Wild Cards: Season Three Heads to The CW in Midseason 2026
Good news for fans who've been rooting for Cole and Max. The CW is bringing Wild Cards back for a third season, slotting the Canadian comedy-drama into its midseason lineup.
The network says season three will launch on Monday, January 26, with a shorter run this time: just 10 episodes. It's a clean, midseason play that keeps the show in the conversation without overextending the schedule.
Up north, CBC renewed the series for both seasons three and four back in May. But there's no decision yet on whether The CW will also carry season four.
Why people keep showing up for this show
Wild Cards is a procedural with a wink. Demoted detective Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti (movies and tv series)) gets paired with con artist Max Mitchell (movies and tv series) (Vanessa Morgan (movies and tv series)), and the two solve cases using clashing styles - his shoe-leather cop work versus her accents, disguises, and schemes. It's a partnership that shouldn't work. And somehow does.
The ensemble helps: Terry Chen (movies and tv series), Jason Priestley (movies and tv series), Michael Xavier (movies and tv series), Amy Goodmurphy (movies and tv series), Fletcher Donovan (movies and tv series), and Jonesy co-star, with Martin Sheen (movies and tv series) recurring. Season two brought in Ally Sheedy (movies and tv series), Marie Avgeropoulos (movies and tv series), Tony D'Angelo (movies and tv series), and Katie Findlay (movies and tv series) as guests - a nice bit of texture across episodes.
The ratings picture (and what it means)
Season two averaged a 0.04 in adults 18-49 and 478,000 viewers on Wednesday nights, including DVR playback through 3:00 a.m. That's down 42% in the demo and 31% in total viewers versus season one.
On paper, those are soft numbers. But The CW has been leaning into lower-cost international co-productions that still deliver fresh scripted hours. Here's what this pickup could mean:
- A 10-episode order suggests tighter, more targeted scheduling - enough to fill a slot, not enough to crowd the grid.
- Moving to Monday gives The CW a little flexibility to test where the show sticks best.
- Season four remains a "wait and see" in the U.S., likely hinging on how season three holds in that Monday window.
Quick refresher for coverage
Format remains case-of-the-week with character-forward banter. Max's scams and social-engineering tricks keep things lively, while Ellis grounds the show with procedural grit. And yes, she still drives him a little crazy. That's the point.
If you're updating grids and calendars, pencil in Monday, January 26 on The CW. Ten episodes. U.S. carriage for season four TBD.
How are you feeling about this pickup?
Did you stick with season two despite the ratings slide? Are you in for another round of cons-meet-cases, or does the Monday move change the calculus for your audience? Tell us what you're seeing - and what you think The CW is trying to build here.
