This article contains spoilers for "Yellowjackets" season 2.
While the promise of mysteries, criminal activity, cannibalism, and a story of survival may have gotten most "Yellowjackets" viewers in the door, it has been the complex, fascinating characters that keep folks coming back each week. The major characters of Shauna (Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nelisse), Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown), Natalie (Juliette Lewis, Sophie Thatcher), Misty (Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty), Lottie (Simone Kessell, Courtney Eaton), and Van (Liv Hewson, Lauren Ambrose) have given us two different timelines to become our beloved favorites, but there are plenty of supporting characters that audiences can't get enough of, and I'm not just talking about their teammates in the cabin.
Supergirl Star Nicole Maines Is A Perfect Addition To Yellowjackets Season 2
While the promise of mysteries, criminal activity, cannibalism, and a story of survival may have gotten most "Yellowjackets" viewers in the door, it has been the complex, fascinating characters that keep folks coming back each week. The major characters of Shauna (Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nelisse), Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown), Natalie (Juliette Lewis, Sophie Thatcher), Misty (Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty), Lottie (Simone Kessell, Courtney Eaton), and Van (Liv Hewson, Lauren Ambrose) have given us two different timelines to become our beloved favorites, but there are plenty of supporting characters that audiences can't get enough of, and I'm not just talking about their teammates in the cabin.
It's sincerely impressive that "Yellowjackets," a show that prioritizes the stories of women above all else, managed to make a legion of fans (many of whom are queer) become obsessively protective of Shauna's himbo wifeguy Jeff (Warren Kole). And of course, who could forget the consistent comedic relief that comes from a character like Randy (Jeff Holman), the words of wisdom from Taissa's wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard), or the yet-to-be-solved mystery of what happened to Jessica Roberts (Rekha Sharma) after last season?
As "Yellowjackets" reinvents the formula of a puzzle-box show, every character, no matter how small, plays an important part in the show's narrative. After just four episodes of season 2, it's clear that the stand-out supporting role of the season is Lisa, played by the always-fantastic Nicole Maines.
Where you've seen Nicole Maines before
Nicole Maines made her acting debut in 2015 on an episode of "Royal Pains," but she was already a public figure before arriving in Hollywood. Maines first made headlines as a child, the titular Susan Doe in the landmark case Doe v. Regional School Unit 26, the first time a United States court ruled it to be unlawful to force a transgender student to use the bathroom associated with the sex they were assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. She was the subject of the book "Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family," and featured in the documentaries "The Trans List" and "Not Your Skin."
But everything changed in 2018 when Maines was cast as Nia Nal/Dreamer on the hit show, "Supergirl." Based on and depicted as an ancestor of the DC Comics character Nura Nal/Dream Girl, Maines becomes the first-ever transgender superhero shown on television, and the character later made her comic book debut in the DC Pride #1 issue "Date Night," which was also written by Maines. The character later appeared in "Superman: Son of Kal-El" #13, meaning Dreamer is DC Comics canon, baby!
Maines has also found great success in the horror genre, starring in the criminally underseen intersectional girl gang vampire flick, "Bit," and the Hulu teen horror-comedy, "Darby and the Dead." Considering "Yellowjackets" is a show about (possible) superhuman abilities, horrifying circumstances, and bursting with unapologetic queerness, adding Maines to the cast is a perfect fit.
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