One thing the Yellowjackets Season 3 premiere highlighted was the feud between Shauna (Sophie Nèlisse) and Mari (Alexa Barajas).
The Paramount+ thriller has gained popularity recently for its gripping mystery surrounding the girl's soccer team that became stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash and what they did to survive out there.
In their fight for survival, some team members formed alliances, while others developed bitter rivalries, and quite a few Yellowjackets died in the process.
Why Are Shauna and Mari Rivals?
When Season 3 of Yellowjackets opens on the wilderness timeline it's to find that Shauna and Mari have developed an intense rivalry.
While there wasn't any one specific event that led to the two hating each other, Mari is known for having no filter and has provoked Shauna (and the others) with mean comments consistently throughout the show.
In Season 2, Mari was loud about her disdain for Shauna spending so much time with Jackie's (Ella Purnell) frozen corpse. She also made some insensitive comments about Shauna and her baby while she was in labor.
On top of that, Mari became one of the most devout followers of Lottie (Courtney Eaton) and her spiritual beliefs. Shauna has always been dismissive of Lottie's claims and even ended up in a fistfight with her in Season 2, so this puts her instantly at odds with any of her followers, including Mari.
In Season 3 of Yellowjackets, Shauna and Mari's rivalry is dialed up even further.
The season opens with the group playing a team game, which Mari's team wins after she tricks Shauna into targeting her. Shauna takes this one step too far when she bites Mari in her attempt to win.
After their team loses, Shauna and the others are forced to become the servants of the winners, something she does with much reluctance. At dinner, before serving Mari her food, Shauna spits openly in the bowl.
This leads to the two getting into a physical fight at the table. While Natalie (the Yellowjackets' newly appointed leader) tries to resolve things between them, Mari's hatred of Shauna is enough to cause her to storm into the woods alone.
Can Shauna and Mari Resolve Their Issues?
While a lot of the tension between Shauna and Mari is a result of the group's intense survival situation, Shauna's actions may have pushed things too far.
After running away from the group in the Yellowjackets Season 3 premiere, Mari falls into a pit trap set by Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) and breaks her leg. It's been established at this point that Ben is the enemy of the Yellowjackets after they suspect him of burning down their cabin in Season 2.
Ben eventually rescues Mari from the pit and sets her up in his new cave, but he won't allow her to return to the team, fearing she will reveal to them he is alive.
While many of the Yellowjackets went out searching for Mari in the second episode of Season 3, Shauna refused to help.
At the same time, a rivalry for power is brewing between Natalie and Shauna in Season 3 and, if Shauna is successful in gaining leadership of the group, this could spell bad things for her enemies, particularly Mari.
That being said it's unclear what Mari's fate will be at this stage in Yellowjackets Season 3 or if she will ever return to the group after being a captive of Coach Ben.
New episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 are released on Paramount+ on Fridays at midnight P.T/ 3 a.m. ET.
