Image Source: Freeform
It could also be some time till “Only Murders within the Building” returns for season three, however don’t fret, Freeform has a brand new thriller sequence on the way in which assured to fill that void. “The Watchful Eye” follows “Promised Land” star Mariel Molino as Elena Santos, a younger girl with a mysterious previous who manipulates her means into working at The Greybourne in Manhattan as a live-in nanny for an architect named Matthew (Warren Christie) and his son, Jasper (Henry Joseph Samiri), following the dying of Matthew’s spouse. However, Elena shortly learns that she is not the one one with secrets and techniques and ulterior motives.
“‘The Watchful Eye’ is at the start a thriller. And I feel that begins with its most important character, Elena. She’s additionally a thriller,” Molino tells POPSUGAR. “In the primary episode, we do not actually see lots of who Elena is or why she’s right here or why she has a bone to choose. And that’s one thing that, beginning with episode two, you will begin to see what this backstory is. That’s one of many issues that attracted me to the story, that she does have a really wealthy backstory. And because the sequence begins unraveling, you begin discovering all these items of data of her dad and mom, her previous life, and why she’s doing the issues she’s doing.”
“You by no means know what anybody’s actual intentions are, and you do not actually know who you may belief.”
Amy Acker joins the sequence as Matthew’s sister-in-law, Tory, who instantly dislikes Elena upon her arrival. Of her character, Acker says, “She may be very protecting of her household and [wants] to maintain their wealth and their household secret protected.” Acker additionally notes that “there’s a bit of historical past between Tory and Matthew that we uncover over the season.” She explains, “I really feel like she form of thinks perhaps he is the one which obtained away, and he or she want to be an even bigger a part of his life. And if meaning preserving different folks away from him, she’s not afraid to do no matter she must do to make that occur.”
Luckily, Elena does not look like on their own in her mission, as she immediately strikes up a friendship with a younger resident named Elliott (Lex Lumpkin). “He is aware of greater than he lets on, and he sees Elena as a newcomer to The Greybourne,” Lumpkin says. “And although he does look to her as she’s older and he or she has lots of knowledge, he additionally informs her about lots of what to look out for at The Greybourne, ‘trigger you may’t actually belief anybody. He’s giving her some suggestions and tips simply so she does not fall too exhausting.”
Lumpkin, who you might know from Nickelodeon’s “All That” and “Drama Club,” says one of many issues he loves most concerning the present is that “it’s a must to anticipate the sudden.” He notes, “You by no means know what anybody’s actual intentions are, and you do not actually know who you may belief. And in order that’s why it is actually exhausting to inform, ‘trigger all people’s obtained one thing to achieve from it and it is all about discovering out who, and I feel if I needed to take a guess, Matthew is the one who’s gaining essentially the most from it, however he appears form of pure, so I’m unsure.”
Christie says he is most intrigued by the characters and the way none of them are what them appear. “All the characters have their very own secrets and techniques, however this instantaneous chemistry between Elena and Jasper perhaps blinds him to some of this stuff that perhaps could be indicators in different conditions,” Christie explains. “He’s a man who’s coping with lots of stuff, after which she is available in and he or she brings this breath of recent air, and the connection is so necessary.” Ultimately, Matthew’s focus is “on ensuring his son’s OK and that he is having life” after not too long ago shedding his mom.
“The Watchful Eye” premieres on Freeform in January 2023. At its core, Molino says the 10-episode sequence is “about survival and a few world by which life is not truthful.” Oh, and in line with Acker, it’s best to positively be looking out for Easter eggs. She teases, “You’re going to see that issues that you simply had seen at the start, or should you return and watch, you would possibly have the ability to discover issues that kind of may have led you to see what the reality was — should you pay shut consideration.”
Keep studying to study extra about “The Watchful Eye,” together with the complete forged, premiere date, and teaser trailer.
“The Watchful Eye” Cast
The sequence stars Molino as Elena Santos, a younger girl employed as a live-in nanny at The Greybourne. Molino describes her character as “a really crafty, savvy, sensible younger girl, who has a sophisticated previous.” She explains, “I feel that she’s attempting to navigate this new world that she’s going into, a really prosperous society, and utilizing the instruments that she has to take action. But I feel that she’s going to run into much more issues than she thinks.”
Molino additionally notes that Elena “is not simply there to be a nanny.” She provides, “As the sequence progresses, we’ll discover extra about her previous and who precisely she’s attempting to get to. That’s so far as I can say, however I can let you know that despite the fact that she thinks she’s obtained a transparent goal, there’s lots of completely different targets that come out and in that find yourself dissuading her from her mission.”
The present additionally stars Christie as Matthew, a rich widower who’s coping with the grief of his spouse’s dying and the influence it is had on their son, and Kelly Bishop as Mrs. Ivey, a lifelong resident of The Greybourne who’s used to getting what she desires by utilizing her cash and energy. Also becoming a member of the forged are Acker as Matthew’s sister-in-law, Tory; Jon-Michael Ecker as Elena’s boyfriend, Scott; and Samiri as Matthew’s son, Jasper.
“Everybody’s obtained some ulterior motives happening, [and] the motives form of uncover all through the season.”
Of Scott and Elena’s relationship, Molino says, “It is Scott that provides her this pathway into discovering a job at The Greybourne, and in lots of methods, their relationship is what sparks this journey and this mission. I feel that they each have axes to grind, and so they each have causes for doing a little fairly shady stuff. I can solely say that Elena trusts Scott, however she additionally is aware of that she must differentiate between her relationship and what she’s going to do at The Greybourne as a result of that finally ends up muddying the waters.”
Rounding out the forged are Lumpkin as Elliott, one of many younger residents of The Greybourne who shortly types a friendship with Elena, and Aliyah Royale as Ginny, one of many nannies who works alongside Elena at The Greybourne. According to Lumpkin, Elliott is “sensible, cool, and actually type.” He provides, “Like all youngsters, he has his personal insecurities, and he is simply attempting to vibe out. And he’s vigilant, so he does watch typically and he would possibly catch one thing, however he is actually simply doing his personal factor.” Of her character, Royale says, “Ginny is a sweetheart to begin with, which I feel we see instantly in episode one, however she’s positively the enjoyable, the sassy, the tell-it-like-it-is buddy. I feel this season we will see her resolve the place her loyalties lie, and that may go in many various instructions.”
Regardless of what function every character performs on the present, Ecker notes that “all people’s obtained some ulterior motives happening, [and] the motives form of uncover all through the season.”
“The Watchful Eye” Teaser Trailer
“The Watchful Eye” Release Date
“The Watchful Eye” premieres with two episodes on Monday, Jan. 30, at 9 p.m. earlier than transferring to its common 10 p.m. time slot.
“The Watchful Eye” Poster
Image Source: Freeform