From the Hollywood Reporter

Seems like mere formality, but I'm glad to see it finally announced!

Yah for 3rd season. But now I'm worried. The report mentioned creator/ex.prod. David Maples & ex.prod. Paul Stuplin "taking a back seat", but still "consult" has me a concerned. I hope they really consult. Too many other shows have radically transformed when that happens & you wonder what happened to the characters you love.

I can't believe it's already time for the season finale! It felt like years between seasons 1 and 2. So when does season 3 begin?

Yahoo! This made my week! I can't wait to see them filming around town again this fall!

The article mentions the desire for greater "narrative drive." I'm not sure exactly what that might mean, but I suspect they plan to strengthen main plotlines and reduce the "fluff' factor a bit. This show rarely rises to the level of substance of shows like The Closer or Burn Notice, and I imagine that's what they're wanting to change.

Love Marshal and this show. Glad it's renewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm pleased it's renewed - and also worried about the production changes. I'd like to know who the new head producers are soon. I have an inkling that the "creative differences" with the network was over something silly like branding.

I wonder if they'll start of the new season with the episode they've already filmed (16), or if these "creative differences" will result in an entirely new episode?

My guess: They'll use most of what's already in the can for a couple of reasons. 1) they're already using those scenes as promos for the next season, and 2) Fred Weller is doing a theater gig in NY through November. They usually start production of the show sometime in early October. I'm sure Weller signed up for the theater role based on the TV schedule as they wrapped last year. Unless they can shoot around him, they'll be messing up the production schedule if they have to re-shoot the entire season premiere.

If I remember correctly, the "creative difference" with the two-parter was which part left the best ending for the season. The network execs thought leaving her life in the balance was a better place to leave us than after the resolution. They may re-do a few scenes and re-edit the finished product, but I think what we see next spring will be substantively what's already in the can.

I'm glad IPS was renewed. I like to see the new shows that offer viewers something a little different get a fair shot. If it had been canceled before 3 seasons I would have been disappointed.

Start of production is when the writers come back. Cameras generally don't roll for 6-8 after production begins, and they can easily film around Fred Weller for a time. Weller's theatrical commitment runs through October, not November. The play closes November 1.

Sorry, I meant filming. Last year they started filming in October and I mistyped the theater date. My brain is fried.

Cool beans. They started filming some time after October 15, so at most, they'd have to work around Weller for a few days. They typically can fill in those scenes later. We'll probably never know he was gone.

Adding to the conjecture, I would imagine what happens to Ep. 16 has a lot to do with what the new showrunner wants. Ep. 15 doesn't commit the show to any particular direction, whereas Ep. 16 may have. Knowing they were changing showrunners, it may have made better sense to stop with Ep. 15 and not paint the new person into a creative corner. We shall see.

Yeah, any number of things could happen. If they use the episode already in the can, maybe they'll start filming at a later date. Maybe the planned on starting a few weeks later this year anyway. They could shoot around Weller or he could check out his play a week early and the understudy takes over his part. But I suspect that he'll be there at the beginning of filming or very close to it. I saw an interview with David Maples where he said that they generally knock out an episode in seven days (most network shows take around 10 days to film an episode). So if Marshall is in the opening episode at all (and I'm sure he will be) there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room for him to come in late.

As for episode 2.16/3.1, I agree that it totally depends on what the network/new showrunner wants. If the network really thinks that it is too dark, they might not want to open their new "improved" season that way. Or they could air it to wrap things up, and then in the second episode of the season "jump ahead" in time to where Mary has recovered from her injuries and is back at work and use that as their jumping off point for their new direction.