Yellowjackets Season 3 Reveals Coach Ben’s Fate In One Of The Show’s Best Episodes Yet

Natalie has been defined by survivor’s guilt through inaction; it goes back to when she pointed a gun at her abusive father, only for him to accidentally shoot himself instead. Her mercy-killing Ben feels driven by not only her friendship with the Coach, but by what happened to Javi.

The last time Natalie held a choice between life and death, she stood by and let someone else die to save herself. “Storytelling” opened on a close-up of Natalie set to the Cranberries’ song “Zombie,” a song about the violent death of children. It’s one of the show’s best needle-drops, conveying Natalie’s guilt and how she sees herself as a walking corpse living a borrowed life. By killing Ben, Natalie is confronting her guilt and reclaiming her humanity; she let someone suffer for her own benefit once, and she won’t do it again.

Once the other girls learn that Natalie killed Ben, they brand her a traitor and Shauna rallies them to her side. To punish Natalie and Ben’s sacrifice, Shauna commands Natalie to butcher Ben’s corpse. Shauna is much more ruthless than Natalie; there’s a reason she’s become the group’s butcher, i.e. the one who will get their hands dirty for everyone else’s benefit. Speaking to Collider, Sophie Thatcher said that Natalie didn’t really want the burden of leadership and its compromises:

“There was a moment where [Natalie] felt really seen when Lottie gave her the crown, but now she’s restless and doesn’t want the job because it’s so much, and it’s so overwhelming being with these girls and doing all of that. I don’t think it’s the best job in the world.”

You really see Natalie’s soul tearing apart during Ben’s trial in episode 4; she thinks Ben is innocent, or at least forgivable, but she forces herself to go along with what her followers ask of her. A queen doesn’t stay queen long without consent of the ruled. Natalie killing Ben was also her casting off her load of leadership to do what she felt was right.

Was it the right thing, though? “Thanksgiving (Canada)” has the most shocking ending in “Yellowjackets” history: during the girls’ feast, some campers wander into their site. One of them spots Ben’s decapitated head, recoils, then smash cut to black.

What?! “Yellowjackets” season 3 has tread a bit of water, and made some questionable calls, but “Thanksgiving (Canada)” puts the show back on track. Ben’s death closes out one arc that risked dragging, while the episode’s ending opens a world of possibility.

“Yellowjackets” is streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.