S01.E08: Flight of the Bumblebee

[Kristi800]

On 1/3/2022 at 6:24 PM, BitterApple said:

This is such a shallow observation, but when Shauna rejected the bandage dress, my first thought was her boobs would've looked amazing in it. For some reason she hates "boob dresses" lol. 

I have good-sized boobs and my husband has gotten me "boob dresses" and it's annoying. I'm not one to show that off. 

I don't think it was intentional and just wants his wife to look hot for the reunion when he hasn't exactly succeeded. Seems more clueless than doing it on purpose. He was a Yellowjacket, too... Still, it's supposed to be November - in NJ - and still looks like MAY!  

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My highest cliff dive was about 60' and I hit the water wrong. I didn't walk right for a month and consider myself lucky that's as bad as it got. 

My husband jumped off a cliff (not 60' high, more like 30') and landed wrong and got water burns (like rug burns). He bruised his ribs trying to water ski. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Kristi800
rug, not rung

[peachmangosteen]

15 hours ago, BitterApple said:

19 survivors. Tai, Shauna, Nat, Misty, Travis, Coach Scott, Javi, Jackie, Lottie, Van, Laura Lee (RIP), Mari, Akilah, and six redshirts. The extras come and go as needed. I'm assuming the writers keep them around to have people to kill off without sacrificing one of the main characters. 

How many people were at the ritual in the first ep?

[blixie]

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How many people were at the ritual in the first ep?

My last re-watch I counted 7, 3 on one side of Antler Queen and three on the other. We only know Misty for sure. 

[BitterApple]

I thought it was 8? Antler Queen, three flanking each side, and then Misty presenting the platter of meat? 

[blixie]

Ah yeah that is correct. So seven non Misty survivors. 

[iMonrey]

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My money is on Adam being Travis's younger brother, or is that too obvious?

There are two basic problems with Adam being Javi. The first and most obvious, to me anyway, is that Travis and Javi are both rather distinctively Hispanic. (Their last name is Hernandez.) Adam is not Hispanic. 

The other is that present-day Nat is so laser-focused on Travis right now that it's implausible Javi's name wouldn't come up if they knew he was still alive. For example, she is trying to discover who closed out Travis's bank account the day after he died. Javi would be the logical answer to that question if he's still around. Even if they have lost touch with him after being rescued, they would certainly know whether or not he made it and would have mentioned him by now, given Travis's death. The bank told Nat only family could gain access to the account, why didn't Javi's name come up? 

Now, it's quite possible Adam will turn out to be Javi but I'm going to be horribly disappointed if he does because it really doesn't make any sense given these circumstances, and I really want the show and the writing to be better than that.

[BitterApple]

I've read articles where the show runners said they're planning a five-season run. Personally, I think that's a little ambitious, but going by that information, I don't think Javi will be alive. The actor who plays him looks to be around 13. If five seasons is supposed to cover nineteen months in the wilderness, he'll be around 18/19 when the series ends. Given the growth spurts and dramatic changes boys go through during puberty, it would be really hard to de-age Javi and keep him looking so young. 

If Javi is Adam, I think they'll have to write some convoluted plot where Javi is left for dead but somehow makes it out of the woods and doesn't tell anyone his identity. The audience would have to do Olympic-level mental gymnastics to buy it. 

 

[calliope1975]

The actor playing Adam is Dutch and Mexican so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility, but I don't know if I'd like it if he was Javi. I do think he knows who Shauna is and he's not who he says he is, but I'm not sure who I would want him to be. I kinda like the idea of a third brother/son of Coach though. 

[Dminches]

Regarding who Adam really is..

Spoiler

On Twitter Melanie Lynskey said that all of the mentioned theories were wrong and those included that he was Javi.  Take that for what it is worth.  She seemed to indicate that it was way more clever.

 

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I've read articles where the show runners said they're planning a five-season run. Personally, I think that's a little ambitious, but going by that information, I don't think Javi will be alive. The actor who plays him looks to be around 13. If five seasons is supposed to cover nineteen months in the wilderness, he'll be around 18/19 when the series ends. Given the growth spurts and dramatic changes boys go through during puberty, it would be really hard to de-age Javi and keep him looking so young. 

I don't think writers really take this into consideration when they initially plan something. Look at Lost lol. 

But @iMonrey makes a good point that if Javi was alive, he'd have been mentioned by now with regards to Travis' death. However, he could have faked his death or he could have gone so far off the grid that the women just don't have any way of knowing anything about him so they don't really consider him.

3 hours ago, calliope1975 said:

The actor playing Adam is Dutch and Mexican so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility ...

I think finding out the actor is Mexican is what really pushed me into the Javi theory. But him being another, unknown Martinez brother would also fit, maybe even better actually.

[blixie]

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unknown Martinez brother would also fit, maybe even better actually.

Especially since Travis oozed disgust for his dad and I couldn't figure out why (I mean it seemed more intense than just typical teenaged angst).

[monagatuna]

After some thought, I agree that the Adam = Javi theory is too easy, although I disagree that grown-up Adam could not be Hispanic--Hispanic or Latino/a people are extremely diverse in skin and hair color and builds, and it would not take much for me to suspend disbelief if that is how it worked out.

So I don't believe Javi and Adam are the same anymore, but only because it's too easy and predictable. I do think Adam is someone from their past, maybe someone we haven't met yet, rather than some random reporter or fanboy.

[tennisgurl]

Random thought, was that shot of Jackie doing the jokey throat slit gesture foreshadowing Jackie going down a dark path? Maybe that a secretly alive Jackie is the person behind it all in the present day and/or the leader of the antler cult in the mountains? Maybe the survivors deliberately left her behind because of what she did out on the snow, or even out of long simmering resentment? The rescuer team showed up and they were like “yep, we’re everyone” even though they knew she was still there? 

[Shermie]

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Maybe that a secretly alive Jackie is the person behind it all in the present day and/or the leader of the antler cult in the mountains? Maybe the survivors deliberately left her behind because of what she did out on the snow, or even out of long simmering resentment? The rescuer team showed up and they were like “yep, we’re everyone” even though they knew she was still there? 

And she got rescued later and has been hiding her survival and secretly plotting her revenge for 20 years? That is playing one loooong game.

[Pestilentia]

8 hours ago, Shermie said:

And she got rescued later and has been hiding her survival and secretly plotting her revenge for 20 years? That is playing one loooong game.

Well, you have to allow a little time to pass before you retaliate against anyone who has wronged you, otherwise your name will come up as they investigate the crime. Good grudges never die! 

 

I love the idea that they intentionally left someone living behind. That's exactly the sort of 'wrong' that is vile enough to warrant a 20 year plan, lol.

[peachmangosteen]

14 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Random thought, was that shot of Jackie doing the jokey throat slit gesture foreshadowing Jackie going down a dark path? 

When did she do this?

2 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

I love the idea that they intentionally left someone living behind. That's exactly the sort of 'wrong' that is vile enough to warrant a 20 year plan, lol.

I love this idea, too. 

[sacrebleu]

On 1/2/2022 at 4:43 PM, WaltersHair said:

Van breaks all the odds. She:

1. Survives the initial plane crash (and is seen attempting to get her oxygen mask to deploy and never succeeding)

2. Almost being barbecued in the plane wreckage

3. A wolf attack

4.  Being set on fire a second time

 

Not to mention almost julienned by the propeller blades when they first found the plane (until Jackie pushed her out of the way)

[tennisgurl]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

When did she do this?

4 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

Its in the opening credits. It could be another shot that just establishes atmosphere in the credits, or it could be foreshadowing...

[WaltersHair]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Its in the opening credits. It could be another shot that just establishes atmosphere in the credits, or it could be foreshadowing...

So far all of the scenes in the opening have been in the series except the Jackie scene and the one where someone throws up and the camera pans to maggots. I'm going to bet both show up in next couple of episodes.

[Dminches]

23 hours ago, WaltersHair said:

So far all of the scenes in the opening have been in the series except the Jackie scene and the one where someone throws up and the camera pans to maggots. I'm going to bet both show up in next couple of episodes.

Are you referring to the Jackie scene where she is in uniform on the soccer field?  If so, could that be a foreshadowing to something that happened in the forest?

 

[racked]

Adult Misty is hilarious and CR is wonderful but I agree that Misty caused all this misery and death with her actions. 

I can see all the clues for Adam being Javi but I think it’s misdirection. Teen Javi only seems a few years younger than the girls (he’s at least 12). I guess its possible Shauna doesn’t recognize him though.

I love Jackie, in no small part because the actress is great. I don’t mind her going full on passive aggressive revenge on Shauna. Teenage Shauna is the least likable of all the girls for me.  

[Cinnabon]

1 minute ago, racked said:

Adult Misty is hilarious and CR is wonderful but I agree that Misty caused all this misery and death with her actions. 

I can see all the clues for Adam being Javi but I think it’s misdirection. Teen Javi only seems a few years younger than the girls (he’s at least 12). I guess its possible Shauna doesn’t recognize him though.

I love Jackie, in no small part because the actress is great. I don’t mind her going full on passive aggressive revenge on Shauna. Teenage Shauna is the least likable of all the girls for me.  

I thought Javi was high school freshman age (14/15) for some reason. He just hadn’t gotten his growth spurt yet. 
 
For some reason, I really like teenage (and adult) Shawna. But Jackie is the type I’ve never been able to stand, so that may be why! I guess she missed her chance to go to college and join a mean girl sorority 🤣.

 

[sistermagpie]

On 1/4/2022 at 6:47 PM, tennisgurl said:

Random thought, was that shot of Jackie doing the jokey throat slit gesture foreshadowing Jackie going down a dark path? Maybe that a secretly alive Jackie is the person behind it all in the present day and/or the leader of the antler cult in the mountains? Maybe the survivors deliberately left her behind because of what she did out on the snow, or even out of long simmering resentment? The rescuer team showed up and they were like “yep, we’re everyone” even though they knew she was still there? 

I've seen this theory a lot and while it certainly might be true and work, as it is now I would be disappointed and not by it. It seems like Jackie is just so emphatically drawn as the person who remains the same in the woods as at home. She's like the spirit of Normal High School haunting the group. Even as a ghost she'sa high school girl--and her wardrobe so far suggests the same. Where other people are developing skills appropriate to the environment, she's still using the skills she has, which tend to be more short-sighted and petty. I guess that's also why it's hard for me to ever imagine her as the antler queen--wolf pack leader seems like a completely different type of leader than she is.

Which could be totally wrong. Maybe the coach's talk about her alleged leadership abilities was foreshadowing of a Jackie we haven't seen yet. but there's just been such a consistent thing of adults talking about Jackie as being special in ways she explicitly was not that it's hard to believe. Plus Shauna just really does seems like she's guilty about Jackie, not afraid or respecful of her as antler queen.

[Zonk]

They have a clear stream so close to their cabin that one-leged coach can get there and these girls decided to go south instead of following it?! W-T-F?!

1996 doesn't feel that long ago. I mean it's 25 years, but on the other hand, that's also not thaaaat long of a time. It's always sobering to think about how much shittier it was for gay people back then than it is today (and even today it could be a lot better).

The gas tank of that plane might be full but in any realistic world, that gas would have gone bad decades ago.

Girl, maybe if the plane starts burning and you are over a lake, jump out next time? Seems preferable to burning alive or exploding. Also, and I asked that many episodes ago, shouldn't that plane have a radio on board? Why would they never even try that.

In 2021: The glitterer is clearly not the boyfriend but the husband.

[Zonk]

On 1/3/2022 at 12:15 AM, Cinnabon said:

The plane probably had a leak in the fuel pump and that’s why it exploded as soon as it heated up. 

I mean it exploding in that way isn't realistic in any scenario, no matter where the leak was.

On 1/3/2022 at 1:17 AM, Darian said:

Seeing Van's teeth through her cheek was rough. As to whether her injuries  were survivable or not, it's fiction, but also working in an ER made me realize people can survive some things they just logically, medically shouldn't be able to, even with a staff of experts working on them, and sometimes after not being found for awhile. So, I can let it go, even though it might not make sense. I like Van, so I want her to live (though it's still a very, very long shot). 

But in the ER they have antibiotics. Those are wolf bites, in her face, there is no way she is going to survive this without antibiotics. They better mention next episode that the prepper dude had stashed 30 packs of antibiotics in his cabin, otherwise I'm calling bullshit if Van survives more than 5 days.

On 1/3/2022 at 7:09 AM, monagatuna said:

At that altitude she'd have died on impact

At what altitude? The plane was like 10m above the lake. There are jump towers at swiming pools that high. She could have even brought the plane a bit lower before jumping, instead it looked like she even gained altitude before the explosion.

On 1/3/2022 at 10:40 PM, snarts said:

I agree.  Any antibiotics were likely already used on Coach (still amazed he survived). Plus there's no way Van can possibly eat anything with that injury, so it's likely just prolonging the inevitable.

Somebody could probably chew it and then feed it to her so she has to only swallow. Not exactly a nice thought, but if you are trying to survive, not the worst thing you'd do.

On 1/3/2022 at 11:34 PM, Broderbits said:

They did show Travis checking the net he had set up for catching fish, but it was empty (and it looked like a pretty half-assed effort anyway).

Yeah that seemed half assed from a writing standpoint, too. You could totally rig a fishing rod and if nobody ever comes to that lake, you should be able to drag a sizeable amount of fish out of it. Since they have only two hunters, they could have the rest of the camp fishing all day.

[Broderbits]

1 minute ago, Zonk said:

Since they have only two hunters, they could have the rest of the camp fishing all day.

That begs the question: what DO those girls do all day? Stand around and bitch? Play with whatever make-up they have left? Many of them don't seem too concerned about being stranded and running out of food.

[sistermagpie]

3 minutes ago, Broderbits said:

That begs the question: what DO those girls do all day? Stand around and bitch? Play with whatever make-up they have left? Many of them don't seem too concerned about being stranded and running out of food.

Yes, presumably we are supposed to think they're doing plenty since they made a point of that early on when Jackie was doing nothing. But they don't seem to be thinking of good plans for getting rescued in terms of following water downstream or, as someone pointed out elsewhere, climbing up to higher ground to get a look at the landscape.

[Cinnabon]

On 1/15/2022 at 8:14 PM, sistermagpie said:

I've seen this theory a lot and while it certainly might be true and work, as it is now I would be disappointed and not by it. It seems like Jackie is just so emphatically drawn as the person who remains the same in the woods as at home. She's like the spirit of Normal High School haunting the group. Even as a ghost she'sa high school girl--and her wardrobe so far suggests the same. Where other people are developing skills appropriate to the environment, she's still using the skills she has, which tend to be more short-sighted and petty. I guess that's also why it's hard for me to ever imagine her as the antler queen--wolf pack leader seems like a completely different type of leader than she is.

Which could be totally wrong. Maybe the coach's talk about her alleged leadership abilities was foreshadowing of a Jackie we haven't seen yet. but there's just been such a consistent thing of adults talking about Jackie as being special in ways she explicitly was not that it's hard to believe. Plus Shauna just really does seems like she's guilty about Jackie, not afraid or respecful of her as antler queen.

Exactly. Her only contributions to the group were the suggestions to have the séance and the homecoming night. And we saw where those led! 😂

10 hours ago, Zonk said:

I mean it exploding in that way isn't realistic in any scenario, no matter where the leak was.

The gas pump obviously had a leak (from sitting there for years without routine maintenance), and when the plane heated up, it caught fire. The pump is under the passenger seat.

[Zonk]

2 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

The gas pump obviously had a leak (from sitting there for years without routine maintenance), and when the plane heated up, it caught fire. The pump is under the passenger seat.

And? An explosion like we saw on screen is still not realistic.

[Shermie]

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But in the ER they have antibiotics. Those are wolf bites, in her face, there is no way she is going to survive this without antibiotics. 

In the olden days before penicillin and hospitals, people survived all sorts of injuries and infections. Sometimes it was luck, sometimes the skill of the caregiver/medicine person, sometimes genetics. But yes, people were injured, maybe even had infections, and yet they lived to tell the tale. It’s not an all-or-nothing scenario.

[Hanahope]

How does coach remain almost clean shaven for months?  And Nat barely has any dark roots.  

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, Hanahope said:

How does coach remain almost clean shaven for months?  And Nat barely has any dark roots.  

I have a harder time with the roots than being clean-shaven, myself. Because I can believe he's been shaving with whatever he brought with him (though he looks like he'd get a beard pretty fast) but I really do keep looking for roots. I'm willing to think I'm maybe just not getting a clear view of the top of her head.

[Mr. R0b0t]

They are really positioning Jackie to end up on the wrong side of everyone and become dinner and I'm here for it.

[KittyQ]

On 1/2/2022 at 2:15 PM, calliope1975 said:

I lol'd at this. Why yes, Adam, when a women is questioning whether everything you say about yourself is a lie, take her to some unfamiliar cabin, alone, with the guy she doesn't trust. Good plan!

In the woods! I'm thinking if I spent 17 months lost in the wilderness, fighting for my life all the time, the last place I'd go for relaxation would be anything more woodsy than my local park. 

[KittyQ]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:04 PM, Hanahope said:

How does coach remain almost clean shaven for months?  And Nat barely has any dark roots.  

I was also bothered by the lack of dark roots and mentioned that to my husband. He noted that while he has had a few issues involving technical details it never occurred to him that a girl with dyed blonde hair should have seen some grow-out after a few weeks in the wilderness. 

[margol29]

Just getting into this show, so I am late to the game. A theory of mine could be that Van survives the mauling, but her face is so messed up that when the rescuers come she hides from them and doesn't want to go back to civilization. Or she gets rescued but the mauling affected her so much that she can't deal with the reality of life and hides out in the backwoods somewhere. She might be the one sending the postcards and such.