This Season’s Theme: "I would say that the chickens are coming home to roost this season… but without real chickens," jokes Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss, who also portrays Holmes's brother, Mycroft. "No real chickens are harmed in the making of this season. That's an exclusive."

Where We Left Off: Last year's "The Abominable Bride" took us on an extended tour of Sherlock's mind palace and confirmed that his and Watson's longtime nemesis, Moriarty, is dead as a doornail. Or is he? "People assume that we're fibbing every time we say he's definitely dead," Gatiss says, laughing. "But he is dead. Believe me!"

Coming Up: Moriarty may not be a corporeal threat anymore, but his reach will definitely be felt from beyond the grave. "The shadows of the past are coming back to haunt them, along with the consequences of their actions," Gatiss teases. For more specifics, fans could apply their deductive reasoning to the three Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories that are being loosely adapted this season: "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons," "The Adventure of the Dying Detective," and "The Final Problem."

Two Men and a Baby: Watson is embarking on a whole new journey this season: fatherhood. He and his wife, ex-CIA agent Mary, are the proud parents of a baby girl, and, naturally, Uncle Sherlock will be on hand to administer child care. "He treats the baby like a case, says Gatiss. “She's a real mystery to him.” — Ethan Alter

(Credit: PBS/Masterpiece)

This Season’s Theme: "Chaos!" says contestant Kyle Richards (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

Coming Up: Arnold Schwarzenegger steps in as host for a revamped season that will focus more on technology-driven projects. A rotating group of boardroom advisors includes Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba, Warren Buffet, Steve Ballmer, and Arnold's nephew, Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger. As for the boardroom catchphrase, you'll have to tune in to see how Arnold will bid adieu to his ousted employees. Says Richards, "That was a big topic among the cast: 'What's he gonna say, what's he gonna say?'”

Big Personalities, Big Fights: The workplace drama will be dialed up with a cast that includes Boy George, Laila Ali, Jon Lovitz, Snooki, Vince Neil, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, and more. "You'll definitely see Real Housewives drama, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's between the two Housewives," Richards teases. — Victoria Leigh Miller

(Credit: Luis Trinh/NBC)

This Season’s Theme: Internal conflicts form among the Shadowhunters, "between the old establishment and our characters’ fresh and new way of seeing things," says co-executive producer Darren Swimmer.

Where We Left Off: After getting his hands on the Mortal Cup, Valentine (Alan Van Sprang) began building his army of Shadowhunters. He then threatened to kill Clary (Katherine McNamara) and the others unless son Jace (Dominic Sherwood) joined him, so Jace chose to leave to save his friends. Clary found the Book of the White and used it to wake and reunite with her mom, Jocelyn (Maxim Roy).

Coming Up: Season 2 begins with the search for Jace, whose "loyalties are absolutely going to be put through the ringer," Swimmer teases, "because Valentine is his dad and what he’s saying is ringing true for him." And fans of the books will be happy to learn that Season 2 will introduce the Iron Sisters of the Citadel.

Brotherly Love: Clary and Jace fans were heartbroken when the two were revealed to be siblings (though some are holding out hope that it isn't true). "There’s not much you can do when you have romantic feelings for your brother or sister," Swimmer says. "They’re forced to focus on the immediate problems in front of them." And then there's Simon (Alberto Rosende), still pining away for Clary. "Simon and Clary’s relationship has a lot of deep roots and a lot of history," he notes. "Definitely Simon is not giving up on any of that." — Kelly Woo

(Credit: Freeform)

This Season’s Theme: "Closure. We are tying up threads that were laid in Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4. We've really gone back to the past for the show," says executive producer Jonathan Collier.

Where We Left Off: The search for the Puppeteer serial killer took a twisted turn when Brennan (Emily Deschanel) was kidnapped by former Jeffersonian employee Zack Addy (Eric Millegan), a guy we haven't seen since Season 3.

Coming Up: Bones' final season picks up "right where it left off in Season 11," but intersecting story arcs will take us back to the "very, very distant past," Collier tells us. Bones and Booth's marriage will be tested "in a new and different way," and true fan favorites will return for the show's swansong season, including Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry), Dr. Beth Mayer (Betty White), and Eddie McClintock (Sully), in addition to new guest stars Ed Asner, June Squibb, and Hal Holbrook.

Fond Farewell: Collier says the final season is a thank you to the fans. "We're grateful to [Bones creator] Hart Hanson for giving us these characters and we really like the way they're finding some closure," Collier tells us. "It will be 245 [episodes], so it's really hard to complain." — VLM

(Credit: Ray Mickshaw/Fox)

Where We Left Off: The literally unsinkable gang avoided death by drowning and are back for more.

Coming Up: The first episode is called "The Gang Turns Black" and that may not even be the most attention-getting thing about it. "It’s also a musical episode," says Charlie Day, recalling the classic "The Nightman Cometh.” Unlike that one, this isn’t just a play, it’s actually a musical episode. And not just that, but they become black through a Quantum Leap-type situation, so "we’re dealing with a body-switching musical." So, no blackface, though Day muses, "I think we could get away with that…"

Hamilton Cometh: The decision to do a musical episode came because of a "surreal moment" at a Hamilton performance that Day attended with his wife (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who plays The Waitress). During the bows, he says, creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda shouted, "Holy s**t, Charlie and The Waitress!" Miranda brought them backstage and told them, "He had all the ‘Nightman Cometh’ songs in his head as he was trying to sing his songs." — Robert Chan

(Credit: FX)

This Season’s Theme: "The theme for us — and our approach to the show — is going deeper," says Marshall Herskovitz, the veteran TV producer who inherited showrunning duties alongside longtime collaborator, Ed Zwick. "We want the audience to feel they understand the characters and their emotional lives in a more resonant way."

Where We Left Off: Juliette's always-tumultuous career literally crashed and burned in the Season 4 finale — which very nearly became the series finale, before CMT rescued the show — when her plane plunged out of the sky. Meanwhile, Rayna enjoyed a happier ending, reuniting her fractured family after a year filled with drama.

Coming Up: Juliette's fate is revealed early on in the Season 5 premiere, as are some of the fresh fault lines in Rayna's life — most notably Highway 65's less-than-rosy financial outlook. "Showing the reality of the music business is something that interested us," Herskovitz says, who advises viewers to keep their eyes on Silicon Valley gazillionaire Zach Wells (Cameron Scoggins), who may play a big role in the future of Rayna's label.

Emancipate This!: Lennon Stella is well-aware that Maddie is on notice with fans after her emancipation antics last season. "That's Maddie! She's always dramatic," the 17-year-old singer/actress says, laughing. Stella promises a "more relatable" Maddie this year, although the emancipation storyline hasn't been consigned to the dustbin. "Rayna and Deacon don't know how much they can tell Maddie what to do, because legally, she's emancipated, but she's still living at home," she says. "[That creates] a weird dynamic between them." — EA

(Credit: CMT)

This Season's Theme: "Is it better to be happy and ignorant or see and know the world as it truly is?” executive producer David Greenwalt says. "Would you rather crazy, bad things not happen in life, or are they ultimately good because they make you stronger and a better person?" His partner in the crime show EP Jim Kouf points out an important caveat, "That is if they don't destroy you first."

Where We Left Off: At the final showdown between Black Claw, HW, and the Grimm and his gang. Nick (David Giuntoli) sent everyone he loves (minus Adalind and her kids) into the tunnels while he took on the final wave. He was shot in the fight and near death, but Diana intervened in the nick of time.

Coming Up: The final season will be "our best yet," promises Greenwalt, who will direct the finale with Kouf. "We are going out with a big bang, not a whimper. Some really bad s**t happens, and something ultimately explains what the entire show has all been about for the last six years." The bad s**t includes but is not limited to: Renard going full bad guy and framing Nick, Diana being kidnapped, and if Giuntoli gets his wish, death. "I would have been cool to die, and maybe I will, as I’ve only read up to the penultimate episode."

Creature Features: All that said, there will still be humor and multiple monster-of-the-week episodes. "Four through 10 are all wesen-based," says Kouf. Creatures include a Frankenstein-like critter, an eco avenger in the woods, a Grimm take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, and "a monster who seems like the most evil one we've ever created, because it involves babies." — Carrie Bell

(Credit: Allyson Riggs/NBC)

This Season's Theme: Now that Abbie Mills is gone, Ichabod’s dramatic and thematic journey involves finding a new family. "He's torn between his role as warrior, hero and leader, and doesn't feel at all at home," says showrunner Clifton Campbell.

Where We Left Off: Abbie's sacrifice saved Sleepy Hollow from the tyrannical rule of The Hidden One, but robbed Ichabod of an equal partner and Jenny of a beloved sister. With so many memories bound up in that small town, it's no wonder they've opted to relocate to a bigger burg, Washington D.C., to continue their search for the next Witness.

Coming Up: New city, new faces, including True Blood's Janina Gavankar as Secret Service agent, Diana Thomas, who joins Ichabod and Jenny's ongoing fight against evil. Lost's Jeremy Davies arrives in the nation's capital as incoming Big Bad, tech billionaire Malcolm Dreyfus. But before Crane can confront Dreyfus, he's got to deal with a host of new D.C.-centric monsters. "We're hitting new notes this season in terms of our monsters," Campbell says, pointing to a coven of Beltway witches, a Revolutionary War-era despair creature, and a demonic John Wilkes Booth.

Stages of Grief: It's no secret that Sleepy Hollow fans are taking Abbie's passing hard. (Her death was voted 2016's "Most Infuriating Plot Twist" in our annual Yahooies awards.) Campbell insists the premiere deals with the “tremendous loss” right away. "[But] moving forward is something that people who fight evil have to do. I think we're presenting an iteration of Sleepy Hollow they'll love and find very familiar." — EA

(Credit: Tina Rowden/Fox)

This Season's Theme: It's all about change in Season 4. First up: Mary Jane (Gabrielle Union) is leaving Atlanta. "She’s taking a position at a morning show in New York City," says new showrunner Erica Shelton. "It’s a big step up for her career wise and it’s a big leap of faith in finally leaving Atlanta and leaving the nest and going to the big city."

Where We Left Off: Mary Jane tried to date a white guy, but after a segment on "The Talkback," decided she wanted black love. She also received a visit from David's (Stephen Bishop) mother, who said David still had feelings for her, but MJ decided not to go back down that road. The finale ended with MJ's niece, Niecy (Raven Goodwin), getting pulled over and tased by a cop.

Coming Up: Mary Jane's bestie, Kara (Lisa Vidal), lands a job at a major morning show and brings MJ along as a correspondent. Michael Ealy arrives as a new producer who "is, for the most part, a nemesis for Mary Jane. They’re oil and water," says Shelton. Season 4's premiere will also address Niecy's police brutality experience and how the family is coping without Mary Jane.

Love Actually: Along with Mary Jane's career, her romantic life will continue to be a major focus of the show. "One of the things that I felt was missing in the first three seasons was seeing Mary Jane fall in love,” Shelton notes. “A number of her significant relationships [in previous seasons] were with people where we didn’t see the beginning." — KW

(Credit: BET)

This Season's Theme: Now that the Rose family has begun to accept that Schitt’s Creek is their home, “The third season will be about adjusting to a new way of life,” says co-creator Daniel Levy, who also stars as David. “They all have to get jobs, and they all end up finding love. There’s a lot of really juicy comedy and romance and drama.”

Where We Left Off: David and Stevie (Emily Hampshire) were eying the same man, and while that “throuple” plays out early, their storylines take a turn midseason once Stevie inherits the motel (and requires help from Eugene Levy’s Johnny) and David finds a match in his new retail partner, Patrick (Noah Reid). “I don’t think David’s ever been in a relationship with anyone who respected him before,” Daniel says, “so this is all new, exciting territory for him.”

Coming Up: Moira (Catherine O’Hara) takes her hard-earned seat on the town council, and (gasp!) attempts to dine with single Alexis (Annie Murphy). “Moira might need her family more than she thinks,” Dan says. “We get to peel back the layers on Moira a bit, which gives Catherine a great platform to run wild, in a way that only she can.”

Arrested Development: David will try to obtain his driver’s license, and Alexis will head back to high school to get her diploma. “Part of the humor for these characters, particularly David and Alexis, is they seem a little stunted,” Dan says. “What’s exciting for us is being able to delve a little deeper into their past and lay more foundation for why they’re acting the way they’re acting.” — Mandi Bierly

(Credit: Pop)

This Season's Theme: "Last season we showed an alien occupation in its nascent stages," executive producer Ryan Condal says. "Season 2 will show the darker more authoritarian view of occupation and colonization."

Where We Left Off: Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies) and the resistance captured an alien, presumably killed it, and extracted the mysterious "gauntlet" from his body suit, but not before former FBI agent turned reluctant collaborator Will (Josh Holloway) tracked them down and realized the extent of his wife's betrayal.

Coming Up: "This otherwise strong family was blown apart by external forces,” says Condal. “Katie is broken by the consequences of her actions and isolated from everyone she cares about including the resistance, and Will, who is off trying to get Charlie back home." Not that they will be separated for long. "Will knew he married a rebel and loves her for that, but feels betrayed because she was working both sides,” says Holloway. “Their love is still there. They’re bent, not broken."

The Struggle Is Real: Brexit, Syria, Russian hacking, and the brutal presidential campaign has made Colony feel "depressingly more and more relevant" to Condal. The eerie tonal similarities hit an apex when the finale shoot coincided with election night. "That night, oh my god, I didn't even have to act," Holloway recalls. "My line was like, 'We gotta get out of this block, guys.' Jesus, I felt just like that. That was a tough pill to swallow and still is." — CB

(Credit: Justin Stephens/USA Network)

This Season's Theme: The season will deal with "the fact that objective facts mean nothing, that information seems to be tactical and weaponized now," says executive producer Chip Johannessen.

Where We Left Off: After Carrie (Claire Danes) averted a chemical weapons attack in the Berlin subway system, Saul (Mandy Patinkin) tried to recruit her back into the CIA, but she refused. Carrie read a farewell letter from brain-dead Quinn (Rupert Friend), who declared his love for her.

Coming Up: Carrie is living in Brooklyn and working at a foundation aiding Muslim Americans, and she's trying to be a good mother to Frannie. "She really devotes her life to her daughter," Johannessen says. But just when she thinks she’s out… "Carrie, in addition to what she’s doing with the foundation, has a secret life that draws her back more into the world we expect to find her in," says the EP. Still, "she has extreme misgivings about what the CIA has done the last 50 years. Have they made the world worse, ruined lives? It’s a big question to ask."

Lazarus Effect: Peter Quinn is not dead, but “he’s not quite whole," Johannessen says. He's struggling with "the unreliability of his senses and his perceptions." As for Carrie and Quinn's relationship, "This is a person that she has heavy karmic dues to pay to." — KW

(Credit: JoJo Whilden/Showtime)

This Season's Theme: Will former first lady and current senator Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) prevail over Democratic challenger Francisco Vargas? "It is a little art imitates life imitates art," says Young. (The premiere episode was written and produced last summer — well before the real-life presidential election.) Young promises "an unbelievably wild ride."

Where We Left Off: Olivia (Kerry Washington) and the gladiators scrambled to find a VP for Mellie's ticket. She ended up choosing Jake (Scott Foley) as a way of getting him out from her father Rowan's (Joe Morton) control. Meanwhile, with Jake no longer an option for Francisco Vargas, Cyrus (Jeff Perry) made an unconventional move — and selected himself as the VP candidate.

Coming Up: The premiere takes place on election night, and in a bit of a departure for Scandal, flashbacks will clue in viewers to what happened on the campaign trail. "We’ll go back and forth in time and see the paths that led the characters up to that moment,” Young says. "We’ll get more information about the campaign, more information about everyone’s shifting alliances." Election night will be the culmination of everything that Mellie and Olivia worked for. "What follows is so explosive for Mellie,” says Young. “She will never be the same."

The Fitz of It All: Their shared history with Fitz is “always going to be a little bit of a crack between Mellie and Olivia,” admits Young. “Even though they’ve done nothing but show up for each other, and Olivia’s been very clear that they’re both living in a post-Fitz world." #MelliviaForever! — KW

(Credit: Byron Cohen/ABC)

The Season’s Theme: "The idea of confinement: the people in town, the Farrells on the mountain, Sheriff Houghton is trapped in his own reality,” says Outsiders creator Peter Mattei. “People being confined and trying to fight to be free, that’s the most important theme of the season."

Where We Left Off: Asa (Joe Anderson) killed Big Foster (David Morse) at G'Win's request, but then was imprisoned by G'Win (Gillian Alexy) . Meanwhile, Houghton (Thomas M. Wright) led the authorities up Shay Mountain, where they were surrounded by the Farrell clan.

Coming Up: As the previews have hinted, all is not as it seemed with Big Foster's death, and the ongoing complications of his relationship with G'Win is one of Season 2's most important stories, Mattei says. There's also a new challenge ahead for fan favorites Hasil (Kyle Gallner) and Sally-Ann (Christina Jackson), and we’ll meet a new group of Shay Mountain dwellers, the Kinnah. Beleagured Wade Houghton will face another major family crisis, while dealing with his strange connection to the Farrells and the mountain. "Wade has a sense about the Farrells and some kind of unspoken connection to them,” says Mattei. “His whole life, he’s been connected to the Farrells in some way that he can’t quite explain."

First and Last: While the premiere episode “sets up a lot of stories,” says Mattei, “it also ends one major story.” — Kimberly Potts

(Credit: WGN America)

This Season's Theme: "Less coming of age vibe, more harsh reality of responsibility to save the magical world," executive producer Sera Gamble says.

Where We Left Off: "With everybody completely f**ked in Fillory," Gamble jokes. "Quentin was the only conscious person left in the wellspring, which the Beast has almost drained. The Beast just escaped with the only weapon that can kill him thanks to Julia being ready to make a deal with him." The premiere, Gamble says, picks up in "the same messy pit of problems we left ourselves in."

Coming Up: The gang, still reeling from in-fighting and broken hearts, has to regroup to figure out a new strategy to snuff out the Beast while Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) still has god juice in her system. Having unexpectedly survived the showdown, Eliot (Hale Appelman), who agreed to a marriage that stranded him in the magical land and made him high king, realizes there's more to the job than crowns and courtesans. Gamble explains, "At first blush, it sounds perfect to be royalty. But the reality is more complicated and adult. When he's actually handed the keys, he realizes that a magical kingdom has its own set of high stakes problems."

Beast of Burden: Julia (Stella Maeve) gets way more than she bargained for when she buddies up with the big bad. "He sings… constantly and it annoys her," recalls Stella Maeve. "I am not a fan of musical theater for the most part, but Charles [Mesure], and Jason [Ralph] in Season 1, makes it look so fun that I secretly wish I had a musical number. Maybe next year." — CB

(Credit: Carole Segal/Syfy)

This Season's Theme: “Dealing with loss, and [loss] giving opportunity for growth and change,” creator Aaron Korsh says of Season 6’s final six episodes.

Where We Left Off: Jessica (Gina Torres) left the firm, just as Mike (Patrick J. Adams) was getting out of prison. “While he was in jail, he didn’t have to deal with the real-world ramifications of having been found out to be a fraud; he was just dealing with trying to survive in prison,” Korsh says. “Now that he’s out, he’s dealing with the loss of his identity.”

Coming Up: While Mike must decide his next move, so will fiancée Rachel (Meghan Markle) after her father (Wendell Pierce) offers her a job. Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman), meanwhile, will behave like two brothers who’ve lost their mother. “Old wounds are going to come up, but their overarching reaction is to become closer,” Korsh says. Louis and Tara (Carly Pope), who’s pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s child, will wonder if they rushed their engagement. “Louis is going to shoot himself in the foot,” Korsh promises, “and then the question is, can they survive? Hopefully they can.”

Don’t Forget Donna: Donna (Sarah Rafferty) is also thinking about her future. “She has an arc that I like to think is very fun, but also has some real serious underpinnings for her whole sense of self,” Korsh teases. — MB

(Credit: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

This Season's Theme: "When you get a death sentence, how do you react to it?" is the question posed by showrunner Jason Rothenberg.

Where We Left Off: Clarke (Eliza Taylor) took the Flame herself to enter the City of Light. Meanwhile, Bellamy (Bob Morley) and Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) fought to keep her body safe from the AI-controlled hordes, and Raven (Lindsey Morgan) hacked into ALIE's system to help Clarke. The latter managed to shut down ALIE with the aid of dead lover Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), but learned that most of Earth's nuclear reactors were melting down.

Coming Up: "In the premiere, our characters are forced to deal with the immediate fallout of the termination of the City of Light," Rothenberg says. "Now they’re suddenly thrust back into the real world with all their pain." Old grudges remain between Skaikru and the Grounders, and also among the Grounders themselves. But they will have to deal with the world-ending threat hanging over them (literally, the atmosphere is on fire). And if they can't stop it, how do they survive? "How many lifeboats are there on the Titanic?” posits Rothenberg. “There aren’t enough."

My Heart Will Go On: Lexa fans were heartbroken by her death, and Clarke will continue to mourn her "probably forever," says Rothenberg. But “that doesn’t mean she won’t move on. I know Lexa would want her to… She’s an 18-year-old girl and you can assume she’ll love again." — KW

(Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW)

This Season's Theme: "Season 1 was lighting a lot of fuses," says co-creator Mark Fergus, "Season 2, you get to watch the payoff of all these things that have been set into motion."

Where We Left Off: Eros was decimated by the protomolecule and the entire solar system was on the brink of war.

Coming Up: Now that the stories of Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), Miller (Thomas Jane), and Holden (Steven Strait) have all converged, it’s time to introduce the last main player in the brewing conflict: Mars. We’ll learn what their objectives are and how they plan to achieve them. "We’re no longer holding mysteries back from the audience," says Fergus, likening the measured pace of the first ten episodes to a Hitchcock thriller. "Now is the time to really ratchet up and pay off all these promises we made to the audience."

— RC

(Credit: Rafy/Syfy)

This Season's Theme: "The constant theme of the show is what do you give up to maintain power? And then the sub-theme of that is what’s it like to be a woman in power?" says showrunner Laurie McCarthy. “And I feel like it could not be more timely."

Where We Left Off: Mary (Adelaide Kane) worked to unify her people but faced opposition from John Knox (Jonathan Goad). She lost one ally in Bash (Torrance Coombs), who departed to train as a druid. Meanwhile, in England, Lola (Anna Popplewell) was beheaded after the botched assassination attempt on Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten).

Coming Up: McCarthy won’t divulge whether the final season of Reign will end it with Mary’s death, but promises it will be "really moving and really satisfying." Mary has been looking for a new husband since the death of Francis, but the search is over. "What happens in this chapter in her life is that she meets her second husband and it’s an incredibly tumultuous marriage," McCarthy notes. Will Kemp joins the cast as Lord Darnley, and Mary will have "manage her husband, who was very much someone grasping for power." Her third husband, Lord Boswell, will also figure into this season, as will the son she has with Darnley. "There really is joy amongst the tragedy," McCarthy promises. "You will see how scrappy Mary is and how hard she fights, not just for her child, but for the people around her."

Family Business: In France, Catherine (Megan Follows) plays her children against each other to hold onto her power. Claude (Rose Williams) will try to broker peace between her siblings, but, teases McCarthy, "it turns out all of Catherine’s children are incredibly hard to control." — KW

(Credit: Elly Dassas/The CW)

This Season's Theme: "The answer I give every season is, 'The girls are trying to grow up,'" says Jenni Konner, who executive produces the show with creator/star Lena Dunham. "This sixth season being our last, it's most truthful this year. And, this being Girls, they won't necessarily succeed."

Where We Left Off: Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Adam (Adam Driver) acted on their mutual attraction, much to Hannah's (Dunham) dismay. Elsewhere, Shoshanna's (Zosia Mamet) grand adventure in Japan had a less than grand conclusion, and Marnie (Allison Williams) reconnected with an old flame. Oh yes, and all four friends continued to drift apart.

Coming Up: "The ending is very interesting, and hopefully people will like it,” says EP Judd Apatow. “There's no way to satisfy everybody, because people have their own hopes and dreams for what will happen to characters."

The Girls Effect: "I think Lena knocked down a lot of walls by talking about things that haven't been explored on television very often," says Apatow, who sought out Dunham as a collaborator after watching her 2010 feature, Tiny Furniture. Adds Konner: "I hope that what Lena did was allow other women to express their voices, even though it may not be familiar to everyone." — EA

(Credit: HBO)

The Season’s Theme: Billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades “have a growing obsession with taking the other down,” says co-showrunner David Levien.

Where We Left Off: Axelrod (Damian Lewis) tore up — literally — the Axe Capital offices looking for surveillance bugs, and Chuck (Paul Giamatti) visited him at the trashed building to warn him that, with his wife Wendy (Maggie Siff) turning her back on their marriage, he had nothing left to lose.

Coming Up: Showdowns galore. If Chuck seemed to get the last word with Bobby in the Season 1 finale, fortunes may be reversed — temporarily, at least — by the end of the Season 2 premiere. Rhoades's cohort Bryan Connerty (Toby Leonard Moore), who began losing faith in his boss right around the time Axe offered him a much more lucrative job last season. "Connerty’s soul is in the balance," Levien says. "His sense of integrity versus his ambition to succeed and rise in the legal profession, it’s really up for grabs this season."

Familiar Faces: Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker guests as strategist George Minchak, while other Season 2 guest stars will include Rob Morrow, Danny Strong, and Eric Bogosian. "Eric Bogosian is a guy that’s been a huge influence on us as writers,” says Levien. “We really gave his character a lot of really fun, intense scenes to play.” — KP

(Credit: Showtime)

The Season’s Theme: The fifth and final season "is, in a way, the funniest, [with] the most dark comedy," showrunner Kerry Ehrin says. "I would say it still somehow manages to be weirdly life affirming."

Where We Left Off: Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) killed his mother during a murder-suicide bid, then dug up her dead body and took her home to resume their life together. Dylan (Max Thieriot) and Emma (Olivia Cooke) moved away to pursue a life free of his family, and Norma’s husband Romero (Nestor Carbonell) was arrested by the DEA after he lied about his relationship with former girlfriend Rebecca.

Coming Up: We’ll see the return of Chick (Ryan Hurst), Caleb (Kenny Johnson), and Dylan and Emma. The latter two “really did try to do the healthy thing and detach," Ehrin says. "One of the things that makes Bates Motel so relatable is that the family element is very real and grounded. It’s very hard in dysfunctional families to just walk away. [For Dylan], it’s very much about dealing with things [he] finds out and being pulled back in." And Romero? "He has a great arc," Ehrin says. "Last season, we had the toughest guy in the world take his shell off and then get sucker punched when he lost Norma. He’s going to have a very extreme reaction to this, and what he feels he needs to do about it."

Star Shower: Highmore, Thieriot, and Carbonell all directed episodes for Season 5, and as part of the nod to the original Psycho, Rihanna will pop in to play Marion Crane. "She was an incredibly sweet and hard working person, and we couldn’t be more thrilled," Ehrin says. "The episodes that she’s in were very much designed to be like a collision between Psycho and Bates Motel, and really it’s the first and only time we’ve ever truly stepped into Psycho." As for the end of the series, Ehrin promises "it’s going to be cathartic as s**t. Bring your tissues." — KP

(Credit: Cate Cameron/A&E)

This Season's Theme: "The theme of this season would be a spoiler,” says co-showrunner Joe Weisberg. “We can’t tell you the theme."

Where We Left Off: Nina's dead, as is William, after being infected with the deadly virus before the FBI captured him. Oleg (Costa Ronin) chose to return to Russia, while Arkady (Lev Gorn) was ordered to flee the U.S. by the American government. The Jennings (Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys) avoided being outed by Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin), but Paige's (Holly Taylor) budding romance with Matthew (Danny Flaherty) promised more trouble ahead for the family.

Coming Up: We'll find out what decision the Jennings made about moving back to their homeland in the season premiere; William (Dylan Baker) is gone, but his case isn't closed just yet; Matthew isn't the only Beeman male whose outlook has changed because of a female; and the opener begins and ends with truly surprising moments. Oh, and about Oleg, who has emerged as one of The Americans' most endearing characters: "He’s become a really interesting window, particularly as we head into this season, into life in the Soviet Union," says co-showrunner Joel Fields. "The show has been so much about the United States, but [he] has now allowed us to start opening the curtain into what life was like there."

Boys’ Club: Philip’s older son Mischa (Alex Ozerov) will continue to search for his dad in Season 5, while Henry (Keidrich Sellati) will finally get some real screen time. "There are a lot of great stories to tell for Henry, and we’ve always really struggled to find the space," Weisberg says. "This year, for the first time we found the space we’ve been looking for to tell an expanded story about Henry." — KP

(Credit: FX)

This Season's Theme: "This season is all about putting family love to the test by introducing something that is scarier and more evil than they are,” says showrunner Michael Narducci. “And that thing is threatening the most vulnerable member of their family, their daughter."

Where We Left Off: After Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) rose from the dead as a super-powered hybrid, he delivered lethal bites to Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic). Rebekah (Claire Holt) convinced Marcel to put Klaus (Joseph Morgan) on trial. Freya (Riley Voelkel) was poisoned, limiting her ability to find cures for her siblings, so she put their souls into an alternate plane. Klaus was found guilty and stabbed with the misery-inducing knife. Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) left New Orleans with daughter Hope to seek safety.

Coming Up: The season begins with a five-year time jump, during which Hayley and Hope have been on the road. "[Hope] is now 7 years old, she is smart, she is savvy, she understands what magic is and that she is extremely powerful," Narducci says. "She has this curiosity about who her dad was, and is and will she ever see him again?" Meanwhile, Hayley's been tracking down the missing werewolf clans to find the cure, and new character Keelin (Christina Moses) may be the key.

Daddy Dearest: With Hope becoming a major character this season, her relationship with Klaus will be focal point. Says Narducci, "Can Klaus Michaelson, in good conscience, be a father to this very powerful young witch who needs guidance and who needs a dad?" — KW

(Credit: Bob Mahoney/The CW)

This Season's Theme: "Sunny is desperately trying to make his way back to the Badlands to find Veil and his baby, but it is not just a physical journey across trying terrains," executive producer Al Gough explains. "It's also an emotional and spiritual journey. At the end of the day, he's still a guy that killed 400 people. He will pay for those sins."

Where We Left Off: Sunny (Daniel Wu) stabbed baron Quinn (Marton Csokas) and escaped with M.K. (Aramis Knight) only to be jumped and left for dead by three monks. They swiped his padawan and Sunny was taken prisoner by the river king.

Coming Up: The show picks up six months later and "the doors have been blown off this world" according to Gough. "We will travel to all these new places like the outlying territories. We will go to the abbots' monastery in the mountains and learn more about why they find people with the power and teach them how to control the power." And Sunny has to get his groove back. "The things he has gone through changed him and even affected his fighting," says Wu. "Every fight was easy for him until the showdown with the monks. That fight ruined his confidence and he has to find it again."

Friend or Foe: Hot Fuzz funnyman Nick Frost has been added to the fray as Bajie, a potential new ally for Sunny. "I loved working with Nick,” says Wu. “He adds levity to a very dark story, and their interactions bring out the human side of Sunny." — CB

(Credit: Antony Platt/AMC)