What happened to Coach in ‘Yellowjackets’? Explained
Warning: this article contains spoilers for season 3 of Yellowjackets.
We’re not saying that being lost in the wilderness is easy for anybody, but in the Yellowjackets universe, it’s fair to say Coach Ben Scott has drawn a particularly bad lot.
The one-time authority figure has been at the mercy of the teens in the wilderness since episode 2 of the series, when Misty (Samantha Hanratty) used her first aid knowledge to amputate his leg. While the other survivors devolved into cannibalism, he remained steadfast in his refusal to adopt the habit. As season 2 wore on, we saw him waste away and become more isolated from the troupe of increasingly unhinged survivors in the flashback scenes of the show. It became so bad that Misty had to talk him out of committing suicide. Trauma isn’t exactly rare on this show, after all.
So, it wasn’t that shocking when at the end of the last season, Ben (Steven Krueger) decided to leave the survivor’s camp, even though his alternative was the unbridled power of the wilderness. Worst of all, he couldn’t even take back his decision, as the rest of the survivors believed he burned down the cabin they’d been residing in. As a result, between then and season 3’s trailers coming out, fans rabidly speculated about what happened to him. And, with the advent of the newest series, we finally have a concrete answer!
What happened to Coach in Yellowjackets?
Season 3 revealed to us that Ben had not only made it to Spring, but had managed to find some survival boxes in the wilderness. The boxes, labelled “KUH,” contained vital items like flashlights, bear spray, and batteries. It also had some all-important food, including peanut butter protein bars and hot chocolate powder, so Ben didn’t have to rely on hunting and gathering his own food.
What do these boxes mean for the Yellowjackets universe?
These boxes might mean a variety of things. One theory is that there were once other people in this part of the wilderness, likely here on purpose as they came prepared with supplies. Some fans are even speculating that our survivors might not be the only people wandering around in the barrens of Canada. With that said, it’s more likely that the supplies are from a while ago, as the survivors haven’t exactly been trying to stay hidden, so would have been seen by another group.
This discovery by Ben also raises some other questions. Like what is KUH an initialism for? A company that makes survival items? Someone’s initials? And was this area of the wilderness surveyed by them for some special reason? So far, everything in Yellowjackets has been incredibly particular, so it’s unlikely that KUH is something completely random.
What will happen to Coach in Yellowjackets?
While the KUH conundrum is certainly one for fans on the subreddit to chew over, the main importance of the boxes right now is that they helped Ben to survive. He even gained the strength to build a pit to trap animals in, which ended up capturing Mari, thus allowing him to learn that the rest of the Yellowjackets believe he burned the cabin down. Afraid of retribution, he forces Mari back to his cave, where she catches what seems to be him talking to someone. Or something…
It’s been quite the wild ride for Ben, and we’re excited to see where his narrative goes in the rest of the third season. For now, though, let’s just hope he doesn’t end up being a meal for the increasingly bloodthirsty Yellowjackets.
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