Pratik Handore
‘Y: The Last Man,’ the long-awaited television adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s comic book of the same name, finally arrived on our screens, giving us a peek into a world where nearly every living male mammal is wiped off from the face of the earth following an inexplicable plague. The world is thrown into utter chaos and turmoil, as the women must step forward and reconstruct society.
Yorick Brown, an amateur magician, and his pet monkey Ampersand are seemingly the only surviving mammals with a Y-chromosome in this post-apocalyptic world. While the first two episodes give us an in-depth look at the world politics post the plague and the dire condition of the surviving members of the society, the third episode brings Yorick into the bigger picture and examines the impact of his survival. Here’s everything you need to know about the episode’s events and ending! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Y: The Last Man Episode 3 Recap
The third episode, titled ‘Neil,’ picks up shortly after Yorick is reunited with his mother, who is now the acting President of the United States. Agent 355 speaks with the pilots who helped her retrieve Yorick and asks them to remain silent. Later at night, Ampersand wanders into the corridors, and Yorick chases after him. Marla spots Yorick, but Agent 355 convinces her that it is just a vision.
Jennifer tells Yorick that he is the last surviving man with a Y-chromosome and the key to society’s future. Yorick merely wants to reunite with his girlfriend Beth and lies that he is engaged to her. Agent 355 suggests doing genetic tests on Yorick to uncover how he survived the plague. Meanwhile, Jennifer must deal with the reemergence of Regina Oliver, a radical politician who complicates the line of succession following the death of the President. Kimberly tries to rally some support and plans a coup.
Jennifer convinces Dr. Sharon Jacobs to help with the power crisis proving herself a capable leader. Agent 355 convinces Jennifer that Yorick must be moved to Boston so that Dr. Allison Mann can conduct research on him. She then asks the two pilots to help her transport Yorick. Kimberly expresses her suspicion that Jennifer is hiding something from her.
Y: The Last Man Episode 3 Ending: Who Destroys the Helicopter? Is Yorick Safe?
Towards the end of the episode, Agent 355 smuggles Yorick outside the building from under the watchful eyes of the security. She pilots one helicopter taking Yorick with her while the other two pilots lead in a different helicopter, acting as a cover. As they approach their destination, the leading helicopter erupts in flames and is destroyed.
While it isn’t explicitly stated, we believe that Agent 355 maneuvered the blast and killed the two pilots. She commits a similar action in the very first episode during her introduction scene. Likewise, in the third episode, she tells Jennifer that she can take care of the pilots. Considering that the two are the only people outside Jennifer’s circle that know about Yorick being alive, it seems Agent 355 has decided to get rid of them. For now, it seems Yorick is safest in the care of Agent 355, who is even willing to kill people to protect him.
Why Must Yorick Leave Washington?
A good portion of the third episode explains the multi-faceted reason that Yorick must leave Washington. Firstly, he is simply not safe there. With Kimberly planning a coup and the news that Regina is out of the coma, Jennifer will have to deal with a host of new problems. Therefore, she might not be able to keep Yorick safe.
Plus, Yorick’s survival threatens Jennifer’s position as the President of the United States. It would be suspicious that only the President’s son survived the global catastrophe and could cause the people to revolt against Jennifer, plunging the country into further chaos. Lastly, since he is the only man with a Y-chromosome to survive the plague, the answer to what caused the event in the first place lies within him. Therefore, he must be subject to clinical tests that could help figure out some answers. For that, Yorick must meet Dr. Allison Mann, who resides in Boston.
How Did All the Men Die? How Did Yorick Survive It?
The incident that kick-starts the events of the show remains shrouded in mystery. Not an awful lot of clues are provided regarding the cause of the plague. Therefore, it isn’t easy to figure out why Yorick and Ampersand are the sole surviving mammals with a Y-chromosome. Is the reason genetic? Or was it out of dumb luck? The first three episodes intentionally avoid delving into the matter.
That is understandable since the series is an exploration of a society without men. It tackles the entire gender spectrum and examines the roles of men and women in society. Underneath the layers of gender politics lies a more traditional political conflict. Jennifer and Kimberly represent left-wing and right-wing ideologies respectively, while Regina could be the radical liberal. These conflicts are far more compelling and resonant in today’s age than finding out why or how the plague was caused. Nonetheless, answers regarding the plague and Yorick’s survival should arrive in due time.
Read More: Where is Y: The Last Man Filmed?
