Fall Television: What to expect from 2019 mid-season premieres

In the coming week, multiple Fall series will return to television with their mid-season premieres. Check out our list of the most highly-anticipated and what to expect from each down below.

Since most television series go on hiatus over the holidays, January is a big month for Fall TV premieres. It’s not so much the new seasons airing at the beginning of the year, but rather, the mid-season premieres which take place. This year, the number of series from networks like ABC, NBC, and Fox are in the dozens so there’s a lot to sort through. Of course, it’s the serialized TV shows that we’re the most interested in.

NBC’s Manifest and other series like ABC’s The Conners follow plots that build upon each passing episode, making new episodes all the more intriguing. The episodes which aired before the winter break left some major plot-points unresolved — and because of that — fans are dying to know what will happen next. It’s hard to say with certainty exactly what will take place, but here are the conclusions we’ve deduced so far.

Warning! Potential spoilers for shows on ABC, NBC, and Fox follow. You’ve been warned.

This Is Us (Season 3 Mid-Season Premiere)

In the Winter Finale of This Is Us, fans learned that Nick Pearson (Michael Angarano) didn’t die in Vietnam like Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) assumed he did. Kevin (Justin Hartley) discovered the truth during a trip to Vietnam with Zoe (Melanie Liburd), learning about his uncle’s past. He hasn’t told anyone else about “Nicky” but Kevin will have to at some point. The mail addressed to Nicky is a good sign of this — and it doesn’t hurt that showrunner Isaac Aptaker confirmed that the younger Pearson brother would appear in the back half of Season 3.

This Is Us returns on January 15, 2019. Episodes are uploaded to Hulu the following day.

Manifest (Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere)

As for Manifest, the mid-season finale ended without leaving too big of a cliffhanger for fans to ponder over. However, there’s no questioning that viewers had a lot to think over during the holiday break. The most pertinent aspect of the show is how the Singularity Project seems to be ten steps ahead of everyone.

The clandestine organization has made fools of everyone, manipulating officials in several branches of government. Some of us suspected Robert Vance (Daryl Edwards) of being their mole but he actually turned out to be an ally.

Initially, Ben Stone (Josh Dallas) didn’t trust the NSA Director due to the possibility of being arrested. He was under the impression that any government agency would apprehend him, creating this level of distrust. Fortunately, Vance proved to be the exception.

Nevertheless, the Singularity Project has another mole at their disposal — Autumn (Shirley Rumierk). She infiltrated Ben’s group during the mid-season finale and is now cozying up to him in the Boiler Room. Ben has no idea that Autumn is compromised but it’s safe to say he’ll face the repercussions of letting her in soon enough.

Manifest returns on January 7, 2019.

The Conners (Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere)

During the first half of The Conners Season One, the Conner family dealt with the loss of one of their own. Every member of the family faced their grief but Dan (John Goodman) still hasn’t let go. His interactions with Louise (Katey Sagal) confirmed as much.

The last time we saw Louise, she was putting the moves on Dan. He didn’t reciprocate Louise’s feelings but that doesn’t mean he won’t at some point. Dan agreed to spend more time with Louise as platonic friends but their friendship will eventually bloom into something grander.

Despite being brief with sharing emotions, Dan is a well of love and compassion. His acceptance of Mark’s lifestyle and openness to become involved in the afflictions of his children and grandchildren are evidence to those claims. That being said, Dan’s willingness to embrace others could lead him to embrace someone new — Louise.

There’s also the matter of Becky’s child and what she intends to do. Becky (Lecy Goranson) toyed with the idea of giving up the baby for adoption but Darlene (Sara Gilbert) talked her out of acting recklessly. Becky seems to have made her decision, but circumstances change. Perhaps she will give the baby to Bridgette and Maria. They did agree to include Becky in the child’s upbringing so partnering with them may be her best option.

The Conners returns on January 8, 2019. 

Modern Family (Season 10 Mid-Season Premiere)

Fans might be saying “finally” but not everyone in the Dunphy family is too excited about Haley (Sarah Hyland) moving in with Dylan (Reid Ewing) after the break.

The Mid-Season Premiere of Modern Family will apparently focus on Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil (Ty Burrell) handling the reality of their oldest daughter moving out. She’s at the age where young women should move out but the Dunphys aren’t ready yet.

There’s no telling how Haley’s parents will react but our guess is they’ll attempt to persuade her not to leave. Of course, it’s just as possible that Claire and Phil will be supportive, allowing Haley to make her own decisions. Then again, who would the Dunphys be if they didn’t interfere a little?

Modern Family returns on January 10, 2019.

Honorable Mention: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 Premiere

The upcoming NBC premiere of Brooklyn Nine-Nine might not be midway into a season but with how things ended in Season 5, the series earned a spot on this list regardless.

To quickly recap, the final moments of Season 5 depicted Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) opening a letter that would determine whether or not he won the Commissioner’s position. The job is Holt’s biggest aspiration and means quite a sum to him. But on the other side of that coin, accepting a position as Commissioner of the 99th Precinct would require that he recruit a new Captain for his squad.

While we can’t picture Holt hiring a new Captain, he may be forced to regardless. None of the Captains who too command temporarily could act as fitting replacements so our guess is a member of the Nine-Nine will assume command — that is assuming Holt got the Commissioner’s job.

Fans are all hoping Captain Holt was awarded the promotion but glimpses of Jake and Amy on their honeymoon give us the impression he didn’t. Holt can be seen accompanying the newlyweds on their honeymoon, drawing into question why they would invite him.

Captain Holt may be a close friend and confidant to both Jake and Amy but allowing him to tag along on their honeymoon is a bit odd. The only explanation we can think of is Holt needs cheering up after being rejected for the Commissioner’s position. If that is the case, season six could begin on a rather solemn note.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 premieres on January 10, 2019. For more on these series and everything Hulu related, follow us on the Hulu Watcher Twitter Account @HuluWatcherFS or on the Hulu Watcher Facebook Page.