Pit Girl’s Identity Reveal In Yellowjackets Season 3 Finale Addressed By Star

The following article contains spoilers for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 10, “Full Circle.”Yellowjackets star Alexa Barajas discusses her speculation about the Pit Girl reveal. Season 3, episode 9, “How the Story Ends,” concluded with Mari falling into a spiked pit originally intended to kill Lottie (Courtney Eaton). After deciding that the Wilderness wants another sacrifice, Shauna (Sophie Nelisse) leads the girls into the 1990s timeline in another card drawing, resulting in Mari being the unfortunate victim when she picks the Queen of Hearts. A chaotic chase ensues in the Yellowjackets season 3 finale, which ultimately ends with Mari dead in the pit, confirming the identity of the elusive “Pit Girl.”

Speaking with Deadline, Barajas explained Mari’s death, saying that she “had a feeling” and “a hunch” before officially knowing that she would be Pit Girl. She remarked on the physical similarities between the pilot’s Pit Girl and herself and spoke about viewers’ reactions to the massive reveal.

I think after watching the pilot, I saw this girl running in the woods, and I said, ‘I think I look a whole lot like her.’ So, I had a feeling that that this was where it was gonna all end up, and I am so excited that we finally got to do it.”

I think it’s so funny ’cause the fans, I think they’re on such polar opposite ends. They either really want me to be Pit Girl or they really don’t want me to be Pit Girl, but I think in the end, they both know I’m gonna be Pit Girl. And so hopefully, now that they’re getting their answers, they’ll be satisfied.

Because the Pit Girl hunt is portrayed by different actors in the Yellowjackets pilot, Barajas had to faithfully recreate the scene. She spoke about keeping the integrity of the scene, emphasizing the “full circle” nature of the sequence.

I mean, I really wanted it to match as much as possible, so that you can feel that full circle moment. And I really paid attention to the way she was running and wanted to make sure that all the pieces were in place, the way that she’s laying in the pit, for that to match properly. We really wanted to do it right. It was cool, I got to collaborate with the hair department and the wardrobe department as to how we wanted this reveal to happen, cause as soon as she draws the card, I think hopefully you’re still unsure as to whether it’s her or not. And then, once she goes to do the scarecrow and the zipper comes undone and the jacket comes off, and the hair is all of a sudden down, you go, “Oh sh-t, it is her!” And then you get some beats of her running through the woods, getting hunted, until she’s finally in the pit.

Barajas also spoke about the foreshadowing throughout the season, including Mari’s initial fall into the pit and her conflicts with Shauna. The two spent the entirety of season 3 at odds, with Shauna relentlessly bullying Mari, even going as far as to bite her and spit in her soup. The star breaks down that intense dynamic, explaining how nobody believed her until it was “too late” and how this again led to a full circle moment.

I think it’s really cool this season cause you see her have so much conflict with Shauna right off the top, and you see them literally physically fighting at the beginning. And I think Mari is really just trying to prove to everybody, “Can’t you see what’s going on? Don’t you see who she is and what she’s doing?” And I don’t think anybody really believes her until it’s too late, and Shauna really just kind of took power and took over everybody. So, I think it’s awesome that it really does again feel very full circle that you see them having so much conflict in the beginning, and then kind of make up somewhere in the middle, and then by the end, it is Shauna’s fault ultimately that she changes the odds and gets Mari to be the one, unintentionally in some way, to pick the queen of hearts.

What This Means For Mari’s Fate In Yellowjackets Season 3

Pit Girl Was Foreshadowed All Season

Pit Girl has been teased since the Yellowjackets pilot, setting up a mystery throughout the series. While previous seasons provided little indication of who Pit Girl would be, season 3 seemingly sets up Mari’s fate in early episodes. When she falls into the spike-less pit at the beginning of the season, she is rescued by Coach Scott (Steven Krueger). Despite being saved at that moment, Mari falling into the pit in the first place was an early indicator that she would end up being Pit Girl. This foreshadowing was a bit on the nose, but it nonetheless set up a compelling arc and brought the question of Pit Girl’s identity back into the minds of viewers.

Mari’s fights with Shauna also served as a way to foreshadow her death. Shauna isn’t one to back down or let bygones be bygones. Instead, she leans into anger, often resorting to threats and violence. Because she sensed that Van and Tai were rigging the card drawing, Shauna had the chance to take control of the situation, interrupting the girls’ intended order. She takes her final revenge when she purposefully sets up Mari to pick the Queen of Hearts, essentially dooming her to die.

Our Take On Mari Being Pit Girl

Mari Being Pit Girl Makes Sense

Viewers have been wondering about the identity of Pit Girl since the show’s opening scene, so learning who she is answered one of the series’ longest-running questions. Mari falling into the empty pit early in season 3 served as explicit foreshadowing that she would later meet a grisly end when the pit was fitted with stakes, serving as an effective part of Yellowjackets‘ storytelling.

While other members of the Yellowjackets, such as Gen (Vanessa Prasad), resemble the pilot’s Pit Girl, Mari received meaningful screen time throughout this season. Had Pit Girl been a less prominent character, her death would not have been as impactful. Mari was an entertaining and exciting member of the Yellowjackets 1990s timeline, and it would have been interesting to see her character survive to adulthood. Her fate is nonetheless satisfying.

Source: Deadline

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