Latest news with #PersonofInterest
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A New Kind of Freedom: Jeff Pegues Joins ALIVE Podcast Network for History-Making Streaming Debut
Jeff Pegues headlines ALIVE Podcast Network's Juneteenth streaming debut on Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. WASHINGTON, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In an era where trust in traditional media is eroding and the fight for authentic representation intensifies, award-winning journalist Jeff Pegues is stepping into bold new territory—unfiltered, unrestrained, and unapologetically real. On June 19, "Person of Interest with Jeff Pegues" will make its debut as a flagship original on the ALIVE Podcast Network®, now making history as the first Black woman-owned podcast network to simultaneously launch across Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. Renowned for his commanding presence on CBS News and in-depth reporting on justice and national security, Pegues is now shifting gears—challenging what some might consider the gatekeeping status quo of mainstream media. "This show isn't about sensationalism—it's about substance," says Pegues. "ALIVE gives me the freedom to follow the real story and examine the people and perspectives too often ignored by traditional media." As the U.S. commemorates Juneteenth, marking the delayed emancipation of enslaved people in America, ALIVE stands as a modern-day declaration—a platform where Black creatives are free to tell their stories, their way. "We chose Juneteenth on purpose," says ALIVE founder and CEO Angel N. Livas. "ALIVE isn't just a platform— it's a proclamation of creative freedom. It's a safe haven for storytellers to speak truth to power, to shape culture without code-switching or compromise." "Person of Interest" leads a powerful slate of original content launching with ALIVE's streaming expansion—featuring creators whose work reflects the depth, range, and brilliance of the Black experience. This next chapter solidifies ALIVE as more than a podcast network. It's a revolution that will be televised. A one-stop destination for curated, culture-rich content that informs, inspires, and ignites. "I'm thrilled to collaborate with Livas, who is a visionary who believes in and is committed to creating content options for all communities," says Pegues. Beginning June 19, viewers can stream "Person of Interest" and other newsworthy programming like Pivotal Moment, Minding My Damn Business, Healing Through Conversations among others on Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. Just search, download, and watch the ALIVE Podcast Network! For media inquiries please contact: Ashley Todd at info@ or to learn more about the ALIVE Podcast Network visit About ALIVE Podcast Network® The ALIVE Podcast Network® is a Black woman-owned media tech company on a mission to amplify Black voices and reclaim narrative control through podcasting, storytelling, and streaming innovation. Founded by award-winning producer and visionary entrepreneur Angel N. Livas, ALIVE provides a platform where culture meets content—unapologetically. Launched in 2022, ALIVE distributes over 100 original podcasts through its proprietary app and all major directories, offering creators tools for monetization, visibility, and ownership. In June 2025, ALIVE will launch the first Black woman-owned podcast network to stream across Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV, marking a historic leap in access and visibility for Black storytellers. From mental health to business, politics to faith—ALIVE curates shows that reflect the depth, range, and brilliance of the Black experience. The network's ecosystem empowers creators to build sustainable brands, while providing global audiences with content that informs, innovates and inspires. Media Contact: Ashley Todd 202-666-5877 396048@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ALIVE Podcast Network Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside Eurovision's curse from fatal plane crash to drug addiction as string of artists' lives are ruined after contest
THE Eurovision song contest is known for its wacky performances, colourful costumes and cheesy song lyrics. But for some of its memorable contestants, life has taken a darker turn in the years since their big moment on stage. Advertisement 7 Mae Muller is competing for the UK at the Eurovision song contest, held in Liverpool Credit: PA Aa girlband Sandie Shaw Singer Sandie, now 76, went down in history as the first act to give Britain She was already a well-known singer when she entered the competition, with two number one singles under her belt. But her life hasn't been rosy since her triumph. Advertisement READ MORE CELEBRITY NEWS 7 Sandie was the first British act to win Eurovision back in 1967 A year after her victory she married fashion designer Sandie accused her ex of blowing her fortune on his struggling career, leaving her and their daughter destitute to the point where they had to go and live in a caravan. The couple didn't speak for years, but in 2020 Sandie revealed she had forgiven Banks and they were talking again. Advertisement She told the Person of Interest podcast: "When he was losing all my money without asking I thought that was part of being married. It was a real wake-up call to me that that's not how it is. Most read in TV "I was with my mother-in-law, in the caravan, with my daughter, and we used to sit and knit squares in all different colours. Rainbow colours as a sign of our hope, wishing for something to turn out OK." Sandie retired from music in 2013 and is now married to her third husband, psychologist Tony Bedford. Bucks Fizz 7 Bucks Fizz won Eurovision in 1981 before a bitter set of breakups years later Credit: Rex Advertisement Former UK winners A bus crash in Newcastle broke the spine of band member Both were catapulted through the windscreen, and at one point Mike was given his last rites in hospital due to internal bleeding and head injuries that left him fighting for life. He pulled through, but developed epilepsy, lost 50 per cent of his vision in both eyes and became withdrawn, showing signs of personality change - though he's since claimed he's back to his old self. Advertisement The group split a year later, with Jay announcing she was leaving following an affair with Andy Hill, the husband of the group's creator, Nichola Martin. In a bid to keep the group going, Shelley Preston was brought in as a replacement - but she left after just a year. David Van Day was later drafted in, but when he too left it triggered a court case over the name of the band and who could use it - resulting in Bobby G keeping the naming rights. Advertisement Since then the group has had numerous members and now exists without a single person from the original line-up. Last year Jay revealed she It comes after she battled mouth cancer and her daughter was Alexander Rybak 7 Alexander struggled with an addiction to sleeping pills and anti-depressants Credit: AP:Associated Press Advertisement Norwegian winner He made a second entry for the show in 2018 with That's How You Write A Song, but it didn't win. In 2020 Alexander revealed that behind closed doors, he was struggling with an addiction to He wrote online: "I've been living with a secret. For 11 years I have been addicted to sleep medications and antidepressants. It started out harmless, but in the end, it almost ruined my life. Advertisement "This January I started rehab (with good help from my doctors) and little by little I'm starting to feel like myself again. "During the past years, the pills made me weak and scared. It affected not only my brain but also my muscles and stomach. It destroyed my relationships to people, but most importantly it almost destroyed my will to live." He has since enrolled at Columbia College Chicago and is still releasing new music and updating fans about his life on social media. Niamh Kavanagh 7 Niamh gave up showbusiness following her husband's debilitating stroke in 2018 Advertisement In 1993, She returned to compete again in 2010 with It's for You but couldn't replicate her previous success - placing 23rd overall. Tragically, in 2018, Niamh's husband Paul Megahey suffered a debilitating stroke while she was performing on stage. It left him unable to speak, but he is slowly recovering, though doctors have warned he'll never regain all of his abilities. Advertisement Niamh, 55, decided to quit fame and now works at Tesco as a customer assistant alongside her son. Speaking about Paul, she told the Irish Sun: "He's doing very well. His speech is still a little hesitant at times but that's part of who he's going to be I think. "It has taken a lot of his energy to recover from it and to make himself not to feel self-conscious." Örs Siklósi 7 Örs died from Leukaemia three years after the band appeared on Eurovision Credit: Getty Advertisement Hungarian Örs was the lead singer of Eurovision entry AWS who performed in the 2018 competition. Tragically, three years later, his bandmates announced he had passed away aged just 29. They wrote online: "To say the unspeakable, to describe the indescribable. That is what we now have to do. In June, Örs was diagnosed with leukaemia and now we are deeply saddened to inform you that he passed away yesterday. "He wanted to open up about his illness last month, he had planned to release his fist solo record this spring and we were set to make the fifth AWS record and play shows again this fall. During this period his bravery and dignity were exemplary." Advertisement The band is still performing and have a new lead singer. Alexandrov Ensemble Choir 7 The choir performed during a break with t.A.T.u when the contest was hosted by Russia Credit: AP One of the worst tragedies in Eurovision history happened on Christmas Day 2016, when the majority of the Alexandrov choir were killed in a plane crash. The group had performed Not Gonna Get Us with t.A.T.u during the song contest's interval in 2009, when the event was hosted in Moscow. Advertisement The choir was travelling to a Christmas celebration with troops at a military base when the Russian military aircraft they were on crashed off the coast of Sochi while en route to Syria. All 92 people on board were killed, including around 60 members of the group. The choir is still going and currently markets itself as The Red Army Choir.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Just Finished Watching 'Lost' For The First Time, And Here Are All The Guest Stars Who Had Me Pausing The Show To Google Where I'd Seen Them Before
Hello, it's me, that annoying person who always has to pause a show or movie to Google where I recognize the actor from — and let me tell you, I had an absolute field day with Lost. Yes, I know I am literally 20 years late to the party, but that only means that I had absolutely no idea that a whole bunch of actors I am familiar with for other major or minor roles in their career were kind of a big deal on Lost back in the day. So, without further ado, here are the 12 guest stars that surprised me the most when they showed up on my screen — and where it turned out that I had recognized them from. Enjoy! Emerson Fox via Disney+, Twisted Pictures / Via Starting strong with Michael Emerson, as Benjamin Linus is arguably one of the biggest roles of his career. Michael started out as a guest star in the second season of Lost, which premiered in 2005, but quickly became a pretty prominent member of the cast. Heck, he even won an Emmy for his performance as Ben in 2009. Me, on the other hand? I spent his first few episodes being totally distracted by the fact that he is Zep Hindle from the Saw franchise, which started in 2004. In fact, I can literally still hear the shaky way he tells Dr. Gordon's terrified family: 'There are rules' as they all get wrapped up in one of Jigsaw's twisted games. Other notable roles include Harold Finch in Person of Interest, and Cayden James in Arrow. Leung Fox via Disney+, Twisted Pictures / Via Speaking of Saw, when Miles Straume popped up on my screen as a new recurring character in Season 4, which premiered in 2008, I knew that I had seen his face a whole bunch of times before. Just like his Lost costar Michael, Ken Leung had starred in the very first installment of the Saw franchise, but he was on the other side of the game as Detective Steven Sing. And Saw wasn't his first rodeo when it came to tracking down the bad guys, with Ken also playing Lloyd Bowman in the 2002 Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon. More standout roles include Sang in Rush Hour, Eric Tao in Industry, Michael Sima in The Blacklist, Leon Tao in Person of Interest, and even an appearance in The Sopranos. Sagal Fox via Disney+, FX When Katey Sagal made her debut as John Locke's love interest Helen Norwood in Season 2 of Lost, I was low-key delighted to see her (and, needless to say, there was no Googling required!) I first became familiar with Katey as a teen who grew up with 8 Simple Rules, where she, of course, played family matriarch Cate Hennessy between 2002 and 2005. I later got to enjoy her dark side as another matriarch, Gemma Teller Morrow, in Sons of Anarchy, which she starred in between 2008 and 2014 and won a Golden Globe for in 2011. As a Locke stan, I was thrilled to see that this time around, she was closer to Cate than Gemma, with Helen appearing in a total of four episodes of Lost between 2004 and 2010. Katey has appeared in several TV shows throughout her career, with another of her major roles being Peggy Bundy in Married… With Children. She also enjoys a successful singing career. Welliver Fox via Disney+, Fix Staying in the Sons of Anarchy world, Titus Welliver had a recurring role as Man in Black in Lost from the Season 5 finale onwards, and his character ultimately ended up being a pretty crucial part of the story. And while I was admittedly incredibly confused because I initially mistook him for Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt, I later realized that he is actually the man behind one of my least favorite Sons of Anarchy characters: the formidable Jimmy O'Phelan, who made his debut in Season 2 back in 2009. Other notable roles include Glenn Childs in The Good Wife, Detective Hieronymus 'Harry' Bosch in Bosch, and, of course, Silas Adams in Deadwood. Janney Fox via Disney+, Searchlight Pictures / Via Speaking of crucial parts to the Lost story, Allison Janney made an appearance as Mother in the 2010 Season 6 episode 'Across the Sea,' which played a pretty big role in answering some of the questions surrounding the history (and mystery) of the island. I feel like this one needs no explanation, but Allison is, of course, the iconic Oscar-and-Emmy-winning actor of The West Wing, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Beauty, Juno, The Help, I, Tonya… Honestly, the list is endless! 6.Néstor Carbonell Fox via Disney+, Apple TV+ Néstor Carbonell had a pretty stand-out role as Richard Alpert in Lost, making his debut in Season 3, which premiered in 2006. Anyone familiar with the show will have vivid memories of Richard's omnipresence on the island, and he went on to become a recurring character right up until the series finale in 2010. But if you're anything like me, you're probably more familiar with Néstor (and his remarkable natural eyeliner) for his recurring role as Yanko Flores in The Morning Show, which premiered in 2019. You may also recognize Néstor as Mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Victor Machado in Ringer, and Sheriff Alex Romero in Bates Motel. Reddick Fox via Disney+, HBO / Via Lance Reddick only made a handful of appearances as Matthew Abaddon in Lost, starting in Season 4. His character is a mysterious agent of Charles Widmore, whose sole purpose was to get people to 'where they needed to be.' To me, though, he will always be Cedric Daniels from the hit TV series The Wire, which premiered in 2002. You might also know him from the John Wick movie series, Oz, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Bosch, among a ton of other great TV shows. Bowen Fox via Disney+, 20th Century Fox Toward the end of Season 1 of Lost, viewers are introduced to Jack's wife, Sarah Shephard, played by none other than Julie Bowen. Julie had a recurring role in flashback episodes of the show, but you'd be forgiven if Sarah isn't the first character who comes to mind when you think of the actress. While she is arguably best known for playing Claire Dunphy in Modern Family between 2009 and 2020, for which she won multiple Emmy awards, you might also recognize Julie from Happy Gilmore, Horrible Bosses, and Boston Legal. Minnette Fox via Disney+, Netflix / Via Sticking with versions of Jack Shephard's family tree, when his son David popped up in Season 6 of Lost, which premiered in 2010, I knew that I had seen his face before — and it all made sense when I realized that he was played by then-14-year-old Dylan Minnette, who took on a leading role as Clay in 13 Reasons Why back in 2017. You might also recognize him from Goosebumps, Don't Breathe, or as Fitzgerald "Jerry" Jr. in Scandal. Now 28, Dylan also enjoys a pretty successful music career as singer, rhythm guitarist, and bassist in the band Wallows. Mader Fox via Disney+, 20th Century Studios / Via When Ken Leung's character Miles joined the recurring cast of Lost in Season 4, he didn't come alone. One of the character's teammates was Charlotte Lewis, played by British actor Rebecca Mader. But it wasn't just Rebecca's English accent and stunning red hair that made her stand out to me; it was the fact that I recognized her from The Devil Wears Prada's most iconic scene. Rebecca plays Jocelyn in the 2006 movie, the Elias-Clark employee who holds two blue belts up to Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly and prompts Andy, played by Anne Hathaway, to scoff when she proclaims: 'They're so different.' Cue Meryl's infamous monologue. Rebecca actually had a much bigger role in Once Upon A Time, where she played Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West, and you might also know her from All My Children. Davies Fox via Disney+, Blumhouse Productions / Via Daniel Faraday was also part of the Lost Season 4 Newcomers Gang, and was played by Jeremy Davies. This is where things get a little bit niche, as I genuinely recognized Daniel from the 2021 movie The Black Phone, but I wouldn't be surprised if I am the only one to have this film be my go-to reference. After all, it turns out that Jeremy actually had a pretty big role as Corporal Upham in Saving Private Ryan back in 1998, and also starred in the likes of Dogville, It's Kind of a Funny Story, and the 2017 TV adaptation of Sleepy Hollow. Rodriguez Fox via Disney+, Universal Pictures / Via Michelle Rodriguez, on the other hand, is by no means niche, with the actor making her debut as Ana Lucia Cortez in the Season 1 finale of Lost, which premiered in 2005. She went on to become a part of the main cast in Season 2, and returned as a guest star in later episodes, too. Of course, Michelle is best known for the Fast and Furious franchise, where she has played Letty Ortiz since 2001. She has also appeared in Resident Evil, Avatar, and the 2023 Dungeons and Dragons movie. And an honorary mention to…. Perrineau Fox via Disney+, 20th Century Studios / Via There were two main reasons I wanted to keep this list exclusively to Lost guest stars; the first being that if I included the entire cast, it would probably be unrealistically long. And the second reason being, well, I was familiar with the core cast of Lost before I started watching, and arguably knew them for those roles first — even before I'd actually watched the show. However, Harold Perrineau playing original Oceanic 815 survivor Michael Dawson still caught me off-guard, with Harold undeniably being a hugely successful actor before he ended up on the dreaded island. I most recognize him for his scene-stealing performance as Mercutio in the 1996 movie adaptation Romeo + Juliet, but he is also known for playing Link in The Matrix movie franchise, Augustus Hill in the TV series Oz, and he also played Damon Pope in Sons of Anarchy. Where did you recognize the Lost ensemble from? Let me know in the comments below! More on this Here Are The TV Episodes That Are So Good We Are Low-Key Sad That We Will Never Get To Watch Them For The First Time AgainStephanie Soteriou · Sept. 12, 2024 The Definitive Ranking Of "Lost"'s Most Iconic Momentsilenia · May 24, 2020 Harold Perrineau Detailing The Real Reason He Was Fired From "Lost" Will Have You Looking At The Show And Its Creators Completely DifferentlyMorgan Murrell · May 31, 2023 Only A True 'Lost' Fan Can Get 75% In This Character QuizRobin Edds · Jan. 4, 2017
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Unbelievable Is the New Normal on Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets A funny thing can happen to a hit show when it's no longer the hot new thing on television. If such a series manages to produce more seasons, it often becomes weirder, stranger, and more specific, narrowing its appeal rather than attempting to maintain its wider following. Twin Peaks moved beyond probing its central mystery and into exploring the dream logic of its titular town. Lost introduced time travel and a pair of demigods. Person of Interest became a meditation on the post-9/11 surveillance state, transcending its network-procedural DNA. Yellowjackets, whose third season premiered last Friday on Paramount+ with Showtime, fits that mold to an extent. The series, about a high-school girls' soccer team stranded in the woods after a plane crash, became a word-of-mouth, Emmy-nominated hit during its first season by attracting many different types of audiences. Fans of mystery-box shows pondered whether Yellowjackets' setting was paranormal. Horror enthusiasts enjoyed the gnarly thrills and gory deaths. People who liked teen soaps could immerse themselves in the show's exploration of girlhood. Plus, every episode welcomed obsessive theorizing by unfolding via two timelines: The first, set in the late 1990s, followed the characters' struggle for survival. The other, set in the present day, depicted them as haunted, paranoid adults trying to move on from their shared past. [Read: The TV show for the age of conspiracism] But in its latest season, Yellowjackets seems less concerned about servicing every kind of fan—perhaps in part because of the second season's noticeable decline in buzz. In the four episodes I've screened, the drama is more playful, more ridiculous, and more eager to leave behind the events of Season 2. Rather than scrutinize the fallout from the finale's cliffhanger, which ended with the characters losing their shelter at the height of winter, the first episode of Season 3 reveals that the teenagers have survived into the spring. Meanwhile, the present-day timeline ignores a previous subplot about a cult, and has the adults' stories barreling toward new, convoluted twists. Yellowjackets is now built for—and deliberately toying with—the die-hard viewer who's watching the show for its revelations, as silly as they may be. The opening scene this season embodies that ethos: The girls chase their teammate Mari (played by Alexa Barajas) through the woods, only for the hunt to be revealed as part of a game. This swerve teases those who have long suspected Mari to be the victim of the shocking, cannibalistic feast that kicked off the series premiere. In other words, Yellowjackets has replaced some of its broader accessibility with a knotty, indulgent story—and a level of absurdity that would seem ridiculous were it not for the torment its characters have already suffered. The show has always explored hive-mind delusions, but Season 3 renders its ensemble numb to logic in the face of inexplicable occurrences. To that end, Yellowjackets' new direction may disorient some returning viewers and resonate with others—especially the ones who might be feeling desensitized to seemingly nonsensical developments in the real world. The show doesn't comment on modern-day politics or today's headlines, but it captures the feeling of being inundated with surreal news. The result is a season that's ludicrous in plot yet freshly unsettling in its portrayal of how people can become resigned to their fate. Take the way most of the teens treat their circumstances: with a matter-of-fact, even dryly funny attitude. One of the lone male survivors, Travis (Kevin Alves), becomes afraid of the trees after hearing them 'scream' while he's on magic mushrooms, but much of the team waves off his concerns; they take screaming trees, imagined or otherwise, to be just another off-putting quirk of their surroundings. After Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) and two of her teammates have a shared hallucination, she refuses to acknowledge the violence that transpired within it. Mari copes with being trapped in a cave by singing Right Said Fred's 'I'm Too Sexy' to herself, adjusting the lyrics to reflect her predicament. As always, Yellowjackets is full of mind-bending detours, supernatural gobbledygook, and foliage-laden costumes. But the teenagers are less willing than ever to fully process how peculiar their lives have become. [Read: Yellowjackets understands the horror of toxic best friends] The present-day timeline similarly features characters struggling to engage with their reality. Rather than reckoning with her lover's terminal-cancer diagnosis, Taissa (Tawny Cypress) begins searching for evidence of 'the wilderness'—what she believes to be the supernatural entity behind the bizarre events the survivors endured. Misty (Christina Ricci), reeling from the death of Natalie (Juliette Lewis), drinks prodigious amounts of alcohol and behaves irresponsibly at her job. Each of the women wants to avoid what disturbs them, as encapsulated by a brief scene featuring Shauna (Melanie Lynskey): As her husband raises concerns about their daughter, who is acting out, Shauna nonchalantly grabs a bag of chips and begins munching on them, tuning him out. These moments, which might read confusingly to a casual audience, come off like winks to the most dedicated Yellowjackets viewers, the ones who crave answers to the show's puzzles. To the latter, watching Shauna blankly absorb an update about her daughter dumping a bag of animal guts onto a bully at school is both amusing and frustrating. Yet her response is also understandable: Shauna and the other survivors have endured more unimaginable horrors than they likely could ever process. They deserve a mental break. Of course, Yellowjackets doesn't keep its characters idle for long. At its center remains the mystery of whether the 'wilderness' really is pulling the strings; the show also continues to examine how the girls' friendships change in the woods, even after they've built a thriving camp. But if Yellowjackets was once, as my colleague Megan Garber wrote of the first season, a show 'in which belief itself is a matter of life and death,' the series has renegotiated those stakes. Belief is no longer the problem the characters face; alarming threats and painful situations—whether they have supernatural causes or not—keep happening to them no matter what. The real question is whether they can find the strength to confront them. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
The Unbelievable Is the New Normal on Yellowjackets
This article contains spoilers through the end of Yellowjackets Season 2. A funny thing can happen to a hit show when it's no longer the hot new thing on television. If such a series manages to produce more seasons, it often becomes weirder, stranger, and more specific, narrowing its appeal rather than attempting to maintain its wider following. Twin Peaks moved beyond probing its central mystery and into exploring the dream logic of its titular town. Lost introduced time travel and a pair of demigods. Person of Interest became a meditation on the post-9/11 surveillance state, transcending its network-procedural DNA. Yellowjackets, whose third season premiered last Friday on Paramount+ with Showtime, fits that mold to an extent. The series, about a high-school girls' soccer team stranded in the woods after a plane crash, became a word-of-mouth, Emmy-nominated hit during its first season by attracting many different types of audiences. Fans of mystery-box shows pondered whether Yellowjackets ' setting was paranormal. Horror enthusiasts enjoyed the gnarly thrills and gory deaths. People who liked teen soaps could immerse themselves in the show's exploration of girlhood. Plus, every episode welcomed obsessive theorizing by unfolding via two timelines: The first, set in the late 1990s, followed the characters' struggle for survival. The other, set in the present day, depicted them as haunted, paranoid adults trying to move on from their shared past. But in its latest season, Yellowjackets seems less concerned about servicing every kind of fan—perhaps in part because of the second season's noticeable decline in buzz. In the four episodes I've screened, the drama is more playful, more ridiculous, and more eager to leave behind the events of Season 2. Rather than scrutinize the fallout from the finale's cliffhanger, which ended with the characters losing their shelter at the height of winter, the first episode of Season 3 reveals that the teenagers have survived into the spring. Meanwhile, the present-day timeline ignores a previous subplot about a cult, and has the adults' stories barreling toward new, convoluted twists. Yellowjackets is now built for—and deliberately toying with—the die-hard viewer who's watching the show for its revelations, as silly as they may be. The opening scene this season embodies that ethos: The girls chase their teammate Mari (played by Alexa Barajas) through the woods, only for the hunt to be revealed as part of a game. This swerve teases those who have long suspected Mari to be the victim of the shocking, cannibalistic feast that kicked off the series premiere. In other words, Yellowjackets has replaced some of its broader accessibility with a knotty, indulgent story—and a level of absurdity that would seem ridiculous were it not for the torment its characters have already suffered. The show has always explored hive-mind delusions, but Season 3 renders its ensemble numb to logic in the face of inexplicable occurrences. To that end, Yellowjackets ' new direction may disorient some returning viewers and resonate with others—especially the ones who might be feeling desensitized to seemingly nonsensical developments in the real world. The show doesn't comment on modern-day politics or today's headlines, but it captures the feeling of being inundated with surreal news. The result is a season that's ludicrous in plot yet freshly unsettling in its portrayal of how people can become resigned to their fate. Take the way most of the teens treat their circumstances: with a matter-of-fact, even dryly funny attitude. One of the lone male survivors, Travis (Kevin Alves), becomes afraid of the trees after hearing them 'scream' while he's on magic mushrooms, but much of the team waves off his concerns; they take screaming trees, imagined or otherwise, to be just another off-putting quirk of their surroundings. After Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) and two of her teammates have a shared hallucination, she refuses to acknowledge the violence that transpired within it. Mari copes with being trapped in a cave by singing Right Said Fred's 'I'm Too Sexy' to herself, adjusting the lyrics to reflect her predicament. As always, Yellowjackets is full of mind-bending detours, supernatural gobbledygook, and foliage-laden costumes. But the teenagers are less willing than ever to fully process how peculiar their lives have become. The present-day timeline similarly features characters struggling to engage with their reality. Rather than reckoning with her lover's terminal-cancer diagnosis, Taissa (Tawny Cypress) begins searching for evidence of 'the wilderness'—what she believes to be the supernatural entity behind the bizarre events the survivors endured. Misty (Christina Ricci), reeling from the death of Natalie (Juliette Lewis), drinks prodigious amounts of alcohol and behaves irresponsibly at her job. Each of the women wants to avoid what disturbs them, as encapsulated by a brief scene featuring Shauna (Melanie Lynskey): As her husband raises concerns about their daughter, who is acting out, Shauna nonchalantly grabs a bag of chips and begins munching on them, tuning him out. These moments, which might read confusingly to a casual audience, come off like winks to the most dedicated Yellowjackets viewers, the ones who crave answers to the show's puzzles. To the latter, watching Shauna blankly absorb an update about her daughter dumping a bag of animal guts onto a bully at school is both amusing and frustrating. Yet her response is also understandable: Shauna and the other survivors have endured more unimaginable horrors than they likely could ever process. They deserve a mental break. Of course, Yellowjackets doesn't keep its characters idle for long. At its center remains the mystery of whether the 'wilderness' really is pulling the strings; the show also continues to examine how the girls' friendships change in the woods, even after they've built a thriving camp. But if Yellowjackets was once, as my colleague Megan Garber wrote of the first season, a show 'in which belief itself is a matter of life and death,' the series has renegotiated those stakes. Belief is no longer the problem the characters face; alarming threats and painful situations—whether they have supernatural causes or not—keep happening to them no matter what. The real question is whether they can find the strength to confront them.
