Now That We’ve Met Joel McHale’s Yellowjackets Season 3 Character, I Have A Theory About Why He’ll Be So Important To Both Timelines

Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7!The long-anticipated arrival of Joel McHale’s character in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7 brings plenty of questions about Kodiak’s fate, and I have an early theory about how his story will be influential to both timelines. Ahead of season 3’s premiere, it was confirmed that Joel McHale and Hilary Swank would be joining the cast of Yellowjackets, elevating the show’s growing ensemble with more big names in Hollywood. However, halfway through the season, their characters still hadn’t been introduced, with McHale surprisingly making his debut in episode 7 within Yellowjackets’ wilderness timeline.

Though the other members of his group, researcher couple Edwin (Nelson Franklin) and Hannah (Ashley Sutton), first appeared in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6’s cliffhanger ending, McHale’s Kodiak wasn’t introduced until the following outing. Recapping the previous three days, it was revealed that Kodiak was a backcountry guide hired to take Hannah and Edwin through the wilderness to record a frog species’ mating rituals. Unfortunately, they happened upon the stranded Yellowjackets team during their ritual cannibal feast, culminating in Edwin’s murder and the capture of both Kodiak and Hannah, who audiences are meant to believe die in the wilderness.

I Think Joel McHale’s Kodiak Will Secretly Survive The Wilderness

His Fate Doesn’t Seem As Concrete As Hannah’s

When the adults listen to the recording of their wilderness ritual that was sent to Shauna in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 6, Van remarks that the only people who would know about that night are either themselves or dead. As such, it’s implied that both Hannah and Kodiak also die, which is further substantiated by the idea that Shauna reads an obituary for Hannah in episode 7. Yellowjackets’ present-day survivors themselves also imply that Hannah dies out there, with the outing even hinting that she might become “pit girl,” but no such comments are made about Joel McHale’s Kodiak.

While Shauna, Van, Tai, and Natalie are chasing Hannah through the woods, Travis and Akilah are the ones who find Kodiak. Hannah ends up being led back to camp by the girls, whereas Kodiak’s next steps are unclear after Travis and Akilah save him from falling off the edge of “Sh** Ridge.” Still, it’s implied that Hannah and Kodiak will both be brought back to the tees’ camp and held hostage, as the Yellowjackets would be hesitant to let them go after they witnessed their feast of the deceased Coach Ben and Lottie killing Edwin.

In the present timeline, it’s clear that the survivors believe that Kodiak is dead – but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. While Hannah is implied to eventually be killed directly by the teens, Kodiak’s “death” might be more ambiguous. Perhaps he’s deemed dead similarly to Crystal in Yellowjackets season 2, as Misty forced her off the edge of “Sh** Ridge,” but her body was never found. Considering Kodiak is saved from death at that same location in episode 7, the series might be setting up a twist in which he survives by faking his death there.

Yellowjackets season 3, episode 7 also emphasizes that Kodiak has smart survival skills based on instinct, so he would have the best chance of being able to evade the teens’ ruthlessness. Perhaps he’s taken captive by them for a while and escapes, leaving a misleading trail to imply his death. Or, he could even be let go by another character who swears upon his death, though said character would also have to die in the wilderness timeline. Plus, someone close to Hannah seemingly would have had to survive for her daughter to receive the recording of Edwin’s death.

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Furthermore, Joel McHale’s casting is so significant that it seems like it would have to extend beyond the limits of the remaining wilderness storyline. Since it’s unlikely that Kodiak was still around or involved in the Yellowjackets’ future sacrifice ritual from the pilot episode, that implies that he dies, or leaves, prior to their final winter in the wilderness. It would be unexpected for McHale to take on a minor role that ends after just a few episodes with the teens, unless his character secretly survives and more directly contributes to the present timeline story.

Kodiak Likely Wouldn’t Bother Exposing The Yellowjackets’ True Nature After Their Rescue

Kodiak Is Already An Off-Grid Person

If Kodiak survived, then there would be a question about why he never came forth about what he saw in the wilderness, especially once the teens were rescued. However, there are a few reasons why he might avoid telling the authorities the truth about the Yellowjackets’ cannibalism, murders, and changes out in the wilderness. For one, he would fear repercussions from them if they knew he was still alive, as they likely wouldn’t hesitate to kill and silence him. Additionally, Kodiak might eventually do some terrible things himself, so keeping quiet about them would also keep his own secrets safe.

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As far as episode 7 has indicated, Joel McHale’s Yellowjackets character also isn’t the type of person to seek help from the authorities. Kodiak appears to be more of a reclusive, isolated person who prefers to live off the grid rather than operate under society’s rules, so he likely wouldn’t be compelled to report the teens once they return. He might believe that it’s not his responsibility to expose them and would prefer to leave his experiences with them behind. Furthermore, there’s always the possibility that he never reintegrates back into society if he escapes them.

Rather than reveal the truth about what happened in the wilderness, Kodiak could have adopted a new identity in order to maintain anonymity and any connection to the Yellowjackets’ story. Like how Coach Ben fled the teens’ camp after seeing them eat Javi in Yellowjackets season 2’s ending, Kodiak might have simply opted to stay as far away and avoid anything to do with them as possible. Therefore, there wouldn’t be any reason for Yellowjackets’ present-day survivors to ever suspect that he’d still be alive or feel the need to go after him.

Kodiak Might Be Who Gave Hannah’s Daughter The Recording

It Wasn’t One Of The Yellowjackets

A major source of evidence for the theory that Joel McHale’s Kodiak survives the wilderness is the reveal that Hannah’s daughter eventually receives Hannah’s recording of Edwin’s death and the ensuing wilderness chases from episode 7. However, there’s no simple explanation for how her daughter could have gotten it. Misty, Shauna, Van, or Tai certainly wouldn’t have sent it, and it’s unlikely that Natalie or Travis would have done so before their deaths. Since teen Lottie killing Edwin is heard on the tape, adult Lottie before her death is also an unlikely candidate.

Rather, the person who would send that tape to Hannah’s daughter seemingly would have become really close to her prior to her death. A strong possibility for that person is Kodiak, who she previously developed a fondness for and presumably grew much closer to while they were held captive by the Yellowjackets. If Kodiak survived, then he might have sent that tape to Hannah’s daughter as a final gift to Ashley Sutton’s late character.

Since it took 25 years after the recording for Hannah’s daughter to use it to confront Shauna, it’s implied that she only recently obtained it. If so, then it could be the case that Joel McHale’s Kodiak was finally on his deathbed in the present timeline and decided to send Hannah’s daughter the tape before he passed. That way, his conscience would be cleared of keeping quiet about the Yellowjackets teens’ crimes, while also avoiding any of the aftermath of their secrets potentially being exposed.

With Joel McHale’s character having only been involved for one episode, his fate is ultimately still up in the air in Yellowjackets‘ present-day timeline. It’s equally possible that he might just end up being eaten by the teens in a wilderness feast, but I think Yellowjackets’ creators have a far more complex story in mind for the popular actor’s character. Even if Kodiak is now dead by the current timeline, I think the importance of his involvement makes more sense if he serves as the through line for Hannah and Hannah’s daughter’s stories.

New episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 release Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime.

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Yellowjackets

7/10

Release Date

November 14, 2021

Network

Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime

Showrunner

Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco

Directors

Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis

Writers

Liz Phang, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa