After what feels like an eternity of hunkering down in the snow and waiting for Yellowjackets Season 3 updates, Showtime finally unveiled its release date, confirming that we’re merely months away from catching up with both timelines of female survivors. (As well as the funeral for fan-favorite Natalie, who did not survive the hectic finale.) One of my biggest questions during this long hiatus has revolved around the long-rumored bonus episode, and we finally got an update from the co-creators.
Not that it was the most clear-cut and positive update. But at least it was something, considering the bonus episode has been teased for around 18 months at this point without much for fans to latch onto. So let’s dig into that as well as what the co-showrunners teased for Season 3’s focus on cannibalism.
Is Yellowjackets’ Bonus Episode Still Happening?
Showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson spoke to EW while also revealing first looks at the majority of the main characters, giving fans quite a bit to mull over. That said, the images aren’t SO juicy that they’d make anyone forget about the extra installment that was rumored to feature the confirmed Jason Ritter appearance that didn’t end up in any of the Season 2 episodes.
When asked if it’s still happening, Lyle answered with this fittingly cryptic response:
The truth is that there is a bonus episode but we may need to wait a bit longer for it.
What the what? What does that even mean? Is something shown in the bonus ep that would spoil something that plays out later in Season 3? Presumably not, since that would involve terrible planning.
Season 3’s big delay was a result of the 2023 Hollywood strikes, but it doesn’t seem like those can still be pointed to as a reason why the bonus ep isn’t finished enough to air yet. So what’s the deal here? I’m obviously glad to know it’s eventually coming, but would love to know what’s keeping it from our TVs currently.
At Least Yellowjackets Fans Can Look Forward To More Cannibalism Nastiness
Lyle and Nickerson obviously aren’t offering up any hardcore spoilers for where things are and aren’t going in Season 3, but did offer some tangible teases for the time jumps that will go down, saying that many of the complications and resentments set up in Season 2 are expanded upon and explored in the third batch of episodes. Another element that apparently gets ramped up? People eating other people.
Speaking to that particularly gnarly turn of events that stems from being foodless in the wilderness, Ashley Lyle said:
Definitely buckle up this season. The cannibalism cat is out of the bag.
We presumably won’t get very far into Season 3 before the survivors choose their next meal, whether it be by picking another survivor as tje victim, or by someone eventually finding Crystal’s body. (I will go bananas if Crystal actually survived that fall and is waiting out there to get revenge.)
After chowing down on Javi in the Season 2 finale, the group (sans Ben) will presumably have more of a taste for that kind of meat, and won’t want to wait as long before the next big cook. Here’s hoping they find more moose and bears wandering around before it comes to that. Or not.
Check out the first look photos shared on Instagram below.
Yellowjackets Season 3 will debut on Showtime on Sunday, February 14, and episodes can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. Fans can find the first two seasons currently streaming on both Paramount+ and Netflix.