But if their plane had not crashed, they would be living at home. Sure, they’re high school existence might still be filled with drama, but at the end of each day (most of them) could go to their parents for advice or comfort. The heartbreak in Liv Hewson’s face is painful to watch. Despite that tough exterior, she is still a child, deep down.

Motherhood is a quiet theme running throughout this episode, especially as we learn the contents of the tape that Adult Shauna received in the present day. It’s a recording Hannah made that documents not only Edwin’s killing and the subsequent events but also a message she left for her child.

Even though it’s clear that Hannah ends up spending some time with the Yellowjackets, Shauna and the other survivors never knew she had a daughter as a teenager. Now, Shauna believes it’s Hannah’s kid who is a threat. Shauna, for someone who lost a baby in her youth, is glib about parenthood, and at this point potentially all other human connections.

As she embarks on her road trip to Virginia to confront Hannah’s offspring, she tells Jeff that Callie needs to back off, using an expletive that does not make her mother of the year. And it’s not as if she were transferring any of her maternal energy toward her pals. Her cruelty toward Misty reaches new heights in this episode. Yes, Misty — who tags along on the road trip with Tai and Van — accuses Shauna of murder; the DNA sample she collected from Lottie’s fingernails matches the hair Walter plucked from Shauna’s head. But Shauna still treats Misty with a callous disregard, even in a moment of crisis. The journey goes quickly awry when Adult Van spits up blood.

As Adult Van lies, possibly dying, in a hospital room somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Shauna offers no waiting room consolations. Instead, she ditches Misty and the rest of her former teammates to confront Hannah’s daughter, knife in hand, all by herself. This was a Shauna forged by her trauma: If the child she had as a teen died, so can the one Hannah had.

Shauna believes she can be the arbiter of death for others. Meanwhile, Adult Van is negotiating for her own life. From her grown-up perspective, she sees a vision of the teenage Van, that girl who just wanted to talk to her mom, setting her adult self’s bed on fire. But Adult Tai is also there — the evil version of Tai, mouth coated in black goo — who promises Van she can help her survive.

But Van doesn’t want that kind of salvation. She has already witnessed it too many times.

More to chew on

• “Who wants to go halfsies on some floss picks?” is a great Misty-ism.

• I am unconvinced Shauna actually killed Lottie.

• Nice Cocteau Twins music cue at the end there.

• Shoving the arrow through Melissa’s shoulder was pretty gnarly.

• Lottie’s casual attempt to help after coating herself in Edwin’s blood was grimly funny.

• Kodiak mentions “the Wilderness.” Is this the same Wilderness that the Yellowjackets pray to? What does he know?