Van Palmer, who was played by Lauren Ambrose in the present and Liv Hewson in the past, has been a symbol of strength in Yellowjackets. A plane crash, a vicious wolf attack and even Stage 4 cancer did not kill her. But in the second-to-last episode of Season 3, Melissa (Hilary Swank) killed her by stabbing her very badly.
VAN’S LONG HISTORY OF CHEATING DEATH
Van stood out among the Yellowjackets right from the start because she had strong instincts to stay alive. In Season 1, she was stuck on the burning plane wreckage and just barely made it out alive. After that, wolves attacked her and mauled her badly, making her friends think she was dead. They even set up a funeral pyre for her, but Van woke up just in time.
As the show went on, it became clear that Van was almost impossible to hurt. When Yellowjackets showed her adult self in Season 2, played by Lauren Ambrose, it was revealed that she had cancer that would kill her. Even though she was given a bad diagnosis, she kept going because she was determined to live her own life.
YELLOWJACKETS SEASON 3 EPISODE 9: IS MELISSA ALIVE OR DEAD?
VAN’S FINAL MOMENTS
The ninth episode titled How the Story Ends, starts with Van in the hospital. Taissa (Tawny Cypress), who is with Van, is told that hospice care is the next step. Van, on the other hand, won’t be quiet. In a dreamlike vision, she sees her teenage self discussing The Goonies and the idea of quests, reinforcing her fighting spirit. Despite her deteriorating health, Van joins Tai and Misty (Christina Ricci) in a desperate search for Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), which leads them to an unexpected discovery: Melissa, alive and well.
The get-together is not fun at all. Tensions rise in Melissa’s bloody house as the survivors argue about betrayals from the past. When the room fills with carbon monoxide and Tai passes out, things get worse. As things get worse, Van takes charge and ties Melissa up on the ground while putting a knife to her throat.
“I have nothing to lose,” Van tells Melissa. “I have cancer.” She doesn’t kill Melissa, though; she hesitates.
In a shocking turn of events, Melissa changes things. She tells Van that she is ready to be a sacrifice if the wilderness asks for one. Melanie grabs the knife and drives it right into Van’s heart before he can answer.
THE DEATH PLANE: VAN’S FINAL DESTINATION
Van is about to die when she wakes up on the creepy “death plane” where other people who died in the wilderness have gone. In that moment, her teenage self tells her, “This is how our story goes.”
Lauren Ambrose said she had known since the beginning of Season 3 what would happen to Van. She told Variety that she wanted Van’s death to feel like it was deserved. “She’s survived so much, and if she’s going to finally die, it has to be meaningful,” Ambrose said.
In addition, she said she was thankful for the chance to share scenes with Liv Hewson, who plays young Van. Their last moments together were very emotional, which showed how much Van had been affected by her past trauma for so long.
FAN REACTIONS AND THE IMPACT OF VAN’S DEATH
Fans of the Yellowjackets are still shocked by Van’s death. A lot of people thought she would beat the odds again. Others, though, say that her death was a sad but fitting end to her story.
One big worry about Van’s death is that it fits a long-standing pattern of killing off gay characters. One of the most interesting things about the show was Van’s relationship with Taissa, and fans are upset that their story was cut short.
Tawny Cypress said she thought their relationship was a disaster, but Ambrose thought the story was very moving. Even though they were through a lot of sad things together, the show never got to fully explore how they were as adults. Their story is still unfinished, which makes fans wonder what might have been.
The people in charge of the show haven’t said anything about this issue yet but Ambrose has said in interviews that she wishes there had been more time to explore their complicated relationship.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE YELLOWJACKETS?
Van is gone, and there is only one episode left in the season. Things are more important than ever. No one is safe in the wilderness because it keeps killing people. Will Melissa have to deal with the results of what she did? So what are Shauna, Misty, and Taissa going to do next?
Yellowjackets has always had shocking deaths, but Van’s is one of the saddest ones. Fans are wondering: Who will be next as the season comes to a close?
Stay tuned to tvacute.com for more Yellowjackets news, recaps and theories!
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