Is Jackie in Yellowjackets season 2? (What happened to her?)

Ready for more mystery and horror? Yellowjackets season 2 is finally here. The incredibly gripping Showtime series just returned with the premiere of its second installment, picking up right where we left off. As fans know, the first season was full of survival, betrayal, murder, and more, and we’re so excited to find out what’s next. The dark show follows a group of women who survived a plane crash as teenagers, and we get to see what they went through while stranded in the wilderness through flashbacks.

One major mystery in the first season of Yellowjackets that we actually get answers for is regarding what happened to Jackie. Back in the flashbacks of 1996, Jackie is one of the main characters, the best friend of Shauna and girlfriend to Jeff. But in the present day, she’s absent. Shauna is now married to Jeff and it’s heavily implied that Jackie didn’t make it out of the wilderness alive. Well, in the finale of season 1, we get our answers.

MINOR spoilers for Yellowjackets season 2 below.

What happened to Jackie in Yellowjackets?

When Jackie finds out that Shauna is pregnant with Jeff’s baby, she’s, understandably, very upset. The morning after the girls throw their “doomcoming” homecoming party where most of them take magic mushrooms, Jackie has a bone to pick with everyone. She yells at the group and then reveals the truth about Shauna’s baby daddy. Of course, Shauna feels terrible about it, but Jackie isn’t ready to forgive. She decides she’s going to sleep outside that night, and sadly, it ends up snowing overnight.

When Shauna wakes up early the next morning and notices that it snowed, she’s horrified to realize what that means for her best friend. Unfortunately, Jackie freezes to death.

Is Ella Purnell in Yellowjackets season 2?

Despite Jackie dying in the first season, however, Ella Purnell does reprise her role in Yellowjackets season 2! Fans had a feeling that might be the case because the actress had previously given an update on the filming schedule for season 2. But how does she appear when she’s dead? Through visions that Shauna is having. Now that Jackie’s dead, Shauna is trying to grieve. She spends time with Jackie’s corpse, and sometimes the corpse comes to life.

I know it’s strange, but it’s Shauna’s twisted way of getting through her trauma, I guess. We’re not sure how many episodes Purnell will appear in this season, but it’s nice to see her back at least in the premiere!

The first episode of Yellowjackets season 2 is now streaming on Showtime. If you’re watching the new season through the channel Showtime instead of streaming, you can catch the premiere airing this Sunday, March 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET.