MR. JORGENSON: [In progress]--well, let’s get started because I have a lot of good questions for you. I want to start with Michael. Joe Pickett does not appear to be embraced by his community. In fact, in the first episode, he’s referred to as the “lame warden” over the radio, which is, you know, pretty personal if you’re just trying to, you know, listen to the radio, driving down the street there. What’s his relationship like as the game warden to the people in this town?
MR. DORMAN: What's his relationship like to the people?
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. You know, obviously, it's not great after the first season. Can you tell us a little bit about, you know, what it's like at this point and how he's--how he's dealing with it and how he's working towards perhaps maybe being more liked or just more respected?
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MR. DORMAN: Yeah. To be honest, I don't think he focuses on that kind of thing, like, how he's revered. He's someone that sees things in black and white, right or wrong, and then his moral compass, he just kind of sticks to that. And then whatever happens as a fallout is always unfortunate, which adds to many fun events on the--in the landscape of Joe Pickett.
MS. GUILL: Joe tends to--
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah, in fact, I--
MS. GUILL: --organize their social calendar and events in the town with the people. So I'd say Marybeth worries more about how Joe's being perceived than Joe does.
MR. DORMAN: I would say that as well.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: I think that's right. She seems a lot more concerned for his safety. There's a good scene in last night's episode where she's, you know, saying something along the lines of "Were you looking for trouble, or did it find you?" and he doesn't seem to quite know the answer to that. So, Marybeth, I have another question for you then in that--or sorry--Marybeth--Julianna, and you've already become Marybeth in my eyes.
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MS. GUILL: It's fine.
MR. DORMAN: Last season--
MS. GUILL: We are one, you know.
MR. JORGENSON: You are one. You're just--you're already protecting him right here on the call.
So last season, your character, Marybeth, Joe's wife, survived being shot while pregnant, but their baby did not. What sort of head space is she in this season, especially as the season opens and we see that she's really, you know--really clearly in that moment still?
MS. GUILL: I think that the undercurrent of this season for Marybeth and also for Joe is the--is life after loss and how a couple deals with grief and the kind of grief that you wouldn't wish upon anyone. So they're still very much in it. Neither of them has processed it fully, because especially with a loss like a child, I think you never fully process it, and it is with you all the time.
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So this--when we see--when we find Marybeth and Joe at the beginning of season two, they're--you find they are year out from the events of that night, where not only did they lose a child, but their--one of their other children, Sheridan, was in grave danger and Joe was in grave danger and Marybeth was in grave danger. And we see that they are on a path that is not fully aligned, and it's a couple that loves each other, but they're missing each other right now. And that's where we begin season two for Marybeth and Joe.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. I really liked that scene, again, in last night's episode, where you said, "I miss you," and he doesn't seem to get it. He says, "I'm right here."
MS. GUILL: Right.
MR. JORGENSON: And I thought that was a really good way to show that.
MR. DORMAN: [Audio distortion] is different for everyone, and it's--you're absolutely right in terms of how both of them are dealing with these events and then the great divide that ensues from that and then how--your journey back as a couple, how you do that. And everyone does it differently, and it's a tricky terrain to navigate, which is really interesting themes to explore.
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MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. I think it's--what's really compelling to me about while watching is that part feels very real that, you know, the idea of having to deal with maybe a miscarriage, for instance, but putting it in a more dramatic situation feels like something is, watching as the audience, like, oh, that seems--that alone is dramatic enough. And then on top of it, you have what Joe is dealing with as the season progresses. So I actually want to talk about that. We have a clip, Michael. As Joe and Marybeth are coping with the loss, something else is going on in the town, and I want to take a look at that.
[Video plays]
MR. JORGENSON: Michael, if there's something strange in your neighborhood, why is this a job for not the Ghostbusters or the sheriff but Joe Pickett? Why is this something that Joe is taking on?
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MR. DORMAN: Because in the nighttime, in the wee hours, he becomes the Ghostbusters.
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: So it's kind of like his alias. It's like Joe Pickett is the Ghostbusters, and then at night, he goes out like Scooby-Doo. You know what I mean?
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah, yeah.
MR. DORMAN: He pulls out his magnifying glass. We call it a magic [unclear] and he's like, "What's happening here? Something's happening. It's me. I'm coming out there."
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: And because whenever there's a situation, Joe Pickett will go out and have a look. You know, he'll have a sniff around.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah, I like that. I like that. That's a--you got some more Paramount+ spinoff material is the other--Joe's other life.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: I hope they're listening.
Okay. While Michael works on a future "Ghostbusters" spinoff, Julianna, Marybeth and Joe's three daughters are having trouble at school. You know, of course, we see there's actual wild animals in the cafeteria, but other than that, what's going on with them, and how are your characters supporting them?
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MS. GUILL: With the kids at home?
MR. JORGENSON: Yes.
MS. GUILL: Well, we--the girls are in a major transition phase because, of course, they're also dealing with their own experience surrounding the loss of their baby brother, their unborn baby brother, but now we have a new child in the house with us, April, who has become their sister and is a part of our family. So, you know, when any new sibling enters the mix, a baby or otherwise, there are challenges with the kids who are in the house.
So while they love each other and they're excited to have her, there's also conflict because it's three little girls sharing a bathroom. You know, three little girls navigating sibling-hood in a completely new way with a totally new dynamic.
And then you've got Sheridan who is trying to wrap her head around the fact that she feels completely responsible for what happened that night, regardless of the fact that she's a child and had no responsibility in it.
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And then you've got April, who is coping with essentially being orphaned and abandoned--not orphaned, of course--her mother is still alive--but abandoned, and her father has died. So she's in a new house in a--with new parents, and it is a really complicated time for these girls.
But the best part about the show really for me is the levity and the life that they bring to the Pickett family, and I love, love in the season watching their dynamic with Sharon Lawrence, who plays Missy, and just how much joy and humor that relationship brings to the show.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. I love that. I myself have three older sisters. So that by itself is already--
MS. GUILL: Do you really?
MR. JORGENSON: That's a lot to deal with. Yeah, just in a--just in regular life, that's--in the best way, it's great. But that's a lot of--you know, that's--there's a lot to deal with, including sharing a bathroom. When you said that, that really struck a chord with me.
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So Joe--I want to talk to you, Michael, about Joe's, you know, feelings about all this too. We see a little bit of him interacting with the kids, where there's that one scene I already referenced where they're so excited for their dad to sort of save the day. And it's actually a really funny scene how they get the--is it a moose or deer? I wish I knew--out of the cafeteria.
MR. DORMAN: Does he?
MR. JORGENSON: Yes. And--
MR. DORMAN: He saved the day?
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. So go ahead.
MR. DORMAN: I said, does he save the day?
MR. JORGENSON: Well, I don't know. I mean, she wants him to. So I guess that's what I'm saying, like that she's watching, and she's like--
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: She said my dad is a Ghostbuster, so, yeah.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah. Here he is. Yeah. It's funny. And Joe has this new offsider played by Keean Johnson in Luke, and Luke is kind of like--doesn't really want to be there, doesn't really want be a game warden, but he's giving it his best. He's like the comic relief, and so he's in there trying to help the situation in that scene that you're talking about. Very funny.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. Tell me a little bit more about Luke. He's kind of--it's almost a Batman and Robin situation, if I can do yet another metaphor here, where he's kind of the--a little bit, as you said, comic relief.
MR. DORMAN: Yep.
MR. JORGENSON: You won't let him sit in the front. That's for the dog. [Laughs]
MR. DORMAN: That's exactly right. You know, Joe is the old grumpy, you know--old hat, and Keean is the young, new, spritely, talkative offsider. It's actually a really fun dynamic between--the two of us had a lot of fun shooting all the scenes that we got to shoot. Keean brings a lot of energy and a lot of excitement, and yeah, it's fun to watch. I think you'll have fun watching those scenes between the two of them. I know I did when I watched them back. A lot of laughs.
MR. JORGENSON: I think, funnily enough, there's the humor there, but then also in moments, it's almost like a--it's almost a horror film, a horror show. And it's very scary in that way and very compelling, for lack of a better phrase. I know I keep saying that, but I was compelled.
When Joe goes searching the forest for Frank, he's warned that the forest is haunted by a Wendigo, an evil spirit, and we actually have a clip of that, of what or who that might be. So let's take a look.
MR. DORMAN: Okay, great.
[Video plays]
MR. JORGENSON: Michael, what is this mysterious man whispering under his breath, and does he want Joe to hear it?
MR. DORMAN: He doesn't want Joe to hear it but--from what I can gather and from the clip, David, but it sounds like he's saying, "Careful what you wish for." Ominous, I would say. It makes me want to watch and see what happens. What's he going to do? What's going to happen to Joe there? Who is this guy? The next frame, that we did miss, is the reveal of just the stature of this individual played by Alex. He is one of the Grimm brothers, who you'll come to know throughout this second run.
MS. GUILL: He's fantastic.
MR. DORMAN: He's--what is that?
MS. GUILL: He's fantastic.
MR. DORMAN: He is fantastic. Yeah. He really is. Yeah. He brings a great character to life or--you'll see. Yep.
MS. GUILL: Yeah, you'll see. Yeah.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: You tease it up pretty well. I don't know.
MS. GUILL: Spoilers, Michael.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah.
MR. DORMAN: Too many--
MR. JORGENSON: I don't know how much--
MR. DORMAN: --nuggets. I think too much.
MR. JORGENSON: I would say he's twice as good as you might expect. Let's--maybe we can leave it there.
MS. GUILL: Ooh.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah. Nailed it.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah. He is. He's twice the size. He's twice as good. Yes.
MR. JORGENSON: Yes.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: I do like--there's a moment, without any spoilers, where you're kind of like, oh, you know, the, the Brothers Grimm, no, we don't--not that title. So I do--I appreciate the sort of tongue in cheek, and we're not going to--we're not going to be quite on the nose there, so that was really good. So we have this happening with someone who is, you know, taking the heads off of fish with his mouth and much more, but on the other track here, Julianna, Marybeth is kind of noticing some other things happening in town. And she does have this legal background. How will she put that to use this season?
MS. GUILL: Ooh. Well, David, first, I have to say I have been--I've promised my daughter, Mabel, that I will tell people that my name is Julianna. She has made me promise.
MR. JORGENSON: Oh, my gosh. Of course.
MS. GUILL: So--
MR. JORGENSON: Julianna Guill. Julianna.
MS. GUILL: Yes.
MR. JORGENSON: You got it. Okay.
MS. GUILL: One time. So she--I say--it's a new thing for me to say it, and then she made me promise. So here I am saying it.
MR. JORGENSON: I'm so glad you did. I don't want to repeat it incorrectly a hundred times. Thank you.
MS. GUILL: No problem.
MR. JORGENSON: You got it. Yeah.
MS. GUILL: So Marybeth--I mean, Marybeth is very good at connecting the dots. She has a knack for seeing what's going on in people's outer and inner worlds and using that to draw conclusions about what's happening. So when she dives into something, she's relentless. She just will not rest till she gets to the bottom of it, and ultimately, that's what we see happen in this season is she comes across a person who is also grieving and wants to help. And this is an interesting thing for her because, as we see in the first couple episodes, while she is very well-intentioned, it doesn't always translate that way. And so she has to navigate her own experience of trying to cope with her grief by helping someone else and realizing that's not necessarily going to work. It's not that simple. And what does that mean for her moving forward in this storyline? And without giving anything away, which is quite tricky to do and to talk about it, she and Joe ultimately unite forces and go down the path together to solving these--the things that are happening in the--
MR. JORGENSON: Things that happened, things that occurred.
[Laughter]
Share this articleShareMR. DORMAN: Yeah. It's the external--
MR. JORGENSON: I think it's okay.
MR. DORMAN: --events that sort of starts to bringing them back together, draw them back. It's so bizarre how they can't just sit and talk about it, because Joe can't name those feelings. But the external factor of the show is what slowly brings them back together as a team. It's really--yeah, it's beautiful.
MR. JORGENSON: I love it. And there's a--there's another character I'm curious about if we're going to see him again. Last season, Joe put the man who trained him in jail, and so I--maybe, as much as you can, briefly tell me about Vern Dunnegan and how he shows up this season.
MR. DORMAN: Vern Dunnegan. So yeah, Vern Dunnegan was imprisoned at the end of the first season, and this season, does he come back?
MS. GUILL: [Laughs]
MR. DORMAN: Do you know?
MR. JORGENSON: I don't know.
MR. DORMAN: I haven't--I haven't watched that far yet. Yeah, I don't--I don't know if--does he come back?
MS. GUILL: I think that those who love David Alan Grier will be--
MR. DORMAN: Should watch. They should watch.
MS. GUILL: Yes. Mm-hmm.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah.
MS. GUILL: And we happen to be two of those people who love David Alan Grier.
MR. DORMAN: Yes. Love David Alan Grier.
MS. GUILL: [Audio distortion.]
MR. DORMAN: Yep. Yeah, exactly.
MR. JORGENSON: These are good teasers, and you know what? If he dies or anyone that else dies, they'll be in the "Ghostbusters" spinoff. So it's a win-win for everyone.
MS. GUILL: Perfect.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah.
MS. GUILL: It's all in the works at Paramount+. They're calling me right now.
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: Oh, they called me on the slipper phone.
MR. JORGENSON: Oh, good. Yeah. Right.
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: They always get me on the slipper phone.
MR. JORGENSON: I haven't seen a phone that big for a while.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: I have a lot of questions about your different phones, but while you're on the phone with Paramount+, we have an audience question from Carissa in Pennsylvania, and she asks, "The Picketts were traumatized in season one. How will that impact how giving of themselves they are, who they trust, and how willing they are to get involved?" We'll start with you, Julianna.
MS. GUILL: That's such a great question. Hello, Carissa.
MR. DORMAN: Hi, Carissa.
MS. GUILL: First of all, thanks for watching. Yes. Gosh, that is so insightful. Of course, their trauma is going to impact how they move through the world, and for Marybeth, her world got smaller. And what she--who she's interacting with, who she is sharing with, how is--how she is speaking, her grief out loud has been very contained. And so in season two, we meet her at a moment where she's just starting to dip her toe in to letting the outside world in again. I think that's the best I can say about that in terms of how she's willing to open herself up at this point. She's not, and it takes--it takes a moment for her to get there.
MR. JORGENSON: Michael, same question.
MR. DORMAN: Same question. Yes. Great question, Carissa, and thanks for watching.
I would say that--and we've spoken briefly about this. I would say that for Joe, it has--it's like a lump in his throat or like a stone in--a rock in his stomach that won't move, and he doesn't want to talk about it, and he can't talk about it. So he ignores it, and that in itself creates a divide with him and his favorite person in his world, his wife. So now there's like a divide between them, and we're going to see how they get that connection back post-trauma.
MR. JORGENSON: Okay. Okay. We have so many little--we just planted so many nuggets, teasers to get ready for throughout the season, so I'm excited for that.
I wonder if any--if the books that this is a--these are adapted from could give any clues to any of the viewers. Have either of you read the books that were--you know, that are inspiration for the TV show?
MR. DORMAN: I haven't read them.
MS. GUILL: You have read a few of them, Michael.
MR. JORGENSON: [Laughs]
MR. DORMAN: I've read--I've read a few of them, but I haven't read all of them. There is so many. The--
MS. GUILL: You know who has read them all? My mother?
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: Yes.
MR. JORGENSON: She's read them all?
MS. GUILL: Oh, yeah.
MR. JORGENSON: Wow. Okay.
MS. GUILL: She's read them all. She read them--she read them all immediately, and so we really should get her on here.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah.
MS. GUILL: But Mr. Box, C.J. Box, has written some incredible, incredible books, and that's--that is why we are here.
MR. DORMAN: Julianna is--
MS. GUILL: Oh, yeah. Are you calling my mom?
MR. DORMAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MR. JORGENSON: He got her on the shoe. Yeah.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah.
MS. GUILL: That's why we're here, and I think that absolutely they can give some insight to what happens in the first season and the second season and hopefully all the seasons moving forward. I think the really wonderful thing about our writers' room in our creators, the Dowdles--John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle--is that they have incorporated and stayed very, very true to the tone of the novels and these--and the titular character and the nuclear family and then also pulled from the experiences of our writers in the room to really build out this show.
But yeah, if you get into those books, you're going to--you're going to get some insight for sure.
MR. DORMAN: They're a lot of fun.
MR. JORGENSON: Okay.
MR. DORMAN: Books really are a lot of fun. Yeah. The ones that I've read are a good read. I ended up not reading too much because I didn't want to be too influenced by the character of Joe in the novels, and I wanted to try and find, you know, our own Joe. But, you know, now that we've done that, maybe I should go back and read the rest of them. What do you think, C.J.?
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: I think whatever you're doing is working for the show. So if maybe--whatever the right balance is to keep that character on balance is good, because I don't want you to be thrown off by what you're doing--your performance on the show.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: But I do have a question sort of related to that and probably a question you've gotten a few times, but I have to ask anyway. You know, I was shocked after consuming the show that--to see that you were from New Zealand, and it's very clear to me now, you know, that unless you're putting on a different accent. But how are you finding this accent for, you know, this person in Wyoming? How are you--or is that just something that came natural, or is that just something you had to work on?
MR. DORMAN: No. I definitely had to work on it. I was going say that I picked it up at a 7-Eleven. It was half price when I bought it. So you get what you get. You don't get upset.
No. I had to--I got a dialect coach. Always use a dialect coach. I find it a real challenge, to be honest. So definitely not the best at doing accents.
MS. GUILL: That is not true.
MR. JORGENSON: Well, I--
MS. GUILL: I'm sorry.
MR. JORGENSON: I was going to say--
MS. GUILL: That's not true.
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: It takes me ages. It does. It really does.
MS. GUILL: Yeah. And I know you find it challenging because it's really challenging, but you're excellent at the accent. It's so good, and I mean, that's what David is saying. You know, it is--it is very surprising when you hear Joe and then you hear Michael. Absolutely. Very surprising. Of course, he is just putting on this New Zealand accent now, and that's a bit confusing too.
MR. JORGENSON: Right, of course.
MR. DORMAN: Yeah.
[Laughter]
MS. GUILL: He's actually--he's Parisian. So, Michael, let's hear it.
MR. JORGENSON: Parisian.
[Laughter]
MR. DORMAN: If you could see like the--you know, like how long it takes me to do that stuff, you would laugh. It's--it is--it's--it is humorous. Some of the things, I just can't say--it's great. The funniest--the best part is when you--you know, if there's dialogue changes on the day and, you know, someone will say, oh, can we try this or try that, and if you don't have a coach with you to help you through that, that's always fun.
MS. GUILL: That's why I'm there.
MR. DORMAN: You have maybe 20 coaches or you just have Jules. The greatest thing was Jules. I'd be like, "Jules, can you just say that once before we do a take? Can you say that for me?" She'd say the word a couple of times, and then we'd give it a--we'd give it a great hot go.
MR. JORGENSON: I love that. Well, now I'm curious if the coach isn't there, it's Julianna, but also you mentioned 7-Eleven. Is there like a--is there a--do you have a favorite clerk that you go to and imitate that guy, or is there a person in your life?
MR. DORMAN: [Audio distortion]--closest. I'll take the--whatever accent is cheapest at the time because they sell accents there, so you know--but they also sell sleep if you're tired, you know.
MS. GUILL: Oh, Michael.
MR. DORMAN: I use it a lot.
MR. JORGENSON: [Laughs]
MR. DORMAN: It all goes into the show. A lot of preparation.
[Laughter]
MR. JORGENSON: What other preparation have you all had to do for the show? I mean, obviously, there's some horseback riding. Is that something you're familiar with, Mike, or doing before, Michael, or was--that was new too?
MR. DORMAN: I am not [unclear].
MR. JORGENSON: That's impressive.
MR. DORMAN: It's--yeah, that--that was the--we get a little bit of training. The wranglers do a great job. They take us out as much as time allows. But whenever I am on a horse, they're always around to make sure that I'm safe. There's some interesting sequences in this season, which really scared me. I was--I was exhilarated. It was exhilarating. I was so frightened that I may have had to change my pants a couple of times. But I did come out with--
MS. GUILL: You were always safe with our team. That team kept you very safe.
MR. DORMAN: They did keep me safe. It's just that I'm not--I'm just not used to how wonderful and powerful horses are, you know.
MS. GUILL: Yes.
MR. JORGENSON: Right.
MR. DORMAN: Like it's awesome. When you're on the--when you're on the back of a horse and it's doing what it does, amazing, you know, but it still has its own mind, you know.
MR. JORGENSON: I love it. There is a particular sequence, which we won't give it away, but I really appreciate it. I think from the--maybe the end of the first episode, so maybe that's up for--but, you know, it's a great--it's a great sequence if you haven't seen it on the horse.
MR. DORMAN: Correct.
MR. JORGENSON: And it's--yeah.
Okay. So we have time for one more question here for Julianna. Do you--what kind of prep are you doing for this show? I'm kind of--is there--what kind of--what mindset are you putting yourself into before getting into the character of Marybeth?
MS. GUILL: Well, the wonderful thing about this role for me is that it is--it's very close to my heart and very close to me, and Marybeth is a mother. I am a mother of two, of two little cuties, and I draw a lot on that, especially for this season, because ultimately, at the heart of this family and at the heart of what Joe and Marybeth strive for is the safety in the--of their--of their children. And that was--they were really shook last season. So that was a huge driving force for me coming into season two is how do we never let this happen again, and I think we both carry that through in what I've seen in this season and what I felt while we were shooting it.
And then in terms of on-the-ground training, we get to do so many fun things. In season one, I did--I did also do some work with the horses, which was very, very fun and made me--it brought me back to my North Carolina roots and getting on horses when I was little. That was really great. And then this season, we did some arms training. Michael, of course, has done a lot of that with Pickett. And then to speak to other characters in the show, Nate Romanowski, Mustafa's character, he works with hawks--and or falcons--sorry--falcons and also did a lot of arms training and bow and arrow training. So there's some fun stuff that happens on the show for--oh, and Sharon this season, she is--she's in the bar singing, which is--I mean, if you know anything about Sharon Lawrence and where she comes from, her background is musical theater, and she just has killer pipes and an incredible stage presence, and I was so excited to see how much that's being utilized, and we all got to do fun extras.
MR. JORGENSON: Yeah, absolutely. You don't even have to, you know, go out and get licensed for sound. You already have her as your soundtrack. It's great. It works really well. And I think all of that kind of is a perfect--wraps it all really up nicely where there's just this whole world building that's happening with this show, and it's really fun to watch.
So thank you both, but unfortunately, we are out of time for today. So, Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, thank you both for joining us.
MR. DORMAN: Thanks, David.
MS. GUILL: Thank you. Nice to meet you, David. Thanks for having us, Washington Post.
MR. JORGENSON: Thank you too.
MS. GUILL: And thanks, everyone, for watching. We really appreciate it.
MR. JORGENSON: Thanks, guys, appreciate it.
And thanks to all of you for tuning in today. To check out what interviews we have coming up, head to WashingtonPostLive.com to find more.
I'm Dave Jorgenson, and thank you for joining us at Washington Post Live.
[End recorded session]
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