Showtime’s coming-of-age survival drama Yellowjackets enjoys a dedicated fanbase like few shows do on OTT platforms. After two successful seasons, fans are now gearing up for season 3.
Set across multiple timelines, the series follows a group of high school soccer players – the Yellowjackets – whose plane crashes, abandoning them in the Canadian wilderness in the mid-’90s. The team, their coach Ben Scott, and their other coach’s sons Travis and Javi remain in the woods for over a year. By the end of season 2, we see the team members resorting to cannibalism for survival, setting a riveting stage for season 3’s plotline.
The series is loosely based on the 1972 Andes plane crash that inspired the Netflix movie Society of the Snow.
In December 2022, the streaming platform announced that Yellowjackets will be renewed for season 3 with star Melanie Lynskey sharing the news on X saying she’d do the show “forever” if she could.
Look I’ll do this show forever if they let me https://t.co/HlTaSs5qrQ
— Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) December 15, 2022
That said, the series co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson have said they picture the thriller show ending up with as many as five seasons in total. In March 2024, Lyle confirmed that the writing for the show is underway and the filming will start this May in an interview with The Wrap. He also revealed that there will be a bonus episode released before season 3’s actual release to tease fans’ appetite for what’s coming.
On that note, here’s everything we know about Yellowjackets season 3, from its release date to the cast.
What could be the plot of ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3?
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After season 2, many mysteries remain to be solved in both the timelines – 1990s and the 2020s – of Yellowjackets.
“I will say we see season 3 as a little bit of a return to season 1 in terms of the vibe, though. All I will say is that the girls have been out there for a while and they’re thriving,” Lyle mentioned to The Wrap.
While the theme of season 1 was more light with the young teammates getting involved in romance, enjoying the good weather, swimming in the lake and goofing around, season 2 saw them in a harrowing serious survival mode in the woods.
The team even cannibalised their friend Jackie for survival. In the present day, the series showed the police on Shauna’s (Melanie Lynskey) tail for the death of her lover, Adam Martin (Peter Gadiot). By the finale of season 2, tragedy had taken over in both timelines, leaving the teens without a home in the dead of winter in the forest and the adult cast with one less member.
That said, with the timeline of the Yellowjackets being out there for 19 months, each season is roughly four months long. So with the girls now arriving in summer, the snow will soon melt at some point and the living conditions may just become better in season 3.
Samantha Hanratty (teen Misty) alluded to this in her interview on Entertainment Tonight where she shared her expectations for season 3.
“Season 1 was chaotic and messy. Season 2 was still and cold and dark and it was winter and then (season 3) feels like it’s gonna be the meltdown,” Hanratty said adding, “We’re gonna see the melting of, like, what these people are.”
Also, the survivors re-enter the world after being rescued in 1998 in season 2. So, season 3 could explore how they were rescued in the first place followed by the aftermath of their reintegration into society.
Series director Karyn Kusama also teased this in an interview with Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. He said, “The concept of that immediate aftermath of re-entry into the world, to me, there’s a whole season’s worth of material there. And the fact that this is such a long game that each of these characters is facing, in terms of reorienting themselves to whatever normalcy is supposed to be. I’m sure we’re going to learn that their normal is a lot different than our normal … There’s a lot that needs to be figured out between season 2 and season 3.”
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Do we have a ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3 release date yet?
A release date for Yellowjackets season 3 hasn’t been announced yet but since the writing is underway and the production is set to start in May 2024, fans could expect the next season to premiere in 2025.
That said, a bonus episode was announced in March 2024 that could be released sometime later this year and help fans tide over until Yellowjackets season 3 returns to screens.
Who could join the cast of ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3?
Since Juliette Lewis’s character Natalie meets with an untimely death in season 2, fans can expect the rest of the main cast to reprise their roles in season 3. This means Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, Christina Ricci as Misty and Tawny Cypress as Taissa will return as the adult counterparts to the teens lost in the forest. New members like Simone Kessell (Lottie) and Lauren Ambrose (Van) will also most likely return for the next season.
Other supporting members including Steven Krueger (Coach Ben), Warren Kole (Jeff), Kevin Alves (Travis), Sarah Desjardins (Callie) and Elijah Wood (Walter) will also reprise their roles in season 3.
Also if the new season offers flashbacks of the past, fans will probably see Sophie Nélisse (teen Shauna), Samantha Hanratty (teen Misty), Sophie Thatcher (teen Natalie), Courtney Eaton (teen Lottie), Liv Hewson (teen Van) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (teen Taissa) again.
Do we have a trailer for ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3?
No, fans will have to exercise more patience to catch a glimpse of the trailer for Yellowjackets season 3. But considering the filming is set to start soon, a teaser could be released anytime later this year.
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Meanwhile, the previous seasons are ready to stream on Showtime. Check out the trailer for ‘Yellowjackets’ season 2 below:
(Header and feature image courtesy: Instagram/Yellowjackets)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– When will Yellowjackets season 3 release?
A release date for Yellowjackets season 3 hasn’t been announced yet but since the production is set to start in May 2024, fans can expect the next season to premiere in 2025.
– Who will be in the cast of Yellowjackets season 3?
Since Juliette Lewis’s character Natalie dies in season 2, so except her fans can expect the other main cast to reprise their roles in season 3 including Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, Christina Ricci as Misty and Tawny Cypress as Taissa. New members like Simone Kessell (Lottie) and Lauren Ambrose (Van) will also most likely return for the next season.
– What will be the plot of Yellowjackets season 3?
Yellowjackets season 3 could explore the fate of the team members in different timelines – first in the 1990s still struggling for survival even after losing one teammate and in the second starting life afresh after being rescued in 1998.
