Yellowjackets Fate Determined Ahead Of Season 2 Premiere
Still months away from the Season 2 premiere, Showtime's Yellowjackets has already been renewed for Season 3.
It’s not often that a distributor decides the fate of a series before the premiere has dropped. Often, if the future of the next season is determined before audiences have even begun watching, it isn’t good news for the show. However, in the case of the Showtime series, Yellowjackets, the popular thriller was renewed for a 3rd season months before the season 2 premiere will be released, per the entertainment industry trade, Deadline.
Yellowjackets season 1 generated more than 5 million weekly views for the Paramount-owned channel Showtime. It was quickly renewed for a season 2 after only five episodes, a move that was supported after the show was nominated for seven Emmys; including Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Melanie Lynskey). While season 2 was announced extremely quickly, the 3rd season beat its own record with Showtime announcing the series renewal months before season 2 will premiere on March 24, 2023.
The part thriller, part coming-of-age, part drama series follows two timelines—one about a team of teenage soccer players on a girl’s team who survive a plane crash in the wild north and descend into savage clans, and the other following the aftermath of what happens 25 years later and how the girls’ brutal past comes back to haunt them. Yellowjackets stars Melanie Lynskey (Up in the Air) as Shauna, Tawny Cypress (Inez & Doug & Kira) as Taissa, and Ella Purnell (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) as Teen Jackie. The series was created by the writing team Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches from Elsewhere).
The first season of Yellowjackets received extremely high reviews, in addition to the millions of viewers who tuned in every week. Mashing up several genres into one can be a tricky process, and if done well, it can be beneficial for the series. Luckily, Lyle and Nickerson have received high praise for their ability to combine teen drama with psychological horror.
The highly praised writing combined with excellent acting has made Yellowjackets the second most streamed series Showtime has ever had, following only behind Dexter: New Blood.
While the popularity and accolades of the first season of Yellowjackets might have been enough for the studio to renew the series for a third season, Deadline reports that there was likely a more practical reason behind the quick renewal. The studio was on a tight deadline to renew their contracts with the cast, as their options were up in mid-December. However, if the second season is received even half as well as the first, the series would likely have been renewed anyway.
President and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks, Chris McCarthy, says that the fast renewal of the series is meant to keep momentum building for the show, as Yellowjackets is the type of content the brand wants to continue creating. McCarthy stated that the platform is focusing on three key areas: antihero dramas, unconventional cultural takes, and high-stake worlds. As Yellowjackets falls into the category of antihero drama, it is safe to assume the series will continue to get full support from Showtime as it develops.
