Why Yellowjackets Is Ending After Four Seasons, Explained By The Showrunners

Earlier this year, Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” was renewed for a fourth season. Now, it has been confirmed that this fourth season will be the last. Contrary to some reports, the Yellow Vests have not been cancelled. It ends on its own terms. A Yellowjackets Instagram post announcing the news included a statement from the creators, husband-and-wife duo Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson:

“We always knew there would come a point when the story told us it wanted to end, and we believed it was our job — our responsibility — to listen.”

“Yellowjackets” is part survival thriller, part folk horror, and part black comedy. The series follows one group of characters at two points in time. In 1996, the New Jersey girls’ soccer team, the Yellowjackets, flew to a tournament and crashed in the Canadian wilderness. They spend the next nineteen months turning into murderous pagan cannibals before being rescued. The series also follows middle-aged survivors, 25 years later, as they remain haunted by what happened to them.

Season 3 of ‘Yellowjackets’ had its highest ratings yet, so why should it end now? Especially since Showtime is notorious for pulling shows for too long: see “Dexter,” “Homeland,” etc.

It’s easy to suspect problems behind the scenes since Paramount, Showtime’s parent company, recently underwent a merger with Skydance. New systems always have new priorities. Showtime’s brand was falling by the wayside, and “Dexter: Original Sin” was a draw United NationsIt has been renewed for a previously confirmed second season.

The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Lyle and Nickerson are in talks to continue their creative relationship with Paramount. This is no voice Like a severe breakup. What gives pause is that Lyle and Nickerson often said they planned it five Yellow jacket seasons. Why is the show delayed for one season?

Spoilers for “Yellow Vests” follow..

Deadline reported that Lyle & Nickerson took inspiration from how well “Succession” has turned out after four seasons. It’s unclear if they knew that Season 4 would likely be the end when producing “Yellowjackets” Season 3, but based on how this season ends, it would make sense.

The season three finale, “Full Circle,” finally answered the major mysteries, then concluded with Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) using a recovered satellite phone to call for help. This answers how to save yellow jackets and It sets a time limit on how long the wilderness story can continue. Watching this scene before Season 4 is confirmed, I’d be semi-satisfied if the series ended there.

In the current story, half of the surviving Yellow Jackets are dead. She’s abandoned by Shauna’s (Melanie Lynskey) family, while she vows to become the “queen” she was in the wilderness again. Taissa (Cypress Yellow) and Misty (Christina Ricci) teamed up against Shauna. Who knows what Melissa (Hilary Swank) is up to? ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 3 paved the way for the final chapter, but was the show really supposed to get there?

Season 2 of “Yellowjackets” killed off adult Natalie (Juliette Lewis). No one has come out and said Lewis quit, and she claimed at least once that she was only doing two seasons. Since she has publicly criticized her character’s writing, there has been a lot of speculation that she bailed early which led to plans for the book being scrapped. This may be why the Yellow Vests were shorter than previously suggested.

I really will be I was shocked If Natalie’s untimely death was part of the plan. The same goes for adult Melissa, a character who was only given a name in Season 2 and was not included in the original show.

In “Yellowjackets” Season 3, the 1990s timeline (unaffected by Louis’ departure) shifted to Natalie and Shauna (Sophie Nélis) in foil. If Yellowjackets is Lord of the Flies, Nat is Ralph (the one who clings to her humanity and tries to be a good leader) and Shauna is Jack (a sadistic tyrant who takes her pain out on everyone).

I was He thinks The current timeline parallels this and causes Shauna and Natalie to clash again. Natalie’s adult arc was about learning tolerance, while Shauna’s arc is about letting the mask of normalcy slip away, so another easy contrast. Instead, Natalie is already dead, which undermines the vision of her story unfolding in the 1990s.

There is also a all episode From the as-yet-unreleased second season of “Yellowjackets.” If the show’s puzzle feels like it’s missing pieces, there’s one reason why.

However, I am cautiously optimistic about Season 4 of “Yellowjackets.” They have (supposedly) 10 10-hour episodes to finish two novels and a lot of mysteries. (What He is That code?) Hopefully this means a killer season rather than filler, and maintains the momentum from the back half of Season 3. Will the show spend the rest of the ’90s timeline in the wilderness, or will it show the first days after the rescue? Personally, I’m dying for a scene where the girls learn for the first time that Lottie’s (Courtney Eaton) “visions” were just her being off her meds.

I enjoyed the movie Yellow Vests, bumps and all. Actors always You did a fantastic job, Natalie is one of my favorite TV characters lately, and the show’s soundtrack has seriously helped me develop my musical palette. Whatever the ending lies ahead, I can’t wait to see it.

Season 4 of “Yellowjackets” is currently being written, and is scheduled to begin production in 2026 to premiere later that year.