"Blindspot" Season 2: 8 Things You Need to Know
by IMDb-Contributing-Writers "The Blindspot" was the breakout hit of the 2015-16 television season. The story of Jane Doe, an amn...
https://plus.staravis.com/2016/08/blindspot-season-2-8-things-you-need-to_29.html
by IMDb-Contributing-Writers
"The Blindspot" was the breakout hit of the 2015-16 television season. The story of Jane Doe, an amnesiac with tattoos all over her body that were clues about crimes that needed to be solved. Not content to rest upon its laurels, the show will shake things up in Season 2 with new characters and storylines. Here's what we learned at the show's panel at the Television Critics' Association press tour. — Sara Bibel
Jane's Real Name is Revealed in the Season Premiere
Jane Doe spent the entire first season as a literal Jane Doe. In the wake of the explosive Season 1 finale, the show will deliver some concrete answers about its protagonist's identity, starting with her name. Executive Producer Martin Gero revealed, "Not only are you going to find out Jane's first name in the first episode, you're going to find out what Orion is, who Shepherd is, what's the plan of this organization, and who Jane really is outside of her name."
New Season, New Theme
The revelations about Jane will be the springboard for the main arc of Season 2. "It is a spoiler if I say what the theme is," said Gero, who declined to reveal details. "But I think it will -- we want to really reward the people that stuck with us all last season."
Archie Panjabi Joins the Cast
Archie Panjabi, best known for playing Kalinda on "The Good Wife," joins the Season 2 cast as the head of a clandestine division of the NSA that has been following Jane's case from afar. The show's producers used a similar tactic in their quest to hire Panjabi. "Martin and I are huge fans of "The Good Wife," and so I don't root against any other show in development," said executive producer Sarah Schecter. "But weekly, I'd be like, 'Martin, I don't know. I don't know. Archie might be free.' So, for us, it's like winning the lottery to have Archie on the show."
Panjabi described her character: "She is tough. She is tenacious. She is wild. She's unpredictable." That sounds a lot like Kalinda. Panjabi acknowledged, "I do wear a pair of knee-high boots."
Michelle Hurd and Luke Mitchell Will Play Recurring Roles
Panjabi is not the only newcomer to the cast. As revealed during the "Blindspot" panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Michelle Hurd will play and Luke Mitchell will play operatives from Jane's past. Mitchell's character, Roman, was referenced during Season 1.
The Supporting Characters Will Have More to Do
Season 1 was focused on the Jane-Kurt dynamic. In Season 2, the rest of the team will have the opportunity to shine. "We have a character like Patterson (Ashley Johnson) that really popped, I think, last year for us, and so she was able to carry an enormous amount of screen time on her own," said Gero. "Now, as we move into the second season, just giving more screen time to Patterson, to Reade (Rob Brown) and Zapata (Audrey Esparza), allows the show to just feel a little fuller, a little more like a kitchen-sink drama.
Rich Dotcom Will Return
Hacker/art thief Rich Dotcom made a big impression when he appeared in two Season 1 episodes. The character will be back in Season 2. "He's coming back episode 7 and possibly more," reveals Gero. "Ennis Esmer, who plays him, is a comic genius. It was so fun to watch the Internet explode every time Rich Dotcom was up. I had a very elderly woman on the street come up to me the other day... and she's, like, 'We need more Rich Dotcom.' And I was, like, 'I promise... We are going to get you more.'"
Less Guns, More Fun
This season the show will move to Thursday at 8 p.m. The earlier timeslot will force the show to get a little more family friendly. "We're not going to shoot anyone in the head anymore," acknowledges Gero.
The show was moving in a lighter direction already. "One of the things we have found toward the end of the first season, something we're really leaning into, is the sense of fun and a little bit more lightness so the show isn't all doom and gloom," said Gero, who made it clear the timeslot shift was not influencing the storylines. "There are those moments of humor and those lighter character moments that I think did really well."
Pay Attention to the Episode Titles
Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that the Season 1 episode titles were anagrams. "The first 10 were just kind of a fun, hidden message like "Drink more Ovaltine but a little cooler," said Gero. Then, the writers got more ambitious. "The second half [of the season] was an actual... secret message that, if you decode it, there was a hidden phone number hidden into the show that, if you called that number, it would take you to a Twitter account. That Twitter account had these puzzles that we did all summer, that had these really great prizes for fans."
Season 2 will also reward careful viewing. "We are going to do something cool with the titles." Though he declined to share any details, he revealed that he is working with the show's puzzle consultant on the project.
"The Blindspot" was the breakout hit of the 2015-16 television season. The story of Jane Doe, an amnesiac with tattoos all over her body that were clues about crimes that needed to be solved. Not content to rest upon its laurels, the show will shake things up in Season 2 with new characters and storylines. Here's what we learned at the show's panel at the Television Critics' Association press tour. — Sara Bibel
Jane's Real Name is Revealed in the Season Premiere
Jane Doe spent the entire first season as a literal Jane Doe. In the wake of the explosive Season 1 finale, the show will deliver some concrete answers about its protagonist's identity, starting with her name. Executive Producer Martin Gero revealed, "Not only are you going to find out Jane's first name in the first episode, you're going to find out what Orion is, who Shepherd is, what's the plan of this organization, and who Jane really is outside of her name."
New Season, New Theme
The revelations about Jane will be the springboard for the main arc of Season 2. "It is a spoiler if I say what the theme is," said Gero, who declined to reveal details. "But I think it will -- we want to really reward the people that stuck with us all last season."
Archie Panjabi Joins the Cast
Archie Panjabi, best known for playing Kalinda on "The Good Wife," joins the Season 2 cast as the head of a clandestine division of the NSA that has been following Jane's case from afar. The show's producers used a similar tactic in their quest to hire Panjabi. "Martin and I are huge fans of "The Good Wife," and so I don't root against any other show in development," said executive producer Sarah Schecter. "But weekly, I'd be like, 'Martin, I don't know. I don't know. Archie might be free.' So, for us, it's like winning the lottery to have Archie on the show."
Panjabi described her character: "She is tough. She is tenacious. She is wild. She's unpredictable." That sounds a lot like Kalinda. Panjabi acknowledged, "I do wear a pair of knee-high boots."
Michelle Hurd and Luke Mitchell Will Play Recurring Roles
Panjabi is not the only newcomer to the cast. As revealed during the "Blindspot" panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Michelle Hurd will play and Luke Mitchell will play operatives from Jane's past. Mitchell's character, Roman, was referenced during Season 1.
The Supporting Characters Will Have More to Do
Season 1 was focused on the Jane-Kurt dynamic. In Season 2, the rest of the team will have the opportunity to shine. "We have a character like Patterson (Ashley Johnson) that really popped, I think, last year for us, and so she was able to carry an enormous amount of screen time on her own," said Gero. "Now, as we move into the second season, just giving more screen time to Patterson, to Reade (Rob Brown) and Zapata (Audrey Esparza), allows the show to just feel a little fuller, a little more like a kitchen-sink drama.
Rich Dotcom Will Return
Hacker/art thief Rich Dotcom made a big impression when he appeared in two Season 1 episodes. The character will be back in Season 2. "He's coming back episode 7 and possibly more," reveals Gero. "Ennis Esmer, who plays him, is a comic genius. It was so fun to watch the Internet explode every time Rich Dotcom was up. I had a very elderly woman on the street come up to me the other day... and she's, like, 'We need more Rich Dotcom.' And I was, like, 'I promise... We are going to get you more.'"
Less Guns, More Fun
This season the show will move to Thursday at 8 p.m. The earlier timeslot will force the show to get a little more family friendly. "We're not going to shoot anyone in the head anymore," acknowledges Gero.
The show was moving in a lighter direction already. "One of the things we have found toward the end of the first season, something we're really leaning into, is the sense of fun and a little bit more lightness so the show isn't all doom and gloom," said Gero, who made it clear the timeslot shift was not influencing the storylines. "There are those moments of humor and those lighter character moments that I think did really well."
Pay Attention to the Episode Titles
Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that the Season 1 episode titles were anagrams. "The first 10 were just kind of a fun, hidden message like "Drink more Ovaltine but a little cooler," said Gero. Then, the writers got more ambitious. "The second half [of the season] was an actual... secret message that, if you decode it, there was a hidden phone number hidden into the show that, if you called that number, it would take you to a Twitter account. That Twitter account had these puzzles that we did all summer, that had these really great prizes for fans."
Season 2 will also reward careful viewing. "We are going to do something cool with the titles." Though he declined to share any details, he revealed that he is working with the show's puzzle consultant on the project.
