ABC has renewed Quantico for season 3 at the last minute, giving it a reprieve on the eve of upfronts.
When the Keifer Sutherland-led Designated Survivor debuted on ABC, there was a consensus amongst critics and viewers that it was the next 24. Nevermind that the next 24 actually exists over on Fox as 24: Legacy, the presence of Keifer Sutherland in a political thriller will always bring back happy memories of Jack Bauer yelling "damn it!"
Still, neither Designated Survivor nor 24: Legacyis the real 24 successor. That honor, dubious or not, belongs to ABC's other political espionage drama: Quantico. And now season 3 is confirmed. However, expect some major changes.
For starters, Quantico season 3 will be only 13 episodes, which cuts it down to more cable length, which honestly should be fine for fans. But also the series executive producer and showrunner Josh Safran will be exiting the series he created. Stepping away from showrunning responsibilities, he will remain on as a consultant.
Quantico stars Piryanka Chopra as FBI recruit Alex Parrish. In season 1 she becomes the prime suspect of a terrorsit attack in Grand Central Station then in season 2 she must uncover the mastermind behind terrorist cell AIC. Quantico closely resembles the back half of most 24 seasons in which our dogged, frequently abused main character must selflessly uncover conspiracy after conspiracy to ultimately save the world.
It's no wonder fans are dying to know whether there will be a Quantico season 3.
The casting of legendary Bollywood access Piryanka Chopra was a great decision for Quantico. Not only is Chopra excellent in her role but her enormous fame in her home country of over a billion people means a lot of Indian publications have a big vested interest in determining whether there will be a season 3 of the popular show.
Then there's of course that other elephant in the room: the Trump effect. Season 2 of Quantico has done a decent job of adapting its storyline on the fly to be far more conspiratorial - something that viewers may come to identify more strongly with in a time of political uncertainty and upheaval in the U.S.