The first episode of Wild Cards Season 3 starts the new year with major changes for Max Mitchell. After the shocking Season 2 finale, Max’s life is reshaped by two arrivals: her partner, Cole Ellis, is back on the police force, and her mother, Vivienne, who Max believed was dead, has suddenly returned. This double surprise sets off a dangerous new chapter that mixes a high-stakes crime with complicated family and partner dynamics.
A Month Later: New Job, Old Partner, and a Mother’s Return
The episode begins one month after the events of the Season 2 finale. Max is now working officially as a paid consultant for the Vancouver police, complete with her own badge. Her first day back is immediately interrupted when she is called into Chief Li’s office and finds Ellis waiting there.
Ellis has been cleared of all charges related to his brother’s case and is returning to duty. Chief Li partners them up again immediately. Their reunion is awkward. Ellis, believing Max chose not to join him on his boat trip, has clearly moved on emotionally. He tells Max that if she is uncomfortable being his partner again, he can arrange a change.
“Max has to take it on the chin and accept that this is the cost for her not showing up on the boat that night,” actor Giacomo Gianniotti explained. “Max has been friend zoned and she has to deal with that.”
Meanwhile, the reason Max missed the boat is living in her house. Vivienne, played by Tamara Taylor, is back after 15 years of faking her death. Max is torn between joy at having her mother back and anger over being abandoned for so long. Vivienne explains she fled to protect Max and her father, George, from a dangerous man named Gedeon Varga, from whom she stole millions. Now Varga has found her and wants his money back with interest—over $150 million—or he will kill them all.
The Case of the Week: A Pool Hustler’s Murder
Assigned their first case together, Max and Ellis investigate the murder of a man found shot. Using her sharp observational skills, Max identifies the victim, Tommy, as a pool player from the chalk marks and calluses on his hands. The investigation leads them to a local pool hall, where they go undercover to learn more about Tommy’s world of high-stakes hustling.
They discover Tommy was a “stakehorse” player, backed by a man named Salvatore, and was in a relationship with a woman named Kelly. The case takes several twists, involving bets, fixed matches, and personal vendettas. In the end, Max and Ellis deduce that the killer is Myrna, the wife of a man who lost everything to Tommy in a match and later ended his own life. Myrna confesses, having planned the murder to frame Kelly and get revenge.
A Debt That Demands a Diamond
While Max and Ellis solve the murder, the larger, more personal crisis escalates at home. Vivienne reveals the full scope of their danger to Max and George. Because she was 15 years late repaying the debt to Varga, the amount has ballooned, and they are $30 million short even with the family’s recent windfall.
At the episode’s end, a representative for Varga named Tomo Hayashi arrives at their home. He presents Varga’s offer for their freedom: they must steal a priceless diamond for him. This sets up the season-long “big job” that will force Max and her parents to plan a major heist.
“The whole season is about Max and her parents doing this job for this bad guy to sort of repay the debt and save their lives,” said Gianniotti. “So there’s not a lot of time to work on feelings and repairing relationships because there’s this big, glaring high-stakes heist to be planned.”
A Complicated New Dynamic for Max and Ellis
The personal tension between Max and Ellis reaches a new peak. After solving the pool hall case, Max goes to visit Ellis at his boat house, seemingly hoping to talk. She is surprised to find Jessica, Ellis’s new girlfriend, there. Jessica is an investigative journalist he met while sailing in Mexico. Actor Vanessa Morgan notes this creates a challenging dynamic for Max.
“Obviously, we’re kind of in a love triangle situation. He’s found a new romance. He thought that Max had abandoned him on the boat.”
This encounter solidifies the new, more complicated status of their partnership. They must work together as friends and colleagues while Max deals with her own feelings and the knowledge that Ellis is with someone else.
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Where to Watch and What’s Next
Wild Cards Season 3 premiered on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada. For viewers in the United States, the season will premiere on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8/7c on The CW.
The series has already been renewed for Season 4, which is scheduled to film back-to-back with Season 3 in Vancouver. Season 3 will consist of 10 episodes.
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