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Yellowjackets Cast Celebrates Season 3 Finale
Originally published April 11; updated April 25
The excitement was palpable as the cast of Yellowjackets graced the red carpet for the celebration of the Showtime drama’s Season 3 finale. On April 10, an FYC screening of the episode titled “Full Circle” took place at the TV Academy, where audience members were reminded to refrain from recording to prevent spoilers for forthcoming viewers. Following the screening, a full cast Q&A moderated by Emily Longeretta from Variety was made available for fans to watch.
This season’s finale attracted three million viewers within a week, marking a 19% increase compared to Season 2, according to Nielsen. Streaming viewership on Paramount+ saw a remarkable 54% rise. In fact, Paramount stated that the latest episode became the most-streamed installment in the series’ history, making Season 3 the most-watched overall. Additionally, Yellowjackets has positioned itself as the second most-streamed original series for Showtime, following Dexter: Original Sin.
The event began with the younger cast taking the stage: Sophie Nélisse (Shauna), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Taissa), Sophie Thatcher (Natalie), Samantha Hanratty (Misty), Courtney Eaton (Lottie), and Liv Hewson (Van). They were accompanied by creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, along with executive producers Jonathan Lisco and Drew Comins, who participated in both discussions.
The second panel featured the adult cast, including Melanie Lynskey (Shauna), Christina Ricci (Misty), Tawny Cypress (Taissa), Hilary Swank (Melissa), Sarah Desjardins (Callie), and Warren Kole (Jeff).
A common sentiment among the cast was the highlight of Season 3 being Swank’s involvement. The two-time Oscar winner shared that the initial details about her character, Melissa, were sparse when Lyle and Nickerson first approached her. She was surprised to learn they were set to begin filming in just two weeks, and the script withheld information about a shocking scene involving her character being harmed by an enraged Shauna.
Lynskey expressed her excitement at the chance to share scenes with Swank but admitted to feeling apprehensive initially. “I just hoped that she would be cool,” Lynskey said, humorously recalling the intense opening scene where half the script was devoted to dialogue, while the other half involved a chaotic fight. “Thank God it went really well.”
The intense fight scene in Episode 8, “A Normal, Boring Life,” caught the cast by surprise. Ricci remarked, “That was one moment in this entire three seasons that I audibly gasped. I was immediately sick.”
Lynskey also discussed Shauna’s descent into darkness during this season, noting, “It’s always been there, just hidden under layers of her pretending everything’s okay. The writers informed me at the beginning of the season that it would get much darker for Shauna, and I thought, ‘It already was.’ Yes, taking bites out of people. But it was fun.” She highlighted the merging of her character’s dark side with the younger actress’s portrayal.
Thatcher weighed in on Shauna’s role as the Antler Queen, expressing her belief that Natalie lacked the necessary darkness for the part. “You need to be darker…She’s dark, but Shauna’s evil. She is truly evil,” she concluded. Nélisse elaborated on portraying Shauna’s shifting emotions throughout the seasons, indicating that this season allowed her to channel deep anger, contributing to moments of dark humor in her lines.
The writers emphasized that they have a clear vision for the story’s continuation but have kept details from the cast. They joked about the curiosity of the two Taissas, Cypress and Savoy Brown, who frequently inquire about future plot developments. Hanratty also mentioned her eagerness for information, while the rest of the cast appeared satisfied with the element of surprise. As of now, Showtime has not confirmed whether Yellowjackets will return for a fourth season.
All episodes of Yellowjackets are currently available for streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.
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