While YAGA Episodes 1 and 2 set the stage for this world created by Kat Sandler, Episode 3 “Good Boy” makes it crystal clear that this is a story of violence. And it almost feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath us from this spooky and sexy world that initially welcomed us. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing, especially because a mystery is always a disguise for a lesson we didn’t know we were going to learn. And oftentimes it’s a lesson wrapped in violence.
In Episode 2, we get to learn a lot more about Logan, the one labeled as a good boy when it comes to him and Henry. And the more we learn about him from Carson or his mother, it’s almost like Henry was seen as a poison in comparison. A poison that led Logan astray and made him do all the things that he did. But within that poison there’s something more nefarious born out of what the mother said, about how we have to temper and basically protect our boys from their baser nature.
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As someone who just came off of watching Love is Blind Episodes 9 through 11 of Season 11, this statement by Logan’s mother isn’t surprising. It’s the result of a patriarchal system that makes the man the default and the woman the option. And because the man is the default, his behaviors are seen as the norm without question, especially in how it affects a woman. Those behaviors that are said to be “natural” when it comes to men are often seen as dominance, uncontrollable sexual urges, and a violent nature.
This way of thinking is absolute trash on Love is Blind and it’s absolute trash on YAGA. The difference is that Love is Blind is more and more looking like a documentary of what to avoid when it comes to men and the reality of what’s out there in 2026. YAGA is a contained mystery of violence done by men and the supernatural force of the Baba Yaga seeking justice for said violence and their weak “baser nature.”
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Logan in particular, he wanted to be like Henry. So much so that he followed these violent instincts that incels like Henry wear like a crown instead of what it really is, a clown costume. Logan went down this path willingly. And the Baba Yaga made him pay in a truly brutal way. Now I haven’t read the play or watched it. I could be completely off base and there is a murderer in town. But the symbolism behind these deaths remains. Whoever is committing these murders is teaching a lesson and righting a wrong. And the path leads to Henry…
Outside of the journey and mystery that YAGA is building on, major kudos go to the actors of this miniseries. In the middle of this disappearance and the turmoil that comes from it, Noah Reid and Backo’s characters are electric and had a truly tension-defining moment between them that had me sitting at attention. And I love how Carrie-Anne Moss continues to intrigue and terrify while also making us laugh with her comment about what is John Wick.
Then there’s Hudson Williams. I know he’s a phenomenal actor because of Heated Rivalry, of course. But you can see his true range in the short films that he’s done across various genres. Considering his range and what kind of story we’re seeing blossom in YAGA, I’m kind of terrified but intrigued by what’s to come. Because Williams disappears into characters, leaving no trace of what he was or the characters he’s played before. So who are we going to meet when Henry appears? And how bad is Henry if Logan wanted to be like him and paid with his life for it?
YAGA releases new episodes every Friday on AMC+.
