Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 3 of “Yellowjackets.”
It’s no secret that Melanie Lynskey loves opening up about her time on the “Yellowjackets” set. Over the years, she has given us behind-the-scenes content we love, adding excitement for the upcoming seasons. This time around, the actress revealed that there was one specific scene that left her scared, not only for her own life but for Christina Ricci’s as well! Surprisingly enough, it didn’t involve any fake blood or CGI antlers. So, that’s a plus.
If you’ve been keeping up with the hit Showtime series, you know that Lynskey’s character is anything but mild, especially in Season 3. She’s known to get into insane and dangerous situations that leave you questioning her next move. For example, getting locked inside a walk-in freezer, nearly beating Lottie to death, chopping up a dead body to destroy evidence, or literally biting into a human’s arm and forcing them to eat it. (We see you, Hilary Swank.)
Melanie Lynskey vs. The Minivan
Speaking on Entertainment Weekly’s “The Awardist Podcast,” Lynskey spoke about her character and the ride she’s had for the past three seasons. The actress revealed that one of the scariest moments for her on set was when she and Ricci, who portrays Misty, had to take a drive during the “Them’s the Breaks’ episode after her minivan’s brakes stopped working.
“I think the only thing that made us stop laughing was the fact that we were actually fearing for our lives. We trust our stunt coordinator, Rhys [Williams]. He’s absolutely amazing,” the Emmy nominee said. “He’s been on the show since the beginning. But the minivan, which I already don’t trust, was just tied to a long rope and then quickly pulled up a hill. We just were like, ‘This can’t be right!'”
In the scene, Shauna literally had to take control of the minivan to stop it. The plan? Drive it into a public park to bring it to a stop. Which, as it turns out, was not TV magic. The van indeed barreled into a real playground. “I was supposed to almost veer into the playground, and I was like, ‘That’s close to that kid!’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s a stunt performer’s child,” she continued.
“Christina and I are such cautious people, and we had so many questions. So there was a lot of fearfulness happening within ourselves that made us able to get through the scenes without laughing. But gosh, she’s so fun to work with.”
Thankfully, both actresses and their characters were okay.
In Shauna We Trust?
But let’s be honest, the fact that this was the scene Lynskey was terrified about is hilarious in itself. Why? Well, because the show has had some gnarly scenes that make you question how they actually pulled it off in the first place. Are we forgetting when she dismembered a corpse to protect herself? Or that time she served up human remains? Let’s not forget young Shauna taking the Antler Queen’s throne and quickly encouraging her friends to eat those who sacrificed themselves to keep others alive.
Speaking with Variety, both Lynskey and Sophie Nélisse, who plays young Shauna, spoke about her ultimate growth in the series. Both surprisingly revealed that they have embraced the character’s evolution into something, well, unhinged.
“The darkness that is within her is real. I think it’s seen as something so negative, but like, why? I don’t think she’s channeling it right, but that’s because she doesn’t have the resources and the people around her to let her voice it,” Nélisse told Variety.
‘The Evolution of Adult Shauna’
“So when she gets into the wilderness, and there are no societal rules and there’s no form of parenting or any boundaries that are set. There’s just no limit to where that darkness can go.” Both actresses expressed their excitement for Season 4, saying they couldn’t wait to see how Shauna would continue to evolve. The duality of Shauna’s character, both traumatized and terrifying, continues to anchor the emotional chaos of “Yellowjackets.”
“Shauna’s gone down such a dark path,” Nélisse said. “But that path is thrilling because I think it’s her idea of who she is.”
With the announcement of the next season, both actresses say they’re eager to explore what comes next for their character. Whether that means Shauna becoming a full-on villain or finally finding redemption, we’re excited. But honestly, we’re not betting on the latter. Sorry, not sorry.
What to Expect from ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 4
Fans are already buzzing about the upcoming season, and for good reason. After that radio scene cliffhanger in Season 3, where young Natalie sends a distress signal and seemingly gets a reply, theories are running wild. Could this mean it’s the end of the wilderness storyline? Or the beginning of something even darker?
According to TV Guide, while a release date hasn’t been set, production is underway. By the way the seasons have been coming along, it’s likely we won’t see new episodes until late 2026. No returning cast has been officially confirmed, but given the show’s track record, we can safely expect surviving characters to come back for more unhinged chaos. There’s also speculation about whether Juliette Lewis will return as adult Natalie after sitting out most of Season 3.
And while some fans believe the plane radio response might be the end of the supernatural elements, we wouldn’t bet our deer hearts on it. As “Yellowjackets” has proven time and again, just when you think you’ve figured it out, something creepier, darker, or just downright unexplainable shows up to devour your expectations. Maybe a few characters, too.
So buckle up, because Season 4 is coming, and it’s bound to be mad in all the right ways.
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Melanie Lynskey Feared for Her Life While Filming This ‘Yellowjackets’ Scene