Carolina Bartczak

If you could, would you go back in time and stop something tragic from happening to a family member? That’s the premise behind Season 3 of Plan B.

Returning on Friday at 9 a.m. with new characters and a new cast, CBC Gem’s sci-fi drama once again questions whether we should try to change the past.

Abigail (Carolina Bartczak, Painkiller) seems to have it all. She’s the host of a popular morning TV show, champions women’s mental health rights, is approached to run for political office, hangs with her girlfriends regularly and seems to have a great relationship with her 15-year-old daughter, Lucy (Arianna Shannon).

But that all changes, tragically, when Lucy takes her own life.

Reeling from grief, Abigail turns to the Plan B Agency, hoping that going back in time will mean she can prevent Lucy’s death. Of course, it’s not that simple. The strength of Plan B has always been its “what if” question. What if I chose to do things differently? Would it have saved my marriage, my career, my child? Just watching Plan B makes me wonder what I could have changed if I’d made different decisions in my life. Would I be doing something else? Living somewhere else?

Plan B‘s other strength is the calibre of its cast. Leads Patrick J. Adams, Karine Vanasse, Vinessa Antoine and Vincent Leclerc knocked it out of the park in the first two seasons, and Carolina Bartczak keeps the streak alive in Season 3. Watching Abigail’s emotional highs in the first minutes of Episode 1 plummet to the ultimate low by episode’s end is stunning to watch. Her confusion, her shock and her loss are palpable. Co-star Arnold Pinnock (The Porter), as Nick, is up to the task too, bellowing in rage and despair when he sees his unresponsive daughter.

It doesn’t take long for Abigail and Nick to learn how secretive Lucy has been. That friend Lucy was supposed to be staying with? She hasn’t seen Lucy all summer. Her snarky attitude and retorts to Abigail were an unseen hint that not all was good in Lucy’s world.

And so, as in previous seasons, Abigail turns to the Plan B Agency, hoping that turning back time will heal wounds and reverse what has happened. Abigail quickly finds out, however, that leaving the past behind and looking towards the future may have been a better option.

Plan B returns Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern on CBC Gem.

Image courtesy of CBC.

From a media release:

CBC and KOTV today announced that production is now underway in Montreal on a third season of the time-bending anthology drama series PLAN B (6×60). An adaptation of the popular French-language drama series of the same name (now in its fourth season for Radio-Canada), the new season will focus on a new story, starring Carolina Bartczak (Painkiller, X-Men: Apocalypse), Arnold Pinnock (The Porter, Combat Hospital) and Ennis Esmer (Children Ruin Everything, Blindspot). Additional casting includes Arianna Shannon making her screen debut, as well as Jaeden Noel (Orphan Black: Echoes, Invasion), Carolyn Taylor (Baroness von Sketch Show, I Have Nothing) and Grace Lynn Kung (Sort Of, Fallout).

In Season 3 of PLAN B, Abigail Walker (Bartczak), the host of Canada’s top morning TV show, grapples with the devastating loss of her teenage daughter, Lucy (Shannon), to suicide. Tormented by grief and regret, Abigail uses the Plan B Agency to embark on a series of time-traveling journeys, desperate to alter the past and prevent Lucy’s tragic fate. As she attempts to protect Lucy from the toxic relationships that contributed to her downward spiral, Abigail’s actions create ripples that affect not only Lucy’s life but also the lives of those around her. Abigail’s pursuit of a better outcome for Lucy leads her to confront painful truths about her own past, her relationships, and the choices she’s made both for her daughter and for herself. She must navigate the complexities of time travel, grappling with the ethical implications of altering the lives of others. But as Abigail travels deeper into the past, she discovers that the true meaning of love and sacrifice may lie in accepting the unchangeable.

Season 1 of PLAN B, starring Patrick J. Adams and Karine Vanasse, and Season 2, starring Vinessa Antoine, offer gripping, reality-altering drama with unique storylines, showcasing characters navigating life’s what-ifs and second chances. Audiences can watch both seasons on the free CBC Gem streaming service.

A CBC original series, PLAN B is produced by Quebec-based production company KOTV. Jean-François Asselin, who co-created the original French-language series, co-directs with Marianne Farley, and also co-writes with Celeste Parr, for this English adaptation. Asselin & Parr also serve as Showrunners and Executive Producers, alongside Louis Morissette. For KOTV, Louis-Philippe Drolet, Mélanie Viau and Jacques Drolet are Executive Producers and Marie-Claude Beaulieu is Producer.

For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sarah Adams is Director of Current Production, Drama; and Nicola Makoway is Executive in Charge of Production.

Tag Archives: Carolina Bartczak

Preview: Tragic time-travel series Plan B returns for Season 3 on CBC Gem

Production now underway on the third season of CBC anthology series Plan B