Is The Wilderness Punishing Adult Van? What Happened To The Character In Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 7
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Yellowjackets, season 3, episode 7, “Croak.”Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7 leaves adult Van in a worrisome state, and it’s possible this is the Wilderness’ way of punishing her. Although Van gets good news from the doctor at the beginning of Yellowjackets season 3 — suggesting that her cancer is no longer spreading — her health takes a concerning turn in “Croak.” Episode 7 sees the adult survivors taking a road trip to Richmond, Virginia, to confront Hannah’s daughter, who they believe is the one blackmailing them with the recording sent to Shauna.
Unfortunately, they don’t make it all the way to Richmond before chaos erupts in Shauna’s minivan. Not only does Misty learn that Shauna’s DNA was under Lottie’s fingernails — leading to a text chain where she accuses Shauna of murder — but Van gets sick and spits up blood as Shauna tries to determine what’s going on. They’re forced to go to the nearest hospital, where things begin to look bleak for Van. Although she’s still alive at the end of Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7, “Croak” raises questions about her future in the show’s adult timeline.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 7 Implies Van’s Cancer Is Getting Worse
It’s A Sudden Shift From Her Revelation That It “Stopped Growing”
Image via Hulu
Van becoming violently ill and needing to be hospitalized in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7 implies that her cancer is getting worse, even though her health seems to be improving just a few episodes earlier. This sudden turnaround could be the result of the cancer not being gone completely; while her oncologist says it’s no longer growing and potentially in partial remission, it’s still there. And as Van notes in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 3, the doctor could be wrong. But there might be a more sinister reason Van’s health shifts so abruptly.
This isn’t the first indication that her cancer is getting worse in season 3.
And while spitting up blood and being hospitalized is more serious than anything we’ve seen from adult Van so far, this isn’t the first indication that her cancer is getting worse in season 3. When she and Tai go to Manhattan after deciding not to sacrifice someone to the Wilderness, Tai notices that Van’s hands are shaking. She brushes it off, but Yellowjackets season 3’s latest installment suggests it could have been a sign.
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With the doctor allegedly using the word “miracle” to describe Van’s turnaround just before she gets sicker, it’s possible Tai is onto something and that the Wilderness is dictating the state of her cancer. It would explain why Van suddenly sees an improvement after Natalie’s death and the death of the waiter. And it may also indicate that the Wilderness is unhappy with her now and making her cancer worse again as a result.
Van’s Vision Of Tai & Teen Van In The Hospital Explained
Both Figures Suggest The Wilderness Needs Payment To “Cheat Death”
Further fueling the notion that the Wilderness is involved in Van’s health changes throughout Yellowjackets season 3 is that she has a strange vision while she’s in the hospital. First, she sees her teen self, who tells her, “We never actually cheated death. It was always an even trade.” The message there is clear: sacrifices are required if Van wants to stay alive, just as Tai has been suggesting. But it’s still unclear whether this vision is truly from the Wilderness or if it’s the result of Tai getting in Van’s head.
Other Tai is more connected to the Wilderness, and thus, more willing to kill in order to keep Van alive.
After teen Van sets fire to her hospital bed, adult Van also sees Other Tai, who vows that she won’t let her die. She even says, “I’m the one who can save you.” Her implication is that Other Tai is more connected to the Wilderness, and thus, more willing to kill in order to keep Van alive. And with Other Tai likely being in control throughout season 3, she’ll probably do something impulsive and drastic to save Van’s life. Other Tai also tells Van that she “won’t let them take your eyes,” but it’s not clear what she means by this.
Could The Wilderness Be Punishing Van?
It May Be Displeased By Her Resistance In Yellowjackets Season 3
Image via Hulu
Van’s sudden hospitalization and strange vision both suggest the Wilderness is punishing her, and this would be in line with her actions in Yellowjackets season 3. Although Van is initially one of the biggest supporters of Lottie’s beliefs in the teen timeline, the adult version of the character is more resistant to the idea of the Wilderness. When Tai wants to make a sacrifice to the Wilderness in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 4, Van convinces her not to, telling her, “I want to live, but not like this.“
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This resistance could be why the Wilderness is no longer improving Van’s cancer, but it could also have something to do with Lottie’s death at the end of season 3, episode 4. Perhaps the Wilderness is unhappy with Lottie dying, or maybe it’s displeased that Tai doesn’t have anything to do with it. We’ll have to wait for more episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 to see if a sacrifice to the Wilderness can truly save Van. Even if it’s all in the survivors’ heads, it seems inevitable that Tai will do whatever she can to turn things around.
7/10
- Release Date
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November 14, 2021
- Network
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Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime
- Showrunner
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Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco
- Directors
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Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis
- Writers
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Liz Phang, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa
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