'MILLION' AIR
‘Little Things’ creator talks ABC show’s return
A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Thursday, 10 p.m., ABC
‘AMillion Little Things” is back for a 14-episode run — after only four episodes aired last fall due to primetime’s juggling act triggered by the pandemic shutdown.
Thursday’s episode finds the show’s major characters dealing with COVID in different ways: Eddie’s (David Giuntoli) opioid dependency; Maggie’s (Allison Miller) romance with British roommate Jamie (Chris Geere); Rome’s (Romany Malco) new movie and his wife, Regina’s (Christina Moses), restaurant; and Gary’s (James Roday Rodriguez) relationship with Darcy (Floriana Lima).
Series creator/executive producer DJ Nash spoke to The Post about the rest of the season.
How does COVID effect this season’s arc?
Our show lives in authenticity. There were so many things that we, as writers, experienced and so many ways our lives were different because of COVID. When you look at the show’s characters, if you’re in remission for cancer or if you’re looking at chemical dependency…it seems like every issue of our show was intensified by COVID, so not to embrace it and look at it through that lens would be a huge missed opportunity. So many of our stories... make our audience feel “seen,” and I hope this does, too.
Will the impact of Jon’s (Ron Livingston) suicide be felt less now?
I think it’s going to change and be really true to what happens after a loved one has died. I think of my own friend who I lost [to suicide] and who was the inspiration for the show, of how I miss him and the relevance his passing plays into my life changes. Similarly, there are events that take place for [Jon’s children] Danny (Chance Hurstfield) and Sophie (Lizzy Greene), huge events where they’re aware that not only did their dad play a role in “helping me through this,” but “what would Dad think about what I did?” That’s everpresent, but they’ve all gotten to the point where they’re not forgetting and picking up the phone to call Jon. They know he’s gone. But they’re at that next stage, when reaching a milestone or when they least expect it [that] they’re reminded of him. It either inspires you or gut-punches you.
Do you consider Gary to be the show’s comic relief?
Gary sometimes goes to jokes for different reasons. He’s afraid of his emotions and so it’s a shield; he does it to help other people let their guard down; and then he does it just because he can’t help himself. We all have that friend who might push the limits of what you can say or do, but because they’re so well-intentioned and look out for us in every other way…it’s like, “Oh, OK, this is Gary.” I think James [Roday Rodriguez] and I see that in the same way. In our very first meeting, I was telling him that the story came from a real place, from a friend who died from suicide and that we were supposed to have lunch the next week. James said, without missing a beat, “He really didn’t want to have lunch with you, did he?” It was just so raw. I said to myself, “That’s Gary — he’s never being mean but he’s not trying to be nice: he’s just trying to be honest.”