When I think about Yellowjackets, all I have are questions. Who is the antler queen? Who is pit girl? Have we seen everyone who survived the crash in the present? The list goes on and on and on, however, one query that’s at the front of my mind as we got into Season 3 of Yellowjackets is, without a doubt: How will the events from the past impact the present? Well, now we have a tease about how the timelines will collide this season. However, it’s also left me with a new question about our beloved Nat.
What Yellowjackets' Ashley Lyle Said About The Timelines And ‘Brining Those Pieces Together’
As we approach the Showtime hit’s premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, co-creator Ashley Lyle spoke about some thought-provoking portraits of the Yellowjackets cast with Vanity Fair. As you can see below, basically all the teens who have a living present counterpart are photographed with them, except Nat (but more on that later).
When asked to "set up season three," Lyle explained that they are starting to bring "those pieces together," as she referenced the past and present timelines. Based on these images, it seems like the younger and older actors could spend time together on screen, or, at the very least, the past will directly impact the present, as the co-creator explained:
For each of these pairings and for each of these characters, the merging, or the overlapping of the past and present, happens in a very different way. It’s very specific to the characters. I have to choose my words so wisely, sorry. [Laughs] In certain cases, that overlap is actually quite literal in a way; in other ones, it is a demonstration of a past and a present character that may have seemed quite different and quite disparate—how that young adult became the person they are. The person that they are, even as an adult, really is an echo or a resonance from the person they used to be.
Every photo shows the older actress with their younger counterpart, except for Nat, seeing as Juliette Lewis’ present version of the character died last season.
As shown above, the Shaunas are sitting separately and looking directly into the camera. Meanwhile, the close-ups of the Vans feature present Van looking at the camera while teen Van looks at her older self. So, is Shauna – both versions of her – looking forward and not inward? Could teen Van be hopeful about surviving and making it out of the woods?
The images evoke a lot of questions, and they have me convinced that somehow the past will collide with the present in Season 3. Plus, considering Nat’s death scene featured both actors who play her sitting next to each other, anything could happen when it comes to timelines colliding.
However, looking through all of this, seeing Nat alone has inspired my biggest question.
How Will Nat’s Story Move Forward Since Present Nat Is Dead?
There’s something so jarring about Nat in this preview, because she’s the only one alone. Obviously, that makes sense since the present version of her is dead. However, it’s still a shocking image, and I can’t help but wonder how Nat’s story will factor into the present.
Luckily, Lyle addressed this question, to an extent, saying that the "isolation" and "heartbreaking loneliness" is "universal" because eventually, everyone's future selves die. However, she also noted that Nat "has a lot of life to live and a lot of story to tell."
Obviously, we'll be seeing a ton of teen Nat, especially since she survived her hunt.
In the present, I think she'll play a big role too, especially since Misty will be dealing with the fact that she accidentally killed her. However, I also wonder if her story will be treated like Travis’. While he died in the present timeline during Season 1, he’s a vital part of the past and is talked about frequently in the present.
Somehow, I need Nat – both versions of her – to play an influential part in the present timeline of Yellowjackets. And knowing that worlds will collide has me questioning if teen Nat will directly influence the older women somehow.
Well, only time will tell when it comes to that query. However, thankfully we should get some answers soon as Yellowjackets Season 3 should premiere early in 2025.
Meanwhile, to go back and ponder all these questions, you can stream the first two seasons with a Paramount+ subscription that has a Showtime add-on, and when you are done with that, check out all the other shows like Yellowjackets.