The very first episode of Yellowjackets almost killed off an important character. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Showtime’s new hit series follows its titular high school soccer team in two separate timelines, beginning in 1996 as the players are en route to the national championship when their plane crashes in the Ontario wilderness, leaving them stranded for 19 months. During the present day, the surviving Yellowjackets attempt to deal with this trauma in their own frenzied ways.
Yellowjackets features an ensemble cast led by Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, and Sammi Hanratty as teenagers involved in the plane crash, while Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci portray their adult counterparts in the 2021 timeline. Ella Purnell, Steven Krueger, and Warren Kole also appear in prominent roles. Yellowjackets premiered on Showtime this past November and quickly caught on with subscribers, resulting in a season 2 renewal. In the wake of said news and the season 1 finale, the cast has been on the press circuit promoting the show.
During a recent appearance on the Collider Ladies Night podcast, Melanie Lynskey revealed that the first episode of Yellowjackets almost killed off an important character. Lynskey says that Laura Lee, played by Jane Widdop, was originally supposed to have one or two lines in the pilot before perishing in the plane crash, though Widdop impressed so much at the table read that the writers decided to expand her role. Read what Lynskey had to say below:
Jane, who plays, played Laura Lee, they were supposed to have one line in the pilot and then they were so good — or like two lines or something. It was a little part — and then, I don’t know if this is public knowledge, but they were not supposed to make it past the plane crash and were so impressive in the table read and in the pilot that then they were brought along.
Yellowjackets focuses on its fair share of main characters, such as Shauna, Taissa, Jackie, Natalie, and Misty. However, the contributions from the array of minor characters is what makes the show’s dynamic so unique, especially in the 1996 timeline when the teenagers are still stranded. Whether it’s Liv Hewson’s Van or Courtney Eaton’s Lottie, each member of the ensemble cast is able to make their characters their own and steal scenes from time to time.
Widdop’s Laura Lee is a deeply religious Christian who does her best to keep her fellow Yellowjackets under control. It’s difficult to imagine the character not making it past the first episode considering how important her presence is from helping Lottie with her visions to preventing the group from turning to more unsavory survival tactics. Her death in episode 8, “Flight of the Bumblebee,” also has a significant impact on the team. It’s great that Laura got more time to shine in season 1 of Yellowjackets, considering she likely won’t be returning for season 2.
