I’m Pretty Sure I Know Why Adult Tai Is Randomly Screaming In Yellowjackets Season 3 & It’s Terrifying

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6, “Thanksgiving (Canada).”

Yellowjackets‘ adult timeline is getting stranger in season 3, and Tai waking up screaming for help is among the many mysteries introduced in recent episodes. Ben’s captivity and death in the teen storyline takes center stage in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6. However, the adult survivors’ narrative is also getting tense, as Shauna and the others realize they’re being blackmailed over what they did in the Wilderness. While Tai seems the most collected after Lottie’s shocking Yellowjackets fate and the blackmail tape, cracks are starting to show.

This is especially true in “Thanksgiving (Canada),” which features two big hints that things aren’t quite right with adult Tai. First, Van gets a mysterious phone call, during which Tai asks for her help. When she shows up in the same room seconds later, everything seems fine — but she asks Van for help again later. Towards the end of Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6, Tai wakes up screaming while she’s in bed with Van. She yells for help before her expression shifts, then goes back to sleep. But I think I know the real reason Tai is screaming in this scene.

I Think “Other” Tai Has Been Taking Over Tai’s Body & Trapping Her Throughout Season 3

It Would Explain Her Strange Behavior & Sammy’s Reaction To Her

Adult Taissa has been acting strangely for most of Yellowjackets season 3, and her recent cries for help have led me to one conclusion: she’s being controlled by Other Tai. We’ve mostly seen Tai’s darker persona in the series’ past timeline, but several incidents in season 1 prove she’s still around years later. And I think she’s present more than anyone realizes, though it seems like Van is starting to catch on. Other Tai seems to be taking over Tai’s body in the adult timeline, a disturbing development if it proves true.

This would explain Tai’s indifference to Lottie’s death, her sudden cravings for meat, and the fact that Sammy doesn’t want to see her in Yellowjackets season 3. The last point is especially damning, since Sammy can tell the difference between Tai and her alter ego. And Other Tai is connected to the Wilderness, so her presence would make sense of adult Tai’s impulsive behavior and desire to make a sacrifice earlier in the season.

The real Tai is likely the one screaming, while Other Tai puts her back to sleep.

Additionally, Other Tai being in the driver’s seat would make sense of the calls for help, as it seems like the real Tai is attempting to break free from her control. It’s not clear how this back-and-forth is happening, but the real Tai is likely the one screaming, while Other Tai puts her back to sleep. You can even see the abrupt shift in her expression that indicates going from one persona to the other.

How Was The Real Tai Able To Call Van In Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 6?

It Leans Into The Show Having Supernatural Elements

In addition to screaming for help, episode 6’s phone call to Van supports the theory that Other Tai is in control. However, it raises a lot of questions about what Other Tai is, where she’s keeping the real Tai, and how their dynamic works. The jury is still out on whether Yellowjackets’ many oddities are actually supernatural, but episode 6 leans into the possibility. After all, it’s difficult to understand how Van receives a call from a landline phone that isn’t plugged in. And it’s hard to see how Tai made that call, then appeared in the room moments later.

It’s almost as though the real Tai makes that call separately from her alter ego, potentially suggesting she’s in another dimension or has the ability to control technology. The latter option would also explain why the lights flicker just before the telephone rings. It’s all very reminiscent of a horror movie, and it makes me think Other Tai is more than a manifestation of Tai’s trauma. She seems to be a wholly different entity with supernatural origins.

How Long Has Other Tai Been Taking Over Tai’s Body?

Likely Since The End Of Season 2 Or Beginning Of Season 3

If Other Tai is truly taking over Tai’s body in Yellowjackets season 3, this also leaves us to wonder how long she has been around. We know she’s present in season 1, but it seems unlikely that the real Tai is missing for the entire adult timeline. It’s possible she resurfaces at the end of Yellowjackets season 2, which would explain why Tai is so willing to participate in the hunt where Natalie dies. There’s also a chance she fully takes over at the beginning of season 3.

It seems like either Natalie’s death or the guilt of accidentally killing a waiter may have flipped the switch and let Other Tai in.

After all, the real Tai is probably the one who returns to pay the bill at the restaurant she and Van skipped out on. But Other Tai is almost definitely the one who suggests that Van’s health improvement is due to the Wilderness — and that they should do another hunt because of it. It seems like either Natalie’s death or the guilt of accidentally killing a waiter may have flipped the switch and let Other Tai in. Hopefully, Yellowjackets season 3 will offer more insight into what’s really going on, but one thing is certain: Tai isn’t all right.