Summer Sci-Fi Preview

From aliens to werewolves, we've got the scoop on this summer's hottest sci-fi TV!

Falling Skies
As Season 2 of the post-alien invasion series continues, the question is, can anyone (or anything) be trusted? The 2nd Mass is hit by vicious alien attacks and dwindling supplies as it makes its desperate trek to Charleston, South Carolina, to connect with a group of survivors who are forming a new U.S. government. But not all the Skitters seem to be hostile, especially the mysterious Red Eye. "He was my torturer on the alien ship, but he's also the leader of a group of Skitters that want to wage war on the [ruling] Overlords," says Noah Wyle, who plays Tom Mason. They may become allies, but there are still plenty of human-hunting creatures out there — including some "really horrible" new species — promises exec producer Remi Aubuchon.

While Tom's son Ben (Connor Jessup) begins to accept his human/Skitter hybrid status, the return of the harnessed Karen (Jessy Schram), the ex-girlfriend of Ben's brother Hal (Drew Roy), could wreak havoc on Hal's budding relationship with fellow fighter Maggie (Sarah Sanguin Carter). In the ominously titled August 5 episode, "Death March," Aubuchon reveals that "the very sad fate of kids who haven't had their harnesses removed becomes clear." Ex-Berserker boss Pope (Colin Cunningham) will be back for another round of disobedience. Wyle won't reveal what awaits in Charleston, but he cautions that the 2nd Mass will be "written into a very significant corner in a huge cliff-hanger."

Alphas
Last we saw our intrepid gang of neuro-enhanced do-gooders, they'd just voluntarily outed themselves to the world as, well, neuro-enhanced do-gooders. Season 2 picks up eight months after the finale, with the team scattered.

Entering the fold is a new Alpha, Kat (Erin Way, Detroit 1-8-7), whose ability to instantly learn any skill has quite a downside — her memories don't make it into long-term storage. "Things that happened six or seven weeks ago start to fade," says executive producer Bruce Miller. She takes an instant liking to Bill (Malik Yoba) and bullies her way onto the team. Unlike some of her fellow team members, Kat is less bogged down in the angst of Alpha life, thanks to her lack of a past. "She doesn't get why everyone is so serious all the time," Way says. One reason: fighting this season's Big Bad, Alpha extremist Stanton Parrish (John Pyper-Ferguson). "The chess match between Rosen and Parrish is really at the center of the show," Miller says. Who knew chess could be so dangerous?

Grimm
Is she a goner...or will she be awakened by True Love's kiss? In a riff on the classic Sleeping Beauty tale, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) has fallen into a deep coma due to a poisoned cat scratch — and that's only one of the problems facing her crimefighter boyfriend Nick (David Giuntoli) when Season 2 of Grimm kicks off after the Olympics. (The show airs on Mondays in August and returns to its Fridays-at-9 time slot on September 14.) "As Nick's identity as a Grimm becomes more known in the world, worse and worse enemies will come after him," says cocreator Jim Kouf. "Nick is also going to have quite a reunion with his supposedly dead mother [Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio], who is on her own arduous quest as a Grimm." The bad news: "She's not going to be around forever."

Guest stars include James Frain (True Blood) as the estranged brother of Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) and Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural) as a coyote-like creature who went to school with Hank (Russell Hornsby). The Season 1 reveal that Adolph Hitler was a secret Blutbad — aka Big Bad Wolf — is just the tip of a very creepy iceberg. "We'll delve more into world history with some real shocks," says cocreator David Greenwalt. "It turns out a lot of the turmoil today is caused by forces from the past."

For more Sci-Fi Preview — including scoop on True Blood, Teen Wolf and more — pick up this week's issue of TV Guide Magazine on newsstands Thursday, July 12!

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!