In “Yellowjackets,” no character is truly safe, as demonstrated by the fact that several main characters have been killed since the series began. One of the most poignant deaths occurred at the end of Season 2, when Natalie Scatorccio, portrayed by Juliette Lewis, dies from an accidental phenobarbital injection given by Misty Quigley, played by Christina Ricci. This leads to a haunting vision where Natalie finds herself back on the crashing plane. Remarkably, this outcome was planned from the time Lewis joined the cast, evident by the strong foreshadowing seen as early as Season 1.

Although fans were shocked by Natalie’s exit, Lewis was aware of her character’s fate well in advance, possibly from day one. “I very much knew [Natalie would be killed off]. I think I’m good for a series for two seasons,” she revealed to Variety after her character’s death was aired. The decision had been in the works for a long time, dictated by the storyline, yet it seems that Lewis’ own preference for film roles might have influenced her departure.

Hints laid out by the show’s writers suggested Natalie’s inevitable exit from the show. Karyn Kusama, director and executive producer, explained to The Hollywood Reporter that from the pilot episode, co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson have considered the enigmatic scene where Natalie imagines Misty during a party in the woods. This scene hinted at Misty’s future role in Natalie’s death, but there was also another reason for her character’s demise.

Why else did “Yellowjackets” kill off Natalie? Well, it reminded the audience that in a show filled with gruesome deaths, the series has undeniably heavy stakes, and the girls’ actions breed inescapable results, even if a character is played by a big star. “There can’t be consequences if you’re not going to have what they went through affect some of our seminal characters,” co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco told GamesRadar. “For better or worse, we hope that that’s understandable to our very dear audience, because if the impact doesn’t have an effect on them emotionally or psychologically, then what are we doing? Because that’s the conceit of the show.”

Natalie’s story arc also features her messy entanglement with death, whether through her drug addiction, nearly dying multiple times in the wilderness, or failing at killing herself. When you take all of that into consideration, then her death nearly becomes a wish fulfillment.

That the girls’ actions have consequences is a fact that the show has proven time and time again since Natalie’s death, including the murder of Lottie Matthews (Simone Kessell) and the death of Van Palmer (Lauren Ambrose) during Season 3. In short: the wilderness wants what it wants, and it will do whatever’s necessary to get what it needs — even if it means killing its acolytes.