Juliette Lewis was a mainstay of the Yellowjackets' powerhouse cast, but her tenure didn't last beyond two seasons.
Lewis portrayed adult Natalie in the show, who had up-and-down struggles with sobriety following the team's harrowing ordeal in the wilderness 25 years prior.
In the Season 2 finale, fans were shocked when Natalie was accidentally killed by her friend Misty (Christina Ricci) with a lethal dose of phenobarbital that was meant for Lottie (Simone Kessell).
Why Did They Kill off Natalie in Yellowjackets?
While Natalie's death was a surprise to fans, the decision served a dual purpose for Yellowjackets.
Natalie's death was a pivotal turning point in Season 2 and continued to spur the story into Season 3 of Yellowjackets. It's also a moment that was seemingly planned for a while.
Director of the episode and executive producer Karyn Kusama revealed to The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in 2023 that Natalie's death had been foreshadowed since the Yellowjackets pilot. The director pointed to a vision Natalie had that paints Misty as "an angel of death:"
"Something I know the showrunners had always thought about, and that Ashley [Lyle] and Bart [Nickerson] had always thought about from the pilot, was that mysterious moment when Natalie hallucinates Misty at the kegger in the woods. That was always this time-defying flash-forward to the notion that Misty was always going to be kind of an angel of death for Natalie."
Showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson added that Natalie's death was intended to show that the supernatural force from the wilderness "is not one that ends when they get rescued:"
"What we’re trying to do with the present-day story is to show that that force is not one that ends when they get rescued."
On the flip side, Natalie's death also came at the right time for Lewis, who was ready to exit Yellowjackets after her two-season run.
Speaking to Variety last year, Lewis addressed her exit, saying she "very much knew" she was going to be killed off:
"I very much knew. I think I’m good for a series for two seasons. It’s a different kind of work."
Lewis added that some of her reasoning for leaving pertained to the format of television, stating that she preferred the structure of films and "relish[ed] those confines:"
"For me, there’s so much in our industry with series that’s exciting, but in my creative DNA, I like moviemaking. It’s something I thoroughly understand with a single director, a finite period of time and knowing beginning, middle and an end. And I really relish those confines."
Lewis added that she didn't sign up specifically for just two seasons of Yellowjackets but "worked stuff out" with the team for Natalie's exit at the end of Season 2.
Kusama added in an interview with THR that Lewis was "in the loop for quite a while" about Natalie's death, reiterating it wasn't a hastily made decision for the show.
Could Juliette Lewis' Natalie Ever Return in Yellowjackets?
While Natalie is confirmed dead in Yellowjackets, the series has been known to bring back characters beyond the grave.
Ella Purnell reprised her role several times on the show despite Jackie being killed in Yellowjackets Season 1. The series' supernatural tendencies often see it lean into visions and hallucinations, which could be an option for Lewis to return in a cameo.
The timeline nature of the show also means that an opportunity could be written in for Lewis to return as Natalie in a flashback episode, perhaps exploring more of her time as an adult before the start of Yellowjackets.
A cameo appearance may also appeal more to Lewis' work preferences, as it would likely involve only a few days of shooting rather than a season-long schedule.
While Lewis has exited the show, fans aren't entirely devoid of Natalie's story as it continues to play out in Yellowjackets Season 3 with renewed tension in the wilderness timeline.
New episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 are released on Fridays at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET on Paramount+.
