Sometimes the best therapy is cranking the hits to eleven, so today we're exploring the hardcore kid-care revival movement, 11 o'clock theatrical birdcore numbers, some late hits of the renovationwave era (call us about a spinoff!), flower duets, and a classic live record. Out in the wilderness, Coach Scott does a great Karl Havoc impression for an unimpressed Misty.
The facade of hope has cracked in the past. Meanwhile, the delusion is only getting stronger in the present. That dichotomy frames every single story. The survivors allowed themselves to get swept up in the fantasy of Shauna's baby. They always knew the birth would be traumatic. In fact, some are now trying to rationalize that her baby was always going to die at some point. Yes, it would have been uplifting to have a baby around. That would allow everyone to focus on the future instead of spiraling in the depression of the present. And yet, they are all starving. The baby would have suffered from the same fate. They didn't want to acknowledge that before. They have to be brutally honest with each other now. They can't pretend that some things aren't happening. Sure, Shauna hallucinated her friends devouring her baby. She's still rightfully outraged. She cherished this pregnancy. She chose to become a mom. That's the fate she wanted. She was willing to protect her child from the world. She failed. She has to let her anger out. Lottie recognizes that. She remains incredibly perceptive. She surrenders herself completely to the mystery of the wilderness. She believes the universe heard their prayers and saved Shauna's life. It wasn't enough to ensure the same fate for the baby or Crystal. They should be grateful for Shauna. However, it's also sensible to deduce the rage Shauna feels. It's easier to deflect and blame others for this terrible situation. Misty did something wrong. Lottie was distracting with her prayers. And yet, the survivors collectively endured this trauma together. It was most visceral for Shauna's body. None of them could truly escape. That never offers them peace. Shauna and Ben have previously disassociated to deflect from what's happening. That's no longer a feasible option. It pushes Ben to the brink of suicide. Misty is there to talk him off the ledge. She does so for selfish reasons. She understands the horror that already awaits below even though she can't uncover Crystal's body from the snow quite yet. She doesn't want yet another death added to her conscience. She isn't responsible for this particular choice. Ben doesn't walk off the cliff. He steps back. He was preparing for death. He could no longer escape to his fantasy. Similarly, Shauna can't seek comfort from Jackie in the shed. Their circumstances haven't changed at all. Yet it's all hitting them because of all they've lost. Yes, it's freeing that the snow has stopped. That's a potential moment of peace. Misty rallies the survivors to search for Crystal. It's all fleeting. This time the fate is certain. Javi miraculously survived for months on his own. Crystal is dead. Misty knows that. She carries it with her. She can never truly speak the horrors she has committed. People always fear the worst from her. It's justified too even though they don't know the extent of her actions.
Misty wants to prevent Crystal from being eaten by the survivors. She views that as the blessing she can extend to her best friend. That's the dignity she aspires to achieve. Everyone has already developed the taste for human flesh. They crave it simply from the possibility of one of their own dying. That's inevitable at this point. It's absolutely one of the darkest aspects of the choices they make. And yet, it was also heinous when Misty pushed Crystal off the cliff. That can't be ignored either. In the present, Natalie has gone all in on Lottie's treatment. She has seen the error of her ways. She's grateful to Lottie for saving her life. The other survivors begin their journeys. They experience the first treatments. Meanwhile, Lottie is afraid of the newfound purpose this connection serves her. It's so incredibly personal. She knows just how destructive it was the last time the six of them were together. It was disastrous when it was just four last season. Lottie is being pushed into the darkness. It's too late to turn back now. She receives clarity that her therapist is just another hallucination. Her subconscious is pushing her to listen to the dark thoughts first planted in her mind in the wilderness. She must surrender control to them. She must listen to them because they hold power. Lottie is terrified. It still culminates in the friends having a fun night together. It's not them dealing with their issues in a therapeutic setting. Instead, it's just friends hanging out. They survived a tragedy together. That will forever bond them. It's not the sole thing that defines their lives. And yet, these connections always draw them together. The friendships linger. It's easy to fall back into old routines. Taissa and Van feel that attraction. And yet, everyone is running out of time. That's literally so for Van. She's been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She only has months left to live. She wasn't going to share this news with any of the survivors. She has now been dragged into this reunion. That forces her to acknowledge the weight of these bonds. Everyone must reckon with that truth. Van is at peace with how humble her life ultimately was. She doesn't need others to place hope on extraordinary measures. She's fine with dying while carrying all of this unprocessed trauma. Similarly, the walls are closing in for Shauna as the police have apparently found Adam's body. Shauna trusted Misty to cover up her crime. That didn't prevent the cops from asking questions. Shauna's family is already under a microscope. The discovery of a body will only worsen that pain. Shauna can't forget that while tending to a baby goat for the day. It's relaxing. It doesn't get to the root of her problems. The show has so much fun with these adult characters trying to address their issues while deflecting from the treatment Lottie provides. They don't find her reassuring. They have their own ways of dealing with things. All of this threatens to pull them back to the despair of the wilderness. And yet, that may be the precise environment where they need to be to fully acknowledge the sinister darkness within each of them. It can't save them from the heinous things they've done elsewhere. It would simply allow them to live in acknowledgement of the truth. That's clarifying as well.
