Yellowjackets Season 2 is probably one of the most anticipated streaming events of the year. The gripping thriller series has taken the world by storm ever since it graced our screens, and we are all eagerly awaiting to dive back into the series on the cliffhanger it left us on.
For those naysayers, it’s currently got a 100 per cent rotten tomatoes score and rightfully so, this show is incredible. The fact that we’ve only got one season of Yellowjackets and we’re this obsessed with it speaks volumes to the skill of the writers and directors as well as the incredible cast and their performances.
To celebrate the upcoming season, Lifehacker Australia had the immense privilege of chatting to Melanie Lynskey, who plays Shauna, about all things Yellowjackets Season 3 and being a gay Twitter icon.
Spoiler warning ahead as we discuss the ending of Season 1.
Where we left off
What made Season 1 of Yellowjackets so addictive was the gripping mysteries that were woven into the series.
Not only are we still trying to piece together how the team managed to survive a plane crash and live in the wilderness for almost two years, but we are also trying to figure out who is following the survivors in the present day and threatening them. (Also, we need to immediately find out what Lottie has to do with this cult that just kidnapped Natalie in the last episode – my girl better be safe!).
It’s safe to say that we were all a little bit suspicious of Shauna’s boyfriend, Adam, who definitely seemed like he knew more than he was telling Shauna. Although it is heartbreaking to find out that he was just an innocent guy and had no connection (that we know of) to Shauna or the survivors after Shauna kills him.
Yes, unfortunately, Shauna does indeed kill the guy who seemed to genuinely like her, so we needed to ask Lynskey how Shauna is doing in Season 2 of Yellowjackets.
“She’s doing okay. You know, there’s a lot going on, she murdered somebody, there’s a lot of cover up still and then also processing how she feels about that,” Lynskey explains.
“There’s a certain amount of processing the fact that she killed somebody who actually was just a nice guy who was into her and just what that means for how she feels about what she actually deserves.”
It sure does seem like Shauna might be going through a bit of soul-searching on Season 2 of Yellowjackets, which might be the best thing for her, to be honest.
“She’s trying to figure out if she’s a good mother, she’s trying to figure out if she’s a good person and she’s trying to not constantly do crazy (sic) things, but those are the things that make her feel the most alive,” Lynskey elaborated.
“So she can’t stop. It was a fun season, honestly.”
Letting the writers take the lead
Something that’s always intriguing about suspense thrillers like Yellowjackets is just how much the actors know about the plot.
Does the actor know what the ending is and therefore inform how they portray the character throughout the season? Does that then mean there are little easter eggs woven into their performance?
Or is it a more learn-as-they-go situation where the actor finds out when they shoot the scenes, leaving more room for raw emotion?
For Lynskey, she’s been able to take different approaches when filming Season 1 and Season 2 of Yellowjackets.
“I learn as we go along. The first season [of Yellowjackets], I was quite insistent on them giving me all the information before I signed on just because I just didn’t know them at that point and I just wanted to know, ‘Do you have a plan? Or do you have a cool pilot?’” Lynskey explained.
“Because not everyone can write a pilot that is that good. You can have a good idea and not have much to back it up with so I understood at a certain point, ‘Oh they really know what they’re doing, they have a plan and I just have to trust it,’”
Although she tried not to ask too many questions about Season 2 of Yellowjackets, Lynskey said that there are some moments where she does require a little more context from the writers.
“When there’s something I feel like I really need to know, like a piece of history that I can’t do a scene without then I’ll try to get it from [the writers]. But mostly I’m trying to just leave them alone and not have a million questions.”
What draws Melanie Lynskey to survival characters?
If you haven’t seen Lynskey in Season 1 of Yellowjackets (which you absolutely should) you might have seen her playing Kathleen in Season 1 of The Last of Us.
The two shows are quite similar in that they are both about survival and doing whatever you possibly can to protect yourself and those around you.
In that way, the connections between Shauna and Kathleen are apparent, although both women take very different approaches to their survival.
“I think they’re [Shauna and Kathleen] very different people. I think Shauna is probably easier to hang out with because Kathleen is so laser focused on killing children, which is not as much fun,” Lynskey said.
When we asked Lynskey what draws her to characters like Shauna and Kathleen, who are fighting to survive in their worlds, she explained that it’s because these people are just like us.
“I think I love the idea of somebody who’s just basically an ordinary person who’s been put into extraordinary circumstances,” Lynskey explained.
“In both of these cases, there are people who have a capacity for darkness that is greater than what appears on the surface. That is also interesting to me.”
“I like the idea of somebody who’s been underestimated and can be sort of surprising,” Lynskey said.
Will the gays love YellowJackets Season 2?
A strong part of why Season 1 of Yellowjackets gained such a strong cult following was because of its unapologetic queer representation, especially between women.
Even though the show is split between the 1980s and the 2020s, it’s amazing to see that queerness is not constructed as something that doesn’t just serve as a plot point. Rather, the queerness in the show adds to the characters in a way that feels deeply authentic.
It’s also no doubt that Lynskey herself is a certified gay Twitter icon, with her replying to the haters of the overt queerness in The Last of Us with grace, poise and humour.
OMG yes let me push that homosexual agenda just by showing up! An honour! https://t.co/gJqgIJ3DSU
— Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) February 1, 2023
I mean, how can we not stan Melanie Lynskey? She is the ally warrior we all need.
Naturally, we had to ask Lynskey whether or not the LGBTQIA+ community, especially gay Twitter, will love Yellowjackets Season 2 or not.
“Oh, gosh, I really hope so. I think so. I have a good feeling about it,” Lynskey said.
“I would be devastated. Oh my god, if the gays turned on Yellowjackets and said ‘Season 2 is a mess I’m not here for it,’ nothing would make me more upset.”
“Like critics. I hope they like it. [But] Please God, let let the gays love it please.”
And love it we’re sure they will.
Season 2 of Yellowjackets will debut on Paramount+ on Friday, March 24 on Paramount+.
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