During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lauren Ambrose was asked as to whether or knew she was aware that she’d been the leading choice in communal fancasts, long before it was announced whether or not the Van character would even make it out of the woods to see adulthood. “No, didn’t know that, but I definitely had the experience of watching the show and being like, ‘Well gee, can I be in that?'” she said. “And then they asked me to, so that was a different experience, right? I’ve never watched something and loved it and then go on it. So that’s been cool.”
Van Palmer is one of the most cherished characters in the series, but even in a show centered around mysteries, the majority of fans were thrilled to learn Ambrose had been cast, as it confirmed Van’s survival into adulthood. “Liv [Hewson] created a beautiful character that wasn’t even necessarily meant to stick around, and because of Liv’s very cool, beautiful performance, I get to be part of it now too,” Ambrose said. While show creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson have never outright said that Van was supposed to die in the wilderness, fans have theorized since season 1 ended (mostly on the r/Yellowjackets subreddit which I wholly admit to stalking) that Van’s survival is a result of the fandom’s obsession with her character. Regardless, Van Palmer lives, and the show is better for it.
Season 2 of “Yellowjackets” will buzz onto Showtime beginning March 26, 2023.