'Yellowjackets' creator says Season 2 is all about 'exploring female rage'

If you thought the first season of Showtime's Yellowjackets was intense, then you ain't seen nothin' yet, folks!

Sitting down with Empire for the magazine's March 2023 issue (now on sale), series co-creator Ashley Lyle teased that the show's sophomore outing is all about "exploring female rage," going on to add: "In the past, it's about the falling away of social constructs, even more than last season. In the present, I think each of these women is being forced to reckon with who they really are, which they've been able to deny most of their adult lives."

Created alongside Bart Nickerson, the breakout hit takes the classic Lord of the Flies concept and asks an intriguing question: What would those poor traumatized children look like as adults years after they turned feral out in the wilderness? Even after adults come to the rescue, horrific memories of ritual sacrifice and straight-up cannibalism don't exactly fade with time. Critics and audiences went absolutely nuts for the first 10 episodes, which currently hold a perfect score of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

"The reaction to Season 1 meant we could approach Season 2 in a very casual, not all anxiety-ridden way," joked Lyle, who serves as co-showrunner and executive producer with Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco. "Actually, the challenge to some extent has been not allowing the reaction to the show to change how we were going to approach [this season]."

The project is so popular, in point of fact, that Showtime has already ordered a third season. Lyle refused to give up any details on where the story is headed in the the third installment, although she did promise that she, Nickerson, and Lisco have only just begun to plumb the depths of human depravity lurking in all of us. "I guess we'll find out how dark we can get."

Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Juliette Lewis (Camping), Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything), Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, Servant), Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect),  Samantha Hanratty (SHAMELESS), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Warren Kole (Shades of Blue) and Kevin Alves make up the ensemble cast.

Season 2 of Yellowjackets premieres two days early for non-linear platforms on Friday, March 24. If you'd prefer to watch it the old-fashioned way, however, then be sure to tune into Showtime Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET.

Looking for more scares out in the creepy woods in the meantime? Check out Peacock's new original horror flick SICK, streaming now.