The following review was made possible by Paramount+ providing Popped with advanced screeners for the first four episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3. The first two episodes are now streaming on Paramount+.
Yellowjackets Season 3 is finally here after a monumental amount of time since the second season of the series, with the offset of strikes and such keeping us from our beloved wilderness show. Season 3 is an odd one, after four episodes, I am incredibly fascinated by the past timeline as always but there is something missing from the present-day timeline that is holding Season 3 from being the best season yet.
That said, Episode 4 has easily been my favourite so far, it feels like the first time this season has truly hit its stride. The tension, the character dynamics, and the way the past and present storylines mirror each other all come together in a way that feels purposeful and intense. If the rest of the season can maintain this momentum, it might just stick the landing, but for now, I’m still waiting for the present-day timeline to really pull its weight.
What Would Jackie Say?
One of the most exciting developments in the premiere is the reveal of Teen Shauna (Sophie Nelisse) and Melissa’s (Jenna Burgess) kiss. In what is quite an intense moment, with Shauna threatening to kill Melissa in the moments building up to end up in a kiss is rather fascinating. Shauna has had quite the time in the Wilderness, first losing Jackie (Ella Purnell), then her baby – so giving her this new storyline is great, and will do wonders in developing her past self, whilst still getting a lot of the spotlight in the current day.
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What makes this even better is how the fandom has been relentlessly shipping Shauna and Jackie, only for Shauna’s queer moment to happen with someone who isn’t Jackie – because, well, Jackie has been very dead for a while now. It’s almost poetic in a twisted way, given the complicated history between them, and it adds a layer of irony to Shauna’s journey. While some fans might mourn the lost potential of Shauna and Jackie, this unexpected development just proves that Yellowjackets loves to keep us on our toes.
Yellowjackets Season 3’s “High Kill Count”
One of the biggest things throughout the show’s press run, has been that Season 3 is gonna have a “high kill count”, so whether or not more people are going to be eaten in the Wilderness, or someone is gonna get it during the present-day, who knows? I really hope this isn’t just marketing ploy to get people on the side, but after watching four episodes, I’m sort of left wanting to see more death? Take that however you will…
It’s not that I need Yellowjackets to become a full-blown slasher, but the stakes feel a bit stagnant if the show keeps teasing brutal consequences without fully committing. Season 2 already danced around the idea of escalating the horrors of survival, but if Season 3 is really embracing a “high kill count,” then it needs to deliver in a way that feels organic rather than just sensational. Otherwise, the tension that made those early episodes so gripping could start to feel like empty threats.
The Present-Day Stuff is Becoming Stale.
Three seasons in and it feels like it’s going to be a long time until we actually find out some answers in regards to the Yellowjackets and how they reached society. With the death of Nat (Juliette Lewis) in the Season 2 finale, the core group lost a truly interesting character and I can’t help but feel that has sort of hindered the present timeline. The ongoing events of Season 3 focus on the immediate aftermath of her death whilst the group soon come into close contact with a new mysterious figure. At this point, there’s only so many people it could be from the wilderness (if it is) that leaves supsense falling flat.
Episode 4 is mostly set in the past, and is easily my favourite of the four episodes I watched ahead of release. With the Winter behind them, and a new camp built, there is a sense of confidence for the Yellowjackets which makes the interest in that storyline reach a new height. They’ve suffered through the cold, and a burnt cabin – so what happens next that is going to spin them into complete chaos? Perhaps, new trials that face the Yellowjackets? It is easily the best episode of the four I watched.
I must admit the Van (Lauren Ambrose) and Taissa (Tawny Cypress) storyline in Season 3 is the weakest, and takes up more screentime than it should be getting – I would rather focus more on Misty (Christina Ricci), but I am sworn to secrecy for those reasons right now…
One huge positive this season is more inclusion of Lottie (Simone Kessell) with the central group in present day, and we get to see her develop an on-screen relationship with Callie (Sarah Desjardins) which brings a new side to Lottie throughout the first four episodes. The pair really just click from the start, and it’s great to see Desjardins really make this role hers, with more screen time and developing Callie as she attempts to find out what really happened during the Yellowjackets’ time in the Wilderness. Lottie feels as essential as ever this season, so I am tremendously excited to see where her story lands this season.
The first two episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 are now streaming on Paramount+. Check out the trailer below:
