"It's better to have loved the yetis and have them ignore you than to
have never loved the yetis at all."
--
Since all of this season's arcs were announced, the yeti arc has always
been the one I was most excited about. As far as creatures on the island
go, they've always had the most fascinating and defined mythology to me,
operating by the rules of their own complex society that feels shockingly
fleshed-out and spectacularly endearing. It should be telling that despite
only featuring prominently in two episodes spearheaded by Saxophone—the
early, series-defining "Saxophone Come Home" and Season 2's
equally-precious "Catacombs"—they've left such a strong impression.
The fact that the Yeti Confetti chapter also ushers forth five episodes
centered around Lucy only serves to sweeten the deal. I've sung my praises
of SCI's supporting cast in so many of my reviews, so make no
mistake about my enthusiasm: the greatest frustration with the show's
characters is just how much they flirt with being underutilized. While Max's
dry spell continues, though, it's awesome that someone who got a nice boost
from last season wasn't just driven to the forefront, but would be the
defining character of a whole leg of Season 3.
She's an interesting character for the show to work with, too. Lucy is, at once, both callous and sincere, and that gives her an interesting bite amid such an otherwise sweet and amiable cast, especially because (unlike her closest snark equivalent, Susie) she's equally defined by her naivete. She'll talk the talk about dense yeti lore, but also fawn clingily over a unicorn in the same breath. "Don't Tell Lucy" and "The Yum Whisperer" do a great job of exploring that duality, setting the Yeti Confetti arc at a promising, if rather slow, start.