview, the show’s co-creator also highlighted how “deeply affecting” Mari’s tragic fate was on both the viewers and the Yellowjackets, especially the scene when she was seen being dragged through the snow.

In the same interview, writer-director Jonathan Lisco explained that Mari’s fate did have a connection with the controversial choice she made when she led the girls to Coach Ben’s hiding place. While Lisco stressed that it wasn’t so much “divine retribution,” the choice “complicates” Mari and her death was, in a way, “inevitable” from the perspective of the wilderness being the one who saw it all and took dramatic measures with giving and taking.

Our Take On Mari Being The Pit Girl In Yellowjackets

Mari Is The Last Straw That Splits The Yellowjackets

Mari’s death marked a pivotal moment in the past timeline. The Yellowjackets season 3 ending revealed that while Shauna was crowned the Antler Queen, Natalie made contact with the outside world to get them home, splitting the girls into two groups. Those who want to stay in the wilderness are embracing their bloodthirst, and those who are sick of killing their friends decide to find a way home.

The present timeline revealed that much of the past continues to haunt the present when Shauna’s ex-girlfriend, Melissa, killed adult Van, which caused Taissa to conspire with Misty, turning the remaining Yellowjackets against each other. The hunting game continues, and it’s unknown who will be the last standing. Lyle teased that they were on track with Yellowjackets‘ five-season plan, but Paramount+ has yet to renew the survival series.

Source: THR

Yellowjackets

7/10

Release Date

November 14, 2021

Network

Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime

Showrunner

Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco

Directors

Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis

Writers

Liz Phang, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa