One of the co-showrunners of Yellowjackets recently doubled down on the show’s shocking season 2 death. The show’s third season will debut later this month with new actors joining the cast.
The second season of Yellowjackets ended with a shocking twist when the adult version of Natalie “Nat” Scatorccio (played by Juliette Lewis) was killed. Yellowjackets co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco recently gave an interview to SFX magazine reported by GamesRadar where he doubled down on the decision to kill off one of the main characters in the series. “There can’t be consequences if you’re not going to have what they went through affect some of our seminal characters,” he said.
He continued to speak about the show’s intended impact, emphasizing that major character deaths like Nat’s are an unfortunate but necessary part of the story. “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.”
While Juliette Lewis’ time on the Paramount+ / Showtime thriller may officially be over, a few new actors have already been announced to be joining the cast of Yellowjackets Season 3. Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby) and Joel McHale (Community, Spider-Man 2) will take part in the new season, although details of their roles have yet to be shared.
Yellowjackets Caught Up in Legal Drama with 2015 Movie
In November of last year, a lawsuit was filed against Showtime and Lionsgate alleging that Yellowjackets was “in most respects… identical” to the 2015 survival film Eden. The complaint, filed in California federal court, claimed that Yellowjackets violated Eden’s copyright enough to merit litigation with similarities in plot, setting, mood, pace, stories, and characters, among others. Eden starred Ethan Peck, Nate Parker and Jessica Lowndes, and was met with negative reviews upon its limited release. No further updates regarding the lawsuit have emerged at this time.
Despite any potential legal issues, Yellowjackets has been an overwhelming success for Showtime since its release. The series has earned seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations — including Outstanding Drama Series. The show has also resonated with viewers, becoming the second-most streamed series in Showtime history, right behind Dexter: New Blood. Both seasons of the series also have garnered over 90% approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes — with the first season scoring an impressive 100% positive reviews from over 75 critics.
