Quick Links Coach Ben's Resourcefulness Helped Him Survive Something Is Clearly Wrong With Coach Ben in 'Yellowjackets' Fears for Coach Ben's Future in 'Yellowjackets'
By the end of Season 2 of Yellowjackets, fans knew that Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) had survived. His back was seen looking on as the cabin burst into flames, and the ladies panicked and ran outside. It was presumed that he was the one who lit the fire, though he claimed that he had nothing to do with it.
The trailer for Season 3 provides a glimpse into Coach Ben, showing him emerging from the very cave that Javi (Luciano Leroux) had been living in for the duration of time that he went missing. Even if Ben had found shelter, how could he have managed to survive without food and water? This is especially so given that one of his legs was amputated from the knee down, which made stealth hunting and operating a weapon of any kind to take down an animal particularly challenging. The first two episodes of Season 3 address how Ben managed to stay alive. But they also suggest he might not be entirely well.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Yellowjackets TV-MA Drama Mystery Horror Release Date November 14, 2021 Network Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime Cast See All Melanie Lynskey Shauna Sadecki Tawny Cypress Taissa Turner Sophie Nélisse Teen Shauna Shipman Jasmin Savoy Brown Teen Taissa Turner
Showrunner Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco Powered by Expand Collapse
Coach Ben's Resourcefulness Helped Him Survive Close
Despite the ladies suspecting at the beginning of the season that Ben either starved or froze to death, it's clear they're unsure, seeing as no one has come across his body or any trace of him at all. Little do they know, however, that he's alive and in hiding. As he navigates the woods, somehow avoiding the ladies at every turn while hobbling along on his makeshift crutches, he uses snares to catch food. How the ladies never come across one of his snares is suspicious, though it appears that Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) has and left well enough alone, wanting to spare Coach Ben from dealing with the ladies' wraths.
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He hits the jackpot when he comes across something hard in the ground. He knocks his crutch onto it and realizes this isn't just a rock. When he removes the grass and dirt, he finds an opening that leads to a massive hole. Inside is a metal case with the letters "KUH" on it. He opens it and discovers a flashlight, military ready-to-eat meals, and survival goodies of all kinds.
The ravenous way Ben shoves a peanut protein bar into his mouth suggests that it has been some time since he ate. While sources of fresh water might be easier to come by, food is more than scarce. He manages to get himself out of the hole and ties the case to himself so he can drag it along with him back to the cave, where it serves as his source of food for the duration that he's away.
Something Is Clearly Wrong With Coach Ben in 'Yellowjackets' Close
Despite having found shelter and food, Coach Ben isn't doing well. He has been completely on his own for weeks, potentially months. When he runs into Mari (Alexa Barajas), who has fallen into the hole via a trap he set for an animal, she is terrified to see him. True to his nature, he coaches her through popping her knee back into place and helps her out of the hole. But he isn't going to set her free.
He knocks her out and brings her back to the cave with him, terrified of her telling the women that he is alive and where he is. Mari asks why he is so worried if he claims he didn't start the fire, and he tells her "like the truth would even matter to that mob." He admits that he knows they killed and ate Javi. "Are you really telling me I wouldn't be next?" he asks. Mari's silence speaks volumes. Ben doesn't want to hurt Mari, but he also can't let her go. He gives her a hot chocolate, which she gulps down savagely, in awe that he has such luxuries and wondering where he found them. It's in this moment, however, that her thoughts are sidetracked by something creepy.
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She turns to see Ben standing in a corner, talking angrily to someone -- except it appears that no one is actually there. He tells this "person" that he is trying to keep her quiet, that he needs time to think, and that he is asking them to "stop." He declares, "That's enough!" suggesting that he may simply be hearing voices in his head.
Some speculate that he could be hallucinating and seeing his boyfriend Paul (Francois Arnaud), something Ben had previously done in Season 2 when suffering deeply from the trauma and lack of food. Another theory is that he is talking to the same person or entity that Javi, one of the characters who perished in Season 2, told him was a "friend" who advised him not to go back.
Ben's descent into madness has begun, fueled by his perpetual loneliness, the gravity of the situation, constant fear for his life, and a lack of food and water. It may also have something to do with the mysteries of the wilderness, which caused Javi to act strangely, Tai (Jasmine Savoy Brown) to hallucinate and sleepwalk, and everyone to hear the trees screaming. Perhaps this figure or entity is the one to have caused the fire, or somehow put Ben in a trance and used him to do it?
Fears for Coach Ben's Future in 'Yellowjackets' Close
What makes Ben's current state and the fact that he's still alive so intriguing is that Ben is one of the few people from the wilderness whose future is a mystery. There's no indication that he's still alive in present day, but there's no confirmation that he isn't either. In the flashback scenes, Misty (Samantha Hanratty) figures out that Natalie might know where Ben is and reveals this secret to Shauna (Sophie Nelisse), who asks her not to tell anyone else.
It's only a matter of time before either Mari escapes or the ladies find Ben. And their desire for vengeance may create a harrowing situation. Viewers can't imagine how Ben possibly survives in his situation. He's sorely outnumbered, he can't move quickly, and he appears to be having a mental breakdown.
Fans who have been following all the trailers for Season 3 may recall one scene that suggests Ben doesn't get out alive. It's a simple frame showing him screaming. This could be a red herring, of course, whereby it's an injury or his own mental state and not that he's being harmed by the women. Without context, it's nothing more than a teaser. The most obvious answer, however, is that the ladies find him, and he becomes their next victim.
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That would be a major turning point for the women if that is the case. Up until now, while they have resorted to cannibalism, it was always when they had no other option. With Jackie (Ella Purnell), it was like the wilderness was goading them to do it by refusing to char her body, slowly cooking it with the mixture of fire and snow instead.
Javi's death could have been prevented, and hunting Natalie was a terrifying low. But in both cases, the women hadn't eaten in some time and had literally resorted to animal instincts. With the spring in full swing and summer to come, they should have no problem catching wild animals and finding other sources of food to keep them satiated. If they killed and ate Ben without actually needing to do so to survive, it would suggest that the women have become downright barbaric.
If Ben's boyfriend suspects this is the case, and he's still around, he could very well be the one taunting them. Then again, it could also be Ben himself who was rescued alive, never to see or speak to any of the girls again until his anger resurfaces now. For now, Ben has managed to survive through perseverance and a bit of luck. Fans can only hope that somehow, some way, Coach Ben isn't literally eaten alive (or dead). If he is still alive by the end, however, what he has become as a result of what he went through could potentially be even more frightening. Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+ with Showtime.