Yellowjacketsfans were promised a bonus episode of the series that would be released in between seasons 2 and 3 — but now, season 3 is about to premiere, and the bonus episode is still nowhere to be seen.Yellowjacketsseason 2 endedits run on June 16, 2025, and it’s been a long wait for the story to finally continue in season 3. Season 2 left behind a lot of loose ends. In the past, the girls were left without shelter, and in the present, Natalie died in Misty’s arms and the women were promised a reward for their sacrifice.
Showtime has recently announced thatYellowjacketsseason 3 will premiere on July 03, 2025, almost two years after audiences were treated to the last new episode. A longer wait between seasons is sadly becoming quite common with modern TV shows; very few shows get out a new season every year anymore.Yellowjacketsco-creator Ashley Lyle had initially promised that fans would get a bonus episode to tide them over during the wait for season 3. But now, season 3 is just a couple of months away and there haven’t been any new announcements regarding that pesky missing bonus episode.
Yellowjackets' Showrunner Confirmed A Bonus Episode Was Supposed To Release
Another Episode Was Supposed To Air Between Seasons 2 & 3
A week after theYellowjacketsseason 2 finale aired, a fan reached out to Lyle on social media to ask about a bonus episode. They’d stayed up all night in the hope of an extra episode showing up or a trailer for one playing at the Super Bowl, but that never happened. Lyle implored them to get some sleep, butpromised that there was, indeed, a bonus episode ofYellowjacketson the way.Lyle cryptically mentioned that the bonus episode would be released “between seasons,”but that it wouldn’t be so soon after the end of season 2.
What Would Yellowjackets' Bonus Episode Be About?
It Could Be About The Original Inhabitant Of The Now-Destroyed Cabin
There have been a few different theories about what the bonus episode ofYellowjacketscould entail. It would probably be a standalone installment in theYellowjacketssaga, not a typical episode featuring the main cast on their dual timelines, otherwise it would just be folded into a regular season.The most prevalent theory is that it would explore the origin story of the mysterious cabinwhere the Yellowjackets have been taking shelter. Someone built that cabin a long time ago and used to live there, but the show has yet to explore that backstory.
The cabin was set on fire in the season 2 finale, leaving the Yellowjackets stranded in the wilderness without shelter, soit was the perfect time to dive back into the history of that cabin. The origin story of the cabin and whoever used to live there could go a long way towards explaining the mysteries of the wilderness. There are plenty of otherunanswered questions fromYellowjacketsthat a bonus episode could’ve focused on, like who (or what) exactly the Antler Queen is.
Was Jason Ritter In Yellowjackets' Bonus Episode?
Melanie Lynskey’s Husband Was Supposed To Guest-Star In Yellowjackets Season 2
BeforeYellowjacketsseason 2 was released,Melanie Lynskey’s husband Jason Ritter was heavily promotedalongside Elijah Wood as a new guest star. Since he has a personal connection to the star of the show and he’s a prolific TV actor in his own right, Ritter’s appearance inYellowjacketswas hyped up. But season 2 came and went, and while Wood had a prominent role, Ritter was nowhere to be seen. This has led tospeculation that Ritter was supposed to appear in the bonus episodethat never saw the light of day — possibly as the original inhabitant of the cabin.
Is Yellowjackets' Bonus Episode Still Happening?
It’s Looking Unlikely
Lyle promised that the bonus episode ofYellowjacketswas coming last June, but a more recent update is a lot more doubtful.TVLine’s Matt Webb Mitovich, a trusted insider in the world of television, was asked about the missingYellowjacketsepisode. Asked whether the bonus episode was now a “dead thought,” Mitovich said that this assessment was “100% correct.” No one from theYellowjacketsteam has officially confirmed that the bonus episode isn’t happening, but Mitovich’s comments seem to confirm thatthe lost episode ofYellowjacketswill remain lost.
If there really was a bonus episode ofYellowjacketscoming before season 3,there probably would’ve been an official confirmation by now. Showtime surely would’ve announced the release date for the bonus episode before announcing the release date for season 3. It’s possible that the missing episode did get made, but it’ll air as a standard installment inYellowjacketsseason 3, not a special standalone event.
Yellowjackets
Cast
Yellowjackets is a television series exploring the survival ordeal of a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the remote wilderness after a plane crash. It interweaves psychological horror and coming-of-age themes, simultaneously depicting their harrowing transformation and its lasting impact on their lives 25 years later.
