By the end of season 1 of “Yellowjackets,” Jeff (Warren Kole), Shauna’s quiet and distant husband, became an unexpected favorite among fans. Throughout the season, viewers believed Jeff was cheating on Shauna, which made sense because their relationship began with Jeff cheating on Jackie.
However, in the season finale, we learned the truth: Jeff wasn’t cheating. Instead, he was blackmailing the surviving team members to save his struggling furniture store. While this seems bad, it’s still less shocking compared to Shauna’s big secret.
Not only had she been cheating on Jeff with another man, but she also killed him and now needs help hiding the crime. On top of that, she had been lying about her book club!
Since then, Jeff has shown himself to be a devoted husband, willing to help cover up his wife’s horrific crime. He even knows the disturbing things that happened during Shauna’s time in the wilderness, yet still loves her. He’s exactly the kind of person Shauna needs, likely the only one who can truly understand her, apart from her surviving teammates.
But as the investigation grows, Jeff’s loyalty is being tested. Warren Kole has expressed that he wonders if there’s a limit to what Jeff can handle. “Does he have a breaking point, how much can we stretch the fabric of Jeff?” Kole asked in an interview.
“I think he gets pushed close to it by the end of season 2… The reconstituting of Shauna as dark, savage Shauna, real-time, is terrifying.”
Is Jeff Cheating Shauna in Yellowjackets? What is the Real Truth?In a recent nightmare, Jeff fears Shauna when she has electric knives for hands and is trying to kill him. This funny and exaggerated scene works because Jeff has never been portrayed as a serious character.
However, it highlights an interesting contradiction in his character: he’s scared of his wife, but that fear is part of why he’s drawn to her. We can admire Jeff’s decision to stand by his wife despite the extreme pressure, but we also know it’s a bad choice for him and his daughter.
After the latest episode, it’s clearer than ever that supporting Shauna is a huge mistake. Shauna has already participated in planned cannibalism as a teenager, and now as an adult, she’s thinking about returning to the ritual sacrifices that helped the group survive in the wilderness.
If another person dies and things improve, Shauna might be more likely to kill again when things get tough.
Even so, we’re hoping Jeff remains loyal in the season 2 finale. Both he and his daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins) have shown they’re tougher than we first thought in season 1, and it would be a shame if murder caused either of them to leave the show. Jeff should probably start cooperating with the police, but for the sake of the show, let’s hope his fear of Shauna doesn’t make him act too quickly.