Under the Dome executive producer Neal Baer discussed the upcoming second season of the hit CBS summer show recently, revealing the major themes of the season and what's ahead of Big Jim (Dean Norris), Julia (Rachelle Lefevre) and more.

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"This is the search to get out," Baer tells TVGuide.com in discussing Season 2. "This is the season of new mysteries that unfold and one of those new mysteries will be if there is a way out."

Baer explains that Season 2 will be about asking the question "why is [the Dome] here" and what is its purpose? These big questions will be explored as viewers get a chance to see those on the outside reacting to the Dome.

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Another larger, yet related theme in Season 2 will be the exploration of science vs. faith.

"That's a theme that occurs throughout the season and it's illustrated through some of the trials that the inhabitants of Chester's Mill face: A plague of pretty desperate proportions, acid rain and dust storms and things like that," Baer teases.

There will be the introduction of a new character Rebecca (Karla Crome), a schoolteacher who is very firm in her scientific way of thinking and viewing the world. Rebecca finds herself butting heads with Julia in the new season, who has become Chester's Mill's leader, much to the chagrin of Big Jim and his supporters.

"There will be certain conflicts that really play out in Episode 4 and 5 between Julia and Big Jim," Baer says. "Who's really in charge? Julia does [have confidence in herself], but at times she does wonder when things go wrong, which they do in a number of ways that shake her confidence to the core. She does have a crisis of confidence in latter episodes. Big Jim feels that he's been chosen and has his own crisis of faith when he learns something that truly shakes him to his core."

Discussing the ultimate purpose of the latest season of Under the Dome, Baer notes that he and his fellow writers wanted to tell a story about "stewardship" in relation to society.

"We really wanted to tell the story of stewardship. Are they good stewards of their environment? Can they work together to make their lives work under the dome?"

Under the Dome Season 2 premieres Monday at 10 p.m. on CBS.

Tags: under the dome television CBS