The Series: Season 2

"Events are beginning to spiral out of control... "

—Tagline

Season two of Mercury Rising: The Series first began airing on the USA Network on October 29, 1999 with A Big Puzzle, Part 2 and concluded on March 3, 2000 with Leadership, Part 2. The main story arc of the season focuses less on the conflict with the rogue Donaldson and Zero Section, but rather that of rising terrorist threats and various unknown elements seeking the use of Simon's unique abilities, exactly what the late Nicholas Kudrow feared would happen. But, by season's end, a crisis will test the true limits of many of Simon's abilities, and make unsure the boundaries of trust for him and many he knows for a long time to come.

Cast

Character	Portrayed by	Main Cast	Notes
Simon Lynch	Miko Hughes	entire season
Special Agent Art Jeffries	Bruce Willis	entire season
A-SAC Tommy Jordan	Chi McBride	entire season
Peter Lynch	Benji Gregory	entire season
Stacey Siebring	Kim Dickens	entire season
Colonel Robert Donaldson	Sam Neill	entire season
Major James Striker	Gary Oldman	entire season
SAC Joe Lomax	Kevin Conway	entire season	credited as "also starring"

Episodes

# in series	# in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original Airdate	US viewers (millions)
17	1	"A Big Puzzle, Part 2"	N/A	Peter Horosz	October 29, 1999	16.00
After Alter-Simon is nearly killed by Ridd, both he and Simon realize the only route to freedom is an eight-thousand foot drop into mountainous terrain...
18	2	"Marked"	N/A	Peter Horosz	November 5, 1999	15.67
While in Virginia with Tommy after shutting down Zero Section operations, Jeffries clashes with an old opponent, Hartley, over an FBI manhunt for Simon, while the boy himself is avoiding Zero Section's manhunt deep in the Appalachian wilderness after his harrowing escape.
19	3	"Simon is Going Home..."	N/A	Peter Horosz	November 12, 1999	15.40
Simon is finally able to reach civilization, near the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but with Donaldson's team still hot on his trail, and the FBI finally on their way, the boy's troubles are far from over.
20	4	"Verführen Hirn"	Peter Horosz	Peter Horosz	November 19, 1999	*16.78
A severe seizure nearly kills Simon and puts him into a coma, sending Jeffries out look for answers. His search takes him to somewhat eccentric MIT professor Gerald Hackman, who may have answers to Simon's condition, and perhaps even a way to treat it... Note: Most viewership of season and 2nd record for series' viewership.
21	5	"Dangers of the Yukon"	N/A	Peter Horosz	November 26, 1999	14.59
When Jeffries takes Simon on a vacation to Alaska to unwind, they unexpectedly encounter an illegal gold-mining operation along the Yukon River. As a result, Simon is abducted by Charles Pallor, a highly successful local businessman who owns the property around the mine, as well as a nearby town and most of the surrounding region...
22	6	"'1÷=2'"	N/A	Peter Horosz	December 3, 1999	15.00
A former NSA commander goes rogue and soon sets his eyes on four year-old Peter Lynch reasons unknown, ignoring a pregnant Jenny Lynch, due to soon give birth to twins.
23	7	"Lessons of Conscience"	N/A	Peter Horosz	December 10, 1999	15.35
After their harrowing trip in Alaska, Simon and Jeffries return to Chicago to find that Jeffries no longer has custody of him. It now appears that Simon's mother, thought dead, has somehow survived.
24	8	"New Business, Part 1"	N/A	Peter Horosz	December 17, 1999	15.00
As Kudrow feared would happen, Simon's work has attracted the attention of a powerful international terrorist organization, who want to use his skills to cripple the United States for a major terror attack the likes of which have never been seen...
25	9	"New Business, Part 2"	N/A	Peter Horosz	January 14, 2000	16.05
With Simon in custody of the Al-Renzani terrorist brothers, Jeffries and the FBI race against time to locate them even as Stacey is caught in the middle and Simon is slowly tortured for what he knows...
26	10	"The Real Y2K"	N/A	Peter Horosz	January 21, 2000	16.20
The commander of Scott Air Force Base, Colonel Roger James, is found murdered in his office, and a rogue agent is initially the prime suspect, but other parties may be involved in a plot that could endanger the lives of hundreds of thousands...
27	11	"Troubled Darkness"	N/A	Peter Horosz	January 28, 2000	14.34
Jeffries and Tommy must avoid a series of deadly traps while searching for Simon and T.J. when they are kidnapped by a mob boss the day after New Years', and Stacey attempts to reconcile an issue between her parents.
28	12	"All or None"	N/A	Peter Horosz	February 4, 2000	13.89
Simon is swept into Lake Michigan by a high-tide rip current, but a frantic search for the boy faces the difficult task of a spring storm that could make him all but impossible to find...
29	13	"A Choice"	N/A	Peter Horosz	February 11, 2000	14.00
A breach of the Pentagon's computer systems sends Simon and Jeffries to Washington, while Peter and Tommy's own investigation into the breach takes a most unexpected turn.
30	14	"Flashes"	N/A	Peter Horosz	February 18, 2000	16.00
After passing out in school, Simon is startled to wake in a ruined and completely deserted Chicago. As he fights to stay alive in this new and deadly place, Simon begins to wonder how he got there, and just what happened to this world of ruin...
31	15	"Leadership, Part 1"	N/A	Peter Horosz	February 25, 2000	15.90
Conner Jameson, a double agent for Donaldson and Zero Section, has for years been a rookie in the FBI, but his recent heroics in apprehending the perpetrators of the Pentagon computer breach has given him the unusual position of aiding Jeffries in protecting Simon - something Donaldson and his predecessors have been trying to do for years...
32	16	"Leadership, Part 2"	N/A	Peter Horosz	March 3, 2000	16.57
Peter has been abducted by Donaldson, and even as Jameson has begun to question his loyalty to Zero Section, Simon requests his aid in finding the only real family he has left. Through a joint FBI-NSA effort, they soon find the facility where Peter is being held, and faced with the opportunity to further cripple their opponents, the joint force reluctantly sends Simon to infiltrate the facility.