‘Mr. Mercedes’: Everything You Need to Know Before Season 3
Mr. Mercedes is back for a third season on AT&T audience network . If you’re a fan of the Stephen King book and/or have been watching the first two seasons, you probably can’t wait for the third. If you haven’t though, seasons 1 and 2 are available on demand or on the DIRECTV NOR and AT&T U-Verse apps. If you still don’t have time to catch up on 20 hours of Mr. Mercedes, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help.
Director and Executive Producer Jack Bender spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet over the summer. He gave us a Mr. Mercedes cheat sheet so you can catch up before season 3 begins. Season 3 of Mr. Mercedes premieres Tuesday, September 10 at 10 p.m. on AT&T Audience Network.
Bill Hodges is hunting Mr. Mercedes
Brendan Gleeson plays Bill Hodges, the protagonist of Mr. Mercedes and Stephen King’s follow-up novels Finders Keepers and End of Watch.
“Season 1 we meet Bill Hodges who’s a bit of a train wreck,” Bender said. “He’s no longer an active detective. Like many detective stories, he’s haunted by the case that got away which was this massacre at a jobs fair that was precipitated by an evil maniac they called Mr. Mercedes because he mowed down people with his Mercedes.”
Brady Hartsfield is Mr. Mercedes
Harry Treadaway played Brady Hartsfield. Mr. Mercedes. Harstfield used his hacking skills to taunt Hodges for not catching him, and threatening to kill again.
“I always saw this show as a bit of a love/hate story between Hodges, who’s sort of pulled back into life by Mr. Mercedes who contacts him via the internet and he pulls him back into this vortex and web of darkness,” Bender said. “It’s a very unique ride of the human tragedy and the human comedy.”
Bill Hodges and friends stopped Mr. Mercedes in season 1
Hodges had some young friends help him with some of the computer stuff, Holly (Justine Lupe) and Jerome (Jharrell Jerome). They made a good team.
“The season ends with Brady’s greatest masterpiece, which is going to be blowing up a bunch of people at this arts gala,” Bender said. “He is found and foiled by Hodges, Jerome and Holly Gibney. He is taken down and at the end of the season he’s got his head bashed in.”
A coma doesn’t stop Mr. Mercedes
Neither King nor Bender killed off their big villain in the first book or season. While Mr. Mercedes is lying comatose in a hospital, some other scientists have nefarious plans for him.
“There is an evil doctor and his wife who works for a Chinese drug company who are injecting him with a drug that can, if it works, give rebirth to damaged brains,” Bender said. “Which means that if the drug works, it could be a miracle drug and save many people. The bad news is, they’re bringing this killer back into the realm where he can now start affecting people and he does, which nobody believes.”
Throughout season 2, Mr. Mercedes continues to manipulate people from beyond.
“As the sh*t hits the fan and bad things start happening, the audience is privy to the fact that he is in his brain alive and well in his lair where he’s manipulating and causing some of this mayhem,” Bender said.
Mr. Mercedes’ former friend finally puts a stop to him
When Hartsfield wakes up, he stands trial. Lou (Breeda Wool), who used to work with Harsfield at a big box store computer desk, takes matters into her own hands.
“At the end of the season, Lou (Breeda Wool) who has to testify about her friend, ends up making a plastic gun which she learns how to do on the internet,” Bender said. “She brings it into court after she testifies at Brady’s trial and kills him. Now he is dead at the beginning of season 3 which is where we are.”
Some time passes before season 3
Season 3 will deal with the aftermath of Mr. Mercedes.
“We start one year later,” Bender said. “Lou is on trial for the killing of Brady Hartsfield, who was a serial killer. That has its complications and that’s where we start the season.”
