Ella Purnell’s Jackie returns for another cameo in Yellowjackets season 3, maintaining her legacy on the show long after the character’s shocking death. Even before the show premiered, it was clear that Jackie was going to play a massive role in the plot; Ella Purnell’s face with a yellowjacket on her cheek was the one plastered on posters around the globe when Showtime was promoting Yellowjackets’ series premiere. As such, it should have been expected that Jackie’s Yellowjackets season 1 death wouldn’t be the end of her time on the show.
In Yellowjackets season 2, Jackie appeared on a few occasions early on, as her frozen body had been kept in a shed due to the ground being too hard to bury her. Shauna would have visions of herself speaking with Jackie’s body, though that ended when Jackie’s body was burned and cannibalized by the stranded teens. Now, Jackie returns yet again in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 3’s ending, taking on a meaningful role in Shauna, Van, and Akilah’s nightmarish visions in Ben’s cave. Given how important she continues to be in both timelines, that isn’t apt to be Jackie’s final appearance.
Jackie Is Crucial To Haunting The Narrative In Both Yellowjackets Timelines
Though Jackie’s frequent cameos may seem unnecessary considering the other major dead characters like Laura Lee or adult Travis hardly return in comparison, there’s a good reason for her continued focus. Ultimately, Jackie’s memory haunts the narratives of both timelines more than any other character – not just for Shauna, but for all the survivors. Due to her strong enduring influence, Jackie is arguably the character that most clearly connects both timelines; she consistently returns in both with exactly the same appearance, forever frozen as that 18-year-old version of herself while the teens grow more feral and the societally-reintegrated adults regress.
In Yellowjackets’ past timeline, Jackie’s cameos and returns are reminders of the dark depths to which the teens have sunk in their desperation to survive and embracement of the wilderness’ supernatural influence. Jackie wasn’t just the first senseless death caused by petty arguments, but she also marked the beginning of the teens’ descent into cannibalism. Jackie’s death ultimately marked a point of no return for the teens, with her appearances in their visions causing them to come face-to-face with the horrifying things they’ve done to survive.
Jackie… is also a reminder of who they were, the secrets they still keep, and how those versions of themselves are still inside of them – no matter how hard they try to push them away.
Jackie’s vision returns in the present-day timeline serve a similarly haunting role, but with a few important differences. Jackie appearing to adult Shauna isn’t just a reminder of the unforgivable acts the teens committed back in the wilderness, but is also a reminder of who they were, the secrets they still keep, and how those versions of themselves are still inside of them – no matter how hard they try to push them away. They can keep trying to run from their past, but that guilt will always catch up to them, and Jackie becomes the physical embodiment of this reality.
Additionally, Jackie appearing in the present timeline serves as a representation of all the people who didn’t make it out of the wilderness alive. There have only been seven confirmed present-day Yellowjackets survivors, with all the others presumably having died in the wilderness – and some dying at the survivors’ own hands. The survivors got out alive at the cost of Jackie and all the others who were sacrificed, and they carry the memories of those left behind in the present day, whether they want to or not.
Ella Purnell’s Popularity Increases The Excitement For Her Yellowjackets Appearances
Considering how greatly Ella Purnell’s popularity has skyrocketed since Yellowjackets season 1, her continued returns in seasons 2 and 3 should be even less surprising. The same month that Yellowjackets premiered, Ella Purnell’s popular animated series Arcane debuted on Netflix. In 2024, Purnell’s notoriety increased rapidly after having a starring role in the cast of Prime Video’s acclaimed TV adaptation of Fallout. Continuing her TV achievements, the actress also starred in the lead role of the 2024 black comedy-drama Sweetpea shortly before Yellowjackets season 3’s release.
With so much excitement around her other TV roles, it makes sense that Yellowjackets would continue to bring Ella Purnell in for brief cameos and keep her involved. But, unlike some other TV shows that bring back former main cast members after their popularity has grown, Jackie’s returns actually feel natural and fit with the plot. Her appearances don’t feel like a cheap attention grab to just attract her fans as viewers; rather, Purnell’s cameos progress the narrative and create more emotionally compelling, unique conflicts for Yellowjackets’ main characters.
Yellowjackets Still Has Some Big Jackie Mysteries To Solve In The Future
Not to mention, Jackie’s return is still warranted by the mysteries her character has left behind. Yellowjackets still needs to confirm who the man in the cabin was who Jackie saw in her dying vision, as well as the mystery around why Jackie’s journal has entries with information from after her death. There’s plenty more to explore with visions of Jackie in both the past and present timelines as the survivors contend with their guilt, which leaves room for Purnell to keep coming back even in Yellowjackets season 4 and beyond.
