We’ve all been anxiously waiting for the next season of YELLOWJACKETS, the tale of a high school girls soccer team who gets stranded in the wilderness. From there trying to survive, and, if taken at face value, encountering a mystical presence that will haunt their lives for years to come.
Whether or not there’s been an actual mystical/paranormal component to this story, or if it’s more of a LORD OF THE FLIES scenario and using an unworldly presence to for the girls to make sense of their actions… well, I couldn’t say. For myself, I’ve been taking everything at face value and have been loving the ride.
But it’s that ride we’re here to talk about. Sadly friends, even though we know a season 4 is coming for the show, it will sadly be its last.
According to creators and co-showrunners, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, they’ve always felt the show would let them know when to end the story:
We’ve always known there would come a point when the story would tell us it wants to end, and it’s our belief that our job — our responsibility — is to listen. Telling this emotional, wild, and deeply human story has been a profoundly meaningful experience and a true honor for us, and we’re so very grateful to the brilliant cast, crew and writers who have bravely gone on the journey with us to bring it to life. Most of all, we want to thank the fans who have stuck with us through every moment, mystery and meal — the Hive is nothing without you! We can’t wait to share the final chapter with you and hope you find it…delicious. All the best, A & B.
Personally, I’m so glad they’re listening. I mean the last time I was this invested in the characters of a show, as well the mysteries of their world, has to be LOST. The show started great, between the smoke monster, hatches, the Hanzo Foundation viral site, the Darma Initiative bunkers all over the island… there just seemed to be this great, overarching, retro sci-fi story told in the present day. But then just when off the rails. Ultimately, if memory serves, ending up in Purgatory, before moving on. Despite, after J.J. Abrams left the show, showrunners, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cruze, insisted the passengers weren’t dead this whole time.
So, when it comes to YELLOWJACKETS, with last season’s finale…
…WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT…
…over the course of season 3, Shauna clearly was getting more and more unhinged, as the wilderness wouldn’t stop haunting them, and the remaining, present day Yellowjackets, went to go solve this mystery. But Shauna getting more psycho, losing her daughter and husband, goes rogue from the group, and shit definitely hit the fan.
The season ending with the remaining Yellowjackets, in present day, realizing Shauna has gone off the rails, and they vow to stop her.
And this being YELLOWJACKETS, this clearly isn’t going to be by legal means.
The way season 3 ended, the showrunners are right in that it definitely feels like the series is coming to its final arch. It really feels like one more season, that being season 4, is what the series needs to end naturally, and on a narrative high.
Anymore than that, the show might jump the shark and end up in purgatory.