Exclusive: Simone Missick Talks ‘New Beginnings’ On Season 3 Of ‘All Rise’

Riser fans! Season 3 of OWN’s “All Rise” is back and better than ever! Are you ready for the Lola-coaster?

That’s right! Your favorite judge is putting court back in session into its third season, with the support of an entirely new network following CBS’s cancellation last September. New viewers and fans alike can safely settle in for an action-packed 20-episode as per the series’ latest deal with OWN and Warner Bros. Television production. 

So how does executive producer and series lead Simmone Missick (who plays Judge Lola Carmichael) feel about the change? In one word: “excited!” 

“I have been a fan of Oprah since I was a child, she has been on every vision board that I’ve had as an adult, as an actor, Missick says beaming with a smile. “To find out that OWN was the network that picked up our show I knew there wasn’t going to be any questions as it pertained to telling this story from Lola’s perspective.”

Missick refers to her new home network as a “partner” and family, whose goal isn’t to change the show from what it was, all the while upping the ante to what it can be this season.

According to Missick, when it comes to keeping the integrity of “All Rise”, OWN was all about “making sure that every episode was about these characters and telling these perspectives of men and women working in the legal system, especially women of color and victims – people that represent a lot of what America looks like.”

While OWN has made sure to keep the courtroom drama familiar, season 3 is sure to introduce a few new updates that will keep you on the edge of your couch cushion.

According to OWN, Season 3 picks up in the middle of election night with Judge Carmichael anxiously awaiting the results of her campaign. Viewers can also expect Emily to return from Puerto Rico with a new sense of direction for her career, and Luke making his mark within the public defender’s office.

“We get to be a little more daring, a little bit more risky with the stories, the language, with the clothes or lack thereof in different moments,” Missick says with a smirk. Excited by the new prospect of being on cable, Missick says she sat down with co-executive producer and showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence to give Judge Carmichael a bit of elevation. 

“[I said] I really want Lola to be messy this season and she is messy honey like she is good OWN messy too,” Missick says before continuing; “so I think that our returning fans are going to love what we’re doing and I think the OWN fans are going to discover this show and be happy that it is there.”

While there may be new fans getting introduced to new faces, the season 3 cast will continue to consist of your favorites such as Wilson Bethel (Judge Carmichael’s best friend, Deputy District Attorney Mark Callan), Jessica Camacho (public defender Emily Lopez), J. Alex Brinson (public defender Luke Watkins), Ruthie Ann Miles (J.A. Sherri Kansky), Lindsay Mendez (court reporter Sara Castillo, Lindsey Gort (defense attorney Amy Quinn), and Marg Helgenberger (Judge Lisa Benner).

While only time will tell which new faces will make an appearance in season 3, Missick assures that the storyline will head in a different direction.

As many might recall, seasons 1 and 2 incorporated the COVID-19 pandemic into the show and displayed how judges, prosecutors, public defenders, bailiffs, clerks, and police would handle it while trying to get justice for the citizens of Los Angeles in an unpredictable legal system.

Season 3 still picks up during the middle of the pandemic, but with a few adjustments.

“We really wanted to step away from the Covid storyline,” Missick says, recounting how exhausting it has been. “I’m not taking it lightly that we chose to step away from that but we wanted to show these characters in this season’s theme which is new beginnings, so it feels very much like the first season.”

According to Missick, fans can expect to get hit with a wave of nostalgia, mixed with “carefree-ness” and a touch of rejuvenation.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Missick smiles when hearing about comments on social media expressing fondness and pride for the innovative, “All Rise.”

“To be able to play a character that resonates with people [and] to be on a show that people love and care about, but also to be an example of what is possible within this industry; I am so thankful because what I’m doing professional is inspiring people personally,” Missick says. 

You too can feel inspired as “All Rise”, season 3 premieres Tuesday, June 7th, 8/7 central on OWN!