Yellowjackets has established itself as one of television’s most compelling dramas since its debut in 2021. The Emmy-nominated series masterfully weaves together two timelines: the harrowing survival story of a high school soccer team stranded in the wilderness after a 1996 plane crash and their adult lives decades later as they grapple with the psychological aftermath of their traumatic experience. Thanks to the series’ mix of layered characters and supernatural intrigue, each episode of Yellowjackets keeps fans waiting for more while trying to piece together the truth behind its biggest mysteries. Season 3 began strong, with a two-episode premiere that set the stage for this season’s biggest developments. Now, Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3, makes some shocking revelations about what unfolded in the wilderness.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3
Episode 3 of Yellowjackets moves the plot forward as Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) struggles with the fact he has kidnapped Mari (Alexa Barajas) in this season’s second episode. Meanwhile, in the present, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) has to deal with the inconvenient presence of Lottie (Simone Kessell), which might have devastating consequences for Callie (Sarah Desjardins). It’s a good episode that ends with a psychedelic trip that leaves fans wondering what’s real and what’s not.
Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 3 Recap
As usual, Yellowjackets packs an incredible amount of twists and turns. So, as we’ve been doing since Season 3, Episode 1, let’s break down the new episode scenes one by one.
Too Sexy for This Cave
The episode opens against a black screen as Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” plays. We then find Mari in Coach Ben’s underground lair, performing her own version of the song with the modified lyrics “I’m too sexy for this cave.” Her sad karaoke performance is interrupted by Coach Ben’s arrival carrying two metal plates with cooked bat, a treat he admits isn’t great but will help them find sustenance. Ben’s bitter comment that Mari “must be used to better now” clearly references the team’s cannibalistic practices. Mari launches into a transparent attempt at manipulation, pretending to really enjoy Ben’s cooking while “accidentally” confessing a long-standing crush on him. He systematically dismantles her deception, reminding her how she once called him a “pervert failure” during gym class, to which Mari claims it was just a ploy to get detention time with him. When Ben brings up the “raging gonorrhea” rumor she spread, Mari attempts to explain it as a strategy to push away competition. As Mari feigns being cold and suggests Ben help warm her up, he not only reveals he’s gay but delivers a scathing rejection, stating he would “prefer to push a dull object against his eye until it touches the base of his skull” than touch her sexually.
The Coach walks away from Mari, and she asks if he’ll finish his bat. Feeling sorry for the girl, Ben returns to give her his share of the food. The scene takes a violent turn when Mari manages to grab the bear spray from Ben’s belt, using it to blind him. In the ensuing struggle, Mari gets sprayed as well, and they both end up rolling on the ground, blinded, with Mari screaming while Ben underlines Mari’s at fault.
[Intro Plays]
Blood Results
In the present timeline, Van (Lauren Ambrose) sits tensely in her doctor’s office, having been called in specifically to discuss her latest blood results. What should be bad news transforms into a shocking revelation: her Stage 4 cancer has stopped metastasizing. The doctor emphasizes just how unprecedented this is, stating she has never seen anything like it in her entire career. As the doctor’s voice fades into the background, the camera focuses on Van’s face as she processes this information, clearly wondering if Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) sacrifice to the wilderness spirits at the end of Season 2 played a role in this miraculous development.
Busy Schedule
At her home, Shauna busies herself making pancakes for breakfast when Callie arrives in the kitchen. Her daughter sarcastically suggests she should try getting expelled next time instead of just being suspended, noting how well her homeschooling schedule is working out. Shauna matches her daughter’s irony, expressing belief in Callie’s potential to be expelled. Their interaction is interrupted by Lottie’s arrival, prompting Shauna to extend a breakfast invitation. Lottie declines, explaining that the psychiatric ward’s food was filled with lard, which she believes acted as a sedative, necessitating a “reset” now that she’s free. When Shauna attempts to schedule a lunch to “catch up,” Lottie again declines, claiming a busy schedule – a suspicious claim given her recent admission of having nowhere to go. Nevertheless, Lottie leaves the house, leaving mother and daughter alone in the kitchen. Before leaving, Callie requests chocolate chips in her pancakes, stating they “suck” without them. The scene features multiple meaningful glances between Lottie and Callie, their complicitous looks suggesting a growing alliance that visibly unsettles Shauna.
Scones to Die For
The ringing phone breaks the morning silence, and Shauna answers, asking if the caller isn’t too hungover for such an early call. Misty (Christina Ricci) confidently responds that she can hold her liquor. The scene transitions to show Misty at her workplace, performing her regular duties at the nursing home while continuing the conversation. When Shauna confronts her about leaving Lottie and Callie alone the previous evening, Misty deflects by claiming she was being strategic and uncovered valuable intelligence. Shauna’s demand for immediate information is met with Misty’s insistence that she can’t talk from work, suggesting instead they meet at a café with scones that are to die for. The conversation ends with Misty promising to send the café’s address.
Two Realities
Back in the past timeline, we find Mari in obvious pain as Coach Ben pours clean water into her eyes to help wash away the bear spray. Both sport red, swollen, teary eyes from their earlier confrontation. Ben questions Mari about her plan after grabbing the spray, pointing out the futility given she’s still restrained. Mari admits to “winging it,” confessing her lack of experience with being kidnapped. Ben acknowledges his own inexperience with the situation and opens up about the absurdity of their circumstances. He shares his suburban background and how he only became a substitute teacher to pay off student loans, contrasting sharply with his current reality of holding a teenage girl captive in an underground lair.
Ben’s emotional breakdown is punctuated by the sudden intrusion of beast-like screams and growls cutting through the air. When Ben asks if Mari can hear the sounds, her affirmative response leads to a profound moment of connection. Mari shares a deeply personal story about watching her four-year-old cousin die of brain cancer, describing how she continued watching cartoons in the living room after her death while waiting for her parents. This leads to Mari’s theory about two coexisting realities – one normal, one horrific – where the bad reality usually hides itself but remains equally real. The conversation ends with Mari offering Ben a way out, suggesting she could return to camp with a story about hurting her knee and getting lost, never mentioning his survival. When she questions Ben about his long-term plans for keeping her captive, his lack of response reveals he’s been improvising all along.
Shoplifting With Friends
The present timeline follows Lottie browsing clothes at a store until Callie arrives, apologizing for her tardiness and explaining how Shauna’s impromptu physics quiz ended quickly due to her mother’s limited understanding of thermodynamics. When Lottie questions Callie’s interest in spending time with her, Callie references how Lottie once chased Shauna with a knife in the woods, yet they remained friends, finding this dynamic intriguing. Lottie acknowledges this appeal but pushes deeper, asking Callie how she would define herself without fear of embarrassment or shame. Though Callie struggles to understand the question, Lottie insists she’s one of the few capable of answering it if she chooses to. The philosophical moment transitions to practical rebellion as Lottie helps Callie shoplift a $1,500 dress, demonstrating her expertise by pointing out the store’s lack of sensors and the guards’ absence. Callie’s clear admiration for Lottie’s willingness to break the law shows her growing influence over Shauna’s daughter.
It’s Kismet
At the coffee shop, Misty faces intense interrogation from Shauna about her actions during the sleepover. She maintains everything was part of a plan to prevent Lottie from revealing key secrets, though her nervous demeanor suggests otherwise. When Shauna attempts to leave, citing numerous errands, Misty’s phone conveniently signals a canceled staff meeting, allowing her to offer help. Despite Shauna’s attempts to discourage her by mentioning mundane tasks like finding an apology gift basket for Jeff’s (Warren Kole) potential clients and a podiatrist appointment, Misty persists, offering solutions and expressing willingness to wait in reception. The scene ends with Shauna’s visible defeat as Misty refuses to take any of her hints to leave.
A Sacrifice and a Gift
We find Taissa (Tawny Cypress) reading an online article about the dead waiter when Van (Lauren Ambrose) arrives, still processing her shocking medical news. They simultaneously announce having confessions to make, leading to a playful “you go first” exchange. Van finally reveals her oncologist’s news about her cancer stopping its growth and possibly entering partial remission. Though Van attempts to downplay the development by mentioning pending tests and potential errors, Taissa responds with pure joy, leading to a moment of shared tears and laughter. The celebratory mood shifts when Taissa reveals the waiter’s death, leading them both to contemplate a disturbing possibility: that the waiter’s death and Natalie’s sacrifice somehow led to Van’s miraculous recovery. While Van tries to dismiss these thoughts, Taissa creates an ominous atmosphere by lighting a candle and chanting, “We hear the Wilderness, and it hears us,” leaving Van visibly disturbed by this dark interpretation of her good fortune.
Decisions
The past timeline returns to Coach Ben’s lair, where he approaches a restrained Mari with a knife in hand. Despite her protests about her injured knee, Ben orders her to stand until she complies. The tension builds as Ben clearly struggles with his next move, ultimately choosing to cut Mari free. His moment of mercy is repaid with betrayal as Mari kicks away his crutch during her escape, causing him to fall and hit his head.
Worst Friend Ever
In the present timeline, Misty and Shauna find themselves in a terrifying situation inside Shauna’s minivan when they discover the brakes aren’t working. As Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie” provides a chaotic soundtrack, Shauna desperately maneuvers the vehicle through a park, narrowly avoiding a playground full of children before finally stopping the minivan by using a hill and the hand brake. Once safe, Shauna immediately turns on Misty, accusing her of tampering with the car and leaving the mysterious phone in the restaurant bathroom. Misty vehemently denies both accusations, logically pointing out that she could have died, too. The confrontation escalates as Shauna lists every disturbing thing Misty has done, including holding people hostage and carrying syringes with deadly drugs. After being called “insane” and a “psycho,” Misty is kicked out of the minivan, finally acknowledging Shauna as “the worst friend ever” before storming away, furious at being blamed for actions she claims she didn’t commit.
Don’t Be Boring
In the past timeline, we find Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) by a creek, writing in her journal, when Melissa (Jenna Burgess) arrives to discuss their recent kiss. Shauna’s initial coldness slightly thaws as she permits Melissa to stay, though her instruction “not to be boring” reveals her continued manipulation of Melissa’s feelings. Their potential romantic moment is interrupted by Misty’s (Samantha Hanratty) announcement of Mari’s return to camp.
Let the Hunt Begin
The camp erupts in celebration of Mari’s return, though the mood quickly shifts as Shauna arrives with aggressive questioning about Mari’s absence. Under pressure, Mari explains her dislocated knee and falling into a hole, but when Shauna presses for more details about climbing out with an injured knee, Mari reveals Coach Ben’s survival and capture of her. Van (Liv Hewson) immediately exclaims that she knew Coach had lost his mind, while Gen (Vanessa Prasad) expresses concern for Mari’s ordeal. Shauna’s immediate response is to demand directions to Ben’s lair, dismissing Natalie’s (Sophie Thatcher) attempts to dissuade her by citing Ben’s attempt to burn them alive in the cabin. When Mari offers to help track the location, Shauna begins preparing for the hunt, extending an open invitation for others to join.
Non-Believers
As Akhila (Nia Sondaya) prepares to join the search party, Lottie (Courtney Eaton) attempts to dissuade her, insisting the Coach Ben situation is merely a distraction from their true purpose of communing with the wilderness and discovering its desires. Akhila’s visible annoyance leads to a dismissive response, prompting Lottie to question her continued disbelief “after everything that happened.” While Akhila walks away without responding, Travis (Kevin Alves) observes the entire interaction from a distance.
What a Beautiful Necklace!
In the present timeline, Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” fills the kitchen as Lottie and Callie sing along while cooking and drinking wine together. Shauna’s arrival is met with Lottie’s explanation of their “thank you” dinner preparations, a gesture of gratitude for the family’s hospitality. The seemingly pleasant scene shatters when Shauna notices Callie wearing Jackie’s (Ella Purnell) necklace – the same one seen around “pit girl’s” neck in the series’ opening episode. Learning that Lottie gave Callie the necklace leads to an explosive confrontation, with Shauna demanding to know how Lottie still had possession of it. Lottie’s cryptic response about it “feeling right” to give Callie the necklace and that Shauna is wrong about “what it means” only escalates the conflict. Shauna orders Lottie to leave immediately, calling her insane and violently ripping the necklace from Callie’s neck. After Lottie and Callie leave the kitchen, Shauna’s rage culminates in her destroying all the dinner preparations and throwing pots and ingredients to the floor while screaming.
Want Some Ice Cream?
In Taissa’s home, we find her and Van sharing a cozy moment on the couch, eating chips while watching a VHS recording of Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Taissa reminisces about her love for the show, revealing she watched it every time it aired. Van’s response offers a stark contrast to this happy childhood memory, explaining she missed the show because she was usually busy slapping her drunken mother awake and forcing her to go to work. Taissa responds tenderly, telling Van how she grew up to be a happy, beautiful woman despite her sad childhood. The intimate moment deepens as Taissa expresses her joy at having more time with Van, referring to her cancer remission.
As they kiss and cuddle, their moment is interrupted by a commercial on the VHS tape for Ozzie’s Homemade Ice Cream Parlor. The advertisement features a disturbing image of the Man with No Eyes getting ice cream, complete with goofy cartoon eyes popping out of his usually empty eye sockets. Taissa becomes frantic, desperately asking Van if she’s seeing the same thing. Van attempts to calm her, confirming she sees the man but notably not sharing Taissa’s fear. The scene takes a revelatory turn as Taissa pieces together her past, realizing this commercial from her childhood might be the origin of her Man with No Eyes visions that began after her grandmother’s death.
When the parlor’s address appears on the screen – Rte. 9 Piscataway – Taissa immediately grabs her phone to check if the place still exists. Upon discovering the store is permanently out of business, Taissa becomes determined to visit the location despite Van’s practical question about what she hopes to accomplish at a closed establishment. The scene ends with Taissa rambling about the significance of this discovery while Van watches, clearly conflicted about whether to follow Taissa down this potentially dangerous path.
[RELATED: Yellowjackets: What Happened to the “Bonus” Season 2 Episode?]
Let It Burn
Misty arrives at her place, her anger from Shauna’s accusations still visibly consuming her. She moves purposefully to a fireplace mantle, where she grabs a framed photo that captures a moment between her, Shauna, Taissa, and Natalie in their adult years. Her movements are deliberate as she violently breaks the frame’s glass, removing the photo from among the shards. Without hesitation, she lights the photo on fire. Instead of watching it burn, she storms out of the living room, leaving behind this symbol of their friendship. The camera holds steady on the photo as it shrinks under the heat of the flames, each curl of the paper erasing another piece of their shared history until it’s consumed entirely by the fire.
Unusual Kindness
In the past timeline, Mari leads the Yellowjackets through the woods as night has fallen. The survivors illuminate their path with torches and lanterns, moving in a single line through the darkness. Mari suddenly stops, prompting immediate complaints from Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) about the delay. Mari maintains her composure, carefully explaining to the group that she isn’t lost but must take time to remember the correct path to Ben’s lair. In an unexpected moment of gentleness that contrasts sharply with her earlier aggressive behavior, Shauna speaks up in support of Mari, telling her to take all the time she needs to get her bearings. This unusual display of kindness from Shauna gives Mari the confidence she needs, and she begins walking again, leading the group deeper into the wilderness.
Breaking and Entering
In the present timeline, Taissa and Van pull up to the ice cream parlor, finding a building that’s clearly been falling to pieces after what appears to be decades of disuse. As Taissa approaches the door and discovers it’s locked, Van attempts to dissuade her from going further. Undeterred, Taissa searches the area until she finds a crowbar, immediately setting to work on breaking down the door. Van’s protests about the criminal nature of their actions are met with Taissa’s sardonic response that “it wouldn’t be their first” crime – a dark reminder of their shared past. When Van presses Taissa about what exactly she’s looking for inside the abandoned parlor, Taissa’s admission that she doesn’t know reveals the desperate nature of her quest. Once inside the dark building, they find nothing immediately out of the ordinary until they’re startled by the unmistakable sound of an animal growling, followed by another animal’s scream. Through a broken window, they witness a brutal scene: a coyote with its jaws firmly locked around a rabbit’s bloody neck. The violence of the moment prompts Taissa to directly address the coyote, asking what it wants. Van’s response comes as a chilling whisper that seems to echo in the empty building: “It wants more.”
In the Belly of the Beast
Mari finally leads the group to the entry of Coach Ben’s underground lair. Just as Shauna prepares to enter, Misty interrupts the moment with clear hesitation in her voice. Natalie steps forward to address the assembled group, forcing them to confront what they think will happen once they enter the cave. She emphasizes that they don’t have to proceed, that returning to camp remains an option. Akhila’s firm response that they “have to go inside” is suddenly cut short by a piercing screech cutting through the air – the same sound that disrupted their Summer Solstice celebration. The unexpected noise causes Gen to react instinctively, firing her weapon toward the treetops in fear. Taking control of the increasingly tense situation, Natalie declares she’ll take point and strategically positions several survivors as guards outside the entrance.
The group’s descent into the cave reveals narrow, winding corridors that eventually lead to a crucial bifurcation. One path appears completely blocked by stones, a detail Mari insists wasn’t there during her captivity. This discovery sparks immediate speculation among the group: has the cave suffered a natural collapse, or has Coach Ben deliberately constructed a wall to keep them out? Rather than waste time debating, Natalie makes an executive decision to split their forces. She directs Shauna to lead one group down the open path while she stays behind to clear the stone wall and investigate what lies beyond.
Alone in the Dark
Shauna, Van, and Akhila encounter increasingly treacherous conditions as they venture deeper into the cave system. Water constantly drips from above, flooding the floor beneath their feet. Despite the deteriorating conditions, Shauna insistently pushes the group forward. The cave’s corridors grow progressively narrower, prompting Van to voice concerns about continuing further, suggesting they should turn back. Shauna dismisses these concerns, determined to press on. Their situation worsens when water seeps into Shauna’s lantern, significantly reducing their already limited visibility.
The group finally exits the corridors and enters a big rocky room. Though Van still has a functioning lantern, it begins to burst erratically, as if reacting to gas in the air. The strange behavior of the light source leads Akhila to propose an immediate retreat. Van turns to gain Shauna’s agreement, only to discover she’s vanished into the darkness. The situation becomes even more terrifying when Van turns back to consult with Akhila, finding that she too, has disappeared without a trace. Now entirely alone, Van’s desperate calls for her missing companions echo through the cave until the final blow: water drips from the ceiling and extinguishes her lantern, leaving her stranded in absolute darkness.
Unsettling Dreams
Van stumbles through the darkness until she encounters something unexpected: a wooden door somehow encrusted in the cave’s rock walls. Despite her fear, she forces herself to open it, revealing an impossibly cozy cabin, complete with a rocking chair positioned before a warm fireplace. As she settles into the chair, basking in the fire’s warmth, sunlight streams through the cabin’s windows, a physical impossibility given her underground location.
Meanwhile, Akhila’s hallucination takes her through sun-dappled woods, where she discovers bushes laden with juicy berries. Following the sound of balling, she comes upon a surreal sight: chickens and sheep confined within an area surrounded by white picket fences. A male voice warns her to be careful as “the sheep bite.” When Akhila dismisses this claim, stating that sheep don’t bite, the camera reveals her mysterious advisor – an alpaca. The creature delivers an ominous warning that “everything with teeth bites” and “everything will defend itself.” As the familiar screeches that have been haunting the girls restart, the alpaca tells Akhila that “they” are calling her.
Shauna’s vision finds her floating peacefully on a lake’s surface, the sun warming her body. A child’s voice calling “Mommy” draws her attention to a young boy waving from the shore. Despite her desperate attempts to swim toward him, she remains fixed in place, unable to close the distance while the boy continues his tantalizing wave.
Van’s initially peaceful cabin scene transforms into a nightmare when an ember escapes the fireplace, igniting the carpet. Her attempt to flee reveals that her rocking chair has transformed into an airplane seat, complete with a seatbelt that binds her while the hands of her dead teammates materialize to hold her in place. Though she manages to break free from the seat, she finds herself trapped as flames engulf the cabin, the only door of the room now locked. Meanwhile, the alpaca’s words echo – “It can be easy, or it can be hard, but either way, it’s gonna get what it wants” – as Akhila watches in horror as vines emerge from the ground to pull her under. Simultaneously, some unseen force drags Shauna beneath the lake’s surface.
The individual nightmares suddenly converge as Akhila opens a door toward the blinding light, finding Van and Shauna beside her. The trio wakes up in a classroom where they find themselves dressed in their Yellowjackets uniforms. As they debate whose dream they’re experiencing, they discover Lottie as their teacher, writing an ominous message on the blackboard: “Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest.” Their confusion deepens when the Man With No Eyes appears, pushing a cart on wheels while peering into their classroom.
The surreal scene takes another turn with Jackie’s appearance, playing with a rigid band that should snap into a bracelet when slapped to the wrist. After failing to make it work, she offers it to Akhila, who successfully snaps it into place on her first try. Van’s curiosity leads her to request a turn, but the band grips her arm too tightly, cutting into her flesh. While Jackie dismisses the injury, teacher Lottie warns about playing with dangerous things. Van discards the band, which Jackie retrieves only to throw it around Shauna’s neck. The band immediately constricts, cutting into Shauna’s throat as blood begins to flow. Teacher Lottie urgently commands Akhila to help, insisting that if Shauna dies, they all die.
The shared nightmare breaks as Shauna gasps awake on the cave floor, Akhila regaining consciousness beside her. Their confusion about Van’s whereabouts is answered by Coach Ben’s appearance, his face wrapped in protective fabric as he drags Van to safety, explaining about the poisonous gas in that section of the cave. As Ben recovers from the rescue effort, Natalie emerges from the darkness, gun trained on his face, apologetically informing him he’s returning to camp with them. The Cure’s “The Cold” provides a haunting soundtrack as the credits begin to roll.
[Credits Roll]
Did you enjoy this week’s Yellowjackets episode? What do you think the gas hallucinations mean? Also, are we finally learning the truth about the Man With No Eyes? Join the discussion in the comments!
