Does The End Of Yellowjackets' Season 2 Episode 2 Seal Coach Ben's Fate?
This article contains spoilers for "Yellowjackets" season 1 episode 2.
The second episode of the sophomore season of "Yellowjackets" is aptly titled "Edible Complex," serving as a harbinger of darker, more delectable things to come. It's been known for some time that the remaining high schoolers in the 1996 timeline were forced to resort to cannibalism at some point in order to survive their 19-month ordeal in the Canadian wilderness. For all the talk of sinister cults and tales of murder taking place in the present timeline, the core mystery of the show still lies in the origins of the Antler Queen and how or why the teenage Yellowjackets transformed into a ravenous forest cult.
In "Edible Complex," the pivotal moment is finally shown where the first instance of ferocious flesh-eating takes place. That moment fuels a chain reaction that affects every other aspect of the series up until this point, sending the survivors down a dark path that continues to haunt them well into adulthood. The death of Jackie (Ella Purnell) — the Yellowjackets soccer team's controversial captain — sets the table (so to speak) for these events to unfold. And it's wildly convenient that the one girl most of the group despises ends up being the first morsel to be offered up.
In the final moments of this week's episode, there are a couple of potential clues that help crystalize where the season could be headed. To start, there is new, compelling evidence that hints of a sentient presence out in the wilderness that is helping to turn the Yellowjackets into cannibals. It also seems that the only adult in the group, the now-amputated Coach Ben (Steven Krueger), might be in danger after refusing to partake in the group's stomach-churning feast.
When a funeral pyre becomes a barbecue
In a perfectly understandable decision, the group decides to cremate Jackie's body after Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) has taken on an extremely unhealthy habit of conversing with Jackie's frozen, dead corpse. As one of the original voices of reason and order early on, Ben has now been mostly relegated to the sidelines. Having his leg amputated by the younger Misty (Samantha Hanratty) has left him depressed and unengaged, and he has a growing resentment towards the team he used to have so much pride in coaching.
When they finally commit the unthinkable act of eating one of their own, Ben looks on in horror when they start to devour their teammate with an almost trance-like commitment. He looks absolutely revolted by what he's witnessing and stays hidden away in the background. Jackie's body has offered them all sustenance that may keep them from starving, but eventually, their gaze may turn towards Ben. He's an obvious outsider now and is becoming more of a burden to the group than an asset.
As the other male of the group, attention should also be paid to the younger version of Travis (Kevin Alves) who is seen having sex with Nat (Sophie Thatcher) and also having visions of Lottie (Courtney Eaton) while caught up in the throes of passion. As the fire burns on Jackie's funeral pyre, the heat coming off of Travis and Nat seems to awaken something in the darkness outside. A gust of wind suddenly picks up, causing a blast of snow to fall off a tree directly above the blaze. The snow cools the fire as if it's almost preparing Jackie's body to be as appetizing as possible.
Inadvertently, the Yellowjackets may have discovered the ideal way to prepare a human body for consumption.
An Oedipus reference is never good, especially for Ben
The first body consumed was prepared by accident, but could it be foreshadowing a similar fate for Ben? Only this time, the survivors could use their newly discovered guidelines to cook up the perfect recipe for human flesh. If there are any macabre "Yellowjackets" fans out there with an ongoing dead pool, Ben has already lasted much longer than expected. His days may be numbered, however, and the title of this episode could offer up another clue.
Episode 2's title "Edible Complex" is certainly having a little fun at our expense. The title not only hints at the cannibalism that ends this week's episode, but it's also a direct reference to the Greek myth of the Oedipus Complex. Oedipus famously killed his father out of an obsession with his mother, who he ultimately ends up marrying. As the only adult left in the group, Ben becomes the stand-in for a parent, and fans have already seen Misty's unhealthy obsession with Ben in the first season. Hopefully, Ben's fate is not that dark and he doesn't wind up gouging his own eyes out per the Greek myth. Or, even worse, Ben won't have to endure that tragic outcome at the hands of one of his players.
In any case, Ben's refusal to eat with the group shows that he's not on board with cannibalism, even if it means starving to death. Judging from the events of episode 2, it seems like a perfect time to learn more about what happened to Ben. Maybe, fans will get a taste of that in episode 3.
"Yellowjackets" episodes are available to stream on Paramount+ and Showtime's app on Fridays. They also air on the Showtime network on Sundays.