Yellowjackets is gearing up for even more trauma and drama! Fans are eagerly waiting for season 3, and we've got all the info you need about the next season, including the estimated release window, the cast and some juicy info about the plot.
The third season of Yellowjackets is finally in sight with production starting in mid-May, meaning they'll be back: our favorite soccer team and their messed up choices, both past and present.
It's been a while, so let me catch you up: in Yellowjackets, viewers follow the story of a girls' soccer team stranded in the wilderness and forced to survive in the unforgiving woods. Back in 1996, they become increasingly hardened, cruel and, quite honestly, mad. That leads to some adult women with lots of heavy stuff to deal with, including unresolved trauma.
Showtime's hit series has been critically acclaimed and got its well-earned Emmy nominations – rightfully so. Who's ready for some more stories from the most-unhinged women on planet Earth? Let's dive into everything there is to know about Yellowjackets Season 3!
Yellowjackets Season 3 | Release Window
Bad news first: there is no confirmed release date for Yellowjackets season 3 yet. But there is also lots of good news and a few updates to share – first up: we'll get a bonus episode, making up for the fact that the previous one only had nine episodes.
When a fan asked when the bonus episode will air, Lyle confirmed we'll have to be patient yet again – in the midst of the Hollywood strikes that heavily affected lots of shows, including Yellowjackets, it had been nearly impossible to guess when it's time to dive into the wilderness again. But as season 3 nears, so does the bonus episode.
Closer to S3. I'm not being coy, there's a strike and things are complicated!
— Ashley Lyle (@ashannlyle) June 2, 2023
Since then, the strikes have thankfully ended and Yellowjackets is gearing up for season 3. Adult Shauna actress, the wonderful Melanie Lynskey, gave an update in her interview with Collider and shared the news that Yellowjackets Season 3 starts production in mid-May 2024.
Previously, filming one season took around half a year. The release used to be fairly soon after wrapping up, but in a recent interview with Deadline, executive producers Ashley Lyle, Jonathan Lisco and Bart Nickerson confirmed that it'll take a little bit longer this time around, telling them that Yellowjackets Season 3 will not be releasing until 2025. But, optimist that I am, early 2025 is still in the cards and would still match up with schedules from previous seasons. Here's hoping it won't take too long!
From this point on, beware of spoilers. If you haven't watched Yellowjackets season 2 yet, kindly click away if you don't want me to spoil some plot twists.
Yellowjackets Season 3: Shauna's Storyline Is Getting "Very Dark"
Just to catch you up: the previous season ended with the cabin in the wilderness burned down in 1996 and an accidental murder in the present. We're looking at a winter without shelter and the repercussions of Natalie's death at Misty's hands in the upcoming season and, not to forget, Shauna's daughter Callie proves she really is her daughter in increasingly worrying ways. Girl's not okay. That's where we stand, so where will we go from there?
In her interview with Collider, Lynskey had to keep certain details about the upcoming plot under wraps, but she did share one crucial piece of information that will have many fans scratching their heads:
I just had a conversation with them like a week ago, with our writers, about the course of the season. I mean, I do know, one of them said ‘Things are going to get very dark for Shauna’ and I was like, 'get?!'
And that's just the thing, isn't it? Shauna is the poster-child for unresolved trauma in the adult timeline, and that's clear from the very get-go. I don't blame her – over the course of the previous two seasons, we've got around fifty good reasons why she is the way she is as an adult. There is so much messed up stuff happening in the 90s in the wilderness, it's actually a miracle she even remotely resembles a functional human being in the present time. How is that supposed to get even darker than it already is?
One thing that's not clear from the interview is which Shauna will have the worst time – teen or adult? Both? Probably both, if we're being honest. Adult Shauna has a whole new death to mourn, and Teen Shauna has her very own sh*tshow to deal with.
Yellowjackets Season 3: Returning Cast
We had to say goodbye to some characters in season 2, but as Jackie Taylor herself has taught us, being dead doesn't mean the character is not a big part of the plot anymore. If Ella Purnell returns as Jackie to haunt her former teammates further is unsure at this point, considering the actress is probably pretty busy with Fallout's second season. But it's entirely possible we'll see some of the other characters that either didn't survive the wilderness or died years later in the equally messed up present time in flashbacks or hallucinations.
Here's a list of the characters we fully expect in season 3:
The 1996 Yellowjackets
- Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna
- Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty
- Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa
- Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie
- Liv Hewson as Teen Van
- Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie
The supporting cast most likely will also make their return with Steven Krueger as Ben Scott, Kevin Alves as Travis, Alexa Barajas as Mari and Keeya King as Akilah. It remains to be seen if we ever get to see Nuha Jes Izman as Crystal again, but I wouldn't place any bets on it. But how about the adult versions of the wilderness girls?
Present-day Yellowjackets
- Melanie Lynskey as Shauna
- Christina Ricci as Misty
- Tawny Cypress as Taissa
- Simone Kessel as Lottie
- Lauren Ambrose as Van
To add to that, there's a chance that maybe Juliette Lewis will return as Natalie – even if it's just in a flashback or hallucination, Jackie-style. Warren Kole will most likely return as Jeff as well and if season 2 taught us anything, there's always a chance of some 1996 Yellowjackets joining in the present day all aged-up.
Yellowjackets Is Supposed To Get Five Seasons
According to co-creator Ashley Lyle in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the show is still on track for their 5-season-plan. If the show can keep up its gripping story and compelling characters, I don't see why it shouldn't work out according to plan!
Following the finale of season 2, Ashley Lyle took to Twitter. As a little treat and to hype up audiences, she has already teased that Yellowjackets will get even weirder in the next season – we're ready!
Are we gonna get weirder? Probably! Will the fallout of *redacted*'s death affect our (anti)heroes in massive ways? Will our girls' struggle to survive against the elements (and themselves) get even down and dirtier? Do we still have to tell the story of Pit Girl? You betcha!
— Ashley Lyle (@ashannlyle) May 27, 2023
With the numerous Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, the success of the show will hopefully save it ever from ever being cancelled before reaching it's natural conclusion.
We'll keep you updated about any further news, as always!