WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 2, episode 9!Yellowjackets’ season 2 finale concludes with shocking twists for the survivors in both timelines, but a confirmed missing cameo hints what the surprise bonus episode could be about. After depicting the teens’ growing desperation and deeper obedience to the “wilderness” in the past as well as the adults’ murder cover-ups and reconciliations with their actions in the present, Yellowjackets season 2 ends with adult Natalie’s death after sacrificing herself and teenage Natalie being crowned the Antler Queen. While the main storyline has concluded on a brilliant note for the sophomore season, Yellowjackets season 2 may not actually be over.

Ahead of Yellowjackets season 2, it was confirmed that actor Jason Ritter, who is the real-life husband of adult Shauna actress Melanie Lynskey, would have a cameo. Now-deleted behind-the-scenes pictures of Ritter filming his role on Yellowjackets also hinted at who he would be playing, which appears to be the “cabin guy” who inhabited the teens’ shelter before Yellowjackets’ plane crash. However, Yellowjackets season 2’s ending arrived without Ritter’s anticipated cameo, which was thought to reveal crucial information about the wilderness’s past and the cabin's origins. Luckily, it's been announced by showrunner Ashley Lyle that Yellowjackets will see a bonus episode.

Yellowjackets' Bonus Episode Will Bridge Season 2 And Season 3

Juliette Lewis and Sophie Thatcher and adult and young Natalie in Yellowjackets Season 2 finale

After a lot of speculation, Yellowjackets showrunner Ashley Lyle made an admission via Twitter that there will be a bonus episode. Lyle didn't reveal much else about the surprise installment, save for the fact that it serves to bridge seasons 2 and 3. She also didn't mention when the episode will premiere on Showtime. Presumably, the Yellowjackets bonus episode will air closer to the Yellowjackets season 3 release date, which is still up in the air due to the writer's strike. In the meantime, audiences have been making their guesses as to what the episode could be about, and it seems many are leaning toward Jason Ritter's yet-unseen cameo.

Jason Ritter's Missing Cameo Hints Yellowjackets' Bonus Episode Story

Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey in Yellowjackets

The filming of Jason Ritter’s cameo and its importance to the series’ story hints at what the Yellowjackets bonus episode could be about. Elijah Wood and Jason Ritter were two of the biggest names promoted for joining the cast, suggesting the latter actor’s appearance wouldn't go unreleased. Rather, if the “cabin guy” backstory is the bonus installment's plot, it could air after the season 2 finale to give more context to the teens’ struggles in the wilderness ahead of Yellowjackets season 3. Since the cabin burned down in Yellowjackets season 2, a bonus episode on the "cabin guy" would also be the best way to wrap up the location's story.

By having a bonus episode around Jason Ritter’s unnamed character, Yellowjackets season 2 can explore more of the series’ supernatural history without disrupting the main narrative through a bottle episode without any of the primary characters. It’s likely that Yellowjackets would have included flashbacks to before the team’s crash in the wilderness anyway, so putting the origins of the cabin guy into its own bonus episode accomplishes this in greater detail. Additionally, a standalone episode about Jason Ritter’s character in the wilderness would prove that the symbol and the darkness of the location were impacting people long before the Yellowjackets team crashed.

Why A Yellowjackets Season 2 Bonus Episode Makes Sense

The cabin burning in Yellowjackets season 2 episode 9 ending

Yellowjackets only had nine episodes in season 2 unlike season 1’s 10 episodes, which indicated that Showtime might've planned the bonus story. Additionally, Yellowjackets co-creator Ashley Lyle teased the possibility of a bonus episode before the official announcement. On Twitter, Lyle confirmed that there were “9 main eps in S2,” implying a tenth would follow different characters and storylines. While Lyle didn't reveal what the bonus episode would entail or when it would release, it would make sense if it was a separate backstory for Jason Ritter’s character in the wilderness, as the origins are too intriguing to be cut from Yellowjackets.

Source:

Ashley Lyle, Twitter