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It might seem hard to imagine how Yellowjackets could get any more wild than its first season. However, one of its stars has promised that things are about to get "very intense" ahead of the second-season premiere.
Actor Steven Krueger plays the forlorn Yellowjackets coach, Ben Scott. He told Newsweek how season two will "double down" on everything that made the show so compelling.
"People thought we were a crazy show in season one, and now we might just end up being the craziest show on television," Krueger said. The 33-year-old added the second season will "lean into the stuff that really made us successful and people really enjoyed."
Showtime's breakout hit of 2022 quickly gained a cult following among fans and critics alike, even picking up awards, including seven Emmy nominations.
It became popular thanks not only to its compelling story around a girls' soccer team— the Yellowjackets—who are left to survive after their plane crashed in the middle of nowhere, but also for standout roles from star actresses. These include Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis and Melanie Lynskey.
The story is told over two separate timelines. We see it from the perspective of the young Yellowjackets in 1996 who are fighting to stay alive as they descend into cult-like clans against an eerie supernatural backdrop. The drama also visits the surviving Yellowjackets 25 years later as they continue to deal with the fallout of their ill-fated trip and battle to keep its dark secrets.
However, things will get much more intense for the young Yellowjackets as they are about to face their first winter lost in the wilderness.
"You can imagine, we don't have a lot of supplies, we don't have a lot of food. We're stuck in this small cabin because we can't spend too much time outside... and s*** starts to hit the fan is the best way to put it," Krueger says. "It gets a bit intense, that's for sure."
Fans can expect a lot more of the supernatural mystery and gory violence. But Krueger praised the show's writers for "grounding the show in the reality that's already been created" but also "pushing the envelope" to give fans something completely unexpected.
"The fine line is, you have to be really careful to strike that balance of going just far enough past season one so that it's not repetitive and redundant," Krueger said. "But you have to be careful not to 'jump the shark' and be insane for the sake of being insane."
The actor has a tough job in the show as the outnumbered coach who is harboring some secrets of his own. He spent much of season one grappling with the involuntary amputation he received at the hands of Teen Misty (Samantha Hanratty).
For Krueger, having the chance to appear in such a successful show that allows him to sink his teeth into a challenging role is his acting dream come true. His previous credits include Roswell: New Mexico and The Originals.
"I'm just relishing this opportunity because it's the kind of acting that I've always wanted to do. And I guess I just hope in the end that this ends up leading to more projects of this caliber," Krueger said.
Yellowjackets has already been confirmed for season three, but Krueger remains tight-lipped on whether we can expect to see his character survive that long.
"If I tell you that, then there's no mystery for this season. We will see if poor Ben Scott will be able to survive for one more season," Krueger said.
Regardless of what happens to the ill-fated sports coach, Krueger has nothing but praise for what is to come on Yellowjackets.
"The writers did such an incredible job of taking the story in directions that I'm not even sure a lot of us saw coming. I really think that the audience is going to be surprised," Krueger said.
Yellowjackets returns to Showtime streaming on March 24. Then it will premiere on-air on Sunday, March 26, at 9 p.m. ET.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more