Amy Acker

If you haven’t been tuning in to ’Human Target,’ it’s not too late to start this week. The season finale (’Christopher Chance’), which airs tonight at 8PM ET on Fox, presents the perfect opportunity for new and existing fans alike to get a glimpse into the back stories of the series’ three lead characters.

’Human Target’ — about mysterious and clever private security contractor Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) who has his own set of rules to protect clients from dangerous and imminent threats — is original, refreshing, fun and action-packed. Jackie Earle Haley, who plays Chance’s well-connected, tech savvy and trustworthy friend Guerrero, accurately describes ’Human Target’ as a show where fans "grab a beer, sit on the couch, throw their feet up and take a ride."

Recently at WonderCon in San Francisco, Fox screened the very satisfying season finale, followed by a panel with stars Valley and Haley (series regular Chi McBride, who plays business partner Winston, was unable to attend). ’Christopher Chance’ features flashbacks that provide more than a cursory glance at how Chance, Guerrero and Winston came to be associated with one another.

It is very apparent that Valley enjoys playing Chance. When he was offered the role, based on the comic book ’Human Target,’ "I thought it was fantastic," he said. "I just gobbled up as much information as I possibly could about the guy and used that as a point of departure. As an actor, I’m not creating a sculpture of Christopher Chance; I’m an interpretive artist."

As for the 12th and final episode of the season, Haley "was really thrilled to read the season finale. I loved the script. It was such a satisfying last episode. We get some wonderful answers but there are still more questions, and I like that. I don’t want to learn too much about Guerrero, because that’s what makes him fascinating."

Haley has been playing Guerrero "like these guys go way back. I think they’re both kind of alone in this world. I think Chance has been a little brother to Guerrero as well as a big brother. I think Guerrero knows that Chance needs a father figure."

Executive producer and writer Jonathan Steinberg added that the back story is "the backbone of the show, the soul of the show. In a good finale, it has to be something that is center stage."

If ’Human Target’ is granted a sophomore season, there is talk about adding a female lead into the mix. According to Valley, "There might be. Anyone who has ever been on the show could be a female lead. I’d like to see them bring back as many of our guest stars as possible."

Steinberg remains hopeful about the series being renewed. "There are a number of stories we want to tell; there’s an arc and a spine to a second season, and a long mythology." he said. "We’re excited about season 2, and hopefully we get to make a lot more."

The season finale features an impressive lineup of guest stars, including Amy Acker, Armand Assante, Lee Majors and ’Jericho’ alums Lennie James and Timothy Omundson. ’Christopher Chance’ airs Wednesday at 8pm ET on Fox.