Holland Taylor Is Getting a Boy Toy in Mr. Mercedes Season 2

Season 2 of Mr. Mercedes, the Audience Network series based on Stephen King's crime novel, takes place a year after Brady Hartsfield's (Harry Treadaway) failed attempt to perpetrate a second mass murder in the community of Bridgton, Ohio. With Hartsfield hospitalized in a vegetative state, retired Detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) has done his best to move on from his Brady obsession, teaming up with Holly Gibney (Justine Lupe) to open the private investigative agency Finders Keepers. But when unexplainable occurrences begin to affect hospital staff members attending to Brady, Hodges is haunted by the feeling that Brady is somehow responsible. Jack Bender, director and executive producer of the show, shared scoop on what's to come at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Friday.

Most notably, fingers are crossed for a Season 3, which may make more use of End of Watch, the third book in King's trilogy. "That door is wide open," Bender said. He also said they've gone to careful considerations to make use of Brady even in his state. "We made a number of decisions to bring up End of Watch which we will be doing and keep Brady's character's alive and well."

As for Ida (Holland Taylor), her role stays the same, but with one small addition: a boy toy who she meets in a new setting. "Ida is there for a purpose. She has to be that ultimately trustable person for [Hodges]. There's no expanding in other areas, but you do see her in a school teacher situation -- you see her relate with students the same way she relates with Bill. She pushes him."

Mr. Mercedes Season 2 premieres Wednesday, August 22 at 10/9c on Audience network.