Girl Power: TV’s Newest Hero Takes Flight in Supergirl

Even for Supergirl, time flies when you’re having fun.

“It’s crazy. I went in for this the day after Halloween last year,” a smiling Melissa Benoist recalls of her audition for Supergirl, CBS’s bright new superhero show about the Man of Steel’s equally fortified cousin. “I thought there was no chance—I had brown hair,” and the DC Comics character is well known for her blonde locks. “I’m just a weird girl, and I think they liked that.”

It’s impossible not to like Benoist. Sitting outside her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, while she plays with her dog, Farley, the newly blonded 27-year-old Littleton, Colorado, native is as effortlessly attractive as she is approachable. Her down-to-earth vibe is refreshing and a tad startling, given her high-profile gig on one of this season’s biggest gambles. After all, Supergirl—which finally takes off on October 26—is the first comic book–based, female-driven superhero drama on television since The WB’s short-lived Birds of Prey in 2002; the character’s 1984 big-screen debut was a dud; and it’s not airing on The CW, home to DC Comics’ current TV crown jewels, Arrow and The Flash.

Thankfully, the superfriends behind those heroic hits are the ones bringing Benoist’s Kara Zor-El, last daughter of Krypton, to the airwaves. Indeed, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. knew exactly who to ask about adapting another icon. “One of the executives mentioned the character of Supergirl,” says Greg Berlanti, teaming again with his Flash and Arrow executive producers Andrew Kreisberg and Sarah Schechter, along with Glee’s Ali Adler, one of his cohorts on the relatives-with-powers dramedy No Ordinary Family. “[But] they saw the show more as her without a cape, a teenage-girl-growing-up-on-a-farm kind of thing.” Not interested in doing Smallville: The Training-Bra Years, Berlanti and Co. pitched a more adult origin story with “the same size and scope as The Flash and Arrow but with its own adult identity. CBS loved it, and we got a show!”

Introduced in a 1959 issue of Action Comics, Kara has a backstory similar to her more famous kin. “She was 12 years old when Krypton was destroyed, and she escaped the destruction at the same time as her infant cousin,” Benoist explains. In the Supergirl premiere, she is sent to Earth by her parents, Zor-El (Robert Gant) and Alura (Laura Benanti), to watch over baby Kal-El, “but she gets stuck in space for a long time, and when she gets to Earth, he’s already matured. So she makes this decision that since Earth already has a hero, she doesn’t need to use her powers.”

Instead, Kara blends in as the adopted daughter of the Danvers (in a fun nod to the mythos, they are played by big-screen Supergirl Helen Slater and Lois & Clark’s Dean Cain), a family of scientists in the fictional and very Los Angeles–like National City. With a protective adoptive sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh), and the kind of glasses that have been known to hide secret identities, the Kara we meet in the pilot has grown up to become a sweetly nerdy assistant to media maven Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) with undeveloped powers and no clue that her CatCo colleague Winn (Jeremy Jordan) has it bad for her.

Of course, even superheroes in denial can’t sit still when a plane carrying a loved one is about to go down, so before you can say, “It’s a bird…,” Kara takes to the friendly skies to rescue Alex. In the process, she attracts all sorts of attention—most notably from Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, a shadowy government organization, and one James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), who has been deployed from Metropolis by Supes himself to play Obi-Wan to the fledgling hero.

Not that she needs a man to save the day. Or a Superman. While plenty of DC characters, like Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), Red Tornado (Iddo Goldberg), Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) and Kryptonian villain Non (Chris Vance), are set to appear, the oft-mentioned boy scout in the sky is most definitely not one of them. “I compare him to Veep’s [unseen] president,” Berlanti jokes. “He is out there and Metropolis exists, but hopefully, people watching the series will quickly go, ‘We don’t even need him!’”

All Supergirl really needs is for viewers to see past the whole “girl” part. “Ultimately, what we want to do is appeal to everyone,” Schechter offers. “The notion that guys won’t watch girls has been completely destroyed by things like Frozen and Mad Max: Fury Road. For us, this is just a show about an incredibly interesting character going through something exceptional.”

Adler echoes that equal-rights-for-equal-flights sentiment. “The Supergirl property is the gold standard for female superheroes, but in watching the action and what Kara comes up against emotionally, you go in seeing a female superhero and you come out seeing a powerful superhero. Her gender doesn’t really matter. Ultimately, it’s just about this triumphant person.”

What did matter, however, was finding an ingenue capable of convincingly rocking a caped ensemble designed by Oscar winner Colleen Atwood (who also created the looks Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin sport on Arrow and The Flash), battling an array of aliens-of-the-week unleashed by Kara’s arrival on Earth and balancing comedy, drama, action and adorableness. For that magic combo, the producers turned to the unsung hero of DC Comics’ growing TV dynasty, casting director David Rapaport.

“We saw thousands of people, but I will say that all credit goes to David,” Schechter says of the man we have to thank for stocking The CW’s hero brigade. “He had a really good feeling about Melissa, just like he had a really good feeling about Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin.” And just like those two, Benoist—best known for her role as Glee’s sweet, shy Marley Rose—was the first to read for the role. “David actually made Melissa come back early from a trip and signed her in himself so she would be first because he knew that Greg is a little bit superstitious,” Schechter says.

“She is the female Grant,” Kreisberg adds. “Watching them on set, it’s not just the talent or how they inhabit the part; it’s their joy and enthusiasm that they get to do this, which is in a way who these characters are.”

Walking back into the soundstage to film the first scene with Jordan, Brooks and Leigh in what will become Team Supergirl’s secret CatCo control room, Benoist still seems genuinely astonished that she gets to do this for a living. “I love Kara,” she says, exuding the same sunny determination as the character. “She truly believes that she’s going to change and save the world. And I think she’s going to do it.”

Attagirl!

Supergirl premieres Monday, Oct. 26, 8:30/7:30c, CBS, then moves to Mondays, 8/7c, starting Nov. 2.

DiNozzo Goes West: NCIS’s Michael Weatherly Crosses Over to Los Angeles

It’s 8:35am in Los Angeles and Michael Weatherly is on the road in hot pursuit of a small sedan. The actor’s nearly 2-year-old son, Liam, has lost a toy car in the backseat, and Daddy has dutifully pulled over to find it—getting to preschool by nine, be damned! And now Liam has accidentally hit himself in the face. “Hold a diaper on it,” Weatherly advises, eliciting a fit of giggles from the toddler. “This is the full Michael Weatherly experience,” one of TV’s highest-paid stars jokes, “Now let’s talk about my experience guest starring on NCIS: Los Angeles.”

OK, let’s. Since 2003, Weatherly has played Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent Anthony DiNozzo, a bighearted ladies’ man, brass-balled quipster and excellent dresser, on four different shows. It all began with the two-part episode of CBS’s JAG that spun off into NCIS (TV’s top-rated drama series for the last six years). In 2014, he briefly appeared on the second installment of the franchise’s newest offshoot, NCIS: New Orleans (almost entirely in a hazmat suit). Yet, it’s taken seven seasons for him to cross over to NCIS: Los Angeles. “We’ve been trying for years to find a way to get DiNozzo on the show that’s not just a cameo,” NCIS: L.A. executive producer Shane Brennan says. “We wanted Tony to really be part of the story.”

They finally figured it out. On the October 19 episode of NCIS: L.A. (10/9c, CBS), Tony hits up the West Coast bureau for help in finding an escaped money launderer (comedian Bobby Lee) running amok in the city. And, lucky for him, special agents Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam (LL Cool J) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah); LAPD detective Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen); tech geeks Eric (Barrett Foa) and Nell (Renée Felice Smith); and their bosses, Hetty (Linda Hunt) and Granger (Miguel Ferrer), are up for it. But Tony spends more time working with new lovers—and audience favorites—Kensi and Deeks than with anyone else.

Should Densi fans feel threatened? “DiNozzo obviously flirts with Kensi,” explains Olsen. “But he’s also kind of flirting and being competitive with Deeks, who reciprocates that flirtation and competitiveness. It’s a bizarre yet classic love triangle that’s wonderfully appropriate because Michael Weatherly is my man crush.” Speaking of man crushes, “Whether working with Michael or just hanging out with him, it’s always a great experience,” gushes LL Cool J. “He’s a funny, talented guy. That’s the homie!”

And he hasn’t even seen him with a baby. Back in the car, Liam’s toy turns up wedged between the boy and his seat—leaving Weatherly, 47, free to chat about the episode (titled “Blame It on Rio”), his time on set and what’s in store for Tony.

What’s your favorite crossover episode to date?
Dare I say that my favorite crossover episode hasn’t aired yet, and it’s called “Blame It on Rio”? [Laughs] Seriously, my favorite isn’t technically a crossover. Tom Selleck once played a very Magnum-like private detective on a few episodes of The Rockford Files. He magically knows where everything is and would just get lucky as a detective all the time. Jim Rockford [James Garner] just hated him because he was so perfect.

Do you like shooting crossovers?
They’re a peak experience for someone like me. For 13 years, besides a tiny part here and there, I’ve just been playing DiNozzo. So having other experiences with the character is super important to me. Plus, I love to see how DiNozzo travels, how he’ll be in different settings. On NCIS, he can only do so much.

What was it like to be on another set?
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going into NCIS: Los Angeles because I wasn’t sure how DiNozzo would be received—not just by the team, but by the audience. Would he mesh with them? Look, I’m the same age as LL Cool J and I think we were the oldest guys on set next to Miguel Ferrer! But that’s the funny thing. Rather than having to play a faux youth like on NCIS, I was playing a little creaky on NCIS: L.A. And I enjoyed that Eric and Daniela were all really athletic and beautiful around me. [Laughs] It was just really refreshing. I felt like “Oh, s–t, am I aging out of the game?” Which I realized is totally a DiNozzo paranoia.

What was one of your favorite things about filming the episode?
I got to work with Eric and Daniela, two people I’ve really only seen on the red carpet or watched on TV. I just had so much fun with them. They are so loose. They gel really wonderfully as a cast, and the environment is fun. Would I ever return to visit them again? Absolutely.

What’s the biggest difference between the two sets?
They’re in L.A. shooting L.A., while we’re in L.A. shooting D.C. We always have to hide the palm trees, and they are always looking to put the palm trees in the shot. I definitely had a very good time shooting L.A. for L.A.

Doesn’t DiNozzo stick out?
Oh, yeah. I’m still dressed the way DiNozzo dresses when he’s in D.C. A coat and tie—DiNozzo is a little faux GQ—seems a little more normal to East Coasters. In Los Angeles, he looks totally out of place. No one is wearing a collar on NCIS: L.A. They’re all in T-shirts or muscle shirts. [Laughs] It’s really fun to see him as a fish out of water—but one who’s swimming with very like-minded people.

It’s a bit surprising, actually, that he would let the L.A. team take the reins on the case.
Dennis Smith, who directed the episode and has done 60 episodes of NCIS, always reminds me that DiNozzo has to be two things simultaneously. On the one hand, he’s always thinking outside the box and being hilarious…to himself. But he’s also a great agent. Part of that is understanding that the other agents know the terrain. DiNozzo works smarter, not harder.

Have you ever thought about making a DiNozzo-centered spinoff?
Yes. I’ve thought about it, because it seems only natural considering the growth of the character. That could be a possible scenario in the distant future.

According to executive producer Gary Glasberg, Tony is going to have a really emotional year.
There’s somebody returning from his past. And this person is a lightning rod for DiNozzo. Their return activates a very big change in him.

Could it be Jeanne Benoit (Scottie Thompson)? Or Ziva (Cote de Pablo)?
I don’t know if he’s ready for Ziva! This person is an agent of change, but not an agent. And the truth of the matter is that the show was devised so that all these characters are married to their job. DiNozzo has struggled over the years to try to mature and share his life with somebody else. And now his life is shifting because Jeanne is back. It’s really a case of: Has the plant gotten too big for the pot? Is it time to repot DiNozzo? That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to go to NCIS: L.A.

Wait, does this “change” mean we can look forward to some baby DiNozzos?
[Laughs] Look, we tease a lot of things, but I can say with a hundred percent certainty that some minds are going to be blown by what happens, and it’s going to affect some of the fundamental aspects of the show. That’s going to be fascinating to watch. This isn’t some fake press release advertising “a year of change.” This is truly going to be a challenge for the audience. But right now I can’t find my son’s other shoe!

John Stamos Inherits a New Full House With Fox’s Grandfathered

It’s party time on the set of Grandfathered, but the kids aren’t all right. Dozens of pint-size extras are supposed to crowd the dance floor of Jimmy’s, a swanky, upscale Los Angeles restaurant owned by perpetual bachelor Jimmy Martino (John Stamos) as he throws an impromptu birthday bash for his 2-year-old granddaughter, Edie (played by twins Layla and Emelia Golfieri). Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora takes the stage to provide the soundtrack for the celebration, and everything seems to be going off without a hitch until the children scatter at the sight of Stamos attempting to push his way through the tiny dance mob.

“I’m trying to go through them, but they run when they see me,” Stamos explains to creator and executive producer Daniel Chun (The Office). As the cameramen reset, Stamos corrals the kids in the middle of the room, kneels down and flashes his blinding white smile. “Guys, nobody is attacking me,” the actor directs them in a friendly, singsong voice. “You’ve got to karate chop me!”

The children take his advice to heart, and on the next take, they swarm the leading man, hitting and kicking him as he delivers his lines. Suddenly, one overzealous boy latches himself onto Stamos’s upper thigh, which elicits a quick-thinking moment of improv from the actor. “Hey, watch the cannolis!” Stamos says with a laugh.

It’s been 20 years since Stamos last made family-friendly television magic as the Elvis-obsessed, leather-clad Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on ABC’s long-running Full House. This fall, the 52-year-old is hoping to re-create that success with Grandfathered, which finds his perennially single character learning he not only has a grown son named Gerald (Drake & Josh’s Josh Peck) but also a granddaughter in little Edie. “This is literally the show I’ve been waiting 10 years for,” says Stamos, who also serves as executive producer. “It’s a continuation of what I think I’ve done well on TV: a show that has heart, is about family and has relatable themes.”

Stamos began his television career in 1982 as troubled musician Blackie Parrish on the ABC soap General Hospital before landing his Full House gig in 1987. After eight seasons on the show that jump-started the TGIF brand, he made the leap to Broadway with runs in revivals of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Cabaret before returning to the small screen in 2005 for a series-regular role on the final four seasons of NBC’s ER. “He’s been so famous for so long that he should be a jerk, an animal or a monster,” says Criminal Minds vet Paget Brewster, who plays Jimmy’s ex-girlfriend and Gerald’s mom, Sara. “I was not signing on to do a show with a creep, so I asked everyone I knew who knew him, and they all said, ‘That guy is solid.’”

“John is definitely a kid at heart,” adds Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Dana Walden. “He has a lot of chemistry with the [twins] on Grandfathered and the relationship that’s developing feels very authentic. His kindness can charm a baby.”

Well, not always. Even though Stamos is No. 1 on the call sheet, it’s apparent his toddler costars rule the Grandfathered set. The Golfieri twins have two miniature director’s chairs of their own behind the monitors, and the transportation vans that shuttle the actors back and forth from the stage to their trailers are outfitted with two cushy car seats. And when the cameras roll, the old entertainment-industry adage warning against working with children and animals has never seemed more relevant. Stamos notes that the twins did a lot of “crying and screaming” during the filming of the pilot, especially in an important scene in which Edie plants a kiss on Jimmy after a tough night of babysitting. “[Producers] were like, ‘We’re just going to change it to where Edie is crying.’” explains Stamos, who worked with the Olsen twins when they were tots on Full House. “And I said, ‘No, no, no. The kiss makes it. I’m not going to finish the show until we have this shot. We finally got it in the second-to-last take because they slowly got used to me, but it was a brief moment, because she screamed her head off right after. It might have been my breath, I’m not sure.”

Luckily, the twins are not Stamos’s only scene partners. Grandfathered focuses heavily on the father-son relationship between Jimmy and Gerald. Over the course of the first season, Jimmy will take his socially awkward son under his wing to try to up his game with the ladies, particularly former fling and Edie’s mom, Vanessa (Christina Milian), who sees Gerald as just a friend now. “He’s allowing Gerald to come out of his shell more and not be so awkward or afraid of the world,” Peck says. “And Jimmy’s starting to appreciate the idea that he has perhaps missed a big part of what life’s about, which is family, kids and the joy that comes with them.”

Much like Jimmy, Stamos admits he’s still searching for a deep, meaningful connection with a significant other. “Something is missing in his life that could be a parallel with mine,” says the actor, who was married to Rebecca Romijn for seven years until their divorce in 2004. “When I was a kid, I made a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish, and I’ve crossed off every one of them 10 times except for having a family. So to explore what that’s all about on TV and see if it works—if it does work—I’ll do it in real life.”

He’ll have more than enough to draw on, because when it comes to TV families, Stamos is currently hitting the jackpot twice over. While Grandfathered readies its debut season, Stamos is also hard at work on the Full House reboot for Netflix, titled Fuller House, which is slated to premiere in spring 2016. “There were so many years where I really didn’t want to say those two words,” Stamos admits. “Not that I didn’t love it, but I had to get away from it.” It’s clear how much he’s come around on the idea now, though: He’s executive producing the new series and will appear in at least two episodes as Uncle Jesse.

Stamos, who partnered with original Full House creator Jeff Franklin for the reboot, says the new series just “fell into place” over the last year, with the main storyline centered around original daughters D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin). “The first taping was explosive—people just loved it,” Stamos says. “I had saved my old wardrobe, so I wore all the leather jackets. It was a bit of a trip.”

Stamos also enlisted his Full House cast mate Bob Saget for a cameo appearance in the Grandfathered pilot—as a frustrated diner at Jimmy’s restaurant. Other guest stars in the premiere include former NFL star Deion Sanders, comic legend Don Rickles and rapper Lil Wayne, whom Stamos lovingly dubs “the holy trinity” for posing together in Jimmy’s epic selfie. Throw in a musical homage from Stamos’s other pals the Beach Boys and the Grandfathered pilot boasts a varied cross section of Stamos’s real-life influences and friends. “Years ago, you wanted to stay away from everything that was relatable to you, but now it doesn’t matter,” he says. “There’s no pedestal anymore. You can’t take yourself too seriously, and that’s what this character is. I’m a bit of a fool, so I just play to that.”

Grandfathered premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29, 8/7c, Fox.

Returning Favorites: How to Get Away With Murder Plots a Twisty Second Season

Something’s out of order on the Hollywood set of How to Get Away With Murder. High-powered attorney Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is sitting not at the defense table but in the witness box of a packed courtroom. While she appears characteristically polished in a forest-green sheath, it quickly becomes clear she’s uncomfortable in her new role. Especially since she’s there to provide evidence against ex-cop Nate Lahey (Billy Brown), her sometime lover. The very one she’s done everything possible to frame for the murder of her husband.

“Argumentative!” she objects after one of the prosecutor’s questions. Reminded by the judge that’s not her call to make today, Annalise silently fumes, until the DA dares to suggest she conspired with Nate. “I did not swear on this court’s Bible,” Annalise explodes, “so that I might be burned at the stake!”

Still, there’s no doubt the fearsome, rule-bending attorney and law professor is playing with fire when Murder returns for Season 2—and its leading lady couldn’t be more stoked. “Annalise always keeps you guessing,” Davis says during a break in filming. “As soon as you feel you’ve arrived at who she is, something else happens that surprises you.”

Consider that a warning: A bombshell revelation about Annalise’s past in the season premiere will undoubtedly whip Twitter into hashtag overdrive.

Of course, #OMG twists are the reason ABC’s drama became a killer hit last fall. Created by Pete Nowalk and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, Murder piled up the dead bodies while piling on the morally murky characters, including Annalise; her loyal associates, Frank (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie (Liza Weil); and a quintet of cutthroat law-school students—Wes (Alfred Enoch), Connor (Jack Falahee), Michaela (Aja Naomi King), Laurel (Karla Souza) and Asher (Matt McGorry)—who intern at her Philadelphia firm. In its first season, the series averaged 14.9 million weekly viewers (including DVR playback), earned Davis countless critical kudos and ultimately proved to be a hold-on-for-dear-life addition to Rhimes’s ShondaLand theme park, which includes fellow Thursday-night roller-coaster rides Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. “I don’t know how to stop people from getting whiplash,” Rhimes says of her hit TGIT lineup. “But I know Pete’s a little genius, and I’m not surprised [by the show’s success] because I’m very good at picking people who can make good shows.”

Murder’s bloody-good February finale resolved the season-long mystery of who killed Lila Stangard, the pregnant sorority-girl mistress of Annalise’s duplicitous late hubby, Sam (Tom Verica). “I was excited it was Frank,” Weber says of his smooth fixer, who committed the crime at the behest of Sam to repay a still-undisclosed debt. “I played him in a way that didn’t make it hard to believe [he did it], yet Frank wasn’t at any time a prime suspect—at least not in that murder.”

The jury’s still out on who’s responsible for the shocking season-ending fatality—Wes’s girlfriend, Rebecca (Katie Findlay), who was found by Frank and Annalise in the Keating basement—though that won’t be the case for long. The killer’s identity will be revealed in the premiere, which picks up a few days after those events. “It just didn’t feel like a mystery I knew how to drag out,” Nowalk
explains of his decision to swiftly resolve the riddle.

It’s taking substantially longer for the cast to recover from losing one of their own, especially Enoch, who was Findlay’s on-screen beau. “It’s strange,” the actor says quietly. “Ideally, it wouldn’t have happened. You lose the opportunity to work with a friend.”

In fact, Rebecca wasn’t always doomed. Nowalk realized over last year’s Christmas break that a major character needed to die to propel the show forward into Season 2, though he first flirted with the idea of offing a prominent male character. “What made me decide on Rebecca was how unjust it was,” Nowalk says. “Most people thought she was bad, then just as you’re finding out she’s not, she’s dead. That felt so heartbreaking.”

It wasn’t the producer’s only difficult call. An alternate ending was filmed, partly to guard against potential leaks and partly because Nowalk is a perfectionist who likes to have options in the editing room. (Not even the cast was sure of the finale’s final shot until the episode aired.) “That’s just Pete’s nature,” Weber says of Nowalk, a Rhimes protégé who previously penned episodes of Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy. “He can’t stop writing. If he’d had two more weeks, there would’ve been four more alternate endings.”

Nowalk calls the upcoming reveal of Rebecca’s killer “a character moment,” not unlike when the formerly wide-eyed Wes was unmasked as the one who whacked Sam in order to save his girlfriend, which led Connor, Laurel and Michaela to help cover it up. “I don’t think in terms of ‘We need a bigger, bolder twist here,’” Nowalk insists. “It’s more, ‘What feels real for the character in this moment?’”

Expect to learn much more about what makes each player tick in this criminally high-stakes game. The so-called “Keating Five” seemingly believe Annalise’s lie that Rebecca is merely missing, though mistrust among the group soon grows. And Bonnie and Frank’s backstories will be unveiled. “Why do they feel so beholden to Annalise?” Nowalk says. “That’s very rich, complicated territory.”

It’s fertile ground that Weil, who likens the characters to one very dysfunctional family, is thrilled to be exploring. “Bonnie’s dynamic with Annalise is maternal: a primal, raw loyalty that knows no bounds,” she says. “And Bonnie and Frank have this sibling-esque relationship, with the sweet and sour of that. There’s jealousy and all kinds of twisty, messy things.”

No one, though, continues to prove messier than Murder’s mercurial mother figure. “There’s never been a leading lady like me on television, ever,” says 50-year-old Davis proudly. “I challenge anyone to name one woman of color my age, my hue, who’s allowed to be sexual, strong, vulnerable, human—all at once.”

Last season, Davis performed one of TV’s more memorable scenes when she wordlessly removed her wig and makeup, symbolically ridding Annalise of the armor she wears for the outside world. Sitting on a bench outside the courtroom set, the actress remains passionate about keeping it real. “I’m trying to create a human being within the structure of this pop fiction,” she says. “I’m trying to do things that are grounded in reality, and this season we’re going more in that direction.”

From the start, Davis has collaborated closely with Nowalk. Last season’s episode “Mama’s Here Now,” which revealed Annalise’s past sexual abuse, came from Davis’s own suggestion. And while TV Guide Magazine was on set, the actress was bursting with excitement about another idea she couldn’t wait to pitch Nowalk. “I just emailed him,” she said, her iPhone in her lap, “and he’s coming here now.”

The showrunner has an open dialogue with much of the cast. Last year, he shared his thoughts on crafting an HIV storyline involving Falahee’s character, Connor, and his boyfriend, Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), who received a positive diagnosis in the finale. While Falahee was all for it, “Some people are like, ‘Really? The gay has to have HIV?’” says Nowalk, who is openly gay. “But I say, ‘No one’s telling the story on TV of a couple where one’s positive and one’s negative, and that’s a relationship that’s happening all over the world. Let’s tell it.’”

Another story Nowalk is eager to tell: Nate’s fate. Facing trial for Sam’s murder, he’ll receive help via a lawyer from Annalise’s past. “What that person does for Nate,” Nowalk hints, “is a big part of our premiere.”

Look for Wes to expect his ethically challenged professor to deliver on her promise to locate the “missing” Rebecca (who will appear in the premiere via flashbacks). “What happens when he discovers he’s been betrayed?” Enoch teases. “That’s a time bomb waiting to go off.”

So is what occurred after Nate’s prosecutor showed up at Asher’s door, pressuring the student for info that could bring down Annalise. Says McGorry, “Asher has some secrets of his own that we’re delving into.”

Meanwhile, the students are also wrestling with the identity of the mysterious “Eggs 911,” whom Rebecca texted for help shortly before her death.

X-Men star Famke Janssen will appear in two episodes as Eve, a death-row attorney who tangles with Annalise. “I’m a fan of the show, and, frankly,” Janssen says, “even I was shocked by what happens!”

Finally, look for Annalise to try to land new clients—two siblings who are accused of killing their wealthy parents—in a high-profile case that opens up an explosive new Murder mystery that may be the most dangerous yet. “When I read the premiere,” King reveals, “the first thing I said to myself was, ‘Oh, so we’re gonna end after Season 2? Because how can we survive this?’”

Davis claims to have no idea. “There are some things Pete won’t tell me because he thinks I have a big mouth,” she says with a laugh. “That’s one of them. You just gotta fasten up and go along for this crazy ride.”

How to Get Away With Murder returns Thursday, Sept. 24, 10/9c, ABC.