Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets season 3.
Yellowjacketsstar Melanie Lynskey comments on all the major character deaths in season 3. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the hit Showtime series returned for its third outing earlier this year, with audiences having to say goodbye to a handful of characters as the struggle to survive in both the show’s 1990s timeline and the present day intensifies.Yellowjacketsseason 3finally saw the demise of Coach Ben (Steven Krueger), but even more shocking were the deaths of adult Lottie (Simone Kessell), adult Van (Lauren Ambrose), and teen Mari (Alexa Barajas).
In a recent interview withTHR, Lynskey shares her thoughts on the majorYellowjacketsseason 3 deaths, revealing that all of them, including adult Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) in season 2, were very emotional experiences for her. The actor saysshe was “heartbroken” by each one of them, expressing that she feels there was more to explore with these actors as these characters.
Everyone who died this season, and also Juliette, told me themselves. I think they all knew how I was going to respond because everybody knows each other so well, and they know I’m the most emotional one and that I get very, very attached to people. So everybody had to break the news to me as though some tragic thing in real life had actually happened.
[With Nat’s death in season two] Juliette, was like, “Okay, don’t cry.” Then she was like, “It’s okay, you can cry,” because of course, I immediately burst into tears. All of them, I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken when Alexa [Barajas] told me [she was Pit Girl]. I didn’t know that was happening to Alexa. She’s so good. She’s so talented.
When everybody on the show is so good, you don’t want to lose any one of them. All of the characters are so interesting, and I’m not in the writers room but I’m like, “Oh, but there is so much more that they have to offer and so much more they have to offer in these particular characters.”
I don’t doubt that all of them are going to go on to have amazing careers and do whatever they want. Simone and I are actively working on something that we’ll act in together back in New Zealand, and we’re so excited about that.
Though Lynskey may be saddened by the death of so many key characters on the show, she also affirms that she trusts the writers' vision for the story and where they’re taking things:
At the same time, you just have to trust. These people [our showrunners] are brilliant.I have signed on to go on the ride that these writers have decided to put us on, and I trust them. I think they’re telling the story they feel is best to tell. They’ve given me so much amazing material to work with. They’ve given all of us amazing material to work with. That’s why the characters are so great and why people care so much. But just personally, the idea of never finishing [filming] a little earlier than we thought and making a dinner plan with Lauren and Simone? I’m just going to start crying!
What Lynskey’s Comments Mean For Yellowjackets Season 3
The Audience Response To Season 3 Explained
While many in theYellowjacketscastof characters don’t get along on screen, it’s clear from Lynskey’s comments that things were far more harmonious off-screen. It also seems likeLynskey may not be aware of where the story is headed and what plan the writers have in mindwith all these character deaths. Though the adult Shauna actor may trust in Lyle and Nickerson’s creative vision for the series, it’s less clear if audiences do.
As seen in the chart below, theYellowjacketsaudience score onRotten Tomatoesfor season 3 is a lukewarm 65%. This score may be an improvement over the 49% audience score for season 2, but it’s not a score that suggests widespread acceptance of the direction things are headed. That being said, season 2, despite its poor audience score, was still a major viewership hit for Showtime.Season 3’s premiere episode debuted to 38% higher viewership than the season 2 premiere, and, as of March 14, season 3 viewership was up 39% over season 2, perDeadline.
1
100%
76%
2
94%
49%
3
85%
65%
Our Take On The Yellowjackets Season 3 Deaths
Are Characters Dying Too Soon?
Character deaths have been a part ofYellowjacketsfrom the beginning, and the deaths of characters like adult Lottie and adult Van were certainly shocking. There is an argument to be made, however, going to back Lynskey’s comments about these actors having more to offer, that these characters hadn’t been fully explored.Adult Lottie, especially, was a surprising loss for the showgiven she was only just introduced in season 2.
IfYellowjacketscontinues to kill characters off while they still seemingly have dramatic potentional, this could become frustrating if the show returns for season 4. That being said, Lynskey has faith in the show’s creative team, and that certainly has to count for something. It remains to be seen whetherYellowjacketswill return for future seasons, but the viewership so far suggests audiences should expect further adventures for the surviving characters.
