Why That One ‘Yellowjackets’ D*ath Was Necessary, Explained by Co-Showrunner: “There Needs To Be Consequences”
We’re less than two weeks away from the highly-anticipated premiere of Yellowjackets Season 3, but before we get there, co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco is explaining why one of the series’ pivotal characters had to die at the end of last season. If you’ll recall, the explosive Season 2 finale saw Lisa (Nicole Maines) with a shotgun trained on Juliette Lewis’ character of Natalie during Lottie’s ritual in the woods. When Misty (Christina Ricci) tries to save the day by injecting Lisa with phenobarbital, Nat jumped in the way and took the shot instead, sacrificing herself and dying.
Speaking with SFX (via Games Radar) recently, Lisco explained that, like in the real world, actions have consequences, and as such, it would be a disservice to the fans if Yellowjackets’ phenomenal cast remained intact without repercussions over the course of the series. “If the show is about trauma and the consequences of what they went through, then there needs to be consequences,” he said, adding:
“There can’t be consequences if you’re not going to have what they went through affect some of our seminal characters. For better or worse, we hope that that’s understandable to our very dear audience, because if the impact doesn’t have an effect on them emotionally or psychologically, then what are we doing? Because that’s the conceit of the show.”
Lewis has been a series regular since Yellowjackets began in 2021, and while her absence from Season 3 will certainly be felt, Lisco and company have managed to fill the void with another high-profile actress: Academy Award winner Hilary Swank. There’s no word yet on who she’ll be playing in the series, but she’ll also be joined by Joel McHale this year, so needless to say, there’s no shortage of star power in Yellowjackets Season 3, which promises to be even more unhinged than the previous two.
‘Yellowjackets’ Has Divided Fans and Critics
Despite its cult-like following of fans that screams the praises of Yellowjackets every chance they get, the series clearly hasn’t been for everyone, as is evident by its Rotten Tomatoes scores. Season 1 is Certified Fresh at 100% by critics, but its audience rating sits a little lower at 73%. Season 2 was even more divisive, with critics giving it a 94%, and the viewing public rating it well below that at just 44%. “Season 2 was super frustrating,” said one RT user. “No real answers to any mysteries. There are no likable characters. I can’t watch 3 more seasons of this despicable silliness.”
Boyd Hilton from Empire Magazine had a differing opinion in his assessment of Yellowjackets Season 2, saying, “Yellowjackets continues to be as uniquely gnarly and peculiar as its title sequence with this madly inventive second season, full of thrillingly disturbing developments.” Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times echoed those sentiments, adding “Showtime’s eerie, darkly funny hit solidifies its standing as one of the most memorable series of the decade.”
Will Yellowjackets Season 3 be as divisive as the last? You’ll have to tune into Showtime when the next chapter in the saga kicks off on Feb. 16 with two new episodes, followed by the remaining eight episodes airing weekly. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available to stream on Paramount+.
