It might be some time till “Solely Murders within the Constructing” 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 lady with a mysterious previous who manipulates her manner 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. Nevertheless, Elena shortly learns that she is not the one one with secrets and techniques and ulterior motives.

“‘The Watchful Eye’ is at first a thriller. And I feel that begins with its foremost character, Elena. She’s additionally a thriller,” Molino tells POPSUGAR. “Within the first episode, we do not actually see plenty of who Elena is or why she’s right here or why she has a bone to select. And that’s one thing that, beginning with episode two, you will begin to see what this backstory is. That is 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 knowledge of her dad and mom, her previous life, and why she’s doing the issues she’s doing.”

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 historical past between Tory and Matthew that we uncover over the season.” She explains, “I really feel like she sort of thinks possibly he is the one which obtained away, and she or he want to be an even bigger a part of his life. And if which means retaining different individuals away from him, she’s not afraid to do no matter she must do to make that occur.”

Fortunately, Elena would 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 she or he has plenty of knowledge, he additionally informs her about plenty of what to look out for at The Greybourne, ‘trigger you’ll be able to’t actually belief anybody. He is giving her some ideas and tips simply so she would not fall too exhausting.”

Lumpkin, who chances are you’ll know from Nickelodeon’s “All That” and “Drama Membership,” says one of many issues he loves most in regards to the present is that “it’s important to count on the surprising.” He notes, “You by no means know what anybody’s actual intentions are, and you do not actually know who you’ll be able to 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 sort of pure, so I am unsure.”

Christie says he is most intrigued by the characters and the way none of them are what them appear. “All of the characters have their very own secrets and techniques, however this on the spot chemistry between Elena and Jasper possibly blinds him to a couple of these items that possibly could be indicators in different conditions,” Christie explains. “He is a man who’s coping with plenty of stuff, after which she is available in and she or he brings this breath of recent air, and the connection is so essential.” Finally, Matthew’s focus is “on ensuring his son’s OK and that he is having life” after just lately dropping 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 couple of world by which life is not truthful.” Oh, and in keeping with Acker, it is best to undoubtedly be looking out for Easter eggs. She teases, “You are going to see that issues that you simply had observed initially, or if you happen to return and watch, you may be capable of discover issues that form of might have led you to see what the reality was — if you happen to pay shut consideration.”

Maintain studying to study extra about “The Watchful Eye,” together with the complete solid and premiere date.

“The Watchful Eye” Forged

The sequence stars Molino as Elena Santos, a younger lady employed as a live-in nanny at The Greybourne. Molino describes her character as “a really crafty, savvy, good younger lady, who has a sophisticated previous.” She explains, “I feel that she’s making an attempt to navigate this new world that she’s going into, a really prosperous society, and utilizing the instruments that she has to take action. However 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, “Because the sequence progresses, we’ll discover extra about her previous and who precisely she’s making an attempt to get to. That is so far as I can say, however I can let you know that though she thinks she’s obtained a transparent goal, there’s plenty 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 affect 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 through the use of her cash and energy. Additionally becoming a member of the solid are Acker as Matthew’s sister-in-law, Tory; Jon-Michael Ecker as Elena’s boyfriend, Scott; and Samiri as Matthew’s son, Jasper.

Of Scott and Elena’s relationship, Molino says, “It’s Scott that offers her this pathway into discovering a job at The Greybourne, and in plenty of methods, their relationship is what sparks this journey and this mission. I feel that they each have axes to grind, they usually 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 solid are Lumpkin as Elliott, one of many younger residents of The Greybourne who shortly kinds a friendship with Elena, and Aliyah Royale as Ginny, one of many nannies who works alongside Elena at The Greybourne. Based on Lumpkin, Elliott is “good, cool, and actually sort.” He provides, “Like all youngsters, he has his personal insecurities, and he is simply making an attempt to vibe out. And he’s vigilant, so he does watch typically and he may 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 undoubtedly the enjoyable, the sassy, the tell-it-like-it-is buddy. I feel this season we’ll see her resolve the place her loyalties lie, and that may go in many various instructions.”

No matter what position every character performs on the present, Ecker notes that “all people’s obtained some ulterior motives happening, [and] the motives sort of uncover all through the season.”

“The Watchful Eye” Launch Date

“The Watchful Eye” premieres with two episodes on Monday, Jan. 30, at 9 p.m. earlier than shifting to its common 10 p.m. time slot.

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