Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 recap: Van gets a major update about her cancer 

Disclaimer: Major spoilers for Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 ahead!

In Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3, Them's the Brakes, the show amps up the supernatural horror by blurring the line between reality and the characters' psychological trauma. The Wilderness, aka It, becomes an even stronger presence and is seen influencing the characters more than before.

A major plot twist in this episode is Van's surprising health news: her cancer has stopped spreading. Normally, this would be great news, but in the context of the show, it's eerie and confusing. Van and Tai are left to wonder if the Wilderness has played a role in this, possibly trading life for something darker.

The episode goes on to show the characters' lives spiraling out of control in both past and present timelines. In the past, we see Mari's dishonest plans and the chaos she causes. In the present, Misty and Shauna have a tumultuous day out.

However, Van's health revelation brings up big questions about fate, sacrifice, and the Wilderness's mysterious influence. Could it be just luck that her cancer stopped, or is there something more sinister going on? Does the Wilderness have control over who lives and dies on Yellowjackets?

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Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 recap: Is Van’s cancer update a miracle or wilderness intervention?

When Van's cancer goes into remission, it's not just a time of relief. Something strange happens that makes the situation eerie. The whole series, The Wilderness, has been like a powerful being that needs something in return for what it does.

As Van finds out she's better, Tai tells her that the waiter who chased them after they didn't pay has died. This makes Tai think that the Wilderness might have taken the waiter's life to give Van's back.

He is then heard saying,

“We hear the Wilderness, and it hears us.”

It is like he's going back to the rituals and ideas that helped them in the forest. Van usually doesn't believe in these supernatural things. But now she's starting to wonder because she's so desperate. It's a scary thought that the Wilderness could control life and death like this.

What does this mean for everyone else? And is there a bigger price Van has to pay for staying alive? It's a really important question.

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Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 recap: The hallucinatory horrors of the poison gas cave

Van's journey in the present on Yellowjackets gets dark, and her past is part of one of the most unusual parts of the episode. She, Shauna, and Akilah are stuck in a tunnel and breathe in strange, hallucinogenic gas. This makes Van see weird things. At the start, the visions are nice. Van is by a cozy fire, Akilah has yummy berries, and Shauna is swimming. But things get scary fast.

Van's fire turns into a big, unstoppable one on Yellowjackets, and Akilah's calmness is broken by a llama who tells her something eerie:

“Either way, it’s going to get what it wants.”

And poor Shauna, she sees her son all grown up but can't get to him. These weird visions all come together when they find themselves in a classroom. Lottie is their teacher, and Jackie is there playing with a slap bracelet that turns into a scary choking weapon. Ben saves them, but everyone is suspicious of him.

Finding this makes them wonder if the wilderness is causing all the weird things they're seeing. Or maybe the gas is already affecting them.

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Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 3 recap: Shauna and Misty’s unhinged girls’ day out

Yellowjackets includes a side plot with dark humor, focusing on Shauna and Misty. After Shauna brings Misty along to get answers about an eventful night at Lottie’s sleepover with Callie, their outing gets weirdly chaotic. Misty, keen to connect with Shauna, tags along for errands.

Things get crazy on Yellowjackets when Shauna’s brakes fail during a drive, set to the tune of Limp Bizkit’s Nookie. They swerve dangerously through the streets, just barely avoiding a bad accident. Once they stop, Shauna jumps to conclusions, accusing Misty of messing with the brakes.

Misty claims she didn’t do it. At the same time, Callie feels a stronger pull towards Lottie. Things get eerie when Lottie gives Callie Jackie’s heart necklace, which is tied to death and ancient rituals. This gesture sends Shauna into a frenzy, yanking the necklace from Callie's neck. It’s clear the past won’t stay in the past.

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Yellowjackets is available on Paramount+ and Showtime.

More for fans: The fate of Mari | Lottie’s ‘vulnerable’ arc