Warning: This article contains spoilers forYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 4!Ella Purnell’s return as Jackie Taylor used to be fun inYellowjackets, but season 3 has ruined her cameos. Though Jackie ends up freezing to death in Yellowjackets season 1’s ending, she occasionally appears throughout season 2 as part of Shauna’s hallucinations.Yellowjacketsis continuing this trend in its third season, seeing as Jackie returns inYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 3, “Them’s the Brakes,” as part of thehallucinations that Shauna, Van, and Akilahexperience.
Jackie also appears inYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 4, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis,“when Shauna becomes trapped in the walk-in freezer at the nursing home where Misty works. This scene is a fascinating parallel to Jackie’s shocking death because, for a few moments, it does seem like Shauna will meet the same tragic end. However, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the girls' hallucinations of Jackie, her cameos have not produced the same effect inYellowjacketsseason 3 as in season 2. In fact,Jackie’s appearances in season 2 have ruined her previous appearances after her death.
Having Too Many Jackie Scenes In Yellowjackets Season 3 Ruins What Made Her Previous Returns So Special
Jackie Taylor’s Cameos In Yellowjackets Used To Be Meaningful
Jackie first returns inYellowjacketsseason 2when Shauna hallucinates seeing her best friend after her death. The hallucinations cease once the girls decide to eat Jackie’s body. Although Jackie appears once more in season 2, episode 8, “It Chooses,” the show makes it seem like that’s the end for Purnell’s character. Granted,Yellowjacketsseason 3’s trailer confirmed Jackie would appear in the new season, which was a definite shock. It is even more surprising thatJackie’s season 3 return involves two back-to-back episodes. While Jackie’s sporadic appearances were once embraced,Yellowjacketsseason 3 has made them redundant.
Yellowjackets Season 3 Confirms A Massively Harsh Reality About The Present-Day Survivors After Major Twist
Yellowjackets season 3, episode 4 confirms a harsh truth about the adult timeline, with one huge twist raising the stakes even further.
Shauna’s hallucinations of Jackie used to be authentic, which, in turn, made them extremely creepy. However,Jackie’s appearances inYellowjacketsseason 3 feel forced and unnecessary, especially when adult Shauna hallucinates her.Yellowjacketshas made it clear time and again that Jackie continues to haunt Shauna even as an adult, so the hallucination method feels repetitive, especially in back-to-back episodes. Hallucinations of Jackie are much more exciting when they remain in the past, where Jackie can haunt the survivors in the wilderness.
Ella Purnell’s Return To Yellowjackets Was More Exciting When It Was A Complete Surprise
Yellowjackets Should Not Have Teased Jackie Taylor’s Appearance In The Season 3 Trailer
Another reason why Jackie’s cameos inYellowjacketsseason 3 are not working is because they were already anticipated. The shock of Jackie’s return occurred when the official trailer forYellowjacketsseason 3 dropped, not when the episodes aired. As a result, Jackie’s cameos in season 3 have been disappointing thus far. These hallucinations used to contribute to the story, butnow it seems as ifYellowjacketskeeps Jackie just to include her rather than for an actual narrative purpose.
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July 17, 2025
IfYellowjacketshad not spoiled Jackie’s season 3 return, Purnell’s cameos would carry more excitement, but by overdoing it, it’s something that’s now expected. The show should also stick to keeping Jackie’s cameos inYellowjackets' past timelinesince her presence connects to the horrors, trauma, and guilt that the survivors are directly facing while in the wilderness. Therefore, I feel likeYellowjacketsis capitalizing on Jackie Taylor’s appearances for the sake of them occurringand not because they actually make sense. As a result, Jackie’s return inYellowjacketsseason 3 diminishes the few scenes she has and even hurts her cameos in season 2.
