Kaze No Stigma is an action filled anime of modern day swords and sorcery.  Forced to pair up as an investigation team, Kazuma and Ayano work as opposites.  Taking on the role of the mentor, Kazuma offers a smug and intelligent point of vue.  As quick to anger as the firey redhead she portrays, Ayano is as subtle as a hammer looking to kill first and ask questions later.  After proving Kazuma’s innocents in the murders, it’s up to this pair to solve the magical murder mystery….if they don’t kill each other first.  Sprinkle in some infighting with the rest of the Kannagi family and not to mention the face off with Kazuma’s father, there is a virtual powder keg waiting to explode.  Can Japan survive their encounter? If that wasn’t enough to spark your interest, remember the old adage ,  opposites attract.   All things are fair in love and war and Ayano’s father wants Kazuma’s power for the family.  With the aid of Ayano’s friends and Kazuma’s younger brother. the traps have been set for romantic encounters. With high quality animation and a story that will keep you hooked. 

The only true flaw in this anime like so many others like it is the ending.  We find out why Kazuma has returned, how he got his new powers, and we get to see him confront his father.  However, in the last story arc we get a resolution to the problem at hand, but not a definite ending to the encounter.  Left lingering in the air like a stale fart, I was forced to choke it down with my mouths wide open and clearly confused as my head tilted to the side.  Perhaps looking at the ending sideways would offer a second chance for comprehension.  Unless there is more Kaze No Stigma on the way,  I’ll have to accept it for what it was.

Ending woes aside, there are only a few flaws that keep me from falling in love with this anime.  I can honestly say that the series is worth a chuckle and a small investment to get the complete series.

Special thanks to Funimation for supplying this review material. 

Animation:A
Story:B
Soundtrack:B
Ending:C

Overall Score: B

Score Rating Suggestions:

A- A must have. Well worth the price of admission
B- Good. Worth owning if you can get it relatively inexpensive. Netflix this for sure.
C- Meh. Watch it if it’s free and you have NOTHING better to do
D- Trash. Not even worth having on as background noise.

During a visit to the set of the new USA Network show, Suits, Hoffman was able to answer a few questions between takes and share with our group his views on his latest character, Louis Litt.

PANEL:                          Do you want to tell us about Louis?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Okay, sure.  He-, well, the quick version is, he is like the douche of the firm.  But to get a more psychological angle, he, you know, he, he-, from the beginning of the pilot, he gets defeated by one of, you know, his equals, which is Harvey Spector, played by Gabriel Macht.  And, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s a character that is interesting and becomes more and more interesting ‘cause you-, it’s, it’s, you know, in life and people lose, whether it be a promotion or, you know, they, they, they fail at work, you know it’s the-, it all depends on how they handle, you know, and compose themselves afterwards to recover and this particular character doesn’t.  Or at least, on the outside it seems like he does but on this inside he is just completely broken to pieces and it clearly shows how he treats his co-workers for the-, well, at least for the first part of the-, early part of the series.  And he handles it very poorly and turns, sort of, to the dark side.  But he is a-, he really-, there’s other sides to Louis Litt, that hopefully we’ll get to see episodes down the road, that we’ve already…

PANEL:                          Why would you want to play such a fractured character?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Well, fractured-, well, everybody’s fractured, in general, it’s just the level of-, the dimension of fracture, the-, how heavy the fracture is.  In this particular case he’s, he’s pretty much a walking-, I would say, you know, basically, his suit is his shield, he covers himself for who he really is, he doesn’t want anyone to see who that person is.  And who that person is, is actually much softer than he comes across, in the-, especially the first couple of episodes.  Well, actually, now they’re switching around episodes so we don’t know exactly the order but there-, there’s a what makes me so interested in this character is that there are lots of different levels to Louis Litt and it’s very rare that you get an opportunity, as an actor, to play roles like this.  Most of like the last five years I’ve been doing a lot of guest spots that have been very one dimensional and one notes and it-, it’s a blessing to be able to work on a show like this, luck of the draw and all the characters are, are very- are multi-dimensional so…

PANEL:                          What would you describe being your most fun moment, so far, that you’ve been able to do in the role?

RICK HOFFMAN:          I think it’s going to be the second episode, the one after the pilot.  It’s-, I’ve been-, I was-, I’m a-, I am a rally good tennis player, apparently and also love to take my shirt off in front of dudes and make them feel uncomfortable.  That episode, it was the most fun, there’s one coming up that’s just going to be unbelievably challenging, from a dramatic standpoint.  But for me, personally, as an actor, you know, it’s so hard to get jobs like this, even if I’m playing, like today, glorified background, it’s fun.  You know, like just being up here working, has been a unbelievable blessing, you know, that shouldn’t be taken for granted.  Especially, let alone a show that’s as well written like this so…

PANEL:                          What was your initial reaction when you first saw the script?

RICK HOFFMAN:          The pilot?

PANEL:                          Yeah.

RICK HOFFMAN:          A job.  I mean, it’s truly a job.

PANEL:                          So you went, Halleluiah, I’ve got a job…

RICK HOFFMAN:          Well, no, oh, well…

PANEL:                          …I (inaudible).

RICK HOFFMAN:          Oh, you mean when I first, well, first…

PANEL:                          When you first read the script?

RICK HOFFMAN:          …like the script, before I knew I had the role?

PANEL:                          Yeah. 

RICK HOFFMAN:          Oh, yeah, I mean, I, I, I played different levels of douche, over the last 11 years but, you know, this guy, I think, I’ve always thought like-, immediately I, I, I was psyched, because this guy is much more refined, he’s more of a yago like character, as someone had said, serpentine.  I sort of try to follow along the lines of a-, it’s just a much more cerebral, maniacal type of, of-, really, like a damaged soul.  Which is-, I find to be, very interesting to play and challenging.  Cause I’m not damaged, at all, no baggage.

PANEL:                          Who would you say you’re having the most fun with-, working with on the show, so far?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Well, I’ve -, it’s-, we still have yet to work with certain actors, like Gabriel and myself, always have fun.  I don’t want to give you like that whole whatever, every actor on the planet has given you like, oh, my God, we’re having such an amazing time, we all get along.  We actually do and…

PANEL:                          Yeah, but you’re working with somebody like Gina Torres, she’s a very strong force of nature.

RICK HOFFMAN:          I can’t stand that girl.  No, we’re-, actually just now, I’m working with-, a few-, actually just now, literally, talking to Gina while she’s-, right now we’re working together and everybody has a-, what the really good thing about this, it’s just-, it’s kinda scary when things like this-, or it’s so easy with everybody because everybody has a different energy, out of the six of us and it’s a pleasure, thus far, in six, seven episodes to work one another.  So I don’t-, you know, I’m sort of, like, you know, as they say, like, you know, the crazy type of, of-, one on, on, on the set. I’m the only one who’s still single so I get to go out and I don’t have a significant other right now to, to, you know, call home to and stay home.  I just kinda go out drinking and have a good time.  And my stories entertain…

PANEL:                          Where are you going tonight?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Yeah, yeah, yeah.  So a lot of my stories entertain a bunch of the cast.  Sarah Rafferty, I, I can’t wait to work with, who I haven’t yet.  She’s just hilarious, they, thank God, made her a regular and she is-, she really adds a lot of fun to the show, which the show needs so, yeah, it seems to be so far.

PANEL:                          Do you think he actually might suspect there’s something going on, with the new associate?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Something…

PANEL:                          Does-, I mean, does he have like a spidey sense that something’s not up-, not quite right with this one attorney?  I mean, he kinda asked some questions, do you know anything about Harvard, do you know my cousin or whatever?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Oh, you’re talking from the pilot?

PANEL:                          Yeah.  Does he, again, have any sense that this guy isn’t exactly what he’s supposed to be?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Oh-, from the get go.  I mean, because he-, first of all, he, he, he, he knows Harvey very well and he doesn’t-, you know, he knows that Harvey is, you know, this gunslinger-, by the seat-, you know, goes by the seat of his pants so he knows something’s up.  And then he notices the briefcase situation, when he gets drug tested, you know, so that leads to more question marks for the rest of the series.  And it ends up being, you know, it does have-, there is a couple of episodes where that’s reverted back to, where they use that as a, a, you know, a troublesome point for Mike Ross, Patrick’s character.  Who I have to say, who does say, hello, ‘cause he’s so busy in there, he can’t wait, ‘cause he’s been tweeting with all of you, in fact, I think you’re tweeting with him, right now.  But he says, hi and he’s like, oh, why do you get to go in?  And I’m-, told him to shut up.

PANEL:                          You said something a minute ago about, Louis has, has a soft side that he’s kind of hiding…

RICK HOFFMAN:          Absolutely.

PANEL:                          …but clearly, I mean, he’s, he’s got it in for Harvey, is there a certain-, is there a line that he won’t cross?  I mean, just how far will he go, to stick it to Harvey?

RICK HOFFMAN:          I’m not sure what version you saw, of the pilot, there are two.  I don’t know-, they’re were going to throw that scene back in, they didn’t want to make him so-, the bottom line is, he’ll go to any, any, any point to, to, to screw over Harvey.  ‘Cause he truly does deserve-, from a, from a-, from my, Rick’s standpoint, he does, ‘cause he’s a hard-, Louis is the hardest worker of that firm.  And you’ll, I guess, you’ll see as the series goes on.  But he just isn’t as smooth as Harvey and he hates that ‘cause he’s just such a-, he’s who he is, he’s, he’s a, he’s an ugly duckling.  In, in, all senses of the-, of the phrase, you know, in, in life he feels like, you know, tremendous insecurities-, you know, just not smooth, the opposite of smooth. 

PANEL:                          How did you prepare for the role?

RICK HOFFMAN:          How did I prepare for-, this is very-, this is an unimpressive answer.  For whatever reason, I have been able to tap into many different levels, over the course of 11 years, of the asshole, as one would say.  I-, and I honestly can say, I think all of us, have had moments where we get cut off in traffic or, you know, somebody lies to you or your-, we’re all hurt, there’s, you know, injustice all over the place, wherever you go.  And I think, maybe, since I was little, I’ve just been such an-, I, I have this hyper-, I have-, sometimes this is the death of me because it-, I’m so sensitive, I’m very aware of my surroundings, so I always hate to see when people act, shitty or do things that are unfair.  And for some reason, I am able to tap into-, I’m-, I’ve just always-, curious what makes those people think they’re doing the right thing.  So that’s why I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m-, you know, I make money playing those assholes and they don’t-, you know, they think they’re innocent and that’s what I love about-, that’s what make it to me, so interesting.  Everybody thinks-, they’re, they’re all-, everybody’s the hero of their own story.

PANEL:                          Did you do any legal preparation?

RICK HOFFMAN:          Well, I had done many different-, I had done a series nine-, eight, nine years ago, Philly.  Which was a Steven Bochco series, it was on for eight years, with Kim Delaney.  And I did tonnes of research with trial law, legal-, you know, anything that had anything to do with legal jargon, witnessing a trial on my own.  And I had a-, I had a lot of experience-, I’m still out on parole, that’s a joke.  No, but I’m-, as far as legal stuff is concerned, I had, you know, watched tonnes when law-, Court TV was on, I watched crazy amounts of, of that.  So I feel kinda well versed in that world.

PANEL:                          Although, it’s always so much fun to have a character on a show that you love to hate, do you personally hope that viewers will get an opportunity to see your character in a sympathetic light, at some point?

RICK HOFFMAN:          They’re going to earlier than I thought.  I had a conversation when I did get hired for the job, I was just so excited to have this job but Aaron Korsh, who is the creator, you know, when we had found out that we’re, you know, doing this, he had said, you know, ‘cause he had been a fan of Philly.  Which was years ago, and so he saw what they made the character in that, turn into, which was also a very-, not as twisted as Louis but, but, but, you know, a little ornery and just a real human being.  And Aaron told me right away, they were going to try to, you know, turn that corner quick and they, and they did, you know.  And, and also what-, what’s kinda nice about, just to add and not that-, this is just my own thought, I don’t know if this is interesting at all, but like also this is something I feel personally, I find a lot of comedy in all these like idiotic forms of behaviour.  I’m sure when you see-, I don’t know, for instance, I swear to God, this happened this morning, I’m at the gym, I’m going to the shower, I have my towel ready for me to go into the shower, I turn my back for maybe 15 seconds, to hop in the steam, I go back to the shower and there’s a guy in it and I, and I, and I open the curtain, I’m like, hey man, I’m sorry, that’s my towel, he’s like, no, it’s my towel.  What do you mean, it’s your towel, All right man, I don’t even have the energy to argue with a naked man, who’s towel-, so I said, all right, take your towel, so now I have no towel, but that’s not fair.  And that’s what I-, that the kind of stuff-, it’s like, you know, this guy thinks he’s good, how funny is that?  So somehow, to me, the comedy of it all, I can somehow-, that somehow, comes out as well in these characters, which hopefully makes you, love to hate him.  As opposed to just hate him.

PANEL:                          Hi.

RICK HOFFMAN:          Hi.

PANEL:                          James Hamilton, Fist Full of Comics and Games.

RICK HOFFMAN:          How you doing?

PANEL:                          Good.  Just curious, are you ever worried you’re going to get type cast as the douche?

RICK HOFFMAN:          It’s-, that question, you can ask that to-, I would say, I don’t know, over 50 to 70 actors that are a lot more successful than I am that, that-, you know, I say, I run this to the-, into the ground until someone notices and then if someone just realizes that I can actually, you know, act and have a whole different range of, of things I can do, I think ultimately that-, you know, that happened to Paul Giamatti, it happens to Stanley Tucci, it happens to, you know, character actors, it’s hard enough o work, let alone, you know, pick and choose what they get to do, I think that time will come.  I’m-, you know, I feel like if I’m lucky enough, for this show to do well, I think you start to have a little bit more of the pick of the litter of roles.  But I’m sort of, you know, if I-, who wouldn’t pay to be pigeon holed, as a working actor on TV, to play these kinds of roles that have depth and-, so I’ll do it.

PANEL: I’ll go first. Why not? Hey, Jeff.

DOUG LIMAN: Doug.

PANEL: Fellowship of Fools. How you doing?

DOUG LIMAN: All right.

PANEL: First, what kind of plane do you fly?

DOUG LIMAN: A Mooney.

PANEL: Mooney, excellent. See, I fly 73′s so…

DOUG LIMAN: You fly what?

PANEL: 737′s. Airline pilot.

DOUG LIMAN: There-, are you really an airline pilot?

PANEL: Oh, yeah, yeah.

DOUG LIMAN: Really?

PANEL: Mm-hmm. So that I was interested to hear that you were flying, flying yourself in. So…

DOUG LIMAN: I, I landed right at Downsview.

PANEL: Awesome. Very cool. Hey with the-, let’s see, with the current events going on like bin Laden getting killed and all that other story, is that going to factor any type of-, you know, shape the way the second season that Covert Affairs is kind of shaping up or you’ve pretty much already got that squared away?

DOUG LIMAN: The-, you know, we’re-, we’ll never go, you know, that deep into the world of terrorism. You know, it’s just not-, those aren’t really the stories the show does. But this year, this season was definitely influenced by the events in Pakistan that actually pre-dated bin Laden. Like the, the CIA contract officer who gunned down two Pakistanis in Lahore in-, earlier in the year and sort of-, and the, the sort of web of politics that sort of went into-, you know, going into-, after bin Laden eventually that they like-, the couldn’t go get bin Laden as long as they had a CIA contract officer in a Pakistani prison because they, they worried that guy would get, you know, killed by the Pakistanis. So they-, that just the way that like the-, the way the different sort of aspects of government. Like there’s a-, it would be cool to just go in and kill bin Laden, they knew where he was for months, but there’s like other aspects and complications. And, and our stories, you know, work best when we actually set them in worlds where there are complications and the State Department has a competing agenda to the CIA’s agenda and Annie gets put in the middle or, or the-, Joan or the other characters get put in the middle. So in that way, just sort of-, because there was so much press coverage of Pakistan this year, and specifically of how the CIA was operating in Pakistan, it was just more material for us to work with in terms of, of the sort of bureaucratic challenges that these characters face.

PANEL: With the-, with how well that, that Covert Affairs is doing and other USA shows, does that put pressure on, on you to-, with Suits coming up, are there, you know, are there goals that you want to hit or is it just want to just make a good show and it does what it does?

DOUG LIMAN: I mean you can’t really set out to make a hit. You just set out to make something that you really like. And, in fact, some shows that, you know, historically have done-, like the people-, Seinfeld’s like one of the most successful shows ever. They didn’t really set out to make a hit, they just liked it. So-, but that being said, when you see Gabriel and Patrick’s sort of on-screen chemistry, it’s-, you, you can’t help but sort of know that it’s a, it’s a winner. You know, and it hasn’t-, I haven’t-, I’ve, I’ve had really good luck in my career of being involved in, in a lot of great on-screen chemistries. You know, most famously Brad and Angie. But also, you know, I’m incredibly proud of the, the dynamic between Vince and Jon in Swingers and I feel like Patrick and, and Gabe have that, have that same dynamic in Suits. And that’s what I love about television that it’s-, and that it’s driven by character. It’s not, it’s not driven by special effects. And even in Covert Affairs, which has a ton of action and we travel the world, it’s the most-, the biggest stories are the ones where it’s about her sister or, you know, and about lying or about her love life.

PANEL: What do you love the most about Covert Affairs, right now?

DOUG LIMAN: I really am in love with Annie’s character. I’m deeply in love with Chris Gorham’s character and just in-, I just think that Auggie is-, like he’s completely transcended his, his handicap. I mean, it’s just not even-, he’s just this incredible sex symbol and you just want to follow him and he’s-, you want to, you want to be with him all the time and you-, and I love sending him out in the field and we’re, we’re doing that again. I’m sure, I’m sure other people have probably told you that already. And he’s-, in fact, Chris Gorham’s going to Istanbul next week. I’m hoping to, to be there with him. And, you know, and the mission he’s on in Istanbul would be, would be almost impossible for somebody who was sighted. And he has to do it blind. And the episode we’re currently shooting, I guess you guys are going to the airport, where Kari is going on to the field for the first time and it’s-, you know, I feel like when, when things work, either movies or TV shows, it’s because you’re-, the exact right characters are on the right journey. And like you wouldn’t want to have Jason Bourne like going to Vegas with a friend trying to pick up girls. You know, like you, you-, but you-, and you wouldn’t want to have Jon Favreau’s character from Swingers like being chased by assassins ’cause that wouldn’t really bring out what’s interesting. But Matt and Chris have really created a world of, of not just Piper and Chris but the, the whole extended cast and even the, the, the guest stars. That the, the story lines bring out what’s, what’s most interesting. And like seeing Joan who’s, you know, Annie’s boss, you’ve only seen behind a desk, out in the fields and, and remembering that she actually once, too, was a field operative suddenly makes Joan’s character so much more compelling. And I feel like we keep finding new ways to find-, to explore these characters and they just-, they get better and better. Like we’re-, we, we have so much road ahead of us.

PANEL: Has there been like a particular nugget to each character that you’ve been totally surprised by as the series has been developing?

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah, I think I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how great a sense of humour our entire cast have. That was always something that was really important for me for the series. That it, it-, like the characters bring a sense of humour to it. Not the-, you know, not, not that we create humorous situations but the characters, themselves, bring the humour. ‘Cause I come from the kind of environment where, my family, we always, you know, brought humour to situations no matter how dire. You know, there were probably never more, more laughter or jokes than at a funeral, in my family, and so it’s-, I really respond to that on a personal level. And, and then, you know, Piper’s hysterical, Chris is hysterical. Kari, in the episode that just aired, in Paris, when she’s on jury duty is-, like I just keep being, you know, thrilled that I’m like, oh, there’s this whole other side that we haven’t even explored for this character. And everybody, you know, has so much range.

PANEL: Is the relationship between Annie and Ben something that is going to go long term or is there going to be some sort of resolution soonish?

DOUG LIMAN: You know, the-, you know, we’re, we’re-, we haven’t written the entire season so-, and the thing about TV is you can have-, you can make up your mind and then you can change your mind. And it’s, it’s one of the things I love about it ’cause you-, it’s sort of an ongoing, organic process. Like ’cause you, you actually-, you’re writing and shooting and airing episodes while you’re still writing future episodes. So, you know, my personal feeling about it is that as Annie matures and, and, and grows up a little bit more, she will recognize that Ben is a, is a, is a dead-end street and that there is a-, that the attraction to a guy like Ben is something that, you know, seems great at the beginning and, at a certain point, you, you grow up and you-, he’s-, he-, he’s not-, he’s, he’s at the beginning of an arc not at the end of the arc. So that’s, that’s, you know, my attitude and, and Matt and Chris’ attitude going in. But again, it’s-, doesn’t that-, for Annie to get to that place could, could take 10 years or it could happen this year. And we’re, you know, we’re, we’re tracking it.

PANEL: And as far as sweeps goes like what types of stories can, can we expect to see as the season progresses?

DOUG LIMAN: What I love about the Suits is that the, the kinds of cases that get brought into this law firm are very specific to the fact that it’s a super high-end law firm, New York law firm. And so that they are-, and that more than a legal show, Suits, for me, is about plucking this kid who is really, you know, existing on, on the fringes of society and, and giving him a suit and a very high paying job and a beautiful office and all the trappings of, you know, of really having made it in New York City, sort of the toughest city in the world to make it in. And it’s-, so it’s-, that, to me, is like-, that, that is the, the heart and soul of, of the show more than, oh, what’s it like to-, what-, how, how’s he going to solve these cases. I’m also really-, it’s my sort of-, you know, I’m-, just like the episodes, you know, and the season may evolve. Like I feel like as a filmmaker, I, I’m evolving and like I’m in a particular phase, now, of, of life where like I’m really about like intelligence being a super power. And, obviously, it’s something that I explored in Bourne Identity but Matt Damon also could kick ass. But both with Suits where Patrick Adams-, his super power is he’s just the smartest guy in the room. And the film I’m currently prepping, the protagonists’ super powers, that they’re just incredibly smart. They’re literally rocket scientists. And so it’s-, there’s a definite connection between-, same way that like Covert Affairs connects back to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, it connects back to Bourne Identity, it connects to Fair Game, Suits is sort of part of like the sort of, maybe, my new chapter in my life of, of really being fascinated by the people who are like the smartest people in the room. And so the stories-, not, not belittling the stories, but they are-, you have-, they’re not-, we’re not really going to ever go to like courtroom drama ’cause that’s not sort of not what the show is. But because you’re plucking this Patrick Adams out of like, you know, really fringe of society and planting him in this rarefied world of, you know, the high floor of a skyscraper in mid-town Manhattan, we’re also on the cases sending him out into the rarefied world that he previously hadn’t been exposed to. So the Hamptons and the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies and so that, that sort of rags-to-riches will permeate, you know, many of the stories. Not all of them ’cause there are, occasionally, there’s the pro bono case. But…

PANEL: It sounds like Alice in Wonderland. Was that a theme that you were kind of going for in Suits?

DOUG LIMAN: It is, very much so. And it is like when’s the, you know, clock going to strike 12:00. And when, you know, when does it, when does the prom end or when does he turn into a pumpkin? Like that, that is hanging over him the whole time because, in fact, he didn’t go to law school and he didn’t finish college and he-, you know, it’s-, it-, he’s having this amazing-, you know, to be, you know, young in New York, young, good looking in New York and, you know, making a, you know, $180,000 a year, it’s pretty much hitting the jackpot. But since it’s not legitimately earned, ’cause he didn’t go to law school, he doesn’t have a degree in-, it’s-, you know, that’s-, there’s a threat that that will be taken away every second. And the cases are part of that world.

PANEL: Hey Murtz Jaffer from Inside Pulse.

DOUG LIMAN: Hi.

PANEL: For Suits, you know, the sort of electricity between Gabe’s character and Patrick’s character really jumps off the page. Did you know right away that they would work that well together?

DOUG LIMAN: You know, it doesn’t always happen on day one. Like it wasn’t-, and that’s one of the things where we just became more and more surprised by how great the chemistry was. Like I would say it was good at the beginning and just got better and better and better. And by the way, continues to get better. Like, you know, it’s-, you’re not supposed to say it but like episode two, in my opinion, is better than the pilot. And then we just saw episode three and we’re like, oh, my God, that’s better than episode two. And it’s-, their chemistry’s just getting better and better and better. And I don’t know where the-, it’s already extraordinary. I mean, have you guys seen…

PANEL: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

DOUG LIMAN: What did they-, just the pilot? Did they show you what it…

PANEL: Just the pilot. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

DOUG LIMAN: They didn’t show you the second or third episodes yet? No?

PANEL: No, no.

PANEL: Did you do a lot of readings with them or did you just know? You know, like a lot of people read for the roles or did you just see them and you’re like, no, this is it.

DOUG LIMAN: No you can’t-, you-, I haven’t been able to do those chemistry reads really since I did Go. Since then, it’s been really like-, you know, like maybe you get them together once but you don’t-, the, the real work to see-, you know, so, at the end of the day, it is-, there is a roll of the dice associated. You know, Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a massive roll of the dice. I never-, you know, because of Brad and Angie’s schedule, I literally never even got them into the same room until the first day of the shoot.

PANEL: (Laughter.) It’s got to be kind of exciting when you kind of discover gold like that. When you find that magic chemistry after you actually cast the star of the show. Particularly, something like Suits. I mean, I’ve…

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah.

PANEL: As a viewer, and as a reviewer, I watched that episode and I was startled by the instant chemistry. You’re just like, dang, that does leap off the page a little bit and it comes across on the screen really well. And it kind of was intoxicating to the point where…

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah.

PANEL: …we’re kind of all dated and we kinda go, damn, it’s like a drug, what happened? (Laughter.)

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah, no, they’re, they’re just incredible together. But you can’t-, there is no, there’s no trick and it doesn’t always happen. I mean, I-, you know, and I’m-, it’s-, it hasn’t happened in every one of my movies. It hasn’t happened in every one of my TV shows. There’s not like-, you know, it’s you, you do the best job you can but then-, I mean, for their chemistry that’s really hitting now, like, you know, it’s months of working together. So there’s no way to-, I mean, back when I was doing independent films like Swingers, you know, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn and I were all out of work so, I mean, we were able to hang out for-, you know, it took years to put that film together and so-, but and then Go, I tried to recreate that experience by spending four months casting the film and, and bringing people in and reading them opposite each other and really doing that. And then since then, I, I’ve been sort of forced to sort of make educated guesses.

PANEL: Smart guesses. It seems to be a good formula. (Laughter.)

PANEL: Hi, Joan Porter, MSN Canada.

DOUG LIMAN: Hi.

PANEL: You have the rags to riches story in that focus but how do you counter that with Gabriel’s character. Like what keeps him evolving and, and interesting while you’ve got Patrick, you know…

DOUG LIMAN: I mean, that was the key thing about casting Gabriel was that, you know, Harvey Specter is such a-, you know, he’s got such confidence and, and, you know, arrogance and yet, you still have to love him. And there’s certain actors you can cast who you don’t have to sort of tone down say, you know, what might other-, might be a negative quality played by a different actor, such as arrogance. There’s certain actors who you can embrace it and you’ll actually love them for that arrogance. And that was the critical thing for casting that role. And it was like-, I mean, so there’s no luck involved with casting Gabriel. It was like we need-, he-, you know, he’s such a brilliant actor and he had already had demonstrated that and it’s-, and he comes into the room and you see he can pull that off. It’s different than finding the chemistry. That’s about will you still love him no matter how arrogant the thing he just did is? And it’s-, you know, that’s-, like say when I was casting Bourne Identity, I didn’t want a soft-, I wanted-, I didn’t want to tone down Jason Bourne’s back story. Even though, played by the wrong actor, you would be forced to tone it down because people just wouldn’t root for the guy. ‘Cause, okay, he just did a horrible-, he did a bunch of bad things in his past. That’s all you know about him. Like played by the wrong person, you’d be like, oh, I just-, why am I even rooting for this guy and, suddenly, you’d be forced to sort of have him save a puppy dog. Right, ’cause you-, but, you know, because Matt Damon just feels so inherently good, that just comes through, you can sort of throw the darkest past at him and, and it still works. You know? And the same way with Gabriel Macht. Like he-, you just root for him and love him. And no matter how arrogant we go, you still love him. And so I’m like there’s a-, you know, I’m really excited about figuring out how, how we can explore that and, and where the boundaries of that are. ‘Cause, obviously, there’s a line that you cross where you actually wouldn’t root for him anymore and, you know, we want to, we want to dance around that. And it is-, we are a character-driven show and he’s-, we’re, we’re starting already at a really interesting place with him.

PANEL: Melissa from thetelevixen.com.

DOUG LIMAN: Hi.

PANEL: I recall last year, you mentioning that kind of part of the whole thing with Covert Affairs was putting a human face on CIA agents.

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah.

PANEL: What type of feedback and response did you receive on that aspect? ‘Cause I thought that came across really well in the first season. What feedback did you get back on that after the first season?

DOUG LIMAN: From the CIA or from…

PANEL: From the CIA and viewers, in general. Like taking that different kind of look at a CIA agent rather than it just being completely mission, mission, mission.

DOUG LIMAN: I mean, we got-, obviously, we-, we’re extremely highly rated and, you know, it’s-, you know, so I, I came away from the first season feeling like that was a good call and let’s do it better second season. So there wasn’t a like, oh, maybe that was-, you know, let’s re-evaluate some of the choices we made. It’s like, no, that choice is working. And, and not only working, it’s-, you know, for me, more than the, the viewers sort of is just sitting down and watching it. You know, and just with friends or whatever watching an episode and just sort of feeling which ones work and which ones don’t work. And, you know, Sean Ryerson, who’s one of our, our producers, and I were just upstairs and talking about some upcoming episodes of Covert Affairs and just thinking about, about this season and which ones-, which episodes we think are working better than others. And like what are we learning about the show and it’s, you know, the one thing that, you know, can even just-, you know, a few minutes ago upstairs, we’re like consistently, it’s like the episodes where the character stories are big, are our best episodes. You know, and they’re in-, I know that’s just my opinion that they’re our best episodes and-, but it’s-, so it’s-, since that was the concept from the beginning and it’s sort of been the-, now, we now see the evidence of it. That-, you know, and it’s when the Paris episode is, you know, is a great episode not because we went to Paris and filmed Piper in Paris. It’s a great episode because there’s a, a great love story in Paris with a Mossad agent. And, you know, her wrestling with do you, don’t you, tell the people around you what you do for a living. And it’s-, the character story’s a big story in that.

PANEL: It’s Sammy from TV Grapevine.

DOUG LIMAN: Hi.

PANEL: I was just wondering how much research went into making-, creating a blind character. Like did you go visit schools or…

DOUG LIMAN: A ton. But in, in-, you know, you guys, hopefully, are going to talk to, to, to Chris. And what he has done to-, for this character in terms of the, the work he put in, is extraordinary. And he’s, he’s, basically, on a first-name basis with a number of people at the, the-, I can’t even-, like he’ll rattle off all, you know, these-, the names of these places but there’s a, a, a, a, you know, Toronto Canadian centre for the blind that he has spent a lot of time at and a lot of time with the people. And he, he has these relationships so that-, and it’s, it’s not just the research that went into creating the character at the beginning but it’s the just on-going research because-, and so he has really become the guardian of that character. And he takes it so seriously that we, we trust him with that. And it’s generally my philosophy to sort of treat the actors as the guardians of their characters because the rest of us are caught up in so many other facets of details of the show that you-, you know, having-, entrusting the, the actors to, to really be the guardians of their character and that they-, empowering them to do that and, and is, is not only makes the day actually possible, makes a-, makes life possible, because otherwise, there’d be too many details to worry about, but it actually makes for better content. And, you know, so Chris will-, you know, we’ll write an episode where he’s at home and he’ll-, Chris will reach out to his contacts in the blind community here in Toronto and go over to their houses and study, you know, how does a-, somebody who’s blind pour a cup of coffee. Right? ‘Cause how, how can they possibly know when the liquid’s up towards the top? And different than pouring like a cup of water ’cause you can put your finger in there but you don’t want to put your finger in boiling-, I mean, things that the rest of us just take for granted. And he is always-, you can count on him. Every time he gets the script and he looks at what’s being asked of him, you know, the next thing he’s doing is he’s on the phone or getting in his car and driving over and working with somebody who’s actually blind to understand how a blind person would actually do that particular thing.

PANEL: What made you decide to go in that direction and actually write a character that was blind?

DOUG LIMAN: I think, we all shared a, a really deep love for the Robert Redford film, whose name I’m totally blanking me right this second, Sneakers. So you just like-, we all-, you know, it’s like the producers, the writers, like we’re all sort of of a certain age and it’s like we just grew up with Sneakers being one of those just-, for-, especially, maybe, for guys of a certain age, you just-, it’s just there’s no way it’s just not one of your favourite films ever. And there was a very memorable blind character in that. And…

PANEL: Could you talk a little bit about the casting of Gina Torres in the role for Suits? ‘Cause that’s an unusual choice but she’s amazing in the role.

DOUG LIMAN: Why do you think it’s unusual, her?

PANEL: She gets usually kind of type-cast as like the rich wife kind of role or, in the case of Firefly, perhaps a-, like a, a warrior type. But to see her in a Suit capacity where she’s the business person is a little different, I think.

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah, you know, it’s-, I mean, I’m sort of known for casting against type, anyhow. And certainly, you know, we’re here in Canada casting Sarah Polley in Go when she had done the Sweet Hereafter, was-, doesn’t really get any more against type except maybe casting Matt Damon as Jason Bourne when he had done nothing but sort of cerebral roles. But it’s-, so I definitely try to not be limited by what someone’s done before. And, in fact, if possible, go the other way and say like, okay, they’ve done that so I don’t want to, I don’t want to see them do that, again. And so that-, it’s-, it really is completely a meritocracy. And it’s not even what you’ve done before and that’s, that’s one of things I also love about television that you-, you know, film it’s so much about who’s on this list and who’s on the short list and it’s, you know, people come in to audition for my next film and I’m like, all right, you’re, you’re really great but like they’re never going to let me cast you. Like that will never happen in television. It will just be you’re really great, cast them. And that happens all the time in film and it just doesn’t happen in television. It’s like who’s actually really great for that part.

PANEL: Did you have like a gut instinct with Gina when she was actually reading for the role or something?

DOUG LIMAN: Yeah. It just, you know, it just clicks. And if it doesn’t click, you keep at it till you find someone where it does click. ‘Cause it’s-, casting’s everything in it. I mean, casting’s everything in film, almost. But if you can throw enough special effects at it, you could-, you can get past it. But for the kinds of movies I like making and the kind of television shows I like making and, basically, for all television, like it’s all casting. Like if you don’t get the casting right, you’re-, it doesn’t matter how clever you are with the writing or with the directing, you’re never going to make it work.

PANEL: I have a question, Jeff Kirkpatrick with TV Fanatic, clearly watching the pilot, which is fantastic by the way, you and Patrick have awesome chemistry, has there been a moment so far when you’ve felt that, like, wow, we’ve got some major chemistry here?
GABRIEL MACHT: It’s hard to answer that question, yes, yes and no, I mean, like, if I say yes, that could potentially mean that I’m looking outside of myself and looking in to, you know, the two of us, but I mean, I feel and, and if I-, yeah, I mean, I would say, yes and I feel that all the time, when I’m with him on camera and without. It’s hard, chemistry is such a funny word, you know, it’s like, is it, is it manipulated or is it manifested or is it just authentic? And I think, you know, from the second I met Patrick, I feel like we got along and I think, more importantly, we got a nice rapport and if that comes across as like, being great chemistry, then all the better. But for us I think, you know, we’ve got a really nice way with each other so…

PANEL: I’m Stephanie from poptimal.com. I, I was just wondering, did you do any sort of preparation for Harvey, like did you maybe go visit a law firm or maybe like spend the day there?

GABRIEL MACHT: You know, I have-, I, I did, didn’t, I didn’t. My, my sister is a former Assistant District Attorney, in the Bronx, my aunt was a family-, was in family law, my-, one of my very close friends was a top Corporate Attorney in Los Angeles, he’s now one of Gerry Brown’s aids, so he’s an aid to the governor, so he was like, you know, up here. And like my cousin was also in family law, divorce attorney and I-, and I’ve just been around it my whole life so I’ve observed bits and pieces along the way. And I felt like, you know, when I get the scripts each week, I’m going to Wikipedia and trying to figure out what all these terms mean, because all I have to do is really just fake it pretty well. But I’ve been in court, I’ve been, you know, on the jury and you know, I’ve been a potential jury member, I’ve gotten out of that, thank god, anyway.

PANEL: Mo, Buzz Focus. How did you, how did you come to this project or did they come to you, like how was that process?

GABRIEL MACHT: I-, I’ve been working in film for the last 10 years, I haven’t done series in 10 years and I was getting to the point in film where I was getting some great opportunities and working with terrific people and there just-, there, there was just something about the level of writing for the characters that I wasn’t getting, there’s-, they’re out there but I wasn’t getting some of those opportunities. And I thought, you know what, let me start reading some television, let me see if there’s a little bit more consistency in the writing for, for me, what I was looking for to be challenged by. And I read some cable shows and this was the one that I liked best and I went and I met the producers, Doug Liman and Dave Bartis and Gene Klein and, and the show runner, creator, Aaron Korsh. And we just all got along really in like, in the meeting, in the conversation, in what we thought about the character and how we saw the arc of, you know, where he was going to go and what the tone of the show was and, and it just seemed to fit like all the stuff I really wanted to be a part of. And I went back and I read for them and it worked out that they wanted me to play the guy. So that’s how it sort of came about.

PANEL: Hey, Murtz Jaffer from Inside Pulse. Would you say that it’s primarily a legal show or a show about the relationship between Harvey and Mike or a combination of both?

GABRIEL MACHT: I think that it’s in the guise of a, of a legal drama but there’s-, it’s all about the relationships and, and how everyone’s dealing with each other. Something that’s great about this show is that, you know, the characters and the way it’s been cast and I say that without like a chip on my shoulder and like maybe apart from me, it’s like everyone is so unique, you know? And, and there’s just great characters that these guys have all-, that they’re all playing and that the writers are dreaming up and, you know, we’re finding more, and more about the character as the episodes continue. And obviously we see, you know, each character develop, you know, more-, into more even three dimensional characters from the pilot. But like I just think that that’s a huge thing, when you get a great ensemble that has like, again, you know, who are in tune with each other and have a great rapport, there’s something that, you know, the dynamic just is, is-, you’re off and running. And, and, and just to get back to the point, it’s like I think what USA does well is that, you know, they are sort of like, this is a procedural show or-, but it doesn’t-, I don’t know how you guys felt, it doesn’t feel like that when you’re watching it, it feels more about like, oh, what are these guys doing to each other and what’s going on between the dynamic of these two characters or something.

PANEL: I think it boils down to the chemistry thing, you know, like there’s so many legal dramas, do you think that it just boils down to the chemistry with your cast?

GABRIEL MACHT: I think it-, I think, I mean, I think there’s a-, I don’t think it-, I don’t think that’s the bottom line. But I think-, you know what, I think what’s great about our show is that it feels, for lack of a better word, like-, look it’s a miracle to have anything be really great, right? And like I’ve been in a bunch of movies and some of them have been great but like it’s, it’s like a-, you know, when-, it’s like when you have a baby, it’s a miracle when you have a child and so like if, if something comes out that like all great and, and this is a-, really good show, you know, it’s like almost like it’s a miracle so-, and that has something to do with everything from down the line, from the writing to the direction, to the, to the design.

PANEL: Or are you just saying Patrick’s your baby?

GABRIEL MACHT: Yeah, I think we’re all the baby of Aaron Korsh. Yeah, I don’t know.

PANEL: This is Tiffany from TV Addict. Maybe you can talk a little bit about what inspired your character, Harvey to actually build this house of cards? Was there a tipping point that caused him to suddenly go, I’m going to make this decision to do something completely unethical but it sounds fun?

GABRIEL MACHT: That’s a good question. You know what, it’s funny, I haven’t really thought about that. I-, you know, it’s hard when you do a pilot, you try and come up with whatever back-story you can but it’s the first one and, you know, it’s like some people have a little of back-story but it’s-, sometimes it just not in the writing. So as we go through the episodes, we’re going to see a little bit more, a little bit more, a little bit more. Now, my character’s definitely layered and comes off as like a read hard ass, real tough but I think underneath, he’s really fair. And when he, you know, when he’s dealing in a case or when he’s dealing with, Mike or he’s dealing with any of the other characters, he’s, he’s, I think, morally in line with what’s right. Now, he made this choice, now, I think that choice is something from like-, I think he’s just sort of bored with, you know, the, the young associates all coming out of Harvard and having to be, you know stipulated as Harvard and with no street smarts, nobody’s got any sort of balls, for lack of word-, a better word, I think.

PANEL: Do you think boredom drove him to go, I’m going to do something…

GABRIEL MACHT: I…

PANEL: …totally insane?

GABRIEL MACHT: I think so, yeah. And I think he knows he’s on a television show. You know what…

PANEL: In his own mind.

GABRIEL MACHT: …yeah, no, I’m joking. But, but I, I think, you know, great characters take big risks and I think that’s part of like what works about this show is that he, he, he makes this like grand, you know, risk of using a guy, who’s brilliant and has street smarts but doesn’t have a law degree. And he’s-, just figures, you know what, he’ll figure it out. I think-, I think Harvey thinks that he’s the smartest guy in the room, always and he’s won every single case thus far, so, I mean, hopefully we’ll see, maybe, maybe he loses a case this season or next season and, and what does that do to him, how, how does that penetrate his, his armour?

PANEL: So it’s not so much boredom that’s gamesmanship he wants a challenge?

GABRIEL MACHT: I think it’s a challenge, I think he’s, I think he’s up for a challenge at every quest, you know, at every-, yeah.

PANEL: So to him, this might be the ultimate game?

GABRIEL MACHT: Could be. But he-, but I also think like when he opens the door and he sees in that waiting room, a bunch of jack-offs, you know, sorry, he, he just figures like, why not this kid, you know? And the guy’s got heart and I think he also, I think there’s something about Harvey, who underneath, he knows he’s got a lot of heart and you don’t necessarily see so much of that in first-, in the pilot. But I think he sees a younger him sitting there and I think he has run into a bunch of problems, early on, that we don’t know about. And so I think he sees himself in Mike and I think he-, I think there is something about Mike, that’s going to bring out a little bit more sensitivity for Harvey and I think he needs a little bit of that. So they’re going to tech each other how to be a little bit stronger and how, how to be a little bit more vulnerable and-, you know, so that they can work together and figure it out.

PANEL: Hi I’m Rosa. How far are you guys into shooting and what sorts of situations, can we expect to see Harvey be getting into, like as far as you guys when you’re shooting

GABRIEL MACHT: Well, we’ve shot five episodes, we’re in the middle, we’re in the middle of our sixth. What’s great, by the way, is that, you know, you hope that-, I’ve seen a couple of them and you hope that like the episodes after are like as good as the pilot. I mean, we had like three weeks to shoot the pilot, now we have seven days to shoot every episode. And I will say that it’s like the two that I’ve seen, really match the pilot and there’s a couple people who are saying, like they think it’s better and like-, so that’s like, really like awesome. I feel like they’re on par and it’s, it’s- they’re great. I haven’t seen them with all the, you know, perfect music and the colour correction and all that stuff so they’re a bit naked but like we’re all feeling really good about the scripts that are coming in and, you know, where the show is going, as far as the direction. What type of challenges does Harvey get himself involved in, well, in this episode there’s something interesting, there’s, there’s a merger going on and the other counsel happens to be someone I went to law school with, who was number one at law school, while I was number five. And, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s all about a merger and acquisition but it turns out that the only way that they can negotiate, is to bang each other before they figure it out. Sorry, sorry, no, don’t quote me on that, please. And so that’s fun, you know. Just that they get to-, yeah, I guess, I don’t know, there’s a bunch of innuendo in there and-, you know, so in who’s trying to beat the other in negotiation, you know. It’s all-, I mean, a lot of this show is a lot about winning and losing and who’s, you know, smarter and who’s stronger and all this stuff so there’s something interesting with that. That’s a good one, we can start out with.

PANEL: Hi, Joan Porter, MSN Canada. Going back to Harvey as a character, he a bored wealthy good looking, successful, arrogant, kind of character, how do you make him sympathetic or likeable to like your audience, ‘cause he is, so how do-, or how do you…

GABRIEL MACHT: Bored?

PANEL: …relate to that?

GABRIEL MACHT: You saw him as bored?

PANEL: Well, not like-, he’s obviously at the top of his game and successful and like he’s done this-, he’s made this decision maybe out of boredom, but like he’s definitely an arrogant and like cocky successful person. So how do you like-, and from privilege, how do you make him likeable, how, how do you approach it and like…

GABRIEL MACHT: I don’t know if he’s from privilege.

PANEL: Well, Harvard Law, fine.

GABRIEL MACHT: Maybe, could be, we don’t-, none of us know that, I mean, yet.

PANEL: Well, he, he looks like he is now…

GABRIEL MACHT: But that’s-, he does look-, he look…

PANEL: …and he, and, he, and he walks the walk and has the swagger so…

GABRIEL MACHT: Right.

PANEL: …how do you, how do you make him likeable to audiences, or how do you relate to that and want like an audience to reply?

GABRIEL MACHT: I don’t relate to him at all because that’s just not who I am, he’s so far away from me, but, but I’m trying to bring a little bit more of myself to him, cause that’s what we do as actors. Look, he is totally like a hard ass, sophisticated, cares about his presentation, cares about how slick he is and smart and you know, clever, like you know, all of those things, right? I think underneath, we’re going to see as the show goes, you’re going to see more vulnerability out of him. You’re going to see that he cares about the ALS victim that’s, you know, gotten, sort of, a bad drug and is having, you know, a really bad side effect. You’re going to see that maybe the woman that he’s loved for so long, got away and you know, he’ll be challenged by that. You might see him lose at some point, where you’re going to see, again, a crack in armour, his suit, to see that, sort of, peel away. I think there’s a real mystery about him and that is, sort of, interesting, you know, you always want to see the mysterious character and like little by little, I think, we’re going to peel, peel the layers. I think he’s really sensitive, in many ways that we just haven’t seen yet and I think you’ll see those moments along the way with Mike, with Jessica, with Louis, who’s a complete-, just-, they’re at odds. You know, you’re going to see him just ride Louis and then all of the sudden you’re going to see that maybe, Louis’ insecurity hits home and you’re going to see how he’s like, okay, I understand. I find that to be really challenging and, and interesting and I really think that that’s where the arc is going.

PANEL: You said something a minute ago about the, the one that got away?

GABRIEL MACHT: What’s that?

PANEL: You said something about the woman that got away…

GABRIEL MACHT: Yeah.

PANEL: …you know, possibly? In, in-, when I was watching the pilot, I detected this kind of connection between, Harvey and Jessica, do you think that there was any type of a relationship in the past or is it all just strictly been professional, between them?

GABRIEL MACHT: You know, I think-, what I think-, and this may be different than the writers and I’m not creating this thing but what I think it was is that he was, sort of, like a scrapper early on. And somehow got into the mail room and wasn’t even a lawyer, didn’t like think about going to law school but he was like-, he was really and quick on his feet. And he got into the mail room and she saw that and she like put him on her desk or something, when she was rising up. And, you know, I think she started mentoring him, so as she’s mentoring me, it’s sort of a mirror of like I’m mentoring Mike. And I think what happened was that she put me through law school, she’s like, you know what, this kids should be a lawyer, I’m going to put-, I don’t think there was a sexual thing going on with the two of us but I think I look up to her, I respect her and I’ve got to fall in line with her because she gave me my shot, she basically like took me and you know, believed in me and so. I think that part of like how he’s so like put together, is that, I think he did meet some woman, who like taught him about all that stuff and like helped him design his apartment and like helped him with his style and he became like, aware of fashion and like got really like into it for a little while and then she got away. And I think he’s just like, you know what, I’m just going to play the field and have some fun until I find someone who is that woman again or whatever or maybe she comes back, whoever-, you know, who knows. And so, that’s sort of how I see his like connection with women and with Jessica.

When Christopher first walked in there was that split second of, “Why is he wearing glasses? Isn’t he blind?” Gorham plays the part so well that you almost forget that he is a sighted person. During the interview he talked about how he works to make you believe he is blind and gives hints to the incident that took Auggie’s sight.

PANEL: Hey, Jeff Kirkpatrick, TV Fanatic.
CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Hey.
PANEL: And I just wanted to find out about the, the big Auggie episode coming up…
CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah.

PANEL: …and the, the scene where you end up losing your sight. I mean, was that real emotional for you? How did you react to that?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: It’s, it’s a difficult scene to describe without giving away how it happens. It is an emotional scene. It, it’s-, how do I describe it? Honestly, we shot 136 set-ups that day, and everything was moving so fast, but that moment was very still and very special somehow, and I think probably the biggest production day we’ve done to date. So yeah.

PANEL: I’m Rosa with accidentalsexiness.com.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: You guys laugh every time she says that?

PANEL: I know. They do.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: This-, you must have done 8 or 10 of these already today.

PANEL: I know. There are a lot of Annie and Auggie shippers out there, how do you feel about a connection, a romantic connection, between the characters?
CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: I think it’s, it’s-, they, they, they definitely have that chemistry, I think that that kind of a relationship is something that is kind of a very long term arc for this show. It’s not something that is going to happen any time soon, I don’t think. But they don’t tell us everything.

PANEL: How do you feel though about that happening eventually? If like there is a possibility, would you like that to happen?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Oh, I think it could happen. Well, it-, if it-, well, yeah, if it were to happen like many, many years from now, that would mean I’m still on the show, so that’s a very good thing. But yeah, I mean, there’s-, yeah, of course, I-, there’s-, just as a fan and, you know, I’m kind of taking myself out of it, just looking at those two characters, I-, you know, I, I like those two characters a lot, and, and they get along very well, they compliment each other very well. I think they’re growing to need each other, which is nice.

PANEL: Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: So yeah.

PANEL: Hi, I’m Sammy from TV Grapevine.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Hey.

PANEL: How did you prepare for your role of playing a blind person?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: I, I started, before the pilot, working with an organization here in Toronto called the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, CNIB. And I’m still working with them even now, this year I’ve gone in and got kind of a tour of-, there’s a guy that works there who’s blind, and who’s really into tech, kind of, kind of like a real life Auggie kind, you know, and, and so he gave me a tour of all of his gadgets and showed me how it all worked, and, and showed me how he texts using his iPhone and his like tiny little Braille keyboard that, you know, connects via Bluetooth to his iPhone, and Braille printers, and you know, all of his gadgets. And I also did some blindfolded training this year, some blindfolded mobility training out on the streets of Toronto, crossing intersections, and walking down sidewalks, and all of that stuff, which is terrifying. But I really wanted to do, because one of the first guys that I met who lost his sight when he was 20 years old in a car accident, in our conversations one of the-, he was telling me that during his recovery when he was learning how to get around as a blind person, he gave up for a full year, because he was so embarrassed to walk up and down his street with his cane to practice. ‘Cause he was 20, I mean, he was just a kid and, and, and so he just gave up and stayed home, and he had good friends and they would take him everywhere, and it took a full year before he finally had, really, the courage to start again and, and, and learn how to be independent. And I wanted to see what it’s like, and, and I tell you, it’s so immediately disorienting. I, I-, you can’t walk in a straight line, I don’t know if you know this, but it’s physically impossible, if you close your eyes, to walk in a straight line. Like every-, you veer and, you know, it’s so easy to end up in the street, it’s so easy, you know, and you have to-, it takes such real bravery to overcome that fear and learn to be really good at it. You know, like somebody like these men and women that I’ve met with somebody-, you know, somebody like Auggie. That’s partly what I think makes his character so likeable and admirable is that, that he-, there’s a strength within him, you know, that he’s really been through something extraordinary.
PANEL: Wow. And I understand you’re working on some kind of project where you-, with the Covert Affairs DVDs, it’s some kind of…

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah.

PANEL: I can’t remember what it’s called, but…

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: It’s called, it, it’s called descriptive video. Last, last year, as a thank you to the CNIB, I, I wanted to arrange a screening of one of our episodes at their building, and-, but the, the-, you know, so when I talked to them about it they said, well, it would be great if you could get descriptive video on it so that, you know, our-, the blind people could really enjoy the episode. And what it is, essentially, is they, they take out the ambient music from the show and insert narration about what’s going on. What people look like, the action, and then, you know, the dialogue, of course, all stays in. And they’re really good at it. So I called up the network and I said, listen, I’d really love to do this thing, could we have the episode and, and would you guys mind footing the bill to have the descriptive video process done and, and they were great and they said, yeah, we’ll do it, just tell us, you know, where, where should we go. And so we hooked them up with this company in Vancouver and USA made it all happen and, and it was a big success. And so then I took it-, then I did-, I ended up doing press in New York-, well, for the Auggie’s episode last year and we did this event at the USA Network offices and I was talking to the woman who was handling all the DVD stuff and I, I said, listen, you know, look at this, this descriptive video is amazing, it’s not very expensive, and if you-, and you guys should be doing it on all your shows’ DVD, but for-, if you’re going to do it at all, you have to do it for this show. Please at least for my episode, but if you can do it for all the episodes it would be so great, and I know the blind community would appreciate it, and, and then when the DVDs came out, they did it, it’s on every episode on, on our DVD that…

PANEL: Incredible.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah, it’s just-, you know, and it’s, it’s, it’s a small thing, but it just takes effort, you know, and it just takes that extra effort and, and people really appreciate it, and I’m just so-, I mean, really proud to be on a network that, you know, will take somebody like me seriously and then, and then do something that’s really important like that.

PANEL: It’s amazing.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah. Yeah, hey.

PANEL: James Hamilton with Fist Full of Comics and Games.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Hi.

PANEL: Hi. I’m curious, when someone has a, a physical disability, it’s easy to fake a limp, or…

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Right.

PANEL: …a stiff arm, but trying to play blind when you have sight, how difficult is that?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: It’s tricky. It’s tricky. And, and it’s also a r-, it’s also a team effort, because you know, one of the-, it, it it’s been a learning experience, I think I’ve gotten better at it, and just like as a show we’ve gotten better at it. You know, starting out shooting the pilot, there were-, we were finding all kinds of weird technical issues, like you know, we’d shoot the master and I would be kind of off to, you know, the right of Piper’s head or whatever, and my eyes would be kind of in that area. But then we’d come to the close-up and that’s where the camera would be. And I-, you know, and then suddenly things weren’t matching because-, you know, so there’s a-, like I have to plan ahead and there has to be a good communication as to where are you guys going to be and-, so that I’m not staring into the camera. Also, a guy like Auggie in real life would actually be very good at eye contact, because people who’ve grown up with sight and then lost it, their body just remembers, you know, you can hear a voice and turn-, and your head just knows where to go. So much so that it can be very-, it can be really disconcerting when you’re having a conversation with someone who’s blind and it really looks like they’re looking at you, like you know, it starts to freak you out. So-, but if, if I do that on the show, it, it, it just becomes very confusing for the audience, so I have to make Auggie not as good as he would be in life. And, and also tell the directors-, ’cause we get new directors all the time, tell them, listen I won’t be offended, if it looks like I’m looking at whomever, tell me, because then I can just adjust it and, you know, and let’s-, ’cause we don’t want that, you know. Like I, I will never be looking at them, but sometimes because of the camera angle, wherever, it, it’s-, it can be a little tricky. But then-, and then technically, as far as the performance goes, it really just comes from just doing my research and doing a lot of observing and, and, and going through these classes, and finding out what the behaviour is. Like you know, how, how to feel a chair with the back of your legs before you sit down so you don’t have to like feel around, you know, and like so it’s subtle and natural, and, and you don’t see me trying to find things. And you know, it’s reaching for a cup of coffee and instead of doing it like this, it’s doing it with the backs of-, back of your hands so you don’t knock things over, or you don’t get burned. And you know, like doing things in grids, or if you fall on the ground you, you know, you’re searching in circles, and those details that you really just you find out by going and finding out the answers to those questions. And so yeah, it, it’s tricky, it’s just-, it’s a lot of-, but it’s also fun and, and it’s, it’s part of what makes it so rewarding is that it’s not easy to do, you know.

PANEL: Doug Liman gave the example earlier that you have to learn how to pour yourself a cup of coffee without spilling it…

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah.

PANEL: …’cause you got to know when it reaches the top.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah.

PANEL: Can you tell us that secret? He didn’t tell us.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Well, there’s a couple things you do. It was-, well, it was funny actually, ’cause when I did-, when I, I knew that we were going to see Auggie’s apartment, so I called up my coach over there at the CNIB and I said, look, can you-, can we-, do you guys do-, what do you do? Like how do you teach people to work in their kitchens and around the apartment? She said, well, come in, we’ll do the class for you in, in the kitchen and show you like how to do the cooking things. So we go in, and the first thing that comes out of that is a phone call to the props department, because there are certain things that you use that we use in the show. They have non-slip pads that they’ll put down on the counter, and then a tray, and then a non-slip pad on the tray, right, and the, the idea being that if you spill, it doesn’t go all over the counter and on the floor, you know, it stays in the tray. Like there’s a-, it’s-, there’s real logic to how everything is set up and how they teach people to do it. And then at first they have a little gadget that they, that they sell, which sits on the lip of a coffee cup and it has two little metal receptors at the end, and when the liquid touches it a little alarm goes off, right, so it tells you that your cup is full. So they’re showing me this thing, and then-, and they were, they were doing it with this, this woman who had lost her sight to diabetes, and so I said to her, I said, now, do you use that thing at home? She was like, uh. Like, I wouldn’t think so, I mean, it seems like that’d be a pain to like always have to find this little gadget and make sure it has batteries just to pour yourself a cup of coffee. I said, but how do you-, well, how do you do it? You know. And she said, well, you just do it kind of by sound, ’cause you can hear it, you know, you just kind of-, you hear as the, the sound of the water changes as the cup fills up, and you can hear when it’s getting close to the top, and you just get good at it. So it’s just practice, you know, and she’s like, sometimes, you know, I miss it and I spill, or sometimes-, you know, or you can put your finger just over the lip and, you know, you have to be careful with hot things, ’cause you don’t want to get burned. But so I just practiced by hearing, ’cause I figured Auggie’s like one of the coolest guys ever, so he’s not using some like dorky gadget. So that was out the door. Yeah, and so I just practiced and it’s-, you know, you set your cup a certain way so you know where the handle is, and you, you know, and you, you pour it, and just listen for it to be at the top, and I got it every time, I didn’t spill once, everybody on the crew was very impressed.
PANEL: Is that ’cause you’re cheating ’cause you’re-, you could actually see?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: No, ’cause I couldn’t look at it, ’cause it’s way down here, right, I mean, I’m doing it, I’m doing it all down here and I’m talking to Emmanuelle, you know, like we’re doing my lines and just-, I mean, I can’t see it. Yeah.

PANEL: Good instincts.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Well, it’s, it’s practice, that’s all, yeah.

PANEL: I was going to ask, where do you think Auggie’s strength, at this point in his life, it really comes from? ‘Cause he’s probably one of the most confident characters on the entire show.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah.

PANEL: And there’s got to be something that kind of gives him that strength that he draws upon.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Well, you know, he, he’s one of those very special people on this planet who has an extraordinary amount of strength in him. I mean, you know, he-, I don’t know how much you know about the Special Forces, but even the stuff you read, I mean, you know Seal Team 6 has been in the news because of killing Osama bin Laden, and Auggie’s one of those guys. You know, I mean, these are some of the strongest, most ambitious, toughest, really smart guys that this planet has to offer. And in addition to that, you know, he’s, he’s lost people in battle, he’s been through the fire, he lost his sight, he’s gone through that, I mean, he has been through more in his life already than most people will ever see. And so I think he’s, he’s built up through all of those things a lot of strength, and a lot of confidence in what he does. I think it’s part of what makes him so attractive to women is that confidence, you know, and he’s a good looking guy, but he’s, he’s confident and he’s-, he, he knows what he wants and I think people are attracted to that. And also, he got beat up a lot as a kid, he’s got four older brothers and they were not nice, so that had to help.

PANEL: Now, how do you think Auggie inspires the blind community? People that are aware of his character.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Right. I don’t know-, well, I don’t know if he inspires the blind community, so far the reaction that I’ve gotten from the blind community has been very positive. And I think it comes from a couple things. I think first it comes from the character that’s been written by Matt and Chris, who is a very capable, smart person with incredible skill who happens to have a disability. So he’s not a victim, which I think is a big sensitive spot for that community. He’s also not a Superman, like he’s not infallible and he-, so I, I think they appreciate that as well. I think the, the other side of, of it is that, I think that, you know, that I’ve worked very hard to get his portrayal as right as I can, and, and really have done my homework and, you know, had conversations, and met with a lot of people, and have taken it very seriously, and I think that they appreciate that, as well. So yeah.

PANEL: Murtz Jaffer from Inside Pulse. You’ve played a couple of challenging parts, you know, you had the killer on Harper’s Island, and now Auggie, are you just attracted to challenging yourself? (Laughter.)

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: What was the question?
PANEL: So the, so the question was, are you attracted to challenging parts? You know, Auggie being the killer.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Well, yes, but I can’t take credit for all of it, you know, I mean, Harper’s Island, for instance, is a perfect example where, you know, I, I, I suspected that I was going to be the killer on that show, but I didn’t really know until we were halfway through. Auggie on the other hand, you know, there were no secrets, and, and I was really excited about doing it, and, and doing something really different. I mean, I mean, honestly, it’s been-, like the past few years has been really exciting and I’m really proud of the work. I mean, starting with Ugly Betty, which in itself is a very distinct character and not me, you know, and then to go to Harper’s, and then to come to this show and, and you know, kind of taking everything that I’ve learned and, and bringing it into this part, which, you know the, the big challenge again with, with the blindness is, it’s such a specific physicality that, that you just can’t wing it, you know. Like you just can’t make it up.

PANEL: Is one more difficult than the other?

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Yeah, well, yeah. I mean, you know, doing-, this is, this is more difficult. I mean, it’s, it’s-, you know, any kind of interesting complex character is always going to be challenging, but having something so specific, like you know, a physicality like this that’s so specific that, that you have to get right. You know, like you can’t-, I can’t just kind of do it my way, you know? And kind of-, and, and, and wing it. It, it really has to be right, and I can, I can be creative, you know, in, in-, within that and, you know, and I can be really creative and go in different directions with other things about Auggie, but the physicality of his disability has to be accurate, and, and that’s, that’s-, that takes extra work. Yeah.

PANEL: Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER GORHAM: Great, no problem.

Sendhil walked in looking like he just walked off the set with his perfect hair and 5 o’clock shadow (it was 11 in the morning!). This reporter found out first hand that if you want to look like crap, sit next to someone this good looking and put together. A mistake that will never be repeated I can assure you.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hi, everyone.

PANEL: Hi.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Thanks for dropping by.

PANEL: It’s our privilege.

PANEL: I’ll go first, I’m sitting right next to him. James Hamilton with Fist Full of Comics and Games. I want to know, you came from a show, Heroes, that had a very large ensemble cast. This cast is smaller.
SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Mm-hmm.
PANEL: Is it easier to work with a smaller cast?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: It’s just different. It’s different working with a smaller cast. You-, well, you have to work more. You know, in, in Heroes, like, if you worked two days a week, three days a week, that was, like, that was your norm. That was, like, a heavy week, unless you were, like, heavy in an episode. Like, a couple episodes, you know, you’d work, you know, every day, but we also had a lot longer to shoot Heroes. This show we do in eight days. It’s an eight-day, eight-day episodes and some of them, like the one we’re shooting right now is a seven-day episode, and we had 12 days to shoot Heroes…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …so it was…

PANEL: Wow.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and we had two units going at all times. It was like a movie. So it’s, it’s, it’s a, it’s a lot less hectic here, much more chilled out, much more contained and, you know, just, it makes it, it, it’s smaller in scale, so it’s – it makes it a little bit easier to do, to do your work.

PANEL: Thank you.

PANEL: How would you describe the mystery of Jai?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: The mystery of Jai? (Laughter.)

PANEL: We don’t know a lot about him yet. (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: No, no. And, you know, to be honest, I, I don’t know a ton more than, than you guys do. It’s, it’s a very, very slow burn for Jai, and you get little snippets of his back story. And then I think at some point we’ll probably find out a lot more about where he came from and, you know, maybe what he was doing in London before he came and joined, joined up at Langley, but, you know, this season, it, it goes very, very slowly, and kind of starts going to some, some dark places…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …for Jai. And I, I still have no idea where-, what the ultimate end game is ’cause, like, I can’t figure it out. I mean, this is the next script right here. I haven’t read it yet…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and they just…

PANEL: Can I see that? (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …they just hand-, they just handed it to me, but you can, you, you heard it hear first. It’s called, Sad Professor…

PANEL: Hmmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and I’m sure it’ll be a, I’m sure it’ll be a good one. But, yeah, it, it starts out very slowly and kind of like a gentle simmer and then I think towards the end of the, the first part of our seasons, ’cause I guess we’re going to air 10 episodes straight through and then take a break and then come back and do 6. By the end of the first 10 it’ll kind of become apparent what Jai’s end game is for the season. But at the beginning it’s kind of, like, kind of seeing Jai dealing with not having things going his way, and that’s not something that he’s used to. I mean, he always gets what he wants. It’s been like that his whole life. He’s led a very privileged life, yeah, and had a privileged upbringing and he’s not really used to this, but he’s also pretty crafty and willing to do things that maybe others wouldn’t, and maybe that he shouldn’t do to get what he wants, and we’re going to, I think, kind of start exploring that a little bit, and it’s a little bit dark, and it’s kind of cool to play.

PANEL: So what would be Jai’s secret weapon, as far as one of his qualities that he’s trying to maybe utilize to get his goals?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Well, I mean, I think that he’s, he’s good at talking and talking his way out of things and, or into things, as the case may be, and I’ve heard that I talk myself into something in this episode.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: But, but, yeah, I mean, I think, I think that he’s, he has a lot of tools to his, you know, in his arsenal to kind of achieve what he wants. He can go charm offensive, he can be just a flat out prick, he can be, you know, and try bully his way through, so he kind of does, does what’s needed, kind of assesses the situation and then does what’s needed to get where he needs to be.

PANEL: I was a little curious in the first episode of this season he brought the puzzle books to the hospital for Ben.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Mm-hmm.

PANEL: What provoked that?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I think that it was, actually, a genuine moment of this guy, Ben, who, obviously, he’s not on the closest terms with, he’s gone through a lot, and the way I thought about it ’cause I, I, I did think why, on earth, is Jai bringing Sudoku’s…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …to Ben Mercer, like, a dude that he really is not fond of, and I, I kind of took it upon myself that Jai feels somewhat responsible, even though he really couldn’t have done anything, his back was turned at the point, but he was standing there when Ben got shot and he was trying to get them onto the helicopter and he got pegged…

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …you know, Ben got shot. And so that’s what I put in my head as the reason that he brought some Sudoku, is basically like, I hate you, but sorry you got shot.

PANEL: (Laughter.) Former glimmer of…

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah.

PANEL: …what’s in there.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah, exactly.

PANEL: Speaking of not getting along. By the way, Jeff Kirkpatrick, TV Fanatic.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hi, Jeff.

PANEL: Are we going to find out ever why there’s so much bad blood between he and Auggie?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah, I think it’s probably touched on a little bit in further episodes, definitely. I think, actually, the one airing on Tuesday, some stuff comes out. I can’t, I can’t remember ’cause we mixed the order up while we were shooting, so I’m not quite sure what’s aired and what’s not. But, but, yeah, we will and, you know, I think a lot of it just stems from the fact that, like, throughout the CIA for, for Jai is – he’s Henry Wilcox’s son, as, and everybody kind of thinks he must be like him, and I think Jai, listen, Jai could have kind of done anything. He went to Yale and has a good head on his shoulders. He could have gone into anything and probably made a lot of money, but he’s decided to fall into his, you know, go into his father’s line of work, knowing that he didn’t have the greatest reputation and that, you know, he was considered the Prince of Darkness, and, and all of this-, these things at the CIA, and it’s, it’s either balsy, or really stupid of, of Jai to kind of try and go in there, and part of my thinking with the character is he wants to change that perception, not necessarily of, of his father maybe because that may, that boat may have sailed at this point, but, but kind of redeem the family name a little bit and, and just cut his own, cut his own path, ’cause when you grow up, you know, around a certain environment, it’s kind of natural to go, to go and follow your parents’ footsteps, I mean, so…

PANEL: Think part of it, too, is wanting to prove something to his dad?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Prove something to his dad, especially. I mean, listen, they have a very contentious relationship and, actually, Greg Itzen is up here right now and we’re about to shoot a bunch of scenes tomorrow, which I’m really, really looking forward to ’cause they’re a lot of fun and, actually, there’s like a little bombshell that comes out at the end of one of their conversations and I’m looking forward to playing those moments.

PANEL: Thank you.

PANEL: Melissa from thetelevixen.com.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hey, Melissa.

PANEL: In the first season, I really, really liked the, the relationship between you and Annie, and I don’t mean this in a romantic perspective, but is that relationship going to continue to grow this season, and is it going to stay more as a friendship, or, like, what direction is it going, or is it going to stay strictly professional?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Again, I-, the answer is I don’t know…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

PANEL: Okay.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …but, you know, Jai has-, he has quite a few fires to put out on his own this season that he’s dealing with. The relationship with Annie, I, I suppose is touched on, but I think that it, it’s more of a friendship type of thing. That’s just my own personal thing. I think that last season he, he was on a mission, you know…

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …he was, he was doing his job and, you know, there’s certainly a, a kind of familiar air, a familiarity and a, you know, I think they get along…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …really well.

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Romantic-wise, I don’t-, I doubt it. I, I don’t see it…

PANEL: Yeah. That…

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …but…

PANEL: …I was, I was just thinking more along the lines of if it’s going to stay strictly professional and you guys are colleagues, but, because I saw hints of, like, that friendship creeping in and there was definitely a camaraderie going on in the first season?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Oh, yeah…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …oh, I see what you mean now…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …yeah, yeah, yeah…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …no. There is, there-, no. The camaraderie is definitely…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …there and…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …you see it in, like, even the episode that we shot, just finished…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …you know, Jai ends up having to go in and, and kind of-, them-, him and Annie are come together at the end of a, of a mission and kind of-, you, you kind of see a, a deepening of their, of their friendship, which, which is, which is cool, which is cool. But for the most part so far Jai’s kind of been off on his own, dealing with, with things that, that he doesn’t really want to be dealing with, to be honest, but he’s forced to, and going down paths that he probably never thought that he would, but he needs to to, to get what he, what he wants.

PANEL: I’m with, I’m Dave from Have You Heard, and so what about Jai, do you think will, will appeal to your audiences?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: What about Jai…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …do I think will appeal…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …to my audience?

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I don’t know. I mean, I try, I actually try not to think about appealing to audiences. I just try, try to think about playing the character and, but, you know, I think that, if you, if you’re into the kind of the bad boy thing you’ll, you’ll kind of be attracted to Jai. He just kind of does what he wants and doesn’t really care too much about what anybody else thinks…

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and so that’s the way I’ve tried to approach the character, ’cause as, as you’ll see as you see more episodes, he kind of starts going to places that I, I actually never really thought that he would go, but, but it’s, it’s fun to play and it’s, and it’s dark for, for our show, I think.

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: And I’m, I’m interested to see how it’s, how it’s played. Like, there’s something to be said for, for playing a character that doesn’t, you know, doesn’t really-, who, who really marches to the beat of his own drum and isn’t really concerned with what others think of him, as long as he gets what he wants.

PANEL: Sami, TV Grapevine.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hello.

PANEL: How do you relate to your character, and where do you draw your inspiration to be that bad boy from?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: My youth. (Laughter.)

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: My youth. No, it’s-, we won’t even get into that, but…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …it’s, you know I’m, I’m finding it surprisingly easy to draw, to draw on this stuff. But because it’s fun. It’s written, it’s written fun, and he’s kind of a naturally flirtatious character and cocky and arrogant, and that can turn some people off. You know, some people just don’t really respond to that and some people do. So that’s where, you know, kind of worrying about what the audience thinks of your character, I don’t see it, how it’s helpful. Just play what’s written and then people will respond to how they want to respond. But it, it’s a lot more fun than playing, like, a full-on good guy, and I think it’s more realistic, simply, like CIA-wise, just because I don’t think anybody in the CIA is all good or all bad. It’s impossible. If you’re going to be successful, anyway, in the CIA, you have to be willing to do some pretty messed up stuff, and I think Jai is more than willing…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …a lot of the times to, to do that, which is why, I think, ultimately, he’ll probably do very well at the CIA.

PANEL: Murtz from Inside Pulse.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hello.

PANEL: It’s kind of like a follow-up. Do you prefer playing the good guy, or do you like playing a character with more scruples?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: No, I’m, I’m pretty anti-scruples.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: It’s much more fun to, to, to not have scruples. It can be a dangerous road to go down for a character, certainly, but it’s definitely a more fun road. You know, I pretty much played a good guy on, on Heroes…

PANEL: Right.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …for the whole time, except for this little fly experiment.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

PANEL: Yeah. Somebody became like a spider, right?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah. And, you know, that was fun. That was fun, but it’s nice, it’s always nice to do something different, and that’s what attracted me to the part, is that they were like, no, this guy is not going to be, you know, apple pie, and I said, great, let’s do it! Hello.

PANEL: Jeff, Fellowship Fools.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hey, Jeff.

PANEL: For season two gearing up, did you do anything to try to, oh, I don’t know, new, new tech training, or did you read up on something that maybe from season one you decided, hey, you know, let’s, let’s look at this and get a little bit more insight of something….

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah. Like physically, actually, I did from season one ’cause we kind of established that Jai’s fluent with Parkour and all of these kind of things, and I thought, well, in case they write something like that, I better limber up, so I started doing a lot of yoga and pilates and, and being more active about working out a little bit more. I’ve always been active and athletic, I play a lot of tennis, but I, I started with that just to see, you know, if-, and, and Jai goes into the field this season and, we get to see, get to see him in action a little bit, which was, which has been a lot of fun and I think that there’s more of that stuff coming up later in the season.

PANEL: Cool. A lot of tech toys on the show, anything you want to take home with you?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Well, Auggie gets most of the tech toys, to be honest. He’s, he’s the one who gets, like, all the cool stuff, like, for, for-, it’s mainly guns, for me, which I think were cool.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I’d rather have a gun, but I’ve, I’ve been, you know, I’m, I’m – I’ve had guns blazing in a few episodes now, so that’s, that’s always fun for me…

PANEL: Texan at heart.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah, it is…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …it’s the Texan at heart. I just…

PANEL: I’m in Dallas, sir.

PANEL: I mean, which one’s your favourite so far?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: It’s been mostly hand guns…

PANEL: Yeah…

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …right now.

PANEL: …but different types.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Yeah. Different types of hand guns, and I got to do some very cool stuff where I was up in a helicopter and then got to come rushing out of it, they, they landed it. We-, we’re in this huge field and…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …got to come out, guns blazing, which is always fun, you know, boys and toys. But, but, yeah, we’ll see, we’ll see if, if there’s some more of that planned further down the season. I’m not, I’m not too sure about that.

PANEL: Hi, Sendhil.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hey.

PANEL: Sorry I talked to you when I got here, I’m a long-time fan.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Oh, no.

PANEL: I’m Rosa from accidentalsexiness.com.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Great title.

PANEL: Thank you.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Okay.

PANEL: Gorham’s on Twitter, you know how that goes. They-, the show has embraced Twitter, when are we going see you on Twitter?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Boy. I just don’t see that happening. (Laughter.)

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I’m going to be honest. I mean, I just, I’m not really a Twitter guy. I don’t – Gorham’s the Twitter guy.

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: He’ll, he’ll-, he’s tweeting constantly.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: But I, I, I tend to-, I, I called it the wrong name the other day. I was like…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …are you tweetering?

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I’m, I’m not, I’m not really proficient with, with it. It’s probably best ’cause I’d probably send something out by accident…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …that shouldn’t be sented, sent out, like Mr. Weiner. (Laughter.) No.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: (Laughter.) I joke, I joke. (Laughter.) But, but, no, Twitter’s not really my, my thing, but I, I know that a lot of people are really into it and enjoying the, the Twitter casts on, on, on, on the computer and stuff, so that’s cool. Like, I think that’s great. It’s a really great way to, to-, for the fans to interact and there was a lot of that going on on Heroes, and I’ve actually made a conscious effort this, this season. I’m going to at least know what’s going-, ’cause people would come up to me and ask me about on line stuff on Heroes and I had no idea what they were talking about.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Like there was a comic book…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and I’m like we didn’t have anything to do with that stuff, so we didn’t-, you know, there were webisodes and all…

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …this stuff, but we weren’t really involved in that, like, the cast. So I’m going to at least know what’s going on. I know that there’s Twitter casts going on about Budapest, and as far as I know that’s it, right?

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Okay. I’m on, I’m on top…

PANEL: You’re caught up.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …of it. I’m on top of it.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: We’re good to go.

PANEL: Thank you.

PANEL: Mo from Buzz Focus. Speaking of Heroes, do you know anything of the-, these follow-up movies that we keep hearing about, these rumours?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: They’re rumours. I, I, I hear them too. But, I think, I think it’s…

PANEL: Yeah.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …pretty damn unlikely. I mean, we’re all off, or a lot of us are off doing other things under contracts with different people. It would be-, I mean, I hope that happens, just for the fans’ sake. But, realistically I, I, I just, I don’t see a chance of that happening, not, not with the whole cast together. It, it’d be impossible, just to…

PANEL: Mm-hmm.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …to kind of get everybody together.

PANEL: Can I ask one more question? I’m Stephanie from Poptimal.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: Hi.

PANEL: I was just wondering, since Piper, she recently went to Paris to film, do you get to go to any cool, exotic locations maybe anytime soon?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: As far as I know, no.

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I know that Piper went to Paris and Puerto Rico. Auggie-, yeah, Chris is going to Istanbul, and then I’ve heard, but I don’t know if this is actually happening, that they’re planning on a German expedition at some point and maybe one to Norway, to Oslo. So that’s what I’ve heard. I don’t-, those aren’t confirmed, but Istanbul, Puerto Rico and Paris are, are definite.

PANEL: But they’re leaving you behind here?

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I get left behind…

PANEL: Oh, yeah? Oh.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …for, for reasons which will, which will come out…

PANEL: Ah.

PANEL: Okay.

PANEL: Interesting.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …yeah.

PANEL: Sounds like you’ve been starting your trouble.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I, I don’t think intentionally, but I think ultimately maybe that’s what’s going to happen. Again, I don’t know ’cause we haven’t gotten far enough in, but I think really kind of from the fifth and-, the fifth episodes you see, the fifth episode on, you’re going to see the direction that Jai goes down for the season, and there’s a scene with Joan where he kind of makes a decision as to what he’s going to do and-, which was a lot of fun to, to play…

PANEL: (Laughter.)

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: …and you’ll, you’ll kind of know what he’s, what he’s up to, but then I think it twists and it goes in a different direction that you don’t even really expect for the back six. So, so we’ll see.

PANEL: I’m looking forward to it.

SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY: I, I’m looking forward to it. No, I’m having a blast.

The first book deals with an artifact called the Dreamheart which is actually the eye of a massive aboleth (super-intelligent fish creature from beyond the stars with strange mental powers). In the end most of the characters align with the intention of destroying it while one steals it and runs away in order to try and save the “dream form” of a girl he has feelings for which he believes to be stuck inside.

The second book picks up that story right away. It’s been a short time since that event happened and the main characters of Raidon (the aberrant hunting monk with an artifact sword called Angul), Thoster (the ship captain with a strange affliction), and Seren (the wizard with a secret that many would consider shameful…although she wouldn’t agree) hunt after Japheth (the warlock who made a deal with an evil arch-fey to get his powers but who he then betrayed and later would be the one who stole the Dream heart) unaware that he only stole it to try to save Anusha (the character who represents innocence in many ways that has the unexplained ability to send her dream form out into the world where she can manipulate it as a ghost-like being).

After the main group fails to get the Dreamheart from Japheth before he runs away at which point both factions decide, for independent reasons, that they need to go to the source of the artifact-eye, Xxiphu, the city of aboleths and home to the Eldest, an aboleth that has been sleeping under the world longer since before beings lived on it. The main group is going to destroy the Eldest, while Japheth goes to free Anusha, who he believes is trapped there.

This story significantly improves upon the storytelling of the first book, which is starting from a good place (see my review of the first book, which I also rather enjoyed). It lacks the lulling moments where things slow down and start to drag by introducing revealing and engaging events throughout everything else happening.

The character of Japheth rings true, as a man with nothing to lose and a pathetic infatuation with a girl he barely knows with the insistence that it’s about love. It’s a quality that, at first, I felt rang false, or that this love was undeveloped and thus a bit unbelievable to read, but it seems that the author did this on purpose and it becomes more clear (and becomes obvious in the third book, which I will discuss in a future review) that this is, in fact, a character flaw of the warlock, who in the first book is just seen as a badass with a soft spot for a girl.

Raidon goes through some changes that seemed hard for me to swallow towards the end of the book, but it’s also good to see those changes (and again, the third book indicates that it’s really probably more of a rough patch than anything). And Seren, who I saw as a bit-player in the first book, becomes a major character in the second. In fact, she develops so much that almost as soon as I started to learn about her background she almost immediately became my favorite character in the whole book (although she’s possibly the least connected to what’s happening in the story and more along for the ride than anything).

If I have any complaint its that there is a pretty heavy dose of deus ex machina on occasion be it from suddenly discovered abilities that Angul has, or Raidon can tap into with his spellscar, or that Japheth or Seren can manage with magics that seem to end up coming to them relatively easily. But I’m willing to overlook these sorts of things quickly out of respect for the character development and story.

The author has worked hard to create a sort of unexpected twist ending in his books that, honestly, don’t quite have the shock value I expect it was going for, but which satisfyingly leave you on enough of a cliffhanger that you are eager to jump into the next book (which you can do now because all three are published).

Ultimately, I see Bruce Cordell’s storytelling developing in very positive ways in this book when compared to the quite enjoyable first. It tells a story that is more engaging with every installment and he has figured out to hook this reader with his character development in City of Torment.

If you’re looking for a good Forgotten Realms story that bridges some of the gap between the 3rd edition world and the 4th edition world, this series is fitting that bill nicely. If you’re looking for a fantasy story that incorporates the world of Faerie along with alien-monsters from beyond the stars (in Cthulu-esque fashion) and a sense of Dungeons and Dragons as it’s foundation, this book will satisfy that as well.

This is a trilogy that I’ve enjoyed more than other Realms books I’ve read written by authors with more experience that Mr. Cordell. I recommend it completely, and look for my concluding review of this series to be coming as soon as I wrap up the last book.

Plague of Spells

The story actually starts by following Raidon Kane, a monk who hunts aberrations and raises a little girl with his spare time, and it actually starts pre-Spellplague. But you don’t have to wait too long, pretty much from the start of the story the Spellplague hits, Raidon is suspended in crystal, and wakes up sometime after the Spellplague. His daughter is dead, the magical amulet he used to wear on his chest has been infused into his flesh as a spellscar, and he has the voice of an intelligent construct in his head guiding him. Raidon’s quest leads him to take time learning who he is in this new world, how he’s going to fit into it, and eventually on a mission to stop a great evil.

Raidon Kane, however, is not the only character that the story focuses on. It also spends about half of it’s time dealing with the story of Japheth and Anusha. Japheth is a warlock who made a pact with an evil arch-fey, the Lord of Bats. Anusha is a somewhat spoiled rich girl who doesn’t like her lot in life until she discovers one day that she has the power to project her spirit when she’s asleep and when in her dream-state she can effect the world around her. Japheth is the dark loner, complete with a drug problem, she’s an innocent…so you know there’s bound to be some sort of attraction.

The two of them team up when she stows away on the same ship that Japheth is working on for Anusha’s generally vile and cowardly brother. Through the book you learn more about the pact that the warlock undertook while they continue on the quest of the ship, team up with Nogah, a kuotoa ex-whip, and her journey to recover an artifact called the Dreamheart from the great kraken Gethsameth.

Nogah gets some screen time in the story as well so we better understand the origins of the Dreamheart, an artifact that promises to be the centerpiece of the entire trilogy.

This book starts off really good. The introductions to these characters are interesting, mysterious, and/or engaging. But after that it slows down a bit. The first third of the book after the introduction is a bit slow where not much is going on. Kane is broody and meditative. Anusha is hiding on the boat. Japheth explores his dark side. It’s okay, but it becomes a lot more worth it in the last half of the story.

The second half of the story is full of awesome. The slower bits from the beginning start to pay off, the action picks up. Raidon goes on an epic quest that leads him to some very interesting situations, interactions, and fights. And let me say that Kane’s fights are well described. Cordell is a martial artist himself and that level of research pays off with the fight scenes with Raidon Kane.

Anusha and Japheth explore the warlock’s history and start to progress towards real growth. The relationship between the two does feel a bit forced, but the other elements of character growth and development make it all seem worth while.

The story ends exactly as you might expect…and then continues on providing a twist that you didn’t see coming. But not in one of those disappointing ways that seems contrived, but rather in a way that makes perfect sense given the direction of the story but in a way that also leaves me on the edge of my seat ready for the next book.

Plague of Spells (Forgotten Realms: Abolethic Sovereignty, Book 1)