'One of the best mystery shows of the 2020s' returning for season three much sooner than you think

The highly anticipated third season of the female-led mystery show Yellowjackets is on the horizon, and fans wont have to wait long for its return.

Its been a significant wait since audiences were last gripped by the series intense storyline on Showtime and Paramount+, spanning well over a year after the conclusion of the previous season. Devotees of the drama have been eagerly anticipating the new episodes.

Showtime has just dropped an enigmatic teaser trailer, providing confirmation that the third instalment is slated to arrive in the next few months and teasing the goriest season yet.

Yellowjackets boasts an assembly of acclaimed actors such as Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, and expanding its stellar cast with the likes of Elijah Wood in its second season, while now adding Hilary Swank and Joel McHale to its ranks for the upcoming season three. The premiere is scheduled for a Valentines Day release on 14th February 2025.

This week saw the release of a tantalising teaser that simply told viewers: "This Valentine's Day eat your heart out", reports the Mirror.

Ever since Yellowjackets broadcast its first series in 2022, featuring the harrowing odyssey of a stranded high school girls soccer team in the Canadian wilderness, it solidified its status as a cult classic. Following the failed plane journey, the group resorted to extreme measures to survive their 19-month ordeal in the wild.

The story then jumps ahead 25 years as they must confront the shadows of their past.

The show has been hailed as one of the top gripping mystery thrillers of the decade, even earning an impressive 96 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Inverse hailed it as the "best cannibal thriller of the decade" and enticingly described Yellowjackets: "It managed to create a female-led survivor series that kept survival front and centre while weaving in a non-linear story, a massive conspiracy, and supernatural elements."

Forbes praised the series, highlighting its quality and character depth: "It's one of the best female-led shows out there, in large part because it never engages in silly girlboss tropes and treats each of its characters like well-rounded (and deeply flawed) human beings.

"It's great. Do yourself a favour and give it a shot," they advised, adding recognition by including it in their roundup of the best shows of 2022.

The Guardian's five-star review of season two couldn't contain their enthusiasm: "even better than last time", raving, "Juliette Lewis is sublime, Christina Ricci finds her perfect co-star and you're constantly kept on your toes with parallel timelines and tons of creepy thrills. What a follow-up!"

Enthused TV viewers have also championed Yellowjackets, with a Reddit user expressing pleasant surprise at its quality: "Yellowjackets (2021) was a very pleasant surprise and one of the best horror series I've seen the past years."

Engaging with this sentiment, another viewer shared their experience: "I heard a lot of things about it and binged watched it on a Saturday and wow!

"So ready for more of it! The casting is perfect and the detail into every character really allows you to catch on."

As season three gears up to launch next February, will Yellowjackets be on your radar?

Yellowjackets season 3 premieres Friday, February 14 on Showtime and Paramount+.