Allison Tolman 'shocked' when she learned the reveal in Episode 3 of Emergence

Attendees of the Emergence panel at New York Comic Con on Thursday were treated to an advanced screening of the next episode of ABC’s new sci-fi thriller series. And although the moderator asked that we not divulge details of the third episode, star Allison Tolman told the room that she was "shocked" when she first discovered the episode's big reveal, since she expected this to be the kind of bombshell reserved for the season finale.  

"I thought the reveal was going to be a season-long arc," said Tolman after the episode screened. "I was shocked." 

Clearly, the show is moving fast. This is because its showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas want the series to stay ahead of their fans, according to Zabryna Guevara, who plays Dr. Abby Fraiser.

"The showrunners don't want the audience to be ahead of the story," said Guevara. 

Although the cast was careful to not disclose spoilers when fielding questions after the screening, they did note that part of the fun of the next few episodes will be some of the characters catching up with the audience. 

"A lot of the fun over the next few episodes is many of us finding out what you all now know," said Robert Bailey Jr., who plays Officer Chris Minetto. 

"Dr. Abby's going to find out some things about [REDACTED]," Guevara revealed about future episodes. (To attendees, that is; not to you, dear reader.)

Emergence follows a police chief (Tolman) who takes in a young child (Alexa Swinton) she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a massive conspiracy with the child’s identity at its center.

Episode 3 of Emergence, "2 MG CU BID," airs 10 p.m. ET October 8 on ABC.

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