A highly rated show has returned to our screens, but the reception from fans has been mixed.
The third season of teen horror drama Yellowjackets arrived on Valentine's Day, with the show premiering the first two instalments of its new 10-episode season.
The Paramount+ and Showtime show, which debuted in 2021, follows the members of the Yellowjackets female soccer team, who are forced to fight for survival when their plane crashes in the wilderness while they are travelling to a national competition.
Related: Yellowjackets season 3 trailer teases Ella Purnell return
Yellowjackets is split between the past, in which we see the teenage survivors decline into madness and cannibalism, and the present, where their adult counterparts battle with their dark pasts and a very present threat to their safety.
The show's first season went down a storm with fans, scoring a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while season two sits at a respectable 94%.
What to Read Next
But season three - which sees the return of stars Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, and Tawny Cypress, among others - currently stands at 88%, the lowest rating the show has received so far.
While 88% is still a high score, critics have commented that the narrative has felt "uneven" during these new episodes, although the show's strong performances and horrific elements have been praised.
Here's what some of the reviews have said:
The Guardian
"Even if they are winging it plot-wise, it's hard to care too much, when it's as enjoyable as this."
Related: Yellowjackets season 3 adds Oscar winner to cast
Rolling Stone
"There are still a lot of good performances, and more killer Nineties soundtrack cuts, but the show very much could use a shot in the arm leading to its own jaw-dropping equivalent of Jack telling Kate, 'We have to go back!'"
IndieWire
"Like a championship team derailed by tragedy, the series from Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco isn't as confident as it was in previous outings, leaving the cast stranded in narrative wilderness and awaiting rescue that may never come."
The Hollywood Reporter
"In its third go-round, the drama still wobbles in pursuit of an ideal balance. But as ever, it's guided by character dynamics juicy enough, and performances excellent enough, to keep you watching."
Variety
"The show retains a tight grip on what has always been its greatest strength: depicting how the brutality, and maybe spirituality, of untamed nature brings out what's already within adolescent girls."
Related: Yellowjackets star "in shock" as she announces pregnancy
Observer
"If you're onboard the Yellowjackets bandwagon it's unlikely you'll leave now. Season three promises some answers, but also more questions."
Dread Central
"If you've been a devoted Yellowjackets fan, rest assured—you won't be disappointed. But fair warning: there will be plenty of moments where you'll find yourself screaming at your TV in shock."
Forbes
"Yellowjackets has lost not only that deliciously frightening sense of mystery and creepiness that kept the story humming, but also the humanity that made its characters so compelling to watch."
IGN Movies
"Yellowjackets has lost much of its buzz in season 3. While the actors in both timelines are doing their best, the material they're given doesn't meet the high standard of quality set by season 1."
Yellowjackets airs on Showtime in the US and Paramount+ in the UK.
