TNT’s preparing for season three of the alien invasion drama Falling Skies, with the cast and crew now gearing up for the next season. According to TNT’s start-of-production announcement, the sci-fi series was basic cable’s top-ranking drama among adults 18-49 and 25-54.

Falling Skies stars Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight, and Connor Jessup. The series is executive produced by Steven Spielberg with DreamWorks Television producing.

This upcoming season will find Gloria Reuben guest starring as Marina Perlata, an “aide to Wyle’s Tom Mason.” Robert Sean Leonard (House) will also guest star as Roger Kadar, “an obsessive but gifted scientist who runs the local power grid and lives underground with his pet rats, earning him the nickname ‘The Rat King.'”

Falling Skies will return for season 3 next summer.

Season 3 Plot: As the new season of Falling Skies opens, seven months have passed since the survivors of the 2nd Mass reached Charleston, which has been named the capital of the New United States. Now elected to public office, Tom (Wyle) has taken a more aggressive approach to the alien occupation than former leader Dr. Manchester.

The government has formed a tenuous alliance with a band of rebel skitters who now paint their faces with a red and yellow stripe before battle in honor of Red Eye, their fallen leader. Tom’s son Ben (Jessup) serves as the mediator between Mason and the rebel skitters. But the alliance may not be enough to overpower the enemy Espheni, whose forces are now being led by an even more sinister overlord. To complicate matters further, another race of aliens has just entered the battlefield.

Charleston also faces dangers from within its own walls. Recent battle losses have convinced Tom and the military that there may be a mole feeding strategic plans to the Espheni. Despite the threats they face, the survivors living in Charleston are doing their best to rebuild their lives. Dr. Glass (Bloodgood) and Tom are focusing on their growing family. Newly promoted to Colonel of the 2nd Mass, Weaver (Patton) is enjoying a renewed relationship with his daughter. Hal (Roy) is recovering from mysterious injuries he suffered while trying to destroy an alien superweapon.

Meanwhile, his romantic pursuit of Maggie (Carter) is finally starting to see positive results, though she has a growing concern that something is wrong with him beyond mere battle injuries. And Pope (Cunningham), the non-conformist leader of the Berserkers, has set up his own little Popetown on the outskirts of Charleston.