Unlike the outro lyrics of the opening title sequence, Yellowjackets is returning for Season 3. And the buzzing (see what I did there?) excitement is in the air for fans.
If you haven’t joined the hive yet and have no idea what Yellowjackets is about, here are some tidbits to catch you up. Yellowjackets follows a group of teens who end up stranded in the Canadian wilderness in 1996 and what becomes of their lives in the 2020s. It’s an intense series that blends drama, horror, mystery, and thriller into a hearty meal of a show. There’s cannibalism as well as intense visuals.
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Season 2 certainly wasn’t for everybody as far as writing and overall direction. The present-day storyline suffered primarily because of certain subplots and a new character that wasn’t entirely necessary. Meanwhile, the past storyline remained much stronger, as it did in the previous season, by having the girls descend even further into chaos. That said, Season 3 is shaping up to rid fans of any concerns.
However, in order to have a killer third season after a slight sophomore slump, there are a few things we want to see. Here are three things I’d like to see happen in season 3 of Yellowjackets. Bear in mind that there are spoilers ahead.
Answers Regarding the Supernatural
Yellowjackets is one of those series that, until now, leaves the supernatural elements up to interpretation. Due to the harshness of the wilderness and starvation, it’s possible the girls’ minds conjured up the supernatural elements. But several moments in the show aren’t easily explained. There’s the moment of Laura Lee’s (Jane Widdop) failed escape with the plane blowing up out of nowhere, the unexplained symbol that can be seen on the trees in the wilderness and is later adopted by Lottie (Simone Kessell)’s cult, a mysterious wind that sparks Jackie’s (Ella Purnell) body to be set on fire, and many more.
Nothing is more infuriating than a show that takes forever to understand why things are happening. A clear answer to what the symbol in the woods means would clear the air. If there’s something sinister that pushed them into cannibalism and violence, that only makes the past events more interesting. I’d love to know if any of their rituals in the past manifest any of the events that play out in the current day. And if there’s power from the woods in being the Antler Queen. Fingers crossed that Yellowjackets Season 3 offers a few crumbs.
The Elimination of Silly Subplots
In Season 1, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) has an affair with an auto shop worker named Adam Martin (Peter Gadiot). Due to paranoia and the weird subplot surrounding her husband, Jeff (Warren Kole) lying about having his own affair and secretly blackmailing her friends, Shauna kills Adam because she suspects he’s the blackmailer. Meanwhile, it was Jeff all along, and it leads to them covering up the murder.
Throughout Seaosn 2 the murder investigation over Adam’s death is in full swing. It supposedly ends with newcomer Walter (Elijah Wood) taking care of the mess by killing Kevyn (Alex Wyndham), the lead detective of Adam’s case, and threatening his partner to force him to wrap up the investigation.
The subplot is one of my least favorites because of the sloppy writing and the time it takes. Walter also feels out of place in the series as a whole. If Season 3 can avoid convoluted subplots (like the police investigation) and potentially revisit subplots like the disaster that’s become Taissa‘s (Tawny Cypress) family, that would be lovely.
A Decent Threat in Present Day
Aside from being detrimental to one another due to keeping secrets and everyone’s general issues from the trauma they experienced, there aren’t a lot of effective threats to the Yellowjackets in the present day. In Season 1, the biggest “threat” is who is blackmailing the present day women and that turns out to be Jeff in the end. Even the aforementioned murder investigation doesn’t constitute a decently executed threat.
The girls face more threats in the flashbacks because of the wilderness, the madness of being stuck in the middle of nowhere, the mysteriousness of the woods, and the supernatural aspects. However, the present-day storylines for the women lack that level of darkness that makes the flashbacks more intriguing to watch.
Yellowjackets Season 3 teases potential threats, including a mysterious character played by Hilary Swank. There’s no telling whether she’s someone who made it out of the woods or if she’s merely investigating them. Either way, she might prove to be a formidable threat. As someone who wants to see the good kind of chaos, it’s exciting to think that might be the case. We’ll see who got eaten and who didn’t soon enough!
Yellowjackets is worth watching if you want something dark, mysterious, and eerie. If the cannibalism aspect is too much, then it might not be your idea of a good time.
Yellowjackets Season 1 – Season 3 are available on Paramount+.
