Season 3 of Yellowjackets is set to provide some long-awaited answers to fans’ burning questions—but are viewers ready for the shocking revelations?
In an exclusive conversation, Steven Krueger shared insights into how the hit Showtime series continues to deliver unexpected twists.
“I’ll just say that you’re going to be surprised, which is a consistent theme of this show,” he revealed. “There are surprises everywhere. What this season does particularly well is not just creating twists but also cleverly disguising them so that audiences never see them coming.”
At 35, Krueger is eager to see fans’ reactions, especially after reading numerous fan theories over the years.
“Some of these theories just crack me up. People have sent a few my way, and I think they’re fantastic,” he said. “The creativity and thoughtfulness behind them blow my mind every season. That’s one of the things I love about this show—it really inspires imaginative discussions.”
Having portrayed Coach Ben Scott since the show’s inception, Krueger has been at the center of speculation due to his character’s absence in the present-day timeline. While he remains tight-lipped about Ben’s fate in Season 3, he appreciates the many theories about his character’s journey.
“There’s all this speculation about Coach Ben getting rescued either before or after the girls, leading to a completely different timeline—or maybe even returning to the wilderness just to mess with them,” Krueger joked. “Some theories I’ve come across feel surprisingly close to what actually happens.”
Though Krueger cannot disclose plot details, he prefers knowing the trajectory of his character in advance, stating, “That’s a crucial part of acting and storytelling as an art form.
The more information you have, the better you can shape your performance over a long arc. Unlike film, television allows you to develop a character over many episodes, giving actors the chance to explore every nuance.”
Premiering in 2021, Yellowjackets follows a high school girls’ soccer team that becomes stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. The survivors remain lost for 19 months, during which they are forced into cannibalism to stay alive. The series also weaves a present-day narrative, revisiting the survivors more than 20 years later.
Yellowjackets’ Steven Krueger“I always make sure to talk with the showrunners before each season, and they’re fantastic about sharing details while acknowledging that things may shift during production,” Krueger explained.
“I always try to gather as much information as possible—where the character begins, where they end up, and the key events in between. That allows me to craft my performance and shape Ben’s journey from start to finish.”
Season 3 picks up six months after Ben chose to separate himself from the rest of the group. However, just because he made the decision doesn’t mean he’s thriving.
“What’s really compelling about the start of Season 3 is the stark contrast between how the girls are living and how Coach Ben is surviving,” he explained.
“He’s completely on his own now, focused solely on staying alive with very few resources. He has managed to find shelter, which is keeping him going, but beyond that, he’s just scraping by. Then, when the show cuts to the girls and everything they’ve managed to accomplish, it’s a night-and-day difference.”
Krueger found this contrast fascinating, adding, “It really highlights what happens when someone is forced to survive with almost nothing compared to having a group that bands together.
At the start of this season, the girls have undergone a major transformation—they’re thriving in their own way. But then you cut to Ben Scott, and you start to wonder how much longer he can hold on.”
Despite a lighter tone at the beginning of the season for the younger group, the mood quickly shifts.
“It doesn’t start off overwhelmingly heavy, where you feel like it’s too much to watch,” Krueger explained. “What’s great about this season is that while it does take a dark turn, it finally makes the leap to fill in the missing pieces.
The descent into a completely different mindset happens for almost everyone—but the way it unfolds, with all these clever twists and unexpected turns, keeps it engaging.”
He wrapped up by saying, “This season is immensely satisfying. We all believe this could be our best season yet because the writing is so sharp. The story arc ties up a lot of lingering mysteries that fans have been speculating about for years, and we finally get to see how things unfold.”
Yellowjackets is available for streaming on Paramount+ every Friday and airs on Showtime Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.