In a surprising yet somewhat expected twist, the Georgia Court of Appeals has decided to hit the pause button on the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump. The court has signaled that the case will remain on ice until a panel of judges rules on the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, injecting a dramatic new subplot into this already convoluted legal saga.

Despite the recently jaw-dropping Netflix docuseries level of courtroom drama we’ve been accustomed to, it appears we’ll be waiting until March 2025 for the curtain to drop on Willis's disqualification issue. That's right, this drama has a longer running time than your favorite courtroom thriller—with no commercial breaks.

Initially, Judge Scott McAfee from Fulton County Superior Court decided to let the proceedings roll on while the appeal was under consideration. Clearly, McAfee is a follow-the-rules type, or perhaps he just didn’t want to binge-watch another season of this legal thriller. However, the stay issued by the appeals court applied only to Trump and the eight co-defendants who requested Willis’s disqualification. Cue the twist: the reason for attempting to boot Willis out of the case was her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade who, in a plot line worthy of a soap opera, served as a special prosecutor.

The appeals court has tentatively penciled in October 4 for oral arguments on the disqualification issue. Until then, we’ll all have to content ourselves with reruns of past legal dramas or, heaven forbid, read a book.

This dramatic pause in proceedings makes it exceedingly unlikely that Trump will find himself in a courtroom before the 2024 presidential election, because why resolve a plotline cleanly when you can extend it through sweeps week?

In the background, the undercurrent of romantic entanglements and procedural twists has added layers to this complicated case. DA Fani Willis’s love life may sound like it belongs more on a reality TV show than in serious court documents, but here we are.

For now, let's recap: Trump faces 10 charges in Georgia’s election subversion case. Four of his co-defendants have already folded like a cheap deck of cards and pleaded guilty after reaching plea deals with prosecutors. Their quick exits from the drama saga make one wonder if they peeked at the script and decided to fast-forward their scenes to avoid the inevitable court dates that now seem years away.

Will this extended intermission live up to the hype and expectations? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure: in the theater of American politics, the show must go on, though it appears the directors have opted for a slow-burn narrative arc this season. Stay tuned, keep your popcorn handy, and perhaps invest in a comfy seat cushion—this legal thriller isn’t wrapping up anytime soon.