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Winter TV Preview: Returning Favorites
THE 100
“The world is the obstacle” in Season 4, reveals executive producer Jason Rothenberg. “Mother Nature is finally striking back in the form of this nuclear death wave.” And as our heroes’ battle against nature goes south, they’ll ask themselves, “How do you handle a death sentence? It creates very different reactions in people.” And speaking of reactions, Clarke’s people will initially “resent” her for killing ALIE and destroying their “weird form of paradise.” (After all, “they’re now back in this post- apocalyptic hell, only to find out that in six months, they’re all going to die.”) Elsewhere, Octavia will go on a killing spree in an attempt to find her new post-Lincoln identity; Bellamy will realize that the choices he’s made “weren’t necessarily the right ones”; and there will be romances, “some we’ve already begun and and some new ones. Some will end happily, and others won’t.”
RETURN DATE: Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 9/8c (The CW)
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coming out of the midseason finale, Ming-Na Wen says, “The big question is, ‘What is Radcliffe's motivation?’ — not so much Aida's — because he's the taskmaster in this whole scheme of changing out May for the LMD May. Is [his agenda] for something good … or is he the mad scientist hoping to advance science? I don't think he went through all this trouble for s–ts and giggles!” In the meantime, “Philinda” ‘shippers will struggle with whether to embrace this budding ersatz relationship (“It will be interesting to explore that path,” Wen teases), while Aida’s portrayer, Mallory Jansen, offers this simple advice: “Never trust an android.” What about trusting an Inhuman S.H.I.E.L.D. Director? “How Mace got his powers, his whole backstory, is going to be a major part of the next batch of episodes,” says Jason O’Mara. “How he legitimizes Daisy is going to be revealed as well, so there's lots to look forward to there.”
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 10/9c (ABC)
THE AMERICANS
As we approach the endgame for FX’s ’80s spy thriller (it’s been renewed for two final seasons), Season 5 will tackle some lingering issues for the Jennings family — including Philip’s continuing doubts about whether he wants to be a spy at all. “Almost from the beginning of the show, we saw that as a series-long journey for Philip,” executive producer Joel Fields says. “And Season 5 is going to be very, very big for Philip’s struggles with those questions.” Philip and Elizabeth are more “connected” than ever in Season 5, he adds, but “as their marriage has moved into a better, more honest and trusting partnership, their challenges in the world have only gotten harder.” Also, look for The Walking Dead‘s Laurie Holden to join the cast as “a new romantic interest for Stan,” exec producer Joe Weisberg hints, along with “a boatload of new Russians… new KGB officers who are going to be be really compelling and interesting.”
RETURN DATE: March (FX)
ARROW
Seeing Laurel (?!) “is a very welcome surprise” for Oliver, says showrunner Wendy Mericle. “But there will be… whatever the reverse of a ‘silver lining’ is… when he finds out what’s really going on. It will have a lot of emotional resonance, particularly for him and Felicity.” On top of that is the “significant fallout” of Malone’s murder, a tragic accident that steers Felicity to “a darker place” as she sets her own sights on Prometheus. That, coupled with the question of the Big Bad’s identity, “is a gift that keeps on giving for the rest of the season,” says Mericle. Elsewhere, Diggle emerges from his latest imprisonment “with a much bigger drive, and not the same fatalism that he had earlier in the season,” the EP previews. “He’s going to come up against Colonel Walker” as well as “grow closer to Adrian Chase.” Among new faces, Talia al Ghul plays a “crucial part” in unraveling the Prometheus mystery, while SCPD Detective Tina Boland will form a connection with Oliver, seeing as “she has been through her own hell, her own sort of ‘island.'”
RETURN DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 8/7c (The CW)
THE BIG BANG THEORY
The long-running comedy will belatedly celebrate the holidays when it resumes its current 10th season. The episode — told almost entirely in flashback — will find the gang “hanging out and recapping their horrible holidays,” explains exec producer Steve Molaro. As we’ll learn, “Sheldon and Amy visited his mom (Laurie Metcalf, reprising her role) in Texas, Leonard and Penny stayed at home and got the bright idea to chop down their own tree, and Howard and Bernadette have their first week with the baby — we’ll see how they’re weathering that.” As Molaro notes, “Structurally, it’s not the kind of episode we typically do.” ‘Tis the season to break the mold!
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8/7c (CBS)
THE BLACKLIST
In the last moments of November’s fall finale, Red informed Liz that their Alexander Kirk nightmare was over — and series creator Jon Bokenkamp assures us things will stay that way. “We have no plans to see Alexander Kirk again,” he says. “That doesn’t mean he won’t pop up at some point, but I’d be surprised if he did.” And with Kirk indefinitely out of the picture, The Blacklist will focus more on Liz’s relationship with Red, especially the question of whether she’s really his daughter. “I don’t want to say too much about the Red/Liz dynamic, but I will say that Red has a surprise in mind for Liz when we return,” Bokenkamp teases, “and it is going to change her relationship with the task force.” One question you shouldn’t expect to have answered anytime soon? Whatever Red whispered into Kirk’s ear in the Nov. 10 episode, convincing Kirk to spare his life. “That’s a secret between the two of them,” Bokenkamp says.
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 5 at 10/9c (NBC)
BONES
The Puppeteer mystery — and Zack’s role in it — was resolved in the premiere, but Booth and Brennan are not out of the woods yet. A new Big Bad will be introduced in Episode 4, and that menace will be sticking around for much of the series’ 12-episode farewell season. Oh, and he/she is “someone from Booth’s past who is not done with him yet,” reveals co-showrunner Michael Peterson, who ominously adds: “It’s Brennan who ends up paying the larger emotional toll.” Elsewhere, reports of a Cam/Arastoo wedding were slightly exaggerated. The pair will tie the knot, but they’ll do it off-screen. “We’re focusing more on the reception than the wedding,” the EP explains. “We’ve had several weddings on the show and we don’t like repeating ourselves. So we did this one a bit differently.”
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 9/8c (Fox)
CHICAGO FIRE
Severide’s close call with the law is “going to change his demeanor for a while,” executive producer Derek Haas previews. After leukemia patient Anna takes a turn for the better, the firefighter puts himself through “tremendous risk and pain to try to help her,” the EP describes. “When you see what he goes through [in the Jan. 10 episode], you can tell that where he’s coming from is not just to help this girl, but to punish himself.” Meanwhile, Dawson and Casey’s struggles with Louie’s bio dad are far from over, with “varying interpretations of who that character is [being] put forward.” And that’s not the only problem on Casey’s plate. During an upcoming fire call, the lieutenant “has to save one [victim] or the other because of circumstances, and that choice is going to have ramifications for him and the firehouse,” Haas reveals.
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 9/8c (NBC)
CHICAGO P.D.
When Lindsay’s dad suddenly re-enters her life, “a lot of raw emotions” come to a head, executive Matt Olmstead previews. The detective’s mother is “tickled pink because this brings her closer to her daughter, and it’s also a bit of a F-you” to Lindsay’s surrogate father Voight. Meanwhile, beau Halstead “just wants to protect Lindsay, and she articulates maybe she doesn’t want to be protected,” the EP shares. Back at the precinct, Ruzek has a tough time with ex-fiancée Burgess’ promotion to Intelligence, so he takes an undercover gig. “He told himself he [was] going to be OK, but seeing her up there [is] too much for him, and for now, his instinct is to run and not deal with it,” Olmstead says. Filling his spot in Intelligence is Voight’s former protégé in the gang unit, Kenny Rixton (Revenge‘s Nick Wechsler), who has something of “a shady past.”
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 10/9c (NBC)
CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
Rebecca finds the perfect way to patch things up with estranged BFF Paula: by stepping up to take care of Tommy when his mom faces a personal crisis. “In true Rebecca fashion, she thinks she’s going to be be amazing at it,” showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna hints. “She sings a song called ‘So Maternal,’ about just how maternal she is.” But Rebecca’s obsession with Josh Chan is never too far from her mind; McKenna calls Josh “the blue meth of our show. Just as Walter White often contemplates putting down the blue meth but always comes back to it, Josh and Rebecca are two planets that are drawn together by an inescapable force.” A new character will get in the way of that, though: Greek’s Scott Michael Foster joins the cast as Nathaniel, a new colelague of Rebecca’s. “He throws everyone into turmoil,” McKenna teases. “He comes in to shake up the workplace.”
RETURN DATE: Friday, Jan. 6 at 8/7c (The CW)
THE FLASH
“Now that Barry has gotten a glimpse of the future” — one in which Savitar slays Iris — “he will be trying to do whatever it takes to save her,” says co-showrunner Aaron Helbing. “Everybody will play a huge part in that, because Iris is part of the team.” (Maybe even former frenemy Julian will lend a hand? Having unwittingly served the sinister speed god, “He feels culpable, and wants to make amends.”) But wait, wasn't Savitar dispatched with in the fall finale, imprisoned in the Speed Force? “That will be an itch that Barry can’t scratch,” says the EP. “Like, ‘How is this possible?'” Team Flash members also have individual odysseys ahead of them. Helbing says there are “big, exciting plans” for Caitlin, stemming from her wrestling with her powers for the rest of the season; Cisco will find in the “badass” Gypsy “a very strong adversary” as well as “someone he can’t stop thinking about”; and Wally will continue to “go a little half-cocked” as Kid Flash.
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 8.7c (The CW)
THE FOSTERS
Coming off last season’s punch to the head, Jesus is “struggling with further trauma to his brain,” executive producer Joanna Johnson previews. Expect “some interesting and surprising stories about what happens when people have… changes in personality, as well as other physical and mental symptoms.” Callie’s cliffhanger conundrum leads to “a lot of twists and turns” as she seeks justice for Kyle “so doggedly that she often faces severe consequences for it.” As for the other Foster kids, Brandon moves back home as he pursues “redemption,” while Mariana “gets into a little bit of therapy,” Johnson describes. And as Jude and Noah grow closer, “we’re going to get into some interesting issues about sex education for the LGBT community in schools.” At least it’s smooth sailing for the moms… sort of. If Stef becomes a detective, it could “affect the home life and [put] a lot more on Lena’s plate,” Johnson says.
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 8/7c (Freeform)
THE GOOD FIGHT
Take The Good Wife, slap an R-rating on it, and — voila! — you’ve got The Good Fight. According to exec producer Robert King, while the spinoff will be “similar” to its sire in pacing, primacy of actors and writing,” and each episode will feature both “self-contained stories” and “a serialized element,” the digital-only offshoot “will be able to exploit the greater freedom of streaming — both in subject matter and in a more cinematic look.” (Translation: Christine Baranski’s Diane can cuss!) What’s more, The Good Fight “takes place in a post-Trump culture” where “Chicago liberals feel under assault,” King adds. The show is also “more of an ensemble” boasting three strong leads in Baranski, Cush Jumbo’s returning Lucca and Game of Thrones‘ Rose Leslie (as Diane’s lesbian goddaughter Maiai). Speaking of Diane and Lucca, is it fair to say some tension still exists between the pair in the wake of that infamous slap Diane leveled on her BFF Alicia? “It’s not an easy relationship, due to all the history,” King acknowledges. “And it definitely won’t be solved in the first episode.”
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Feb. 19 (CBS All Access)
THE GOOD PLACE
NBC’s freshman comedy is serving up a good old-fashioned battle between good and evil, as Michael fights to keep Eleanor away from Trevor and the Bad Place. Creator Michael Schur hints that the next few episodes are “about the Good Place crew trying desperately to figure out any kind of argument they can make about why Eleanor should stay before this mysterious ‘Shawn’ shows up to lay down a ruling.” (“Shawn” being the perfect name for an all-knowing demigod, of course.) Along with fighting for her eternal soul, Eleanor finds herself in the middle of what Schur calls “the weirdest love triangle of all time,” as the real Eleanor settles into the Good Place — and takes the old Eleanor’s place as Chidi’s soulmate. Plus, look for the Siri-like assistant Janet to come back online (and in service of an unexpected twist). As Schur says, “She’s re-uploading all of the knowledge of the universe, and that takes a little while.”
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8:30/7:30c (NBC)
GRIMM
The fairy-tale drama may ultimately have a happy ending, but from what co-creators David Greenwalt and James Kouf tell TVLine, it certainly won’t start its final season in the same fashion. Nick will “lose everything and be at the lowest point we’ve ever seen him,” Greenwalt says. And that’s before a new foe shows up, about halfway through the farewell run. “It’s the worst thing they’ve ever seen, and it is something that they have never seen before,” Kouf says. “It’s more powerful than any Wesen or combination of Wesen we’ve ever seen on the show.” The EPs tease that Grimm‘s final salvo will be full of “great sorrow and great hope,” uncork a “very interesting” time jump near the end of the run and will feature call-backs that reward longtime viewers. Oh, and when we ask about Monroe and Rosalee’s baby, Kouf jokingly (we think) corrects us, “Babies.” Make of that what you will.
RETURN DATE: Friday, Jan. 6 at 8/7c (NBC)
HOMELAND
First thing’s first: The series’ NYC-set sixth season will not revolve around a dirty bomb getting unleashed on the Big Apple. “The whole bomb thing in New York, we kind of wanted to avoid that,” notes exec producer Chip Johannessen. “It felt like bad karma to bring a big bomb to New York City. We’re not going to be doing that.” Instead, Claire Danes’ Carrie will once again be juggling an official “public service” job with “this secret thing she has going on,” teases the EP, without divulging how said covert gig ties into the season’s A-story: the forthcoming inauguration of a new president (played by House of Cards‘ Elizabeth Marvel), a polarizing figure “who is not yet in power and who is very much at odds with the establishment.” Hmm… that doesn’t sound timely at all.
RETURN DATE: Sunday, Jan. 15 at 9/8c (Showtime)
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
In the wake of Wes’ death, “the back half of Season 3 is going to be dark, but also hopefully cathartic,” cautions creator Pete Nowalk. “Annalise is in a real pickle with this loss. Her life is going to get much more complicated and she’s going to hit rock bottom — more so than we’ve ever seen. And that’s fun, only because you get to see Viola [Davis] do it.” At the same time, Nowalk plans to “balance the darkness with the light, maybe give people some hope” by bringing back Wes “in flashbacks that are nice and happy.” Still, given the show’s penchant for guest appearances by the Grim Reaper, we wondered if anyone else has a date with the coroner’s slab by season’s end. “There’s always a chance of someone else dying,” the showrunner teases. “But it’s not my intention that someone always has to die to keep the show going. We’ve had a lot of dead bodies thus far, so the challenge is to find a different way to go.”
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 19 at 10/9c (ABC)
JANE THE VIRGIN
After discovering that he’s not really a Solano, Rafael will “make several surprising choices,” executive producer Jennie Urman previews. The revelation also has “ramifications” for Raf’s family fortune and business ventures. Meanwhile, the mystery of what Jane’s “schemer” cousin Catalina is up to “starts to play out between Jane, Rafael, and Petra, even.” Jane also has her hands full with Michael, who’s figuring out his next career move now that he can’t be a detective, and the “stresses and pressures” that puts on their marriage. Plus, the titular heroine must decide “how accepting she is or isn’t going to be” about Xo and Bruce’s rekindled romance. Elsewhere, Luisa gets a new love interest (Law & Order‘s Elisabeth Rohm), although Rose is “definitely not” of the picture, and there’s an “unexpected development” with Rogelio’s full-frontal film scene.
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 23 at 9/8c (The CW)
LETHAL WEAPON
The Fox series’ winter premiere tracks a “silent disco” promoter’s death to a homebound woman who makes synthetic MDMA. Naturally, Riggs bonds with her “because he certainly is someone who craves solitude and doesn’t need to be around people,” executive producer Matt Miller says, laughing. “Murtaugh is obviously frustrated by that.” This all happens as the case takes them to Koreatown, where their liaison — a man named Cho — “is exactly the kind of partner that Murtaugh has always wanted,” Miller previews. “The idea of the episode is figuring out who killed this party promoter while, at the same time, our two heroes are on slightly different tangents, considering the ‘grass is greener’ thing.” Later in the season, look for Hilarie Burton’s DEA Agent Palmer to return (in Episodes 15 and 17), and for Leo Getz — the character played by Joe Pesci in three Lethal Weapon movies — to make his first appearance in the TV series.
RETURN DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 8/7c (Fox)
LUCIFER
When it comes to Will They/Won’t They, “A lot of shows milk that for years,” notes co-showrunner Ildy Modrovich. “But we always try to be different, like, ‘Let’s really just go at it!'” Of course, the wrinkle for Lucifer and Chloe is the largely secret fact that she was a “miracle baby” put in his path, by God. “If Chloe is the key to getting home, and Mom will stop at nothing to get home, will Chloe’s relationship with Lucifer be put in jeopardy? The answer is: of course,” warns the EP. While Charlotte mulls how to “weaponize” this intel, Amenadiel will “have a new spring in his step, having finally chosen a side. But did he choose the right one? And if he didn't, will he realize it too late?” teases Modrovich. Elsewhere, Maze — when not posing as a “sexy stewardess” to hunt a bounty — “will be pushed to possibly hurt Lucifer”; Dr. Linda’s “First, Do No Harm” doctoral vows will be put into question in Episode 13; and even sweet, spiritual Ella may be harboring a secret.
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 16 at 9/8c (Fox)
MADAM SECRETARY
If you thought President Dalton’s election drama would wrap with the House of Representatives vote, Evans and his camp would like to you think again. “It’s not entirely over,” executive producer Barbara Hall previews. “We still have a few more beats to play on the election.” She adds that the CBS drama will depict the inauguration of the election’s ultimate victor (“though I’m not going to tell you who it is”) and later in the season will tackle a standalone episode that she likens to a “State Department road trip.” In addition, Henry will have “another arc about terrorism, but a little closer to home,” while Elizabeth will spend considerable energy navigating “the delicate relationship with China.”
RETURN DATE: Sunday, Jan. 8 at 9/8c (CBS)
NASHVILLE
If you watched the former ABC series’ CMT sneak peek in December, you know that the revamped country- music saga is now (as new co-showrunner Marshall Herskovitz puts it) “a little bit less of a soap opera and more of a drama.” What that means, especially in the second half of the two-hour premiere: slowed-down scenes that offer insight into the relationships between Juliette and Avery (who pursue Ju’s “angel” from the night of her plane crash), Gunnar and Scarlett (who, despite looking rather cozy in the first hour, might have more Autumn-related romantic baggage to handle), and of course Rayna and Deacon (who don’t see eye to eye on a big business decision for Highway 65).
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 5 at 9/8c (CMT)
ONCE UPON A TIME
Co-creator Eddy Kitsis says that for Regina, “Emotion has overcome reason” upon meeting the Wish Realm’s Robin Hood, causing her and Emma to miss their ride back home. “That’s a curveball no one was expecting.” An alive-and-well Robin, though, is not the only obstacle to the ladies’ return to Storybrooke. After all, “Emma is partnered up with the person who killed the king and queen, so everyone — including their own son — is looking for them,” Kitsis notes. The heroes back home, meanwhile, “have their hands full [with] this dark figure in a hood who has come to wreak havoc, and who has their sites set on Emma,” says co-creator Adam Horowitz. If and when Emma gets back, “They want to make sure that for Hook his love is safe, and for David and Snow that their daughter is safe.” As for the aforementioned grown-up Gideon, many questions about his agenda —including, “Why does he need to kill Emma?” — “get answered pretty quickly,” says Horowitz.
RETURN DATE: March 2017 (ABC)
THE ORIGINALS
Spoiler alert: The Mikaelsons will eventually escape their psychic prison, triggering a long-awaited reunion between Hayley and Elijah that will serve as “one of the emotional cores of the season,” teases executive producer Michael Narducci. Complicating that relationship further will be Hayley’s daughter Hope, who “definitely shares her mother’s street smarts, but may or may not also display some of her father’s temper and willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her family.” Speaking of Klaus, “one of the great journeys of the season” will be his reckoning with Marcel — and there is “hope of healing some wounds.” Elsewhere, Freya will finally get a new love interest, setting the stage for an “emotional struggle [which] opens up a whole new dimension to the character.” (One final treat: Narducci promises we’ll get Claire Holt “for about half the season. Rebekah has an incredible journey to go on.”)
RETURN DATE: Friday, March 17 at 8/7c (The CW)
THE PATH
Now that Eddie has been cast out of the Meyerist movement (don’t call it a “cult,” please), his faith has been shaken in more ways than one, says creator Jessica Goldberg: “He is struggling to live outside, but also maintain relationships with his children, which are deeply important to him.” His biggest fear might be realized in Season 2, with Eddie’s teenage son Hawk going over to the dark side — in the form of movement leader Cal. “Hawk is becoming more and more seduced by Cal,” Goldberg hints, “and feels very betrayed by his father’s absence.” And does Eddie’s departure open the door for Cal to move in on his former love (and Eddie’s wife) Sarah as well? Goldberg will only tell us that Sarah and Cal “go down a very complicated road together… it’s a really complicated friendship, I would say.”
RETURN DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 25 (Hulu)
QUANTICO
Last we saw Alex Parrish & Co., she’d just ripped off a Citizens’ Liberation Front terrorist’s mask to find… former fiancé Ryan (?!) underneath. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out what’s really going on. “The answers to why and how Ryan is wearing that mask, or came to wear that mask, are revealed in the very next episode,” showrunner Joshua Safran tells TVLine. In fact, by the end of the winter premiere, viewers will have “a firm handle on Miranda and everybody,” the EP promises. That blackmail video proving that Ryan, Dayana and León helped kill a man to gain access to the rogue CIA group will surface “indirectly” again this season, he adds, “and that’s all I can say about that.” But wait — is everything exactly as it seems on that damning recording? “I can’t answer that, but I would say you’re such an astute television watcher,” Safran says, chuckling.
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 23 at 10/9c (ABC)
SCANDAL
Picking up where last season’s election-centric cliffhanger left off, series creator Shonda Rhimes promises we’ll find out who won “within the first 10 minutes” of the premiere. As for what the future holds for Olivia, Jake and Fitz, “We’ve established over the course of five seasons that Olivia Pope is on an evolutionary journey,” Rhimes reminds us, “and that journey has nothing to do with boys. #BechdelTest.” (That’s right, she hashtagged us.) Rhimes also dismisses any notion that the growing sexual tension between Mellie and Marcus will distract the potential first female POTUS from her “very high priorities.” Meanwhile, Huck and Quinn will find themselves in “situations they’ve certainly never been in before”; Olivia will continue to prove she’s every bit Rowan’s daughter; and Cyrus could face consequences for his cold dismissal of Tom, who “never strays from his loyalties,” Rhimes teases.
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 19 at 9/8c (ABC)
SCORPION
Even though the winter episodes will focus largely on the Paige/Walter/Tim love triangle — which will have “occasional speed bumps,” according to EP Nick Santora — there will be plenty of other excitement in the Scorpion garage. Happy and Toby will spend the last third of the season prepping their wedding (“The plan is for them to get married soon, but plans can go awry,” EP Nick Wootton hints), while Sylvester will continue to pursue a political career (“Being yourself isn’t always a recipe for success in the political arena, but he won’t have second thoughts,” says Santora). Plus, Reiko Aylesworth (24) will return as Allie, the rival campaign manager who caught Cabe’s eye. According to Wootton, even as the two characters pursue each other romantically, “they are political opponents, and there’s an age difference that leads to a potential generational gap, and these issues might pose some hurdles.”
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 2 at 10/9c (CBS)
SHADOWHUNTERS
If you don’t notice the stylistic changes between Seasons 1 and 2, new showrunner Darren Swimmer says, “We probably didn’t do our jobs. We wanted to slow things down and spend more time with the characters. From a visual perspective, we wanted to give the show a darker, hipper feel.” In relationship news, despite Magnus and Alec making their feelings known, they’ll realize “they don’t know each other as well as they think they do. How will their similarities and differences affect their relationship? Where do they go from here?” As for Clary and Jace, they’ll “put their sibling/romance issues aside while they deal with more pressing life-or-death issues.” (Don’t worry, there are plenty of “romantic twists” for them later in the season.) Elsewhere, we’ll enjoy the humorous side of Simon’s vampiric discoveries; Clary and Jocelyn will finally “unpack” everything that went down in Season 1; and did someone say… Sebastian?
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 2 at 8/7c (Freeform)
SHERLOCK
Gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat: As suggested by the trailer for the PBS detective series, “There is quite a lot of action” to be had in Season 4, co-creator/star Mark Gatiss affirms. “Episode 3 is probably more action-packed than we’ve done for a long time, if ever. Definitely more fighting.” Sherlock also gets a formidable new adversary this season in Culverton Smith, an infamous baddie from the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Played by Toby Jones (Wayward Pines), “He’s a very 21st-century villain, and without hyperbole, one of the scariest things we’ve ever done,” Gatiss says, adding, “Toby is absolutely terrifying.” But is archenemy Moriarty back to torture Sherlock as well? Even though he’s glimpsed in the trailer, Gatiss insists he’s still dead, but allows: “Quite how he is in the [season] is a very interesting question.”
RETURN DATE: Episode 2 airs Sunday, Jan. 8 at 9/8c (PBS)
SLEEPY HOLLOW
The supernatural drama will be down one Witness (R.I.P., Abbie) and have a brand-new address (Washington, D.C.) when it returns for Season 4, but showrunner Clifton Campbell assures fans that “the tone, the characters, the fun is fully intact, and we’re finding that a new environment is a really exciting way to challenge the show.” The premiere, titled “Columbia,” finds Crane “without his usual weapons, his archives, his team,” the EP adds. “Even Jenny is nowhere to be seen at first.” And when an inexplicable phenomenon takes a life (and defaces a national monument in the process)? Enter Janina Gavankar’s Diana Thomas, a Homeland Security agent who will become Ichabod’s partner in the world of the deeply weird — not that they’ll be instant besties. “Well, it wouldn’t be much fun if it gelled immediately,” Campbell says, laughing.
RETURN DATE: Friday, Jan. 6 at 9/8c (Fox)
SUITS
While figuring out how to move forward without Jessica, Harvey and Louis “lean on the people in their lives to help them get through it,” executive producer Aaron Korsh previews. Like, say, a certain redhead? “Losing Jessica is going to lead Harvey to have more opportunity for growth, and Donna is going to be there for him again,” Korsh says. Speaking of the executive assistant, she gets her own storyline “regarding what she wants out of life, both professionally and personally.” Similarly, a freed Mike tackles his next career move in the winter premiere, while his fiancée, Rachel, also contemplates her future after getting a job offer from her father. On the romantic front, Louis and Tara seem tailor-made for each other, but “he does have a tendency to shoot himself in the foot sometimes,” Korsh notes. “We’re going to see if he can avoid doing that or not, finally.”
RETURN DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 10/9c (USA Network)
SUPERGIRL
“A lot of secrets have been brewing this season,” executive producer Ali Adler acknowledges, promising that “we’ll get definitive answers” in the back half. For starters, we’ll find out what Mon-El is hiding, and why he claims not to remember “that almost unsatisfying kiss” he shared with Kara. “We’ll explore more of that relationship,” Adler says. “Kara still has to figure out how she feels about him.” Meanwhile, Alex and Maggie face a new crop of “complications”; Winn will learn “what it means to be a hero” (and will “get a little taste of love” for himself); Lena and Kara grow “closer,” leading to a possible shift in the Luthor/Super dynamic; and an army of enemies will emerge, including legendary DC Comics prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk. (“He’s a really funny character, and we’re going to get a lot of that humor.”)
RETURN DATE: Monday, Jan. 23 at 8/7c (The CW)
SUPERNATURAL
Here’s a scary thought: “What happens when the Winchesters are taken off the board for [six weeks]?” executive producer Andrew Dabb asks. Both brothers being imprisoned is “going to give [the British Men of Letters] some opportunities. It allows other people to move into place,” the EP previews. “So if/when [Dean and Sam] eventually escape, they’re coming into a world that has changed pretty fundamentally.” At least one good thing comes out of their disappearance: It “really spurs [Mary] to action,” Dabb says. “To save her kids, she has to get involved in this fight, and that sets stage for more to come with that character.” Then there’s the gang’s other big problem: Lucifer’s offspring. Everyone – Dean, Sam, Cas, Mary, the Brits – will have a different opinion about what to do with the Nephilim, whose “great amount of power… can be used for good or bad,” Dabb notes.
RETURN DATE: Thursday, Jan. 26 at 8/7c (The CW)
SWITCHED AT BIRTH
After returning from China for “a really compelling, important reason,” Daphne and Bay discover that much has changed back home, executive producer Lizzy Weiss previews. Everyone in the family has “new relationships, new jobs,” such as Kathryn’s new title at UMKC and Regina’s younger man. The latter’s surprising romance is “a lot less serious, fraught and intense” than what she had with Eric, Weiss says. As for that love triangle, Bay has a choice to make: “Did she catch up to [Travis’] feelings in the time away, or did the time away make her realize that Emmett is and always will be The One?” Weiss describes. Whatever she decides, Emmett will be part of the season “in ways that are surprising and complex,” the EP teases. And never one to shy away from tough topics, the series will tackle race relations on the university campus over a multi-episode arc.
RETURN DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9/8c (Freeform)
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
First things first: Executive producer Julie Plec has “no update” on Nina Dobrev’s potential return before the series ends in March, citing “availability” as a major hurdle in the process. What she can promise, however, is an immediate “strain on the fun of [the brothers’] relationship. As Stefan finds himself more tempted by the darkness around him, Damon’s going to become frustrated by the road his brother wants to travel down.” Stefan’s relationship with Caroline will also be “profoundly tested,” leading to a number of “dark, sad, powerful moments” for the engaged couple. Meanwhile, Matt and his dad will continue working on their relationship (“either towards forgiveness or just a sense of moving forward in the right way”), and Bonnie will come to realize that “there’s still magic within her — it’s just a matter of in what form is she accessing it.”
RETURN DATE: Friday, Jan. 13 at 8/7c (The CW)
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