Nancy Drew Season 3 - What We Know So Far
The CW's version of "Nancy Drew" has drawn a decent number of eyeballs to the network. While it's not a cultural phenomenon like "Riverdale," it's still a smart and serious teen drama that takes the mythos of a famous older character and brings it into the modern world, allowing the character to blossom as her world of crime-solving grows in a satisfying way. This retelling of Nancy's story adds a smidgen of the supernatural, with ghosts and possession being a big part of the story.
Fans salivating at the prospect of more adventures at the witty Ms. Drew's side have a right to be excited — the show was among 12 series renewed for another season by the CW in February 2021. What can they expect when the show reconvenes for its next season? What will its plotlines be about, and who will be in it? Let's just say we've got some big clues for you. Here's everything we know about "Nancy Drew" Season 3 so far.
Updated July 28, 2021: This article has been updated with information about the resumption of production thanks to a revealing set of Instagram posts from the cast.
When will the third season of Nancy Drew be released?
Since the second season of "Nancy Drew" wrapped on June 2, it's unlikely the show will be returning to the airwaves with fresh material for a while. CW shows tend to start their season in the late summer to grab teenage eyeballs, so it's possible the third season of "Nancy Drew" will bow as early as late August. But since the CW has generally favored a later start to the show, it's much more likely it will air either in early October or mid-November. The first season of "Nancy Drew" debuted in early October of 2019, with the second season bowing in late January 2021, likely due to production shutdowns attendant to COVID-19 restrictions.
According to TV Insider, the show will be moving to Fridays but will retain its 9 p.m. timeslot, so fans should be aware of that switch as they wait for the show's return. Per a set of behind-the-scenes photos posted to Instagram in mid-July, production on Season 3 is already well under way (via Screen Rant). While that means August is likely out, a fall debut remains a strong possibility. A formal announcement of the release date should be forthcoming.
Who will star in the third season of Nancy Drew?
Warning: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Season 2 of "Nancy Drew."
While there have thus far been no cast change announcements for Season 3, including any added guest stars, it's pretty safe to assume that Kennedy McMann will be back as the titular sleuth and part-time Bayside Claw waitress from Horseshoe Bay. The rest of the Drew Crew — Leah Lewis as Georgia "George" Fan, Maddison Jaizani as Bess Marvin, Tunji Kasim as Ned "Nick" Nickerson, Alex Saxon as Ace — will likely be back too. Scott Wolf as Carson Drew, Aadila Dosani as Amanda Bobbsey and Riley Smith as Ryan Hudson will all likely return due to plot-related reasons for the third season. While there are apparent spin-off plans for Tian Richards' Tom Swift in the works, according to Digital Spy, the pilot has not been picked up yet by the CW. However, The Hollywood Reporter wrote in late May that the pilot is "still in contention."
Praneet Akilla's Gil, however, was dumped by Nancy in the Season 2 finale, and there's no word if he will show up for the third season at press time.
What will the third season of Nancy Drew be about?
Warning: Specific spoilers for the Season 2 finale, "The Echo of Lost Tears," are revealed from here on out.
According to this Entertainment Tonight interview with executive producer Melinda Hsu Taylor, the second season finale heralds a narrative sea change for the show heading into its third season, as Nancy will be pitted against her ancestor, Temperance Hudson (Marilyn Norry), who is living in the body of her distant relative Myrtle Hudson. Since Myrtle used blood magic to summon Temperance, it's clear that something dark and strong is at work. Hsu compared Nancy and Temperance to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in that they are both examples of two powerful opposing forces colliding.
Elsewhere, romantic drama came to the forefront, as George proposed to Nick and Nancy finally decided to try her hat with Ace. But when she showed up on his doorstep, Ace's mother informed her that he had taken off on a summer road trip — with Amanda. We smell a triangle afoot, but we'll have to wait until Season 3 debuts to find out if it will come to a boil.