Maddie and the gang unravel deeper, darker mysteries with as much wit and heart as before.
Were in a contained space, so its an automatically small world.
We were thinking, how do we expand a little bit?
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We built it up from there.
And in episode 4, he was mentioned.
Even then, there were discussions of that character.
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So, Season 2 was just a fun expansion on stuff we were seeing in culture.
And then, we got so lucky to find Miles [Elliot], who is just incredible.
Thats definitely the kind of character that depends on finding the perfect actor.
OLIVER GOLDSTICK: Right.
There were other great contenders for that role, but there was something about Miles.
And he was also distinctive in our cast.
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Im a kid from the 70s, so he would have been one of my classmates, quite honestly.
I immediately connected with this kid and I knew who he was.
I knew I probably would have had a crush on him, too, sitting in my art class.
We didnt want to play a stoner, dazed and confused joke.
We wanted to play somebody who was in his own world and content.
Dawn was a breakaway character for us last year.
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We didnt expect people to respond to her the way they did, but it was great.
It gave us a chance to expand the world in a rich way, in a different era.
Thats who weve been dreaming about.
Set in the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, the show follows Maddie, a teen girl stuck in the afterlife investigating her own mysterious disappearance; she goes on a crime-solving journey as she adjusts to high school in the afterlife, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers.
Miles perfectly embodied that guy in his own world who thinks his own thoughts and doesnt need outside influence.
You dont know if youll get to tell us what comes next.
How do you weigh that?
For us, the big thing with this season was that streaming is unpredictable.
We never know if a show is going to keep going or not.
GOLDSTICK: It has to be satisfying and titillating so that you come back.
We wanted to leave that question mark with Wally.
That was important for us.
The whole episode is about difficult choices.
Maddie is leaving people behind who may still be in peril.
Its not clear that these people are going to cross over.
Its not clear that they get a happy ending, even if she does.
What happens in Oz?
What happens to those people Dorothy leaves behind?
Theres one witch thats dead, but what else is out there?
So, it was wanting to create an ending, but also a beginning, as we always do.
All of that is just so sad and tragic, in so many ways.
GOLDSTICK: We like to cry a lot.
What can we tell you?
Our tear ducts are in good shape.
Are you guys always trying to find that balance, so that it doesnt all just break your heart?
NATE: This show has always been a metaphor.
When you leave high school, you leave a lot of friends behind.
You change whats happening in your life and youve gotta say goodbye to people.
Fans love to talk about whos gonna be endgame, but life doesnt really work like that.
Its not about who youre with forever.
Its about what happens while youre with the people you are with, when youre with them.
MEGAN: Yeah, thats growing up.
Its about growing up.
And were growing up our whole lives.
Its not just about when youre a teenager, or when youre in your early 20s.
Thats true of every moment in your life.
You have to move onto the next thing.
MEGAN: And I dont think that were always prepared for endings when were that age.
Thats hard for a lot of people.
They dont tell you that when youre 16.
Its such a fascinating moment to be talking about that.
List also talked about how emotional it was to wrap the final season of ‘Cobra Kai.’
What can you say about where you leave Simon at the end of this and how you handle that?
Is he really dead?
Is he in some other state?
Are we just supposed to be left with all these questions?
Because I have so many questions.
NATE: Youll have to tune in to find out.
Janet getting into Maddies body was a real surprise to both Janet and Mr. Martin.
One of the most interesting things is that something happens that night.
After that big chase and getting Mr. Martin put in there, that activates something in the school.
The living can see it when theyre outside.
Theres something going on.
So, thats to be explored.
What does it mean if you lose yourself trying to save somebody else?
Its that whole oxygen mask thing.
Maddie has a savior complex, for sure.
And Simon cares so deeply that sometimes he loses himself.
Its an interesting direction to explore.
The logistics, youll have to wait and see because we have some really exciting ideas.
Hes the only person who had access to this other world.
If he was lost to that world, what would happen?
It felt very much like, if you go in too deep, you cant go back.
You cant unknow what you know now.
NATE: Something is going on in Split River.
Weve gotta get to the bottom of it.
NATE: And now we know with the hospital that there are more of these hubs.
There are more of these places around town that really have activity, and what does that mean?
Was the title of the finale, Fire, Talk to Me, inspired by theTwin Peaksmovie?
Were you guys influenced by that and David Lynch, in any way?
NATE: Were big Lynch fans.
The title is an homage to that and the filmTalk to Me.
Theres a real inspiration that weve pulled from that series, even with Laura Palmer and Maddie missing.
There are so many visual references, too.
GOLDSTICK: We love the idea of David Lynch and John Hughes co-parenting.
If those two had gotten together and had to raise a child, it would be Maddie Nears.
Season 2 just ended with a shocking twist.
The friendship between Maddie and Simon is so beautiful.
MEGAN: In Season 2, we got a chance to dig into that even a little deeper.
We can survive anything.
That helps us define what the relationship is.
That doesnt mean that theres not tension.
NATE: Its also just so interesting to talk about platonic male female relationships.
For everyone, it is confusing and it is complicated.
NATE: And is that worth it?
Even her boyfriend had not been to her house.
Maddie had a lot to hide.
And Simon was allowed entry.
We really wanted to make it clear that he was the only person.
That was an important element to us at the beginning with these characters.
Wally is the character thats probably evolved the most from who he was when he was alive.
How did you want to approach the relationship between Maddie and Wally, especially in Season 2?
Theres a carpe diem to that.
You have to act on impulse because youre going to lose this person.
NATE: It creates a potential ticking clock.
GOLDSTICK: If she is going to go back, why am I not saying something?
Why am I not acting on something?
Why am I not kissing this person who I want to kiss before its too late?
For a lot of kids, its a really powerful message to say, What are you waiting for?
He played football for his mother.
He did all these things for other people.
Wally isnt great at saying what he wants and standing by what he actually wants.
Thats really a big breakthrough moment for him.
Wally had to learn how to let people know what he really wanted.
Thats what shes needed all along.
With Wally, its all on the table.
He was so open and willing to see the hard parts of her, and he kept coming back.
Thats the beauty of their relationship.
It was not rushed.
Thats what she understood love to be.
Wally upends all that.
She finds somebody that doesnt need those things.
I think thats really beautiful.
School Spiritsis available to stream on Paramount+.
Check out the Season 2 trailer:
