Yellowjackets premieres on Showtime Nov. 14, 2021, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

It’s often been the default in survivalist storytelling to show men as the ones who devolve to their basest natures first as the women remain the measured purveyors of decency. Yellowjackets blasts that trope into oblivion by fully embracing that when pressed into dire circumstances, women behave very badly as well.

The Showtime original series is showrun by Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco, with Lyle and Nickerson writing the pilot directed by horror veteran Karyn Kusama (The Invitation). Together they put the ingredients of a coming-of-age drama, a psychological thriller, and a brutally grisly “last girl” horror movie into a story blender, and then remand all those pulpy ingredients into the hands of their fabulously cast ensemble of younger and older actresses who share playing the characters in 1996 or 2021.

The Yellowjackets of the title refers to the name of the New Jersey high school girl’s soccer team imminently heading to the 1996 nationals. Led by popular team captain Jackie (Ella Purnell), the players are a disparate collection of competitive personalities plagued by all of the age-appropriate Achilles’ heels you might expect, from petty jealousy to Machiavellian backstabbing and plain old boy trouble. The 1996 flashbacks are interwoven into the story in the now, so we get to see the early dynamics of the team for context. There are plenty of hotheads like Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and punk outcast Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), along with the secret keepers like Shauna (Sophie Nelisse) and perky Misty (Sammi Hanratty). Each have complicated lives to navigate in their social pecking order, and moral compasses that will inform their actions in the wake of a terrible shared plane crash.

As they fly in a parent-provided private jet to their game, the plane has a catastrophic failure that will kill their pilots, leaving the team and their coaches in the middle of a remote forest. The crash outcome is in another set of flashbacks told in non-linear fashion that allows the girls and their adult chaperons to be tested with life-and-death choices. Those decisions will shake them all to their core, and challenge our suppositions of how we think they’ll act based on what we saw of their average suburban lives.

These two timeframes are then expertly stitched together with the present, where we are introduced to just some of the high school girls now grown up. It’s 25 years past that life-changing experience in the woods, but all of the survivors are still emotionally stuck in that moment in time. Melanie Lynskey is adult Shauna, a suburban wife and mother who regularly defers to the needs of her family with a barely repressed seething rage. Juliette Lewis is the former punk Natalie, with a blackly comedic sensibility honed in rehab. And Tawny Cypress’ Taissa is the successful wife and mother running for Senate trying to keep her “perfect” façade in place.

Figuring out who else is alive and kicking from that crash is a big part of the fun in trying to deconstruct the show’s complex but well-structured narratives for clues. Despite bouncing between storylines a lot in the introductory hour, it’s not confusing because the actresses all have unifying physical traits. More importantly, each pass their emotional batons seamlessly across the timeline with astonishing consistency. It’s like every actress is channeling their counterpart, which is just as spooky as the crazy things going on the longer the girls are stuck in those woods.

Speaking of which, the show embraces the visceral from the very start, so beware if your threshold for watching graphic, implied cannibalism or the outcome of nasty injuries is low. Yellowjackets will test your thresholds, which is keeping with what the narrative does to each of the characters. But the overall mystery is worth some eye aversion. Reveals come when you least expect them in the past and the present, along with new questions to ponder. Every character interaction has purpose, with each in revealing new puzzle pieces that make it impossible not to lean into the unsettling scenarios with abandon.

Allison Cimino of RockLove Jewelry didn’t intend to become a jewelry designer – let alone one who collaborates with some of the most popular franchises in entertainment and games like Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, and The Elder Scrolls. However, it became a natural fit after she studied abroad in an apprenticeship in Florence, Italy.

“Licensing was not even a glimmer of an idea,” Cimino said. “I thought that boutique jewelry was kind of the way to go and what everybody was doing.”

After working with artists and authors, it was a collaboration Cimino did with Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser, that gained the attention of Star Trek. CBS then inquired if RockLove wanted to make a Star Trek collection in 2014, which came with other properties that Cimino was able to create collections for as well.

“That was why I ended up in this niche of historical jewelry with things like Vikings on History channel, Penny Dreadful, and Twin Peaks. It was very much anything that was in history, fantasy, or sci-fi. Then also, the collaborations with the video games, which again was all these awesome relics that could be articulated,” Cimino said.

Cimino uses age-old techniques that involve a very labor-intensive, yet high-quality process for every RockLove Jewelry piece, and is known for the intricate, articulated details she includes on her designs.

Historical Jewelry Methods for Modern Times

“With old-world jewelry techniques, much of jewelry is handcrafted in the first place – I specifically employ the lost wax casting method, which means you perfect this original, and then you use a mold and casting process to make the multiples, and everything is done by hand from, injecting wax to pouring metal, to polish, and finishing it,” Cimino explained.

“And then the nerdy factor that I like to do that many people don't necessarily recognize, but it's just a personal jeweler calling card, is this level of articulation. In Edwardian and Victorian jewelry, there was a lot of what is known as mechanical jewelry. So there were lockets and things that would open or flip, and spin.”

Cimino explained this historical technique diminished once the world began to mass-produce jewelry, so she loves bringing it back in today’s world. “It's more like engineering rather than designing. In a fast-fashion demographic where you could just throw resin shellac paint on it and call it a day, I want premium hard enamel where you're seeing glossy transparency beneath, and it's part of the story."

From tiny, articulated legs that dangle on Star Wars droids, to Doctor Strange and Frozen rings that spin, to a Coco guitar locket where music notes pour out of the necklace for Mama Coco’s favorite song, Cimino finds ways to incorporate articulation whenever she can. “Those little touches tell the story, but are also a nod to hundreds of years of jewelry craftsmanship,” Cimino said.

Gotta Catch 'em All

To celebrate Pokémon’s 25th anniversary, RockLove has revealed their latest collection is a new Pokémon collaboration. RockLove’s current Pokémon collections are primarily made up of three-dimensional, fan-favorite characters, and the new line is meant to complement what fans might already have in their collection. The new pieces are focused less on characters and more on custom crystals, with the iconic Poké Ball as a minimalist focal point.

The new Pokémon collection includes: Crystal Poke Ball Dangle Earrings ($115 USD), Crystal Poke Ball Necklace ($99 USD), Crystal Poke Ball Ring ($99 USD), and Crystal Poke Ball Stud Earrings ($85 USD).

“It's even kind of telling a reinterpreted story,” Cimino said. “Maybe this is the poké ball catching that character. Maybe this is the poké ball the character normally lives in. It's open to interpretation, but it's not just the iconography – it's the way that the poké ball and the Pokemon interact and it gets clear in that storytelling.”

Working With Marvel and Disney

After years of showing the high-quality, authentic designs Cimino can create, RockLove is now able to work with basically any franchise they’re interested in – but it doesn’t happen overnight and generally takes at least a year from start to finish.

When working with studios, including Disney Animation, Pixar, or Marvel, Cimino is often the only person on the team who the studios will share access to props ahead of the release, and she then creates a piece out of a small glimpse into the show or movie – such as with WandaVision – which is why RockLove collections are expanded upon later as more episodes or films premiere.

“That's always very limited because they don't want to spoil the magic. And even the people that are working on the magic, only see a small section of the big picture,” Cimino said.

“Something awesome in a Loki episode will inspire me and I did not know about it before,” Cimino explained. “So now, I’m sketching my proposal and we’re starting the sculpting and the whole process. But, I'm inspired the same moment everybody else is inspired, watching the episode as it drops on Disney Plus. So in those instances, that's why there will be a release of something, maybe six months later, because I got really excited about something new.”

One of the continually expanded upon collections is RockLove’s Star Wars lines, which has a mix of favorite characters and props from the original trilogy, the sequel trilogy, a special Ahsoka Tano collection, a more recent Kyber Crystal collection featuring characters’ lightsabers (with more releasing in 2022), and The Mandalorian.

Cimino created The Meditating Child Necklace after watching The Mandalorian episode along with everyone else when it was released on Disney+. “That's exactly where I watched the episode where he's meditating on the rock and I was just, internally squee-ing that I needed to make it as a piece of jewelry or my life could not go on. And so, six months later, The Meditating Child comes out and it just completes my creative life cycle,” Cimino said.

RockLove on Inclusivity in the Industry

“The term 'RockLove' comes from the music and kind of the circus industry, in which two people, two artists that respect and are inspired by each other, create new art together,” Cimino explained. “So maybe you're a dancer and a musician or an artist that's painting and another kind of figural performer or storyteller. And you are, your Rock Loves, you unite and inspire to create something even better together, with your artistic prowess. So that was RockLove.”

RockLove’s outlook is that jewelry is for all different body types without constraints on specific bodies or genders. “It's just about what's your style,” Cimino said. It doesn't matter what your body size is or your, or your gender identity, because if you feel like you can rock it, we just wanna make sure that we're making sizes that can fit as many people as possible.”

In terms of working as a woman in the industry, Cimino said she’s proud of how involved women are in the licensing industry. “One of the things that I'm really excited and proud of is that the licensing industry is very female involved. Now that doesn't necessarily mean they are the CEOs, owners, and presidents, but the management right up to VP level people in the consumer products industry – the majority of them that I work with are women.”

“Even the video game consumer products side, which is a doubled-down male-dominated industry. There are some really creative, amazing, organized, capable women in this category of business. I definitely want to continue to be a part of that and mentor other women in this industry so that licensing can stand above as a safe space for creative capable women in business,” Cimino said.

RockLove has been collaborating with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast for the Magic: The Gathering X RockLove line, which Cimino confirms will have new pieces added to the collection in the new year. Additionally, she revealed to IGN that the Dungeons & Dragons license has been added and the team has been creating a significant quantity of Dungeons & Dragons X RockLove designs that will debut in 2022.

For more on past RockLove collections, check out our interview with Cimino for the Star Wars at SDCC collaboration, RockLove's Doctor Strange Collection, and the recent Ahsoka Tano Star Wars line. If you're excited for more Pokémon, check out everything we know about the upcoming Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl game.

Jessie Wade is Homepage Manager at IGN and adores Star Wars, Marvel, and Pokemon. You can chat with her on Twitter @jessieannwade.

As Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy launches, Rockstar has confirmed that it has removed some cheats from the game due to technical reasons, although it's not yet clear which ones.

During the lead-up to the launch of GTA: The Trilogy, social media has been abuzz with fans discussing and sharing their favourite cheat codes from across the original games. However, for its remasters, Rockstar told USA Today that some of those cheats haven't been brought over to the latest release due to technical reasons.

“We actually had to remove a couple for technical reasons, certain things that didn’t play well in the Unreal base,” producer Rich Rosado explained. “But that’s actually where I’ll leave it. There’s some fun with discovery. I’m not saying plus or minus, but I’d rather not just go right on the nose before the release of the game and go straight to the end credits.”

Despite confirming that some of the game's cheats had been removed between iterations, Rosaldo alludes to the possibility that the game may include a number of new cheats for players to discover. While cheats certainly add a new layer of chaos and fun to the mix across the GTA series, it should be noted that (according to GameRant) using them may lock players out of a number of trophies and achievements.

In other related news, Rockstar recently released its full song list for the collection of remasters. Across the three games, the publisher has confirmed that each of the original 29 radio stations as seen in the original versions will be returning. While a number of tracks such as Michael Jackson's Billie Jean won't be coming back due to expired licensing deals, fans will be able to enjoy a range of nostalgic hits through high-quality audio (16bit 44hrz) and in 5.1 Surround Sound.

For more on Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, make sure to check out this article showing how the game looks when running on Nintendo Switch.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Amazon's Black Friday deals are (and have been) live, much earlier than usual, but then again these are strange times. The Instant Pot is always a huge deal on Black Friday, and Amazon has it, and a bunch more kitchen stuff, on sale right now. These are awesome deals on awesome kitchen appliances. Can't recommend the Instant Pot enough. It's like magic.

Black Friday Instant Pot Deals at Amazon

It's more than JUST the Instant Pot, as you can see. The brand makes a whole slew of useful kitchen appliances like blenders and convection ovens.

Of the current crop of kitchen deals, I'd say the Instant Pot Blender is probably the best. For $39.99 you get a sweet blender with a glass pitcher that also heats your drinks/soups/whatever. It makes my current blender look worthless. I am slightly ashamed of it.

Amazon, and everyone else, has started the Black Friday shopping season early. The global supply chain is still out of sorts and shipping delays are very real. To combat the Black Friday bottleneck, we're seeing sale prices on all sorts of items long before the actual November 26 Black Friday start date.

If you're looking for the best 4K TV deal for Black Friday, I recommend checking out the LG C1 promotion happening at Amazon right now. You get one of the best OLED TVs around for a discount and it includes 6 months of HBO Max for free.

Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.

Ubisoft has announced that Vaas: Insanity, the first of Far Cry 6's roguelike premium expansions will arrive on Tuesday, November 16.

According to a press release the DLC – which sees actor Michael Mando return to play the iconic villain role – will be available for players to download on November 16 and can be purchased as part of the game's Season Pass.

Unlike Far Cry 6's main story, Vaas: Insanity will lean into the roguelike genre through its "die and retry" gameplay when it releases later this month. "Starting with nothing more than a pistol to defend themselves," the studio explains, "players will need to find new weapons and unlock power-ups to become stronger and progress deeper into the depths of Vaas’ psyche."

Ubisoft says that fans will get a "unique opportunity to better understand Vaas' past, personal demons, and motivations," through a blend of "intense action and storytelling."

While Vaas: Insanity is due out on November 16, it will act as the first of three episodic adventures – with each focusing on a different Far Cry villain. As previously reported by IGN last month, the two remaining adventures will centre around Far Cry 4's Pagan Min and Far Cry 5's Joseph Seed when they launch in January and March 2022 respectively.

Fans looking to delve into Far Cry 6's upcoming Season Pass content can do so across a range of different platforms. Upon its release next week, the additional DLC will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia – as well as on PC through the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store.

In other related Far Cry 6 news, Ubisoft recently took the decision to pull a mission from the game in which players worked alongside Hollywood actor Danny Trejo. According to the studio, the mission – "Dani & Danny vs Everybody" was added to the game by mistake while still being a work-in-progress. While some fans noted that they had already completed the mission before it was pulled, the studio says that it will return to Far Cry 6 in the future.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.