“It’s Scotland’s masterpiece TV”
JAMIE SIVES AND MARK BONNAR TELL INSIDE TV ABOUT THEIR LAST HURRAH AS BROTHERS MAX AND JAKE…
As the BAFTA-winning series returns for its final outing, tricksy siblings Max and Jake McCall find themselves back in Scotland and straight into the clutches of old enemy Maggie Lynch (Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan). But that’s the least of their worries when a dangerous blast from the past rocks up. Inside TV chatted with Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, who play Max and Jake, to find out more…
Hi, both! Where do we find Max and Jake at the start of series three? Mark They’re running a bar in Chicago, and Max has been sleeping above the pub for a year, trying to make it work. Both their hands are forced into returning to Edinburgh. Jamie Jake’s a little bit more laissez-faire. He’s got his girlfriend Angie, he’s in America and he’s on a new journey, so he’s much happier with things than Max is at this point. I think Max is boiling up inside.
There have been betrayals on both sides – can they still trust each other?
Mark Um, trust is a difficult one! I think it’s a ‘blood’s thicker than water’ situation. You want to trust your kin, and that’s why Jake keeps giving Max second chances. Trust doesn’t come into it for Max, really – he just bulldozes his way through most situations. Jamie I think Jake trusts Max, which is why he keeps repeatedly getting dumped on. But Angie alerts Jake to things; and he starts thinking about what Max is up to. Mark They’re kind of thrown together against their will, and then when they think they’re getting out of it, they’re thrown together again in the back of a van! They have it all out, it clears the air a bit, I think.
Did it feel bittersweet knowing this would be the final series?
Jamie That’s exactly how it was. We’d have so much fun, then you have a little moment of awareness and go, “Oh, gosh, it’s three weeks to go” – and the sadness builds up. But we’re so proud of it.
Mark Definitely. It was very emotional – on our last day, it was hard to hold it together.
How do you feel about being BBC Scotland’s flagship drama?
Mark I think it’s a wonderful thing to be part of. It seems to have made Scots proud that we’ve managed to sell this fantastic yarn around the world… it’s travelled so well. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of that. Jamie I always read how actors are so proud to be a part of The Sopranos, and I feel the same about Guilt. I think it’s Scotland’s masterpiece TV.