Posted in: Paramount+, Showtime, TV | Tagged: yellowjackets

Yellowjackets S03 Finale Has "A Lot of Answers"; Nickerson "Nailed It"

Yellowjackets' Ashley Lyle had some things to say about the Season 3 finale and shared how they have a "concept" of how the series will end.

While fans of series co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson's Yellowjackets continue to process what went down by the time the end credits rolled on Season 3 Ep. 9: "How the Story Ends" (MAJOR SPOILERS about that after this update), Lyle, Nickerson, and series stars Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey stopped by Deadline's Contenders TV weekend event to discuss the current season, tease the season finale – and even talk the series' endgame "bigger picture." In terms of how Lyle and Nickerson approached the third season, Lyle was refreshingly frank and honest about how she felt.

"I always feel like I'm sh***ing my pants," Lyle shared about her approach to every season. "It's terrifying, but it's a really exciting challenge, and luckily, the design of the show and the concept of the show was such that we knew each season would get crazier and more chaotic and more violent and deranged. We at least had that going into it. Everything that happens this season in terms of the downward spiral of all these women and their younger selves was something that we had thought of from the very beginning."

With the series close to wrapping up its Season 3 run (with "Full Circle," directed by Nickerson), Lyle shared that she is "excited for everyone to see the finale" and that she believes that Nickerson "nailed it." She added, "It's got a lot of answers," and that "people will be very satisfied, in certain ways, and hopefully want more at the same time." But what about that "bigger picture," otherwise known as the series finale? Lyle noted that they have a "concept" for how the series would end – but they are also keeping their creative options open.

"Jonathan Lisco, our co-showrunner, has a saying, which is that 'Making television is like building a plane as it's taking off.' We always try to leave room for better ideas that may come. We pitched this show seven years ago. We have an endpoint in mind. We know where we're heading, but we have an absolute brilliant group of writers that we're working [with]. We have the writers' room. We have our incredible collaborators in our actors, and so we know where we want to go, but we want to leave some room for how we get there," Lyle shared.

Yellowjackets: Lauren Ambrose on Season 3 Ep. 9: "How the Story Ends"

Just when you thought Van (Lauren Ambrose) was going to put Melissa (Hilary Swank) down for good, she couldn't – but Melissa had no problem turning the knife around on her, leading to a touching moment when Van and Young Van (Liv Hewson) were finally able to "meet" (again, we're avoiding dropping detailed spoilers for now). Speaking with Variety, Ambrose shared her thoughts on Van's fate:

Was There a Conversation About Not Killing Van Based on How It Might Be Viewed? "I mean, that's what they wanted to write, so that's the story that got told. That was definitely a concern of mine — like, we're killing off our queer characters. I do think that there would have potentially been some really interesting things to seeing how this gay woman, queer woman, with the trauma that they carry through from the time in the wilderness, operates in through illness and operates in the world. And then has — or doesn't have — a real-world relationship with the person from that time, and what that would mean. But, yes, for whatever reason, that's just the story that these writers decided to tell.

What Would Ambrose Share With Fans About Van's Fate? "I don't know. I didn't really have much control over it; it was just what the story ended up being for this production and what this job kind of turned into. We all walk around with the illusion of control. We don't really necessarily have control, so that was a good lesson. Liv started this character, and I came in and fleshed out the end of the character's life. Now, I kind of hand it back to Liv to continue telling the story of what we haven't seen yet. So Van lives on. Van definitely lives on. We know Van survives, and Van will live on in all of the episodes of 'Yellowjackets.'"

The Emmy Award-winning series is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans while also tracking the lives they've attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story, and coming-of-age drama, the third season will pick up from the jaw-dropping Season 2 finale and focus on the fallout and what the future could hold at this point.

Paramount+ with Showtime's Yellowjackets Season 3 stars Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Emmy nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything), Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable), Emmy nominee Lauren Ambrose (Servant), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Heretic), Samantha Hanratty (Shameless), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Warren Kole (Shades of Blue), Kevin Alves (Locke & Key), Sarah Desjardins (The Night Agent) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), with Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) returning in a recurring role. In addition, Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) will guest star, along with Joel McHale (Community).

Lyle, Nickerson, and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco executive produce the hit series. Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer along with Jeff W. Byrd, Sarah L. Thompson, Ameni Rozsa, and Brad Van Arragon. Yellowjackets is produced for Paramount+ with Showtime by Lionsgate Television and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution (outside of Paramount+ markets).

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