Watch Yellowjackets Stars Recap First Two Seasons for You Before Season 3 Premiere

As Yellowjackets Season 3 debuts on Paramount+ with Showtime today, stars Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey have created an engaging video recap of the show’s first two seasons. The actresses, who play the adult versions of Misty Quigley and Shauna Sadecki, respectively, candidly acknowledge the challenge of summarizing such a complex narrative, noting that filming began in 2019 and they “both have small children.” Their informal yet comprehensive approach to explaining the series’ dual storylines reveals not just the intricacy of the plot but also the cast’s deep investment in the material as they work to piece together the events that have led both timelines to their current crisis points.

In the nearly 20-minute video, Ricci and Lynskey methodically walk viewers through the series’ foundation: a 1996 plane crash that stranded a high school soccer team in the Canadian wilderness, and the present-day lives of the survivors 25 years later. The pair meticulously covers major plot developments from both timelines, including Coach Ben’s (Steven Krueger) leg amputation immediately after the crash, the emergence of Lottie’s (Courtney Eaton) prophetic visions following her medication running out, and Jackie’s (Ella Purnell) tragic death in the wilderness. Their discussion of present-day events is equally detailed, addressing Travis’ (Andres Soto) death, which Lottie (Simone Kessell) later reveals was an accidental result of a ritual gone wrong, and the increasing prominence of supernatural elements in both timelines.

[RELATED: Yellowjackets: What Happened to the “Bonus” Season 2 Episode?]

Both actresses enthusiastically discuss their fellow cast members’ performances, frequently pausing to praise specific scenes and acting choices. When recounting the evolution of Shauna’s story, Lynskey becomes visibly emotional discussing Sophie Nélisse’s portrayal of young Shauna’s pregnancy storyline, describing it as “one of the hardest and most beautiful scenes in the show.” The pair also details the complex web of relationships that defines both timelines, from Travis (Kevin Alves) and Natalie’s (Sophie Thatcher) wilderness romance to the present-day complications of Shauna’s marriage to Jeff (Warren Kole) and her ill-fated affair with Adam (Peter Gadiot).

The Challenge of Chronicling Yellowjackets Plot

The video serves as a fascinating document of how even the show’s stars sometimes struggle to keep track of all the plot developments across both timelines. This becomes particularly evident as they work through Season 2’s major revelations, including the group’s decision to burn Jackie’s body, which leads to their first experience with cannibalism, and the growing influence of Lottie’s wilderness cult. Their discussion becomes especially focused when addressing Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) death in the Season 2 finale, a pivotal moment that resulted from Misty accidentally injecting her with a lethal dose of phenobarbital during a ritual at Camp Green Pine.

The actresses’ detailed reconstruction of these events underscores why such a recap is particularly valuable now. The past timeline has reached a critical point with the loss of the cabin shelter just as winter intensifies, while the present-day storyline must address the fundamental shift in group dynamics following Natalie’s death. Their discussion of Taissa’s (Tawny Cypress) sleepwalking and the mysterious symbols carved into trees adds another layer of complexity to both timelines, suggesting unexplored connections between past and present.

The thoroughness of their recap extends to smaller but significant details, such as Laura Lee’s (Jane Widdop) fate, Walter’s (Elijah Wood) involvement in the present-day timeline, and the increasing instability of Taissa’s home life as her sleepwalking condition worsens. These elements, while perhaps less dramatic than the major plot points, help illustrate the show’s attention to character development and the ripple effects of trauma.

Yellowjackets Season 3 premiered today on Paramount+ with Showtime, with new episodes releasing weekly until April 13th. The season opens with a two-episode premiere, continuing the parallel stories of survival, trauma, and supernatural influence that have defined the series thus far. Have you seen the new episodes of Yellowjackets already? Do you think Lynskey’s and Ricci’s covered everything you needed before Season 3? Let us know in the comments!