Yellowjackets season 3 episode 3 ending explained: What was Natalie's final choice?
Yellowjackets season 3 continues its eerie narrative, and episode 3, directed by Jonathan Lisco, brings shocking twists. The episode, titled Them's the Brakes, aired on Friday, February 21, 2025, leaving fans on edge.
The show centers on survivors of a 1996 aircraft accident navigating psychological and supernatural horrors in the wilderness. Their past tragedies haunt them in adulthood, producing strange sacrifices and sinister disclosures. Yellowjackets season 3 examines survival, guilt, and the invisible powers at work using flashbacks and present-day strife.
The narrative of episode 3 opens with Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) debating Coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger), whose comeback to the group sets off strong conflict. Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), Van (Liv Hewson), and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) have hallucinations in a cave that expose dark secrets.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
The ending of episode 3 reveals Natalie's choice as she points a gun at Coach Ben, forcing him to return with the Yellowjackets. Her decision will determine whether he lives or becomes the next sacrifice.
It's getting harder to tell the difference between reality and supernatural influence because of visions and hallucinations. The survivors are in for a bad end.
Natalie's choice: The fate of Coach Ben in Yellowjackets season 3 episode 3
In Yellowjackets season 3, Coach Ben's isolation ends when Mari (Alexa Barajas) falls into a pit where he has been hiding. Mari tells the group where he is after she is captured and then set free. Believing Ben burnt their cabin in season 2, the Yellowjackets now see him as an enemy.
Natalie, now the leader of the group, finds Coach Ben and points a gun at him, demanding that he return with them. This moment marks a critical turning point.
Although some anticipate that the group will murder and consume him, it is unlikely that cannibalism will occur right away because the survivors are no longer starving. His future is uncertain, though, as Shauna and others continue to seek retribution for the cabin's destruction.
Natalie's protective stance over Coach Ben suggests she may try to spare him, but her leadership will be questioned. If she protects him, she risks losing her authority. If she hands him over, his fate is sealed. This dilemma will likely shape future conflicts.
Also read: Which incident did Yellowjackets draw inspiration from? Explained
The hallucinations in the poison gas cave
When Van enters a vision, she sees a cozy house with a fire and a rocking chair. Before the room catches fire, this illusion gives a brief sense of security. The fire represents past trauma and is reminiscent of her near-death experience in season 1.
Akilah's warning from the Llama
Akilah's vision involves farm animals; however, the encounter becomes unsettling when a talking llama cautions her:
"Everything with teeth bites."
This ominous message suggests that even trusted allies may turn against her, foreshadowing betrayal or death. Given that adult Akilah has not been depicted in the contemporary timeline, this could suggest that she suffered a tragic end.
Also read: How to watch Yellowjackets season 3? Streaming and broadcast details explored
Shauna's desperate swim
Shauna searches for her missing son in the water but finds she cannot hold him. This vision captures her unresolved grief about her stillborn child. The hallucinations remind the survivors that, even if they manage to return to civilization, their past will always follow them.
The collective hallucination: Jackie's return
Shauna's guilt is highlighted when Jackie (Ella Purnell) shows up inside the high school classroom in their vision. Shauna's throat flares with blood, so attesting to the trauma they will always carry. These hallucinations also imply that supernatural powers still direct their destinies.
Adult Taissa (Tawny Cypress) and Van investigate an abandoned ice cream shop after Tai sees a disturbing image of the Man with No Eyes in an old commercial. When they arrive, they spot a coyote snatching a rabbit.
Read more: Yellowjackets season 3: Release date, trailer, cast, and everything we know so far
What does the Coyote represent?
The rabbit is a sacrifice, and the coyote is a symbol of the wilderness. Tai and Van come to the realization that Natalie's and the waiter's deaths may have been sacrifices made to the enigmatic force that has ruled their lives since their wilderness days.
Their suspicion that more sacrifices are needed is fueled by Van's cancer, which has strangely stopped spreading. Van solemnly states:
"We know what It wants. It wants more."
This implies that to maintain their survival, additional lives must be lost. The connection between their past sacrifices and Van's remission suggests that the group may once again be forced into ritualistic killings.
Also read: Yellowjackets season 2 recap: All to remember before watching season 3
Misty's realization: Burning the reunion photo
Shauna accuses Misty (Christina Ricci) of cutting her car brakes, along with other betrayals. Misty, who once considered Shauna and the others her friends, realizes that she has always been an outsider.
Walter (Elijah Wood) warned Misty that the others do not truly care about her. As this truth sinks in, Misty burns a framed photo from their high school reunion, symbolizing her disillusionment. Her loyalty to the group is now shattered, and this could lead her down a dark path in future episodes.
The repercussions of these incidents will probably be explored in the upcoming episode. Is Coach Ben going to live? Does the wild really want more blood? And how will the characters' mounting conflicts play out? With so many unsettling revelations, Yellowjackets season 3's mystery only gets more complex.
Also read: Yellowjackets season 3: Full list of cast in the series
New episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 will be available to stream on Paramount+.
