Sadly, this is the last season of the show. How did you hear about that news, and what was your initial reaction to it?
I heard it over the phone. Actually, no — I had missed a call from [creator and producer] Corinne Kingsbury, and then I saw it on the news. I was like, "Oh, that must be what the call is about." It's sad because we could have probably kept telling the story, and I became very close with not only the people on the show but a lot of people I met in Toronto — very close friends of mine. It's sad, but I'm glad to quit before it gets stale or something. It's cool to leave them wanting more.
Do you know if the writers had enough time to write an ending with closure, or should we expect the usual cliffhangers at the end of the series?
No, they were prepared for that. They were prepared for the scenario, so I think they covered ... I know the ending, and there is a nice bit of closure. But I don't think we were sideswiped by it necessarily.
This is the first season without Brooke Markham's character, Jess. What has it been like doing the show without her, and how do you feel about her ending in Season 3?
I thought her ending was powerful, and she's ... Honestly, I always knew she was a great actress, but when I was preparing to direct, I re-watched some of the episodes that I felt had the strongest vision from prior seasons. Rewatching some of her work, she's so good. She's a great actress.
Doing it without her definitely was different. It was a different vibe. The dynamics were a little different, but I thought she had a strong ending. That character, at a certain point, deserved to be like, "Okay, I've had enough," because people can only take so much of people like Murphy. It was a positive ending for a character, and a realistic one, that somebody should finally say, "You know what? I got to get you out of my life now."
Is that definitely it for her, or is there a chance we might see her in the finale?
You never know.
That was the answer I was expecting, but I had to ask anyway.
For sure.
