Author: Amber Dowling

March 07, 2016 8:00pm PT by Amber Dowling

 Courtesy of Ben Mark Holberg/A&E

“No one in Damien’s world is safe,” showrunner Glen Mazzara previews following those early death scenes.

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from the series premiere of A&E’s Damien.]

When 5-year-old Damien took audiences by storm as the unintentional antichrist in the 1976 film The Omen, few knew it would lead to several horror spinoffs and remakes. On Monday, the next stage of that resurrection unfolded on A&E with the series premiere of follow-up series Damien.  

The series picks up 25 years after the horrific events of the first film, when a 30-year-old Damien (Bradley James) is celebrating his birthday in Damascus by photographing a local siege. However when a mysterious woman grabs a hold of him he’s suddenly thrust back into long-forgotten flashbacks of his former life, and the doors to hell suddenly reopen. Before long he’s dealing with plenty of death, destruction and doom on a global level, setting up the rest of what’s bound to be a hellish season for anyone who crosses his path.

To learn more about Damien’s path, what kind of rules surround these character deaths and the role the bible plays in future installments, THR caught up with showrunner Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) to preview what to expect from the first-year series.

Why was photography the perfect profession for this character?

Damien has been looking for a rational explanation for all of the death and destruction that follows him everywhere and as a war photographer he’s been putting himself in situations in which people are suffering, there’s been high casualties, and it’s just a matter of time before he realizes that he’s not just a witness, but a participant.

Is he attracted to that suffering even though he can’t explain why?

He’s attracted to people who are at their lowest point, people who are in pain. Damien’s attracted to pain. He’s attracted to hurt, he’s attracted to people who are on the edge, they’re losing what little they already have. He sees himself as being like that in his own life, but he’s also looking for answers in places where other people don’t go.

How deep into the biblical references did you go in researching this?

I’m interested as a writer in the formation of the early Christian church in ancient Rome and looking at my bookshelf I have tons of books on that material. I’ve also spent a lot of time reading and learning about Christian theology. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. My uncle’s a priest. So I really wanted that to be part of the show. When the writers came in that was something we talked a lot about, it’s a very large part of the show and the backstory. It’s not something we just threw in, we take it very seriously. I feel like we’re being respectful. As characters are introduced they may have different points of view and agendas. I think that adds a different layer to the show. It’s something that continues to develop throughout the season.

What kind of tone does killing the main love interest off in the pilot set?

It sets the stakes, that not only is no one in Damien’s world safe, but it also makes him desperate. He wants to have a relationship. He wants to be close to people, he can’t. He wants to protect people, he can’t. And yet even if he tries to drive them away he puts them at risk. He has no good options. That really shows the situation he’s in but it also helps to explain certain parts of his personality. It shows where he’s been the past 25 years and what kind of life he’s been forced to lead.

Eventually to get answers he’s going to have to get close to some people, what’s your show bible on dealing with those deaths?

It’s different for every person and the roles are always changing. We as writers may understand the game that Satan is playing with Damien but I wouldn’t say there are any fast rules that people can use to stake stakes. So the audience will hopefully be on the edge of their seat and always guessing because what’s true in one moment might not be true in the next moment.

The initial pilot has a lot of set up with the original Omen story, is that a launch pad or you do you keep going back?

We use those to orient the audience up front and as Damien as this event that uncovers part of his subconscious that he’s buried, that this trauma comes back to him, we gain a lot of information. We gain information as he gains information and we have to deal with it as he deals with it. But the show pretty quickly becomes its own thing. Even though it has its roots in the film we become very hooked into Damien’s story in the present day.

Beyond the pilot what kind of international scope will the show have?

Damien’s role as a war photographer is very important, it puts him on a world stage. Whether the rest of the season plays out in New York—New York is certainly a big part of it—but a big part of the show is that Damien is a world wanderer.

Can you compare the original six with the back four episodes, given that you had different writing staffs and different networks?

We hadn’t figured out what Damien’s arc was. Before I saw the show I had figured out Damien’s arc for the first season and for multiple seasons. Whether that plot still gets developed and changed as you find things and cut certain other things, emotionally I know the journey that I want this character to take. When we first had the first six episodes, it actually felt like that journey was a little rushed and that we didn’t have the opportunity to go as deep into the characters as we wanted. So when we moved to A&E and expanded the order, it really gave us the opportunity we wanted to dig in and spend time with the characters and get to know them and care about them.

Does that mean your original season ender was extended to the finale episode?

We were able to take the end point and move it to the finale and really build out and deepen the connections of the characters so that the finale lands. I have to say I think that finale is one of the best episodes of TV I’ve ever worked on. I’m so excited for people to see it. When you see how everything in season one comes together in that finale in a very surprising way, it’s going to kick ass.

What would your ideal season order look like given how far you’ve plotted this out?

I do have a game plan and I’m not sure A&E or Fox would want me to say because I don’t want to box them into something. But we do have one and hopefully we’ll get the opportunity to tell that story. There’s a lot of story and what’s fun about writing a psychological thriller like this is that there’s not only twists and turns with the characters but there’s obviously twists and turns with the plot. If we get to tell the full story the audience will be surprised because there’s a lot of unique territory we can go into that hasn’t been told with this type of character before.

Damien airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on A&E. What did you think of the pilot? Sound off in the comments below.

Twitter: @amber_dowling

Damien

March 07, 2016 7:00pm PT by Amber Dowling

 Courtesy of Bettina Strauss/A&E

“This is a jacked up season,” teases co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin.

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from the season four premiere of A&E’s Bates Motel.]

It’s official: After three seasons of falling deeper into his own brain, Norman Bates has gone Psycho. A&E’s Bates Motel returned Monday with a bloody season four premiere in which Norman’s (Freddie Highmore) erratic behavior finally caught the notice of authorities and he was locked into a public institution for observation. Not even Norma (Vera Farmiga) was able to use her charms to save her son from the torturous place, making it clear that she can no longer protect her son as she had hoped.

Meanwhile, Emma (Olivia Cooke) finally received a much needed lung transplant, with Dylan (Max Thieriot), her father and her long-lost mother by her side. Unfortunately the reunion between mother and daughter may never happen thanks to Norman’s disillusioned descent by the closing moments of the episode.

To preview the rest of the fourth season and find out what this mental institution twist means for the series going forward, THR caught up with co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin.

Is it safe to say that Norman is in full Psycho descent in season four?

Yeah, he’s pretty fully Psycho. There’s always room to grow, but this is a whole new Bates Motel in terms of his digression.

Where does that leave the Norma/Norman relationship?

That’s a big part of the storytelling. Norma becomes more aware of what’s going on with Norman. It’s really a question of, as a parent do you put your own well-being first or does that get superseded by that mother instinct to protect your kid. And that’s very much a part of the storytelling this season.

The first two episodes are pretty intense – does that pace continue throughout?

The pace is jacked up because Norman is more unhinged, but there’s also variation in tempo throughout the season. There will be parts that are more thoughtful and character-driven, but there is still going to be heart and humor in it; it’s not going to be nonstop suspense and terror. But this is a jacked up season.

Norma proposed marriage to Romero, who politely declined. What was it like crafting that?

Well what else would you expect from Norma? Here’s a woman who is afraid probably on a deep level, to actually trust this guy that she really has feelings for. So she just presents it on a very practical level because she doesn’t want to get to any of the vulnerable part of whether he actually likes her and vice versa. It’s almost put on a very practical level where she can kind of stay emotionally safe. Obviously all that other stuff is playing under that so it’s pretty loaded.

Norma seems to be failing at using her sexuality to much success this season; is that a part of her own personal breakdown?

Norma deploying her sexuality has always been in her arsenal; she’s fallen back on it from time to time. In a way it’s more about her charm than specifically her sexuality even though they’re wrapped up together. She’s desperate and terrified—she’s made a lot of bad moves, a lot of bad decisions, and it’s gotten to a point where her son is now in a county psych ward and she can’t even have access to him. She would do anything, as any mother would.

Do you see her as a “Christian scientist” or a mother in denial?

The difference is a Christian scientist would view it as a philosophical choice. And her decisions weren’t made in an analytical part of her brain they were made in her gut and fear and damaged psychology of being left alone. Norman was the only one always, always there for her. There’s a part of her that’s scared if she’s separated from Norman she will literally die—she will cease to exist. And that’s always been a part of the co-dependence of that relationship.

How do Norman’s increased visions open up the storytelling?

The beauty of Norman’s brain is that it opens up everything, which is great for storytelling. One of the things we love about the show is the fact that there are no reliable narrators. Everything is about perception, memory, motivations and how they want to remember it. It all plays into what the actual truth was. Norman’s derailment opens up the history of his entire life and existence, and part of the ride this year is going into places with him that have sort of formed him.

Could he get better before he gets worse?

We certainly hope so. As writers you have to approach the storytelling with hope. It wouldn’t be the same show if we creating it did not fully hope and want them to get help. And we do, and we hope that he will.

How much time will be spent delving into the mental institution side of things?

That’s a fun new world and part of Norman’s journey to try and unravel what’s happening inside of him. He is befriended by a fellow patient who he becomes close with and who has an affect on Norman. It’s a fascinating journey of his actual psychology of Norman and trying to get underneath that. Damon Gupton is a wonderful actor who is portraying Dr. Edwards: a psychoanalyst that works with Norman. There are some beautifully compelling, dramatic scenes coming up.

Emma and Dylan have a separate journey, what can you preview?

Getting a lung transplant is a pretty singular journey. It definitely takes precedence for her story. Dylan is very connected to her and part of what he’s dealing with early on is how do I deal with this. They flamed up pretty fast and the next thing is she’s getting a lung transplant … so in the light of day after all that, are they actually together? She’s like a whole new person and what does that mean for him? He’s spending a lot of time with her and it’s a different environment for him. As one dysfunctional person becomes welcomed into a more functional family that can alter how they perceive their own family. Dylan will be dealing with a lot of that.

What does this season’s body count look like?

I don’t think of it that way so it’s really hard for me to answer that … all I can tell you is that the velocity is raised. But it isn’t specifically attached to body count.

Is it easier for Norman to kill now?

No, it’s never ever easy for him to kill. It always comes out of the same place which is fear for his survival. That’s not going to change. What you think of of serial killers who don’t have empathy, he’s not that guy. This is a completely different set of circumstances and it’s always hard for him to kill people.

Are you planning to pay more homage to Psycho?

There are actually a couple of good ones coming up this season, we just like to integrate them when they kind of organically happen in a story as opposed to writing the story to the homage. We don’t ever want the cart to leave the horse but there are some good ones this year. I think fans of the movie will enjoy that. Saying more would totally spoil it. When you think of Psycho the images are not subtle — there’s no way to tease it out.

By the end of the season, how much closer will Norman be to the Norman Bates from that film?

I don’t think we’re far off. Who is Norman from Psycho, if you had to describe him? He’s a nice, polite young man who runs a hotel and sometimes his mother kills people. So I think we’re there.

Bates Motel airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on A&E. Thoughts? Sound off in the comments below.

Twitter: @amber_dowling

Bates Motel

March 06, 2016 8:00pm PT by Amber Dowling

 Phillippe Bosse/ABC

“While there is a lot of character connection and romance, all of that soap-like stuff is being doled out more slowly and much more realistically,” showrunner Josh Safran tells THR about the second half of the freshman season.

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Quantico‘s midseason premiere, “Alex.”]

Just when Alex Parrish (Priyanka Chopra) thought her name had been cleared, it turned out that first terrorist attack was only the beginning of her nightmare. ABC’s Quantico returned Sunday night fresh off the news it had been renewed for a second season with the action more or less picking up where it left off in the winter finale.

The hour opened several weeks into the future, with Alex taking the stand to testify that she believed there was more than one terrorist involved in the bomb at Grand Central Station, as well as the follow-up attack that killed 32 FBI agents, including Clayton Haas (Mark Pelligrino). Meanwhile, during the present-day scenes, the Quantico trainees merged with another class leading to high tension and several new frenemies.

By the end of the episode, it was clear there was indeed more than one terrorist involved in the attacks, as Alex walked right into another trap set by the mysterious person and Vazquez’s (Anabelle Acosta) life hung in the balance.

To check in on Alex’s newfound isolated state and what comes next after that massive twist, THR caught up with showrunner Joshua Safran.

How is Alex’s newfound isolation going to affect her down the line?

As the person who is being manipulated, Alex is going to feel even more isolated from people because she can’t tell them what’s going on. But at the same time, she finds a couple of allies, especially after the end of the episode — Vazquez at least knows she’s right. So she has her and she picks up somebody else as well. That really gives her a bit of a home base to ground her. But it is really hard and it gets increasingly harder the longer she’s being tasked by this terrorist.

Is saying Vazquez is on her side a spoiler given that she was strapped to a bomb at the end of the episode?

Her life is definitely in the balance. This terrorist is threatening Vazquez to keep Alex in line, but it isn’t just Vazquez whose life is being threatened, which we’ll discover in the next episode.

By the end of the episode is it safe to say Alex is basically back to square one in terms of this mastermind wanting people to think she’s a terrorist?

Not square one, I’d say in many ways the terrorist has gotten to a new level in that Alex is the last person anyone would suspect of doing anything after having been cleared of all charges and being framed. She’s the perfect patsy. So, yes, she’s at square one, but in a weird way she’s past a line. She’s not on the run and she’s not framed.

Alex being reinstated at the FBI is actually a big part of this terrorist’s plot then?

Correct, very much so. You will see in the very next episode she is tasked to do something within the FBI.

Clayton Hass (Mark Pelligrino) was one of the 32 agents who died in that bombing. Are there more casualties to unroll?

There is definitely a mystery as to what happened to certain people that we haven’t yet seen, but they are not dead. They may be injured or emotionally scarred to the point of no return. There’s definitely some reverberations for people that are beyond life and death.

In the present day we see the merging of the two classes. Does that open up more future connections to play with?

Unlike the first half of the season, there’s less before and after with this new class. This new class stays primarily on the Quantico side because Alex has so much that she has to deal with in the future side. We decided to keep things more separate, but that isn’t to say that Alex isn’t learning stuff from those new recruits at Quantico that we’re going to see her use in the future.

What about the new recruits’ back stories in the present day?

The three main ones get as much back story time as our initial cast did in the pilot. We really spend a lot of time with them. When you’re kicked out of Quantico you’re actually kicked out — you can’t come back reformed. Ryan (Jake McLaughlin) is gone, Simon (Tate Ellington) is gone. People are going to continue to either leave of their own volition or get kicked out. As that happens it allows us to spend more time with the people that are there. In some ways, you get to know these guys more than you did in the first half of the season.

Does bringing Miranda’s (Aunjanue Ellis) son into the fold blur the lines of professionalism between her and the students?

That is very much the story that we’re telling. It lines up with what we’ve heard pieces of in the future timeline, in the pilot and episodes two and three. We also know that Miranda has gotten downgraded in the future. All of this stuff will catch up to itself, but the question isn’t so much just about Miranda and her son. It is about what lines has she crossed that she shouldn’t have crossed being the person who is tasked with creating the next group of FBI agents.

How does that differ from Liam (Josh Hopkins) and the lines he’s crossed — is his promotion a case of sexism of sorts?

That is exactly the story—it’s like Miranda said in the pilot that the glass ceiling exists in the FBI for women. She watches other people do things in error and get promoted and that is 100 percent the story between her and Liam moving forward. There’s a line that we cut in a future segment where when Miranda saw Liam again after she was released from being held for questioning she said, “I didn’t mind you stealing my job, I mind that you did it so poorly.” I wish we’d kept that in. 

How are the romances going to play in the back half?

We turn down the soapy connections. We were excited at the idea that Shelby was going to have an affair with Caleb’s father, but we put all of that information into one episode so it made your head spin. Moving forward, while there is a lot of character connection and romance, all of that soap-like stuff is being doled out more slowly and much more realistically.

What can you tease about Shelby’s “sister” and how that impacts the future?

That story twists in a new direction by episode 15. Most of the stories that have been bubbling in the Quantico timeline that look as though they don’t connect to the future timeline pretty much come to a head in that episode.

Now that you’ve gotten an official renewal, has your first season finale or season two game plan changed at all?

No. I’m a big fan of wrapping up a storyline that you set out in a season and not carrying it over. You can carry out character dynamics and go deeper into what you’ve established, but I always planned for this to fully wrap up by the end of the season. The Josh Whedon/Buffy style of storytelling, which is your big bad is vanquished at a certain point but not without leaving a bunch of stuff in their wake that launches the next season. So everyone will get the answers they want — some of those even before the season finale. Then in the season finale, the world will shift and change.

Anything to add?

Alex wasn’t the terrorist before, but now she’s going to become one and no one is going to know — and maybe also not believe her should she say anything. While she’s watching everyone deal with the fallout of what’s happening to them, she also knows she’s instrumental in what’s to come and she can’t tell them. Unlike shows I’ve worked on in the past, we’re not saving our big moments for sweeps episodes or every couple of episodes. Really dramatic, life-changing events happen when you least expect them. 

Quantico airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC. 

What did you think of the midseason return? Sound off in the comments below. 

Twitter: @amber_dowling

Quantico