Blindspot‘s Executive Producers Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter and cast-members Ashley Johnson, Audrey Esparza, and Rob Brown talk Season 2. Watch the interviews below!
Of all the shows that debuted last year (and there were quite a few), Blindspot is my favorite!
From the very beginning of the pilot, where a totally tattooed Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) emerges from a bag in Times Square, you just know this show is going to take us on a crazy adventure.
Week after week, Team Weller solves crimes based on clues from Jane’s tattoos, but there are *so* many questions—who is Jane Doe? What is her connection to Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton)? Is Jane a good guy?
As we get to know the members of Team Weller, including Mayfair (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Reade (Rob Brown), Zapata (Audrey Esparza), Patterson (Ashley Johnson), and Kurt himself, we come to find that they are all dealing with their own demons.
By the time we get to the end of the season, Mayfair is dead *cries*, Oscar (Jane’s handler/former love interest) is dead, and Weller knows that Jane isn’t really his childhood friend Taylor Shaw.
So where do we go from here???
I was so excited to find out that Blindspot would be at Comic-Con this year, and then even more thrilled when I got a chance to sit down and ask the cast and creators the questions we’re dying to know!
Watch below for interviews with Executive Producers Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter, as well as cast-members Ashley Johnson, Audrey Esparza, and Rob Brown.
***NOTE: As you can imagine, the pressrooms get very loud, making it difficult for the camera to capture our conversations. Actually, in the first interview with Ashley, Audrey, and Rob, you can hear Jaimie (yes, Jaimie!) doing her amazeballs Chewbacca impersonation. Therefore, I’ve included the edited video and a separate audio recording of the interviews.
What would you say are Blindspot’s big themes and how does Season 1 transition into Season 2?
According to Sarah and Martin, they want us to view each season of Blindspot as a book in a book series. Therefore, each season will have a particular theme that will be completed before moving on to the next. In Season 1, the big question is “Who is Jane Doe?” The answer will be wrapped up within the first episode of Season 2 before moving on to that season’s main question “Is Jane Doe good?” And as Sarah tells us, Season 2 will explore how the line between good and evil is really blurred.
Can you talk about the decision to kill Mayfair? How do you go about replacing an actor of Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s caliber?
Martin says that they knew from the very beginning that Mayfair’s character had an expiration date. With that said, they did briefly consider expanding the role into Season 2, but quickly realized it wouldn’t don service to Mayfair or Jean-Baptiste. There really isn’t a way to replace the character, but the loss will be felt throughout the season. At the same time, they’ll be bringing on several new characters, including Archie Panjabi (who plays the head of a secret division of the NSA that’s been tracking Jane Doe).
Speaking about casting, when did you know that Jaimie Alexander was your Jane Doe?
Sarah says that both Jaimie and Sullivan were their number one choices for their respective roles. The first time they met Jaimie, they totally pegged her as a badass, just like Jane!
Audio recording of Martin and Sarah’s interview:
In our interviews with Ashely, Audrey, and Rob, they also confirmed that each of their characters would wrestle with good and evil. In fact, they discuss how it’s really difficult to define the line between the two because every character believes they are doing the right thing. So ultimately, the decision is up to the viewer.
Each of your characters faced some pretty sad developments in your love lives. Any chance for romance in Season 2?
I’m still mourning the death of cutie boyfriend David, and according to Ashley, Patterson is too. There is the possibility of romance, but Ashley says that we should focus more on the relationships between Team Weller who are really solid and there for each other.
Audio recording of Ashley, Audrey, and Rob’s interview:
I am HERE for Team Weller hugs… I’m just really hoping that Jane gets to be part of the scenario too!
At SDCC, Blindspot also debuted the first trailer for Season 2! We see that Jane has been kept by the NSA for quite awhile and questioned by Archie Panjabi’s character. Team Weller really doesn’t trust Jane, but the question remains, can we?
Blindspot returns September 14th on @NBC! #Blindspot #Season2 #Sept14 @NBCBlindspot @BlindspotRoom pic.twitter.com/w4ekTYMMVP
— Martin Gero (@martingero) July 26, 2016