Spoilers ahead for the Season 2 premiere of Yellowjackets.
After a long wait between seasons, Yellowjackets has finally returned for those with Showtime or certain Paramount+ subscriptions. The fascinating drama has offered more information about what happened to the titular team in the woods, while also moving the story forward in the present timeline. The premiere also included a surprising character return for Season 2, with the showrunner recently explaining why this bold narrative choice was made.
The Yellowjackets Season 2 premiere was titled "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" which jumped ahead two months in the ‘90s timeline. The team is running out food, and tensions are rising. It’s also revealed that Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) has been seeing visions of Jackie (Ella Purnell) following her death in the finale. Showrunner Jonathan Lisco recently spoke to ET about this surprising return from the dead character, saying:
We did have time at the end of season 1, in the writers’ room, to really think about bringing Jackie’s character [back] because it made such a meaningful difference for like where we would see Shauna at the top of season 2.
Serious points were made. Jackie’s death was one of the cliffhangers from the Season 1 finale, and it was due to a fight with Shauna that resulted in her being kicked out of the cabin overnight, and dying of hypothermia. And in the Yellowjackets Season 2 premiere, that decision is haunting her… literally.
Despite her death, fans got another scene with Jackie when Shauna was in the makeshift meat locker, which is also where her dead body is currently located. She talks to Jackie’s frozen corpse, while the rest of the team wonders if Shauna is losing her mind.
In the same interview, Yellowjackets creator Ashley Lyle spoke about the process of having Ella Purnell return to the set as Jackie, albeit in different circumstances. Purnell will no longer be a series regular, but will still be able to return in a guest capacity. As she put it,
Ella knew that she had a one-season series regular role. As part of that deal, we had options to bring her back for a few episodes cause we wanted to. And we had this in mind.
The show’s cast also revealed they were happy about having their co-star and friend back on set, especially teen Shauna actress Sophie Nélisse. It should be fascinating to see how the guilt about Jackie’s death affects her, and how it may influence the team’s descent into cannibalistic madness.
Season 2 of Yellowjackets has only recently begun, but it’s already inspired countless fan theories including the ongoing mystery about Pit Girl’s identity. Add in the JV team in the ‘90s timeline and adult version of both Lottie and Van, and it seems like the franchise is majorly expanding.
Yellowjackets airs Fridays on Showtime. Be sure to check out the 2023 TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
