Yellowjackets Season 3: Has the ‘Other Tai’ finally taken over Adult Taissa?

Every Yellowjackets fan has gone down the rabbit hole of dissecting the show's wildest theories, from Callie being 'Pit Girl' to the mysterious identity of the cabin arsonist. With Season 3's release, a Tai theory has buzzed around my mind, claiming her alter ego has already taken over.

Rumors about this takeover began when the actress of the adult Taissa Turner, Tawny Cypress, did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She states, "I think you're gonna come to find that you've been watching Other Tai a lot more than you thought." Since I heard about this interview, I've started to look at Tai through a different lens, particularly during Episode 3. Now, I'm increasingly questioning whether this is the same headstrong Tai we know and love, or is it the dirt lover that's become the stuff of nightmares?

Throughout the series, Taissa has switched between her "primary" self and the Other Tai, also known as Dark Tai. When she's herself, she's a downright non-believer of the wilderness' spirituality, but when the other being takes over, she's more attuned to nature and taps into her primal state. It's pretty clear when she makes the switch. "Normal" Tai always says something negative about the darkness inside her and the wilderness. But if she's got dirt or blood on her fingers and a sinister look in her eyes, you can bet it's Other Tai.

Season 3 is shaping up to be much different as the switch becomes more challenging to decipher. But before I go on any further, keep in mind that there will be Season 3 Episode 3 spoilers ahead.

Episode 3 basically confirms Other Tai is now here to stay

By the looks of it, you could say that Dark Tai hasn't even come out to play in Season 3. She's happily in love with Van, goes out on a date, and lives the everyday life of a human. You would think that Other Tai wouldn't have this capability of being normal, given that this form has only ever been tied to killings and scaring the crap out of her son late at night. But that's just what Dark Tai wants you to think.

I believe that this alter ego does have the ability to be a "normal person" just for the sake of taking full control of the driver's seat. Remember, Tai has been rejecting this primal state repeatedly, and now it has finally gotten ahold of her with this new strategy. It certainly fooled me at first, but Episode 3 has some apparent signs that the primary Tai is no longer with us.

One of the most significant pieces of evidence is when Tai calls to the wilderness when Van unexpectedly gets a chance for remission. Typically, she would never hop onto the nature train, and I bet she would lean more toward a scientific or practical reason behind it. But alas, this does not happen, and it seemed pretty strange for her to be so out of character. Even Van looks at her as if she doesn't know who this person is, and she does this quite a lot throughout the episode.

Another clear indicator of Dark Tai's takeover occurs during this scene when she tries to convince Van that the waiter's death was a necessary sacrifice. Given that Van has essentially been cured of her prognosis after the waiter's demise, she calls this new change of fate a "gift." Tai has never been one to say that sacrifices are a blessing. This ideology sounds more like Dark Tai, who has constantly fed into the gloom of the wilderness.

Tai continues to sink further into darkness by Episode 3's conclusion, where she seeks to find the origins behind the Man with No Eyes. Despite her previous rejection of it, she wants to know the truth. In a way, she's accepting it, making it easier for Dark Tai to come in.

A Restaurant Easter Egg could be hinting at Tai's current state

If you dig deeper into Yellowjackets Season 3, you may notice an Easter Egg linked to the restaurant Tai and Van go to. Reddit user NeedleworkerExtra475 indicates the matches she picks up with the words "Pas D’âme," which translates to "No soul" in French.

It could be the showrunner's subtle way of hinting at Tai's corruption. I had wondered why the camera shot had lingered a few seconds on this set of matches, and now it all makes sense. Dark Tai has always given me the impression of being completely soulless, especially with her dark gaze. This conspiracy has also raised the question of whether or not Taissa was the one who set the cabin on fire. I mean, it is something that lights things on fire, right?

With all this evidence piling up, it seems highly likely that Dark Tai is now in the driver's seat. But one question remains: When did she truly take over? One could say that it's happened since the start of Season 3. Taissa's been much more reckless than usual, skipping out on bills and having Van live in her family home.

On the other hand, some fans believe that Dark Tai has been with us since the plane crash. Many parts of her life after the plane's downfall are foggy memories, which only really happen when her alter ego takes over. In comparing the two options, I'm leaning more toward the theory of Season 3 being the start of it. Maybe Normal Tai sees Dark Tai as a way to save Van, so she's letting it take over. Even if it means she won't be herself anymore, she can at least rescue the love of her life.

I'm curious to see where this theory will go with the new episodes set for Yellowjackets Season 3. Will we finally see Dark Tai in full force? Or will Normal Tai make her return? Hopefully, this season clears it up. But if there's anything I know about Yellowjackets, it's that we're always somehow left with more questions than answers.

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