As Nirvana's haunting melody of "Something in the Way" echoes in the backdrop, the Yellowjackets sit in a stifling silence, the winter's breath finally subsiding. Their hearts still reeling from the devastating loss of Shauna's newborn, they grasp at the fleeting solace of the snowstorm's cessation, venturing outside into the frigid air.
Shauna, paralyzed by shock, wordlessly inters her child beneath a blanket of snow, her grief too deep for speech. Van's attempt to rationalize the unfathomable, inadvertently revealing her own turmoil, leaves Tai witness to a poignant existential struggle – why have they survived this far, only to be confronted with such cruelty?
Coach Ben's mental state, a volatile pendulum in recent episodes, reaches its crescendo as he succumbs to hallucinations, imagining Paul, his beloved partner, abandoning him in the throes of despair. Meanwhile, Misty, eavesdropping on Mari's hushed conversation about Crystal's disappearance with Akilah and Gen, cunningly seizes the moment, rallying the group to embark on a search for their missing friend.
A collective resolve forms, hands intertwining in prayer as Lottie leads them in a supplication for Crystal's safety. A search party sets out, yet their progress is hindered, their hearts heavy with uncertainty. Desperate, Lottie turns to Tai, beseeching her to "find Crystal as she did Javi," hoping for a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.
Mari remains unconvinced of Misty's innocence, her suspicions lingering, while Misty's sole focus is to uncover Crystal's whereabouts before it's too late, fearing the worst from her fellow survivors.
Shauna retreats to the barn, summoning all her strength to conjure an image of Jackie, a ghostly solace from her past. But when Jackie fails to materialize, Shauna's defenses crumble, her fragile psyche shattering into a million pieces.
As Misty's search for Crystal proves futile at the rocky foothills, she stumbles upon Ben, perched precariously on the brink of despair. His intentions to leap into the abyss are thwarted only by Misty's desperate pleas, her threats falling on deaf ears as he inches closer to the edge. Her anguished cry, "I cannot have another death on my hands," is a haunting echo that resonates, halting Ben's descent into oblivion.
Shauna, storming into the scene, hears Misty humming the eerie tune from earlier, triggering a violent outburst. Punch after punch, she unleashes her rage on Misty, convinced that her hallucination of the Yellowjackets consuming her child is a chilling reality. Her fury unchecked, she turns on Lottie, mercilessly beating her until she's a battered mess, Lottie standing resolute, offering herself as a conduit for Shauna's unbridled anger.
Exiting the barn, Shauna is a woman possessed, her every step tinged with the aftermath of a heart shattered beyond repair.
