Last year, ABC's new crop of series really seemed to knock other network's roster out of the park. Revenge and Once Upon a Time were both dramatic hits that proved to really capture pop culture buzz as the months went on, while comedy smashes like the second season of Happy Endings and the return of James Van Der Beek in Don't Trust the B- In Apartment 23 both proved to be just as powerful. But there was one critical darling that certainly had plenty of buzz with Suburgatory. Featuring an impressive cast with plenty of quick wit and hilarious moments, viewers fell in love with Tessa and the entire town of Chatswin.
But if there was one thing about the main character that grew in intensity as the season progressed was the absence of her mother in the single-parent household, as not only did dad George have more than a handful of love interests but it all eventually boiled over in the season finale with Mother's Day. With the final moments of Season 1 a strong indication, today it's been revealed just who will be playing Tessa's absentee mother that will play a big role of the episodes ahead.
TV Line has revealed that Malin Akerman will be making her way back to network television as Alex, the mother of Tessa who will try to make amends with her daughter as Season 2 goes on. This will be Akerman's first role on one of the major networks since a guest stint on How I Met Your Mother two years ago, though the actress has been seen regularly on the Adult Swim comedy hit Children's Hospital.
Alex is described as "a beautiful, free-spirited singer/songwriter who’s never met her daughter. Her urge to form a relationship with Tessa has finally outweighed her fear and shame so she attempts to spend the holidays with her, hoping that the past won’t haunt either of them anymore". Akerman's character will be making appearance in both the Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes later this year, though it's unclear how long she'll be popping up throughout the new episodes.
Series creator Emily Kapnek revealed that she is ecstatic about Akerman's casting, saying “I’m a huge, nerdy fan [of Malin's] and this was an extensive search for the right actress to play such a pivotal role in our show. It turned out to be well worth the wait. She’s funny, gorgeous and incredibly charismatic, and I know her chemistry with Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy is going to be off the charts. Malin is a comedy writer’s dream, both beautiful and comedically fearless. I’m over the moon about her agreeing to play Alex.”
Akerman joins a list of stars that include Alicia Silverstone, Chris Parnell, Alan Tudyk, Ana Gasteyer, Cheryl Hines and more. Silverstone will not be returning after her recurring role at the end of Season 1, but has said that she could return as a guest star in the future.
The season premiere of Suburgatory will find Tessa returning from a summer away at her grandmother's in New York City, successfully escaping for a brief period of time from the suburban hell she's endured for the better part of a year. Jumping ahead a few months after Season 1's final moments, we're promised to see the characters in a few different spots than we last left them while Rachel Dratch will be reunited with SNL co-stars Parnell and Gasteyer in the Halloween episode.
Suburgatory returns Wednesday October 17th at 9:30PM on ABC.
