New Call Me Kat Showrunners Tease A Kat/Max Romance, Phil's Drag Queen Boyfriend And A Big Bang Reunion

Fox's Call Me Kat kicks off Season 3 this week (Thursday at 9:30/8:30c) with a considerable number of changes on and off screen.

On screen, Kat Silver is returning from a whirlwind European getaway, ready to embark upon the next chapter of her life after some much-needed soul searching. She's even contemplating motherhood!

Off screen, new showrunners Maria Ferrari (who worked with Mayim Bialik on CBS' The Big Bang Theory before co-creating United States of Al) and Jim Patterson (a fellow Chuck Lorre sitcom vet whose credits include Two and a Half Men and B Positive) are attempting to ground the feline-friendly comedy while staying true to what makes it unique.

"The show itself is interesting because you can do things that are a little bit different than most multi-cams, like have Kat talk to the camera," Patterson tells TVLine. "What we wanted to do [in Season 3] was create a show that has a little more emotion [to it] than the previous couple of years and [present] the reality of what goes on when you're 40."

That comes across almost immediately. "Kat went on her 'Eat, Pray, Love' journey, and she comes back with this idea of who she wants to be and how she's going to change her life," Ferrari says. "That dovetails with [love interest] Max taking a leap and pursuing his [music] dream in a new and more serious way."

But upon their respective returns home, "expectations meet reality," and things don't work out exactly as either of them had hoped. "That's a nice parallel that we explore early in the season."

That, of course, invites an obvious question: Will this be the year that Kat and Max finally pursue a romantic relationship? "We are going all in [on Kat and Max]... but that doesn't mean that there won't still be other love interests [this season]," Ferrari says. Adds Patterson: "We love the dynamic between them. They've had this 'dance' for two years. At some point, you have to try to see what they're like as a couple."

Keep scrolling as Ferrari and Patterson preview what Call Me Kat has planned for its fall run, then hit the comments with your hopes for Season 3.

Season 3 opens with a cameo by Bialik's fellow Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings, who meets Kat on an international flight. "They meet at a time when Kat is trying to figure out her life," Patterson previews, "and Ken is just... trying to relax."

Upon her return, Kat discovers that interim café manager Randi has made several major changes to the business. "Randi has discovered a business savvy that she didn't realize she had," Ferrari reveals, and Kat isn't keen on collaboration. "Kat is a person who wants to think that she's open minded," Patterson points out. "But the reality is that she is very particular and has a certain way of doing things that are probably not the way that Randi wants to do things. It creates an interesting dynamic," which begins in conflict and culminates in an exciting new partnership.

In the Oct. 13 episode, Kat spends the day with Max and his nephew and catches a serious case of baby fever. The following week, United States of Al's Parker Young guest-stars as Brian Anderson, a man that Kat becomes infatuated with on her mission to have a child. "Kat is going to explore whether or not that is something she wants in her life, and part of that exploration is her trying to find the perfect partner to create the perfect child," Ferrari says. "That's where Parker comes in...."

The same week that Young appears, Bialik's former Big Bang Theory castmate Kevin Sussman (aka Stuart Bloom) makes his debut in the potentially recurring role of Ben the barkeep. "We've created a rival bar for The Middle C," Patterson explains. "Kevin and Mayim are so good together. We hope to have him back."

Kat's first-ever fall launch has afforded Ferrari and Patterson the opportunity to plan for multiple holiday outings. "The Halloween episode will have some fun costumes," Patterson teases. "And we're going to have a 'Friendsgiving' episode [in which] Kat throws a party, and she's not known for throwing the best parties."

Then come December, "when Christmas and Hanukkah roll around, we're going to be exploring a relatively new relationship," Ferrari says.

"Phil is going to get a boyfriend!" Ferrari says excitedly. The comedy has cast John Griffin — whose myriad credits include episodes of Castle, CSI and Lucifer — as Jalen, a successful lawyer by day and a drag performer by night. "A big goal for both Jim and I coming into this was to give [Leslie Jordan's character] a relationship that wasn't just off screen. We're really, really pleased with how that is unfolding. Leslie's so good with the jokes, but it's also nice to explore a different side of Phil and show him living a life."

Call Me Kat Season 3 premieres Thursday, Sept. 29 at 9:30 pm on Fox.