Yellowjackets: Ben’s Horrible Death Finally Explained

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In a simpler and more conversational way: Among all characters in Yellowjackets, Ben (played by Steven Krueger) has gone through one of the most harrowing experiences. Although the series primarily focuses on the young women who are stranded after their plane crash, there were also three male survivors. However, Travis (portrayed by Kevin Alves) and Javi (acted by Luciano Leroux) are just kids themselves. This means that Coach Ben is the only adult character who manages to survive the crash.

As I eagerly awaited Season 3, my mind was abuzz with questions: How on earth did Ben manage to survive and did he inadvertently ignite that cabin fire, which brought us perilously close to the brink of extinction for the women, leaving us stranded and shivering through the rest of winter without a proper shelter? Thankfully, they didn’t keep me guessing too long about his survival. However, it was just a matter of time before our paths crossed again. And what ultimately befell Ben could hold the key to understanding why we carry such deep trauma 25 years down the line.

Ben First Has a Fake-Out Death in ‘Yellowjackets’

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, let me rephrase this in my own words: Right from the start of the season’s unfolding, it’s unveiled that Ben, my dear friend who seemed to have perished, had actually been hiding out, just like his vanished brother Javi, in the very same cave. One day, he crosses paths with Mari, a fellow character (Alexa Barajas). Initially, he extends a helping hand to her, but then, gripped by paranoia that she might disclose his secret hideout to others, he takes her captive. However, eventually, he sets her free, and true to form, she informs the group about his whereabouts. The ladies, driven by a thirst for revenge, make their way to the cave, determined to confront Ben.

With Ben returning to the camp, they’re left pondering what action to take against him. Unable to agree on a course of action, they opt for a trial as the fairest solution. Tai steps forward as the prosecutor, while Misty assumes the role of defense attorney. Each presents their case, with Misty skillfully arguing for reasonable doubt. Natalie presides over the proceedings as judge.

Ben stepped forward to testify, maintaining his innocence regarding the cabin fire, stating he’d never intended them harm. He reminisced about the bond formed over years of working together on the soccer team. Emotionally, he shared how his initial perceptions of them changed as he came to admire their courage in the wilderness. He admitted his fear that they no longer needed him and that he might be next, a potential sacrifice.

After the women dab away their tears, it turns out to be a deadlock among the jurors. They go on to have repeated retrials until Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) eventually persuades, or more accurately, pressures and intimidates some of the hesitant women to change their votes to guilty verdicts. The verdict has been reached. Ben will face execution.

However, an unforeseen event takes place. As Tai is about to execute his deadly plan, Travis, Lottie (Courtney Eaton), and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) suddenly emerge from the woods and shove Ben aside just in time, preventing him from getting hit by the bullet. It turns out that Akilah had a vision in the cave about Ben being a figurative pathway to their home. This might hold some significance, so they decide it’s crucial to keep Ben alive.

Ben Meets His End in Brutal Fashion, With a Massive Twist

In the upcoming episode, it’s clear that showing mercy towards Ben doesn’t bring lasting peace. They continue to restrain him, treating him more like a captive beast than a human. With his one remaining foot badly wounded to immobilize him, he can barely move even with crutches. His days are spent in misery, pleading for death, but they refuse. When they learn he’s been hoarding food and starving himself, they make him eat against his will. The way they handle Ben is a particularly heinous act among the many questionable actions taken by the girls in Yellowjackets.

At times of extreme distress, Ben repeatedly pleads with Natalie to end his torment, confiding that he was responsible for starting the fire. He explains meticulously how he carried out the act, detailing that he ripped up blankets, pushed them into gaps in the walls, and ignited a match. It remains uncertain if he’s telling the truth or if he’s merely fabricating this story to provoke Natalie so much that she’ll take action and alleviate his pain.

In time, Natalie finds herself unable to bear the burden of keeping Ben confined like a wild animal. Desperate and tearful, she slips out under cover of night and stabs him with a knife, eliciting a grateful smile and “Thank you” from him. This act enrages the women, who promptly dismiss Natalie as leader and replace her with Shauna.

The shocking moment arrives when the women gather around the fire, feasting on Ben’s remains. Lottie initiates a chant, song, and dance that quickly turns into a celebration. However, their festivities are interrupted as Lottie notices three figures approaching from afar. As they walk in, a man and a woman appear, equally bewildered by the women’s presence. Suddenly, the man looks to his right, leaps back, and exclaims, “What the…?” At this point, the camera reveals Ben’s decapitated head lying off to the side – the one part of him the women didn’t eat. The identity and impact of these newcomers on the storyline has viewers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Ben’s ‘Yellowjackets’ Journey up to That Point

Following the crash that left him with a lost limb, Ben found himself far from upbeat. Not only was he the lone adult among them, but he found himself stranded alongside a sizable group of teenage girls who seemed to be at odds and prone to hasty, youthful decisions. As the women’s despair worsened and they plunged deeper into chaos, Ben watched on in dismay, witnessing acts that included cannibalism, which he found particularly troubling.

Ben struggled immensely in dealing with the situation, not just due to its challenges, but also because of the deep-seated depression he felt about leaving his past life, especially Paul (François Arnaud) behind. This emotional burden, coupled with the scarcity of food and water, pushed Ben to the brink of hallucination. The women around him did their best to keep him alive, with Misty being particularly dedicated. However, as he becomes aware of the circumstances, he feels his time is running out. In times when food became scarce once more, he was convinced that his fate would soon be met.

In the Season 2 finale, I found myself standing as a crucial figure – Coach Ben. As the ladies settled down for the evening at their cabin, they were abruptly awoken by smoke, discovering a fire had erupted within. We all rushed out of the burning building, watching the flames consume our shelter. From a safe distance, it seemed as though Ben was observing, hinting at his involvement. He then vanished, leaving the ladies to battle the harsh winter weather in their struggle for survival.

He does his best to lay traps and find food. When he stumbles upon a secret pit containing a large stockpile of food like army rations and protein bars, this becomes his source of survival during winter. However, when Mari accidentally falls into the pit he unearthed, a series of unfortunate events begins for him. Unable to abandon her to perish, but also unable to let her go, he captures her and brings her back to his cave.

In due course, it became apparent that Ben, seemingly lost in a world of his own and conversing with invisible companions, chose to release Mari. As anticipated, Mari informed the others about Ben’s location, thereby ensuring Ben’s ultimate demise. If Ben had kept Mari, there was still a chance he might have survived. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before the women tracked him down, given that Misty had deduced earlier that Natalie had been aware of Ben’s whereabouts all along.

The intriguing aspect of Ben’s unfortunate demise is the account provided by the women once they were saved. It seems they may have only mentioned Ben dying in the crash, omitting any details about their alleged mistreatment and cannibalism towards him. Could it be that Paul harbors suspicions about the true circumstances of Ben’s death, tormenting the women 25 years later as he grapples with a persistent feeling of unease? If the women come to realize that Ben did not start the fire (if he was deceiving Natalie), their consciences will be burdened heavily. It’s one thing to consume a body for survival when there were no alternatives, but it’s an entirely different matter to cold-bloodedly murder a man and eat his flesh when ample food sources were available.

One fact that Yellowjacket viewers recognize is that there are others in the wilderness now aware of their actions. Given the nonchalance displayed by the women regarding the knowledgeable survivors, it’s doubtful they will endure, as surviving with such heinous secrets weighing heavily on them seems unlikely. The guilt of Ben’s murder, a burden that they all bear, likely affected Natalie the hardest since she was the one who felt compelled to carry out the act of mercy. Catch Yellowjackets on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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2025-03-14 10:02