WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 2, episode 7.
Though Crystal died in Yellowjacketsseason 2, episode 5, her body has yet to be recovered two episodes later — here’s what could’ve happened to her. No one expected Misty to push her one and only friend off of a cliff, but that’s basically what happened. Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman) was introduced as one of the players stuck in the wilderness, along with Gen and Melissa, in season 2. She and Misty became fast friends thanks to their shared status as outcasts and their love of show tunes. While the two were thick as thieves for a time, that ended on one ill-fated trip to empty the communal toilet.
After Misty admitted to smashing the black box (and Crystal revealed that her real name was Kristen), she was afraid that Crystal would tell everyone, so, she backed her off a cliff. She haphazardly confirmed that Crystal was dead, but an oncoming snowstorm forced her to leave her body behind to head back to the cabin. After Mari suggested that Misty killed Crystal to a few other teammates, Misty staged a search party to go and “find” her friend and was horrified to hear the other teammates suggesting they eat her corpse. Misty ventured off to find Crystal’s body to prevent this, but it was nowhere to be found.
5 Crystal Is Still Alive In Yellowjackets Season 2
There is a slight possibility that Crystal could still be alive on Yellowjackets. Though Misty checked her body to see if she was dead, this was in the midst of sheer panic, so it was possible that she could’ve missed something. The question is, then, how she would be able to survive on her own. Yellowjackets addressed survivors living outside of the cabin when Javi disappeared for two months and then was found by Van and Taissa. If Crystal survived the fall, she could’ve crawled off and found wherever Javi was hiding to wait out the snowstorm and assess her next moves.
In addition, Lottie seems to be under the impression that Crystal is worth looking for. Lottie was one of the few people who (rightly) believed that Javi was still alive, because she could “sense” him. She hasn’t suggested to the rest of the group that Crystal is dead, and has supported their search efforts. Lottie even asked Taissa to utilize her connection to the wilderness to help find Crystal. While Lottie could be supporting their search so that the group can get their next meal, it’s possible that she senses that Crystal is still alive, like Javi, and wants the group to find her.
4 The Wilderness Took Crystal’s Body
Crystal’s body could’ve disappeared because it was taken by the wilderness. The reasoning behind why it would take Crystal’s body is uncertain, however, there are a few reasons it could’ve happened that way. There are several wild theories surrounding the wilderness, but one thing that Yellowjackets has made clear is that the entity is the one that decides who lives and who dies. Crystal’s death may not have been part of the wilderness’ plan, so, it’s taken Crystal’s body to torture Misty for her misdeeds. The snowstorm kicked up closely following Crystal’s death and Shauna’s hateful words toward it, so it’s possible that the wilderness is punishing Misty.
Another thing that the wilderness is responsible for in Yellowjackets is when and how the survivors are fed. This is evidenced by the bear from season 1 and Jackie’s slow-cooked corpse in season 2, episode 2. Due to the nature of Crystal’s death being unplanned by the wilderness, it’s possible that it doesn’t want the girls to eat her, which is precisely what they would do if she were found. To stop this from happening, then, the wilderness would hide Crystal’s body from the rest of the survivors, so they can’t give into their primal instinct and take a meal that was never meant to be.
3 A Survivor Took Crystal’s Dead Body To Eat
One of the most devilish possibilities is that a survivor already found Crystal’s body, and is eating it. So far, the show has paid off the cannibalism seen in the Yellowjackets premiere by eating Jackie, and various members of the team have suggested eating their dead under the guise of “not wasting the body.” Starvation has fallen on the camp, and they’re starting to get desperate for any food they can find. Therefore, it’s possible that one of the other survivors has already found Crystal’s body and is secretly keeping it for themselves. This would’ve had to happen after the snowstorm, as the girls have been stuck inside.
An action like this would, of course, prove to be a grievous mistake for the survivor in question. Almost all of the girls, at some point, have become hostile over either the perceived unfairness of rations or Javi’s stolen food. If one of the survivors on Yellowjackets is hoarding Crystal’s body for themselves and the others find out, it would almost certainly end in that survivor’s death. Any of the survivors could’ve found Crystal’s body, as they’re often out on their own to do their respective chores, and whoever emptied the communal toilet last would be the most likely suspect.
2 The Wolves Ate Crystal’s Body
The wolves are a come-and-go element on Yellowjackets, but there is a chance that they could’ve eaten Crystal’s body. The wolves were first introduced in Yellowjackets season 1, episodes 7 and 8, when a small group of the survivors are attacked by a pack of them in the middle of the night. Van remains permanently scarred from the incident and almost died, but luckily, Taissa came to the rescue after waking up from her sleepwalking alter-ego’s attempt at self-preservation. The wolves haven’t been seen since then, but they’re still out there, and the lack of game during the winter months means they could be just as hungry as the survivors.
Wolves generally don’t kill people or attack unprovoked (though they shouldn’t be approached), but Yellowjackets has established that this is no ordinary wilderness that the survivors are trapped in. In addition, large predators like wolves will eat carrion if they come across it. Sometimes a naturalistic explanation works best, and the idea that the wolves could’ve dragged Crystal’s body off to eat it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. While the wilderness entity feeds the Yellowjackets survivors, it’s presumably responsible for feeding the rest of its inhabitants as well.
1 Crystal Was Buried By The Snow Storm
In all likelihood, Crystal’s body was simply buried by the snowstorm. After the storm stopped, the Yellowjackets team had quite a time getting the door open to the cabin, as they had been snowed in. Misty decided to organize a fake search party with a small group of girls, and feigned psychological distress to break off from the group to return to Crystal’s body to hide it. When she got to the spot, she dug around in the snow for a little bit before giving up and calling it a wasted effort. The snowstorm itself proved to be quite powerful, as Shauna and Taissa experienced great difficulty in navigating their way back to the cabin and had to brace themselves against the wind.
The snowstorm could’ve been so powerful that it pushed Crystal’s body around and buried her. No talk of inches or amount was ever uttered in Yellowjackets, but based on opening the cabin door, it wouldn’t be surprising to estimate that they got over four feet of snow. Therefore, a few minutes of digging wouldn’t be enough on Misty’s part to uncover Crystal’s body, and she’s effectively stuck there, frozen in the ground. Hopefully, Yellowjackets season 2 will reveal what happened to Crystal’s body sometime during its two remaining episodes, and whether or not the team finds out what Misty did.
