Yellowjackets fans were promised a bonus episode of the series that would be released in between seasons 2 and 3 — but now, season 3 is about to premiere, and the bonus episode is still nowhere to be seen. Yellowjackets season 2 ended its run on May 28, 2023, and it’s been a long wait for the story to finally continue in season 3. Season 2 left behind a lot of loose ends. In the past, the girls were left without shelter, and in the present, Natalie died in Misty’s arms and the women were promised a reward for their sacrifice.
Showtime has recently announced that Yellowjackets season 3 will premiere on February 16, 2025, almost two years after audiences were treated to the last new episode. A longer wait between seasons is sadly becoming quite common with modern TV shows; very few shows get out a new season every year anymore. Yellowjackets co-creator Ashley Lyle had initially promised that fans would get a bonus episode to tide them over during the wait for season 3. But now, season 3 is just a couple of months away and there haven’t been any new announcements regarding that pesky missing bonus episode.
Yellowjackets’ Showrunner Confirmed A Bonus Episode Was Supposed To Release
A week after the Yellowjackets season 2 finale aired, a fan reached out to Lyle on social media to ask about a bonus episode. They’d stayed up all night in the hope of an extra episode showing up or a trailer for one playing at the Super Bowl, but that never happened. Lyle implored them to get some sleep, but promised that there was, indeed, a bonus episode of Yellowjackets on the way. Lyle cryptically mentioned that the bonus episode would be released “between seasons,” but that it wouldn’t be so soon after the end of season 2.
What Would Yellowjackets’ Bonus Episode Be About?
There have been a few different theories about what the bonus episode of Yellowjackets could entail. It would probably be a standalone installment in the Yellowjackets saga, not a typical episode featuring the main cast on their dual timelines, otherwise it would just be folded into a regular season. The most prevalent theory is that it would explore the origin story of the mysterious cabin where the Yellowjackets have been taking shelter. Someone built that cabin a long time ago and used to live there, but the show has yet to explore that backstory.
The cabin was set on fire in the season 2 finale, leaving the Yellowjackets stranded in the wilderness without shelter, so it was the perfect time to dive back into the history of that cabin. The origin story of the cabin and whoever used to live there could go a long way towards explaining the mysteries of the wilderness. There are plenty of other unanswered questions from Yellowjackets that a bonus episode could’ve focused on, like who (or what) exactly the Antler Queen is.
Was Jason Ritter In Yellowjackets’ Bonus Episode?
Before Yellowjackets season 2 was released, Melanie Lynskey’s husband Jason Ritter was heavily promoted alongside Elijah Wood as a new guest star. Since he has a personal connection to the star of the show and he’s a prolific TV actor in his own right, Ritter’s appearance in Yellowjackets was hyped up. But season 2 came and went, and while Wood had a prominent role, Ritter was nowhere to be seen. This has led to speculation that Ritter was supposed to appear in the bonus episode that never saw the light of day — possibly as the original inhabitant of the cabin.
Is Yellowjackets’ Bonus Episode Still Happening?
Lyle promised that the bonus episode of Yellowjackets was coming last June, but a more recent update is a lot more doubtful. TVLine’s Matt Webb Mitovich, a trusted insider in the world of television, was asked about the missing Yellowjackets episode. Asked whether the bonus episode was now a “dead thought,” Mitovich said that this assessment was “100% correct.” No one from the Yellowjackets team has officially confirmed that the bonus episode isn’t happening, but Mitovich’s comments seem to confirm that the lost episode of Yellowjackets will remain lost.
If there really was a bonus episode of Yellowjackets coming before season 3, there probably would’ve been an official confirmation by now. Showtime surely would’ve announced the release date for the bonus episode before announcing the release date for season 3. It’s possible that the missing episode did get made, but it’ll air as a standard installment in Yellowjackets season 3, not a special standalone event.
