Yellowjackets creators have announced that the show will end with its fourth season. The popular survival-horror show follows a high school girls’ soccer team as they struggle to survive in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, and has been airing for three seasons.
It should be noted that Showtime has not cancelled Yellowjackets. Instead, the show’s creators have decided to wrap it up, with the fourth season being its final season.
But what has prompted the Yellowjackets creators to end the show? Below is a look at both the official reason and other potential factors that could have led to the decision. s
A natural conclusion to the story
Yellowjackets is ending because the show’s creators have decided to bring the story to a natural conclusion.
Co-creators and showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson shared a post on Instagram, where they revealed they would be bringing Yellowjackets to its “twisted conclusion” during its fourth season:
“After three incredible seasons, and great consideration, we’re excited to announce that we will be bringing the story of Yellowjackets to its twisted conclusion in this fourth and final season.”
They also added that they had always planned on bringing the show to a natural conclusion, and the fourth season was the moment to do that:
“We’ve always known there would come a point when the story would tell us it wants to end, and it’s our belief that our job — our responsibility — is to listen.”
A strategic creative decision
Many fans have welcomed the news that the show is reaching a natural conclusion. However, the decision surprised some fans, as the show’s creators had previously revealed they had pitched the drama for five seasons.
Additionally, in 2023, co-creator Ashley Lyle had told EW that they were on track for a five-season arc:
“The original plan was about five seasons, and we feel like we’re still on track for that.”
Besides the five-season plan, Yellowjackets has also enjoyed strong performance, with the third season being the most successful to date. Therefore, many fans expected the show to continue up to the fifth season.
However, ending the show with the fourth season is a strategic creative decision by the Yellowjackets creators to conclude on a high note.
According to Deadline, they were reportedly inspired by HBO’s Succession, which ended on a strong note.
Ending Yellowjackets earlier with the fourth season also had the bonus of allowing the creators to deliver a proper, planned conclusion for the show.
During Variety’s annual A Night in the Writers’ Room event, Ashley Lyle revealed that getting a show renewed was not an easy feat:
“It is a constant kind of revision. We have an endpoint in place, but to get a first season is a miracle; to get a second season is a miracle. Every time you get picked up, it feels like a little bit of magic.”
Therefore, the Yellowjackets creators could have decided not to gamble on the show’s future by pushing past a fourth season, thus giving the fans a more satisfying ending.
Character arc adjustments
Some Yellowjackets fans have speculated that the exit of a leading cast member could have accelerated the show’s ending.
In the finale of season 2, the showrunners killed off the character of adult Natalie (played by Juliette Lewis).
Some fans speculated that Lewis’s exit from the show may have been due to behind-the-scenes issues. There were also some rumours of a conflict between Lewis and the showrunners.
None of the claims about Juliette Lewis’s exit has been confirmed. However, in the past, she had hinted that she would only be down for two seasons and had openly criticized how her character had been written.
Therefore, there is a chance that behind-the-scenes drama had forced the Yellowjackets creators to kill off her character.
Unfortunately, given that she was a leading cast member, her exit, if unplanned, could have required major storyline adjustments. Consequently, this could have significantly affected the show’s timeline, resulting in an accelerated ending.
Internal restructuring
In August 2025, Paramount Global completed a merger with Skydance, with the new company being restructured into three divisions: TV media, direct-to-consumer, and studios.
As is often the case, internal restructurings are usually accompanied by new programming decisions and a shift in content priorities.
Already, some have been cancelled following the merger, including Showtime’s Dexter: Original Sin (whose renewal was reversed) and MTV’s Ridiculousness.
As of now, there is nothing to suggest that the Paramount Global and Skydance merger led to the Yellowjacket’s ending. However, it is not outside the realm of possibility for showrunners to have proactively ended the show on a high note to avoid a potential uncertain future.
Reactions to Yellowjackets creators ending the show
News of Yellowjacket’s ending has been received with mixed reactions. Some fans have welcomed the decision, many of them happy to get a natural conclusion.
Others view the decision to end the show as a good one, rather than “dragging out” the story:
“I said at the end of last season they needed to wrap it up. They’re headed to a clear climax, and there’s no need to drag it out,” posted one Reddit user.
Some fans, though, are unhappy with the decision, with many insisting the show should have continued with the planned five-season arc.
The Yellowjackets cast also reacted to the news, with Samantha Hanratty, who plays the character of Misty on the show, sharing her reaction in a tearful TikTok video:
“This is gonna be the final season of Yellowjackets, and I don’t really know how to take it in. Clearly, I’m very emotional, and I know that all good things must come to an end. I’m just extremely, extremely grateful to have been a part of this show.”
Yellowjackets creators also paid tribute to the show and cast members in the Instagram post announcing the decision to end the show:
“Telling this emotional, wild, and deeply human story has been a profoundly meaningful experience and a true honor for us, and we’re so very grateful to the brilliant cast, crew, and writers who have bravely gone on the journey with us to bring it to life.”
They also expressed gratitude to fans of Yellowjackets:
“Most of all, we want to thank the fans who have stuck with us through every moment, mystery and meal — the Hive is nothing without you! We can’t wait to share the final chapter with you and hope you find it…delicious.”