Yellowjackets Season 3 May Have Just Confirmed Another Unexpected Survivor - Is It Hilary Swank's Character?

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 3, episode 2!While it seemed that all the survivors had already been revealed, Yellowjackets season 3, episode 2’s ending suggests yet another teen made it out of the wilderness. Throughout season 1, the only confirmed Yellowjackets survivors as adults were Shauna, Misty, Travis, Natalie, and Taissa. Then, after Travis died early in season 1, the finale revealed that Lottie had also survived. After Yellowjackets season 2 surprisingly confirmed that Van made it out of the wilderness alive, it appeared she would be the last of the adult survivors – but season 3 seems to have another shock in store.

The idea that another survivor could be introduced was already widely speculated about following the confirmation that Hilary Swank would be joining Yellowjackets season 3’s cast in an undisclosed role. As of Yellowjackets season 3, episode 2’s ending, Swank’s character has still yet to be officially introduced. However, the revelation about someone stalking adult Shauna being paired with the twist of Teen Shauna and Melissa kissing hints that the two storylines are connected, giving a major hint at who Swank could be playing in the horror TV show.

Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 2's Ending Hints Melissa Survived The Wilderness

Shauna Seems To Be Worried That Melissa Is Stalking Her In Yellowjackets Season 3

Melissa in a backwards baseball cap appears thoughtful in Yellowjackets

In Yellowjackets season 3, episode 1, Shauna received a mysterious package on her doorstep that certainly felt like a callback to Jeff and Randy’s blackmail in season 1. The package was stamped with Yellowjackets’ mysterious wilderness symbol and addressed to “Shauna Shipman” rather than Sadecki, further indicating it’s someone only familiar with her past. After continuing to feel like she was being watched, Shauna was followed into the bathroom of a restaurant, where a phone with a wilderness screensaver playing the song “Queen of Hearts” was left for her to find.

The editing of this scene implies that Melissa survived the wilderness, and might now intent on getting revenge for something Shauna did either back when they were teenagers or after their rescue.

While adult Shauna was dealing with the stalker at the restaurant, Yellowjackets season 3, episode 2 cut to the past timeline to show Teen Shauna and Melissa kissing in the wilderness. Immediately after this reveal, the show jumps back to the present timeline as Shauna calls the restaurant and nervously asks what the person who picked up the phone looked like. The editing of this scene implies that Melissa survived the wilderness, and might now intent on getting revenge for something Shauna did either back when they were teenagers or after their rescue.

Confirmed Survivor In Yellowjackets	Teen Actor	Adult Actor
Shauna	Sophie Nélisse	Melanie Lynskey
Taissa	Jasmin Savoy Brown	Tawny Cypress
Misty	Samantha Hanratty	Christina Ricci
Natalie	Sophie Thatcher	Juliette Lewis
Van	Liv Hewson	Lauren Ambrose
Lottie	Courtney Eaton	Simone Kessell
Travis	Kevin Alves	Andres Soto

Considering Teen Melissa wasn’t even present in season 1 and had largely been confined to a background role in season 2, with her name hardly even being mentioned, the idea that she might have survived the wilderness comes as a big surprise. Every other confirmed adult survivor also had a substantial focus in Yellowjackets’ past timeline, so the general consensus was that the other supporting characters in the wilderness were doomed to be cannibalized by the survivors. However, if Melissa truly did survive the wilderness, then she might not be the only one who the series just hasn’t introduced yet.

Is Hilary Swank Playing Adult Melissa In Yellowjackets?

Hilary Swank Is Mostly Likely Playing Shauna's "Stalker" In Yellowjackets Season 3

Since it’s unlikely that the show will repeat Jeff’s secret blackmailer twist from Yellowjackets season 1, Shauna’s stalker is expected to be a brand-new character in the present timeline. It was already suspected that Hilary Swank might be playing someone who knows about the survivors’ past, so she’s also the most likely candidate for who left the phone and package for Shauna. Now that it appears the stalker is adult Melissa, it would be fitting for Hilary Swank to tackle that character, as Yellowjackets has continued to pull some big names like Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci for these roles.

Even in trailers, Hilary Swank’s currently-unnamed Yellowjackets character is seen dangerously going up against the adult survivors like Shauna and Misty, which implies that she knows too much about their time in the wilderness. It seems the only person they would fear that much would be someone else who was out there with them, especially if they thought they couldn’t “control” her or keep her quiet. While adult Melissa could be played by a different actor, Hilary Swank is a great casting choice to hold her own against the established ensemble of survivors.

Melissa's Survival Would Create More Unanswered Questions About Season 2's Reunions

Why Wouldn't She Be Mentioned Once?

If Melissa turns out to be alive, then there are certain storylines that would be called into question in Yellowjackets. When the survivors got together for another Queen of Hearts ritual in Yellowjackets’ season 2 finale, it was implied that those six were the only ones still alive from that time in the wilderness. Melissa being alive but not present would complicate the ritual being a “true” sacrifice to the wilderness, as it would have wanted all of them back together. Additionally, it seems absurd that they wouldn’t have at least mentioned Melissa when they were all reunited.

Teen Melissa's (Jenna Burgess) first appearance was in Yellowjackets' season 2 premiere.

Melissa being alive would require a lot of backtracking for the present timeline to explain her absence and failure to mention her, which supports the theory that she might actually be dead. Even if Melissa is rescued from the wilderness, she might have died long before Travis, which would explain why the other survivors haven’t been worried about her so far. Therefore, Hilary Swank/Shauna’s stalker in Yellowjackets season 3 could potentially be Melissa’s sister or someone closely connected to her instead, with Melissa perhaps having confided in her about the truth of what happened in the wilderness.

New episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 release Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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