First Look at Yellowjackets Season 3: Expect Answers, High Stakes, and Some Big Surprises
Yellowjackets fans, in case you missed it, yesterday, we got some fresh intel straight from co-creator Ashley Lyle, courtesy of Vanity Fair! In her exclusive interview with the publication, Lyle shared a tantalizing glimpse into Season 3, coming our way early next year. Sure, we don’t have an exact release date yet, but we know the thrilling drama will hit Paramount+ with Showtime in early 2025. And if the end of last season had us hanging on a cliff, it sounds like this season might finally start tying up some loose ends we’ve been dying to unravel.
For those not yet clued into the Yellowjackets phenomenon, here’s the rundown: this psychological thriller follows a high school girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness in the 1990s, leading them to fight for survival while things spiral into chaos. In a fascinating dual-timeline setup, we watch these characters struggle as teenagers in the wilderness and later as adults, still wrestling with the trauma and dark secrets that haunt them decades later. And trust us, if the crash didn’t break them, facing their pasts might.
When Season 2 wrapped, we were all left in shock. The adult version of Natalie (Juliette Lewis) met a tragic end at Misty’s (Christina Ricci) hand, sacrificing herself to protect her friend Lisa (Nicole Maines). Meanwhile, the younger Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) took over as leader of the group, just as their cabin went up in flames. The other survivors—Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), Van (Lauren Ambrose), Taissa (Tawny Cypress), and Misty—seemingly pulled together, but with so many unanswered questions, their future looks as chaotic as ever. Now, as Season 3 kicks off, the survivors are back with a fresh start—but will this finally bring them peace or just more darkness?
Lyle hints that the stakes this season are at an all-time high, particularly in the present-day storyline. For her and co-creator Bart Nickerson, this season marks a major turning point, where many elements they envisioned from day one will finally unfold. “This season is really when we start bringing those pieces together. That was always the plan. It is very satisfying to have elements of this season that were planned from the very beginning,” she shared.
“I cannot get into specifics, I wish I could, but there are a couple of big things in this season that were in the very initial pitches before we even took it out to networks, that we’ve finally got the chance to execute and to play out. The satisfaction of having something in your brains for that long and finally having it come to pass is very exciting.”
One of the more emotionally charged points after Season 2’s shocking finale was the decision to kill off adult Natalie. Fans’ reactions were mixed, with many grieving her tragic end. But according to Lyle, Natalie’s story isn’t over. “We all have a future self who has died, and we don’t know how that happened and we don’t know why it happened—we don’t know when it’s going to happen. But that doesn’t make who we are now any less vital. In our minds, that is also Natalie’s story. She has a lot of life to live and a lot of story to tell. And the fact that there is a future self that met a tragic end is really the most universal thing that we could probably do on a television show,” she explained.
So, as we sit on the edge of our seats, waiting for Yellowjackets Season 3 to drop, one thing’s for sure—we’re here for all the high-stakes drama, the wild reveals, and the twists that’ll keep us guessing until the final frame. Let’s see if this season finally delivers the answers we’ve been craving since the beginning!
Check out the first haunting images of the upcoming season of Yellowjackets!
Seasons 1 and 2 of Yellowjackets are available to stream on Paramount+, Netflix, and Prime Video depending on the region. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Courtesy of Paramount+
