There is nothing quite like a good mystery to make the winter feel a bit cozier. That’s why thenew Freeform showThe Watchful Eyeis the perfect thing to satiate your appetite.
The show comes from Ryan Seacrest Productions and is produced by Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay, and Jeffrey Reiner. Reiner will also direct the pilot episode. Here’s what we know so far about the new series.
The Watchful Eye: The Plot
The story begins with a young woman named Elena Santos. Her complicated past has led her to maneuver her way into becoming a live-in nanny for a family that resides in The Greybourne, an exclusive and wealthy building in Manhattan. She is there to work for Matthew, an independent architectdealing with grief and confusionover his wife’s death and its impact on his young son, Jasper. The child is intelligent but withdrawn from the still-fresh death of his mother.
Though we know very little about Elena, her secrets begin to be revealed along with those of the other residents of The Greybourne. Each person seems to have their own story and reasons to distrust the other. Elena will need to navigate the people and the building to learn just what is going on around her and how she can reach her own mysterious goal.
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Mixed in with all the intrigue, Elena befriends a young resident named Elliot Schwartz. He is a typical teenager, inquisitive but watchful, and his input helps Elena with the various twists and turns that The Greybourne throws in her path. His kind nature makes him an instant friend and the two work together, with Elliot dropping hints and advice along the way. The residents of the building all seem to have their own secrets, both individually and in regard to the building itself. Every secret reveals another and Elena’s goal may be pushed aside in favor of newmysteries that need solving.
Elena quickly realizes the type of situation she is in and that The Greyboure houses some very important people who are used to getting their way. One of these people is Mrs. Ivey, a lifelong resident and de facto ruler of the building. There is nothing stopping her from using her considerable wealth and power to get exactly what she wants, regardless of who gets in the way.
There are also issues cropping up closer to home as Mattew’s sister-in-law Tory appears to have an immediate disdain for Elena. The reason is unclear. However, she seems quite protective of Matthew in a way that suggests a previous tryst or former relationship. With her sister dead, does it mean that Tory is moving in on Matthew and sees Elena as an impediment to her plan?
One character Elena seems to use but not completely trust is her boyfriend Scott. He’s cunning and sharp and has used his own back channels to assist Elena in securing her live-in job at The Greybourne. The problem is that he has his own reasons for doing so, reasons that Elena is not fully aware of. But Elena may think she has used him as much as she needed to and is ready to move on to her own plans. This won’t sit well with Scott, who needs Elena’s position inside the building for his own ends.
Rounding out the initial people that Elena encounters is Ginny. She’s a bright spot in The Greybourne and afellow live-in nanny. Ginny is quick to befriend Elena and seems to be one of the few people that can actually penetrate her tough shell. Elena’s reliance on Ginny as the tell-it-like-it-is friend may not be as precarious as her other relationships, but it will be important for her to stay on her toes.
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The Greybourne has been existing in its own sealed environment for decades and with Elena’s arrival, it appears thatall the old ghostsare making themselves known. The intrigue is deep, and the rabbit hole is even deeper. For Elena, there is never a time when someone isn’t watching her every move throughout the building. Each bridge she builds has the danger of burning others. In a world where trust is never a first priority, Elena’s past will come into question and her goals will become harder to identify and achieve.
The Watchful Eye: The Cast
The cast of the show rounds out a group composed of both newer and veteran television actors. The main character, Elena Santos, is played by Mariel Molino (Promised Land). The family she moves in with consists of the father, played by Warren Christie (Batwoman), and his son, played by Henry Joseph Samiri (The Bold and the Beautiful). Veteran actor Kelly Bishop (Gilmore Girls) plays the suspicious neighbor, Mrs. Ivey.
Lex Lumpkin (All That) portrays Elliott Schwartz. The cast is rounded out by Amy Acker (9-1-1: Lonestar), Jon-Michael Ecker (Firefly Lane), and Aliyah Royale (The Walking Dead: World Beyond).
These actors, down to the youngest, are quite familiar to the television audience and are being brought together in a way that can showcase their substantial talent.
Release Date
The Watchful Eyepremieres January 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT witha two-episode premiereand will air weekly at 10 p.m. subsequently, arriving the next day on Hulu. Clearly a cornerstone show for the streaming service, the ten-episode arc will inevitably lead to a second season.
