Love on the loose
Divorce returns with a lighter, faster and funnier feel, thanks to new romances and ditching that annoying ex.
Divorce Season 2 Fridays (from 2 March) M-Net (*101) 22:00
Season 1 of comedy series Divorce (2017- current) focussed on feuding exes Frances and Robert (Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church) going their separate ways. Season 2 will see their warring continue to all-time lows, but there is a glimmer of hope, teases new showrunner Jenny Bicks. “You had the first season where they went head-to-head. Now it’s about how they go forward, separately but together.” And it seems Jenny and the writing team have taken the changing weather seasons as inspiration. “Frances and Robert were in winter. They’re going into spring now and they’re going to bloom as they try to rebuild their lives,” explains Jenny.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Season 2 is going to bring other characters more to the fore, including Frances and Robert’s children Lila and Tom (Sterling Jerins and Charlie Kilgore). “You are going to see how those funny season 1 fights are not all that funny,” says Jenny. “They will affect the children and we see more of them after they flew under the radar in season 1. Especially because Robert reported his ex for kidnapping their kids in the season 1 finale.”
But it’s not just the children who’re adapting, reveals Thomas Hayden. “We explored the explosion of the divorce and the darkness last time. But you can’t start dressing things up now, like ‘moving on’. Just because it looks like Robert is moving on doesn’t mean that’s what it is.” Well from the outside, it looks like he’s further ahead than his ex because he’s already hooking up with estate agent Jackie Giannopolis (Becki Newton, Amanda in comedy Ugly Betty, 2006-2010). “There is tension because Frances is hovering like a bee though,” warns Becki.
PLUGGING GAPS
For Frances, her growth is more interpersonal, explains Sarah Jessica. “She will get a love interest butshe’s looking for liberation. She made a lot of creative and professional sacrifices that she now feels are missing.” That doesn’t mean she’s giving up men, laughs the actress. “She’s learning what she likes and she meets a few men who are… interesting…” NB! See more on p59.