Mistletoe Murders Season 3 Premiere: Sarah Drew Returns as Emily Lane on Hallmark Channel

Mistletoe Murders Season 3 premieres tonight, Thursday, November 5, at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel during Countdown to Christmas 2026, and each episode streams the next day on Hallmark+. Sarah Drew is back as Emily Lane, teaming up again with Peter Mooney’s Detective Sam Wilner to solve three new Christmas mysteries as her past collides with her present.

Season 2 left us on a cliffhanger, and Season 3 picks up right where it left off. Emily finally told Sam the truth about who she used to be, and the next morning, she opened her door expecting Sam and found Aaron instead. The premiere starts with Emily being confronted by Aaron, played by Aaron Ashmore, and this season leaves her questioning everything she believed to be true. We have waited a whole year to find out what happens next.

The first mystery has Emily and Sam looking into a wreathmaker accused of killing her husbands, played by Good Witch star Catherine Bell. Meanwhile, Violet and June nominate Emily for town Cheerman, hoping it will convince her to stay in Fletcher’s Grove.

Fans of the people of Fletcher’s Grove have plenty to look forward to. Look for a new path for Famous Ray, more fun with our favorite diner owner, Sue, and a look at what our diva Brooke is up to now.

Catherine Bell and Aaron Ashmore are not the only guest stars this season. Holly Robinson Peete also guest stars, and so does Brendan Morgan, who stars in Merry Memories, the Countdown to Christmas movie premiering this Friday as part of week four.

We got to hear Sarah Drew talk about Season 3 on the Hallmark Christmas Cruise 2026. “This season is about Emily wrestling with her past that’s just come back and is threatening to destroy everything she’s built,” she said. “So it’s really exciting. There’s a lot of really fun flashbacks.” She told the crowd the stakes are higher in Fletcher’s Grove this time. “The murders are awesome,” she said. “There’s some really cool set pieces. There’s a whole ice skating show that’s really beautiful and epic.”

Drew also shared a behind-the-scenes story fans will love. She broke her hand 10 days before Season 2 finished filming, so in the last two episodes, “she’s in a cast, she’s not in a cast,” and the crew had to use some movie magic to hide it. “So this season I did not break any bones, which is delightful,” she said.

Everyone was extra careful with her this time, especially for an ice skating scene with Peter Mooney, who learned to skate for the show. “He worked really hard and he does an incredible job,” she said. During a romantic moment on the ice, Mooney got excited, spun her around, pulled her close and went for a dip, and the two ended up falling on the ice with him landing on top of her. Drew laughed that her first move was to scream, “I’m okay, everyone!” Drew and Mooney also met fans together last month at the Jingle Stop Tour’s Chicago stop.