What's new for the unfortunate denizens of Chester's Mill? It appears that we'll finally get some answers.
The two-hour double episode Season 3 premiere of Under the Dome arrives at 8 p.m. today on CBS. Following the episodes "Move On" and "But I'm Not," the series will return to its regular hour-long time slot of 9 p.m. on July 2.
Have you been following the sci fi series based on the 2009 Stephen King novel of the same name? Briefly, the series tells the tale of a small town that is suddenly and mysteriously sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome.
In the weeks and months that follow, the citizens of Chester's Mill are forced to adapt. Some adapt better than others.
Combating the Dome's machinations as well as man-made threats in post-apocalyptic isolation brings the community courageously together. Well, that's for some. For others, the Dome brings out their dark side.
And just as the quest for answers reveals an apparent path to freedom, everything the residents think they know about the Dome and its motivations is dashed.
CBS teases us: "Again facing an uncertain future, the citizens of Chester's Mill begin to realize their true destiny as the Dome reveals more of its ultimate agenda for them. As new dangers emerge, battle lines are drawn that will alter relationships in ways none of them could imagine. For this town, the true threat to the human spirit's resilience is no longer just the invisible dome that has cut them off from civilization -- but it is the enemy within."
Does that pique your interest?
In the Season 2 finale, Barbie (Mike Vogel) and the residents attempted to escape through a crater. Not everyone was able to flee Chester's Mill after the crater widened. Left behind were Julia (Rachelle Lefevre), Junior (Alexander Koch) and crazy Big Jim (Dean Norris).
That means in tonight's episodes, residents will appear inside and outside the Dome following their mysterious encounter in the tunnels beneath the town.
Bonus: Marg Helgenberger (CSI) guest stars as Christine Price, a Chester's Mill resident with insight into the Dome's origins, and Eriq La Salle (ER) will portray Hektor Martin, the ruthless CEO of the energy company run by Barbie's father.
Wait. You say you watched the first season and gave up on the second because you were tired of never getting any answers to what the heck was going on with that dome? Did you vow after Lost to never, ever be suckered into a never-ending saga that seemed as if it was being made up as it went along?
Never fear. During a recent press event Dome executive producers Neal Baer and Tim Sclattmann promised that Season 3 would answer all your questions.
"We will tell you why the Dome came down and what it's about," Baer swore, adding that by the 13th episode finale, "you'll know exactly why this happened the way that it happened."
All you who have read the book kindly don't spoil it for the viewers. And don't forget, it wouldn't be completely alien for a TV series to deviate from its source material for dramatic effect.
• Graceland, 8 p.m. today, USA. I was surprised that Graceland was one of the summer shows I received the most email about during its hiatus. The show must have fans in Arkansas even though it only pulls in between. 1.1 and 1.5 million viewers each week.
The series follows a group of undercover agents from assorted agencies (FBI, DEA, ICE) living together in a Southern California beach house called Graceland.
Full disclosure: I never could generate enough energy to come back to the series after two or three episodes. The series is perfectly serviceable for those who enjoy crime busting drama, but it wasn't for me.
When last we saw our heroes, Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit) had flatlined in his hospital bed at the hands of corrupt FBI agent Sid Markham (Carmine Giovinazzo).
Is Mike really dead? It certainly seems so.
But then, a good old-fashioned cliffhanger would seem appropriate.
• Degrassi lives! Thanks to the resurrection wizards at Netflix, the venerable and beloved teen and young person series Degrassi High will not be canceled and will soldier on once it finishes its 14-season run on TeenNick next month.
The Canadian TV franchise has had some version of Degrassi on the air since 1979.
The Netflix offering, renamed Degrassi: Next Class, will premiere 20 new episodes globally on Netflix in early 2016. The new episodes will target the post-millennials known as Generation Z.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 06/25/2015