Chris: Regarding
Jax's arc... There were some long awaited milestones this season. Have things worked out like you initially
planned or has his story evolved in ways that may have surprised you?
Kurt: Things
always change and obviously I'm guided by the direction our narrative takes
from season to season. I always knew I wanted to play with at least a couple of
seasons with Jax at the head of that table because to me it's the real
interesting journey. For Season 5 and 6 and however long we're able to do it, I
have a pretty good sense of what the last season looks like, but to play out a
couple of seasons where Jax takes over for Clay, and doesn't become Clay. How
does Jax become motivated and guided by his father's vision and not suffer the
same fate as his father. Can you really be the leader of an organized crime
club and yet not become a guy like Clay. To me, that's really interesting turf
for a story to play out for a couple of seasons. And I knew I wanted to do
that, and we just sort of had this organic path this season with Jax getting
out of jail and having a couple of years to sort the process of who he was and
where he was going. It seemed like this is the right time to land on that.
There are always surprises, there are always characteristics and things that
happen as a result of story or a result of an interpretation of an actor that I
go "wow, that's cool. I didn't see that" and I'm able to take the character
down the path. Unser is a perfect
example. I had no idea what to do with that character this season. We love the
actor and then I just sort of came up with the idea that what if this dude is
just living out in a fucking trailer and waiting to die? Everything had been
taken away from him. We created the dynamic where the wife left, and he just
literally has fucking nothing to live for. Ultimately, the irony of Clay
pulling him back and giving him something to live for and then the betrayal of
Clay actually giving him something to live for.
Because then suddenly with having to protect Gemma, Unser is empowered
like he's never been empowered before.
Chris: Yeah, I
was going to ask you... It was awesome seeing this lost, broken shell of a man.
And Clay set him up, but Gemma's drama invigorated the character, gave him a
sense of purpose.
Kurt: Anything
Dayton touches is gold. I can give the guy anything and he just makes it
heartfelt and beautiful.
Chris: He's got that
heartfelt face.
Kurt: He's such a
great actor and he just gives the show a certain amount of warmth and gravitas.
So we had created that dynamic and that history with Gemma. That was something
I never had planned on, but there was such a great dynamic with he and Katey in
the scenes they did together and that's when I came up with the whole idea of
this sort of unrequited love he has for her and Gemma always knowing it, but
keeping him close enough but at bay. We see that this season, but protecting
her has given him something to live for and that's why we see him at the head
of her table at the end of the season. I'm not sure what that looks like, but
we'll definitely continue to play out that relationship next season.
