The series follows a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team that travels to Seattle for a national tournament in 1996.
While flying over Canada, their plane crashes deep in the wilderness, and the surviving team members are left stranded for nineteen months.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.210 million household viewers and gained a 0.04 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
In the aftermath of the feast, Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) is shocked to find that the girls ate Jackie's corpse, and is further horrified when Van (Liv Hewson) tells her she took part in it despite claiming that she cannot remember it.
During the baby shower, birds begin to fall from the sky when Shauna's nose bleeds on the symbol stitched into her blanket.
At a café, Jeff (Warren Kole) questions Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) over her affair, believing she finds him boring.
At the commune, Lottie (Simone Kessell) tries to convince Natalie (Juliette Lewis) in participating in some activities with the members, which she flatly refuses.
The man who was once their leader is starving and terrified of them; Shauna's due date is imminent; and Lottie's blood magic is proving more frighteningly effective than Natalie specifically is ready to admit.
The hour is chock full of moving pieces, serving to properly introduce new characters, establish Lottie's tightening hold on the gang in the wilderness, and document the fraying edges of Ben's sanity.
"[5] Proma Khosla of IndieWire gave the episode a "B–" and wrote, "Yellowjackets continues to underscore that its tormented characters were their truest selves during the most harrowing, unfortunate time in their lives — and that they will never know peace after leaving it behind.
It may not be quite as dark or troubling as the previous episode — hard to top that feast in the woods — but it serves as the perfect digestif to wash it all down with.
"[9] Esther Zuckerman of The New York Times wrote, "Wood has such an easy, cheery demeanor that you almost think he meant to say Watson, Sherlock's partner.
"[10] Brittney Bender of Bleeding Cool gave the episode a perfect 10 out of 10 rating and wrote, "Showtime's Yellowjackets S02E03 "Digestif" is another example of the series stepping up to the challenge presented in a second season.
The emotional roller coaster, heartbreaking exploration of Ben's character, and haunting visions from the wilderness all prove how phenomenal these stories can become.