UnREAL, a show about shifting power dynamics on a fictional television series, is shifting its power dynamics in real life. After a sophomore outing that many thought was a wild dip in quality, the Lifetime enterprise is reportedly getting yet another showrunner for its third season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stacy Rukeyser is the woman for the job. Marti Noxon first held the title, but left during the second season, and a New Yorker article revealed that she and co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro had a contentious relationship. Carol Barbee then assumed the role, and now the mantle passes to Rukeyser, who has been with the show from its infancy.
In an interview with THR, the new boss teased some of her plans. While maintaining that she was “proud” of the second season, she did imply that she wanted to bring back some of UnREAL’s mojo, relying less on nutty plotting and more on emotion. “I know what we all want to do—the network included—is really take the time to go deeper with our characters,” she said, later explaining that they “are also really wanting to have some of those darker character moments, some of which were private moments in season one.” Chatting with Variety, she danced around the question of whether Everlasting would tackle a Bachelorette-type structure going forward, describing it as a “very interesting possibility” without giving a yea or nay.