Fans of Falling Skies were delighted to learn that the intense alien-fighting drama would return for 10 more episodes this summer. Season 2 did leave viewers with some eye-opening cliffhangers: Maggie attacked by a mysterious creature, Hal’s parasite, and of course, the arrival of a new alien (played by Hellboy‘s Doug Jones). All will make for a nail-biting third season. As die-hard fans will agree, the new alien has completely reshaped the mythology and sci-fi aspects of the show. Yet the show’s core remains unchanged—family, survival, and growing relationships.
In this roundtable interview, Drew Roy (Hal Mason), Sarah Carter (Margaret) and Seychelle Gabriel (Lourdes) offer their takes on the many questions left unanswered by season 2’s cliffhangers.
So what’s going on with Hal and Maggie?
Drew Roy: Their relationship continues but in a whole new way. We saw the ins and outs of their relationship, or Hal’s pursuit of the relationship, last season. So we start the new season where we’re more like a married couple. We live with each other and have our own room. And then there’s the thing going in his ear. He needs some help, but he’s not the kind of guy to ask for it. Because of what these two have and their relationship, she’s really the only one who has seen his inner pain. Because on the outside, he’s put up this front of having everything in control.
Does everyone know at this point that he’s been infected?
Drew: Nobody knows. Maggie’s privy to it because of her intuition.
Do we see that Maggie figures it out?
Sarah Carter: Off the top, there’s curiosity as to why Hal’s having these extreme mood swings. He’s treating Maggie differently. She actually finds it sexy at times. And it was really fun to play with that. It wasn’t so much a marriage for me. It’s interesting, how Drew playing Hal would interpret it and how Maggie would interpret it. There’s friction, but there’s deep loyalty and ultimately that prevails.
Does she question his ability?
Sarah: She likes to empower her men. She knows that his spirit will die if he isn’t out in the field. So he’s never emasculated by Maggie in any way.
Does Hal have any misgivings about doing his job competently?
Drew: Yeah, in the same way we saw Tom in the second season. Knowing something’s off, he’s questioning how much he can trust himself. Hal’s going through the same thing. But Tom was infected by Red-Eye, so he’s got the eye bug in him for good. But this time, it’s looking like Hal might have this coming from not such a good place. So he’s having more extreme feelings. And it’s showing itself in a more physical way.
Can Hal get his brother to help him out with that?
Drew: The interesting thing about this season was, they we were all so caught up in our own stories that there wasn’t a whole lot of interaction between us, which is how a lot of us end up going down darker paths and sliding off the deep end. Hal’s already proven that he can take care of himself, so doesn’t need to waste time with Hal. He sort of drifts off into this darker place. Maggie gets to see that. With Ben, you’d think that would’ve been somewhere he could have gone. But at the same time, those two characters have become a lot closer to each other. Still, Hal had a pride thing going on, as well, being uncomfortable about asking his little brother for help. And there’s the fact that he knows something’s wrong.
What about Ben and Matt’s relationship this season?
Sarah: Ben takes on the role of the older brother. Hal’s so wrapped up in his won conflict. Ben steps up and takes Matt under his wing. Actually, Maggie does that too. There’s a lot of coming together for the sake of Matt, which is what brings the family aspect of the show together.
How will Matt and Hal’s relationship evolve?
Drew: Hal’s still caught up in his own problems. Later, we’ll see a little something. But for the bulk of the season, he’s so focused on just keeping everything contained and not letting anything slip because he knows for the benefit of the entire Charleston area that he’s essentially dangerous to people. Does he want to come clean? What does that mean? There’s a lot of people that aren’t happy with that kind of stuff: We got Ben who’s had spikes and Tom’s had the eye bug. We’re like this whole family of half aliens, so do I really want to come out and say, “You know what, I’m feeling a little freaky too.”
Can you comment about interacting with the unknown species?
Drew: With this unknown species coming in, one has to ask, what are their motives? They seem good—they’re definitely helping us. In the very beginning, we see some of their technology at work. But are they really that transparent with us? Having a new alien creates the potential for more drama.
With Jamil dying, will your character take on a more serious role?
Seychelle Gabriel: I think, serious but in a different sense of the word. Serious more in the direction of her life. We come in 7 months after we left off. She’s in a really dark place, and I think that she’s dealt with it, coming to her own peace with it. When we come back, Lourdes is rock solid in the medical arena in Charleston. She’s become a doctor and very helpful, more so than Anne, because Anne’s become a mother, so Lourdes has grown into herself and channeled her hardships into her work.
How will Lourdes’ personality change now that she’s a doctor?
Seychelle: I don’t get to go on all the missions, but everyone comes to the hospital as some point, so I get to work with almost every character. Hal and Lourdes haven’t really connected because of everything’s that’s going on with him and things that are going on with Lourdes.
How do other characters react to Lourdes being such a young doctor?
Seychelle: I think in an apocalyptic world, with kids carrying guns, age is not a big issue. They know that we’ve been on the road for nearly a year and a half, so you’ve got the experience and the degree. There’s also a lot of trust within the group. Charleston has embraced the fact that Lourdes is now a doctor.
What was the most exciting thing you got to do?
Seychelle: I got to say cool things like, “you can’t put weight on that ankle for a couple of weeks.” (laughs) I got to work on some aliens and alien experiments that haven’t been introduced until this season. It’s like a whole new frontier.
Are they tapping into her ability to create biological weapons?
Seychelle: Not so much weapons but definitely to enhance people.
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
