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Gianna Sobol on “The Returned” and the explosion of queer characters coming to TV

Did you love this week’s episode of A&E’s The Returned as much as we did? The episode’s scribe, out writer Gianna Sobol, graciously took some time out of her busy schedule to chat about Nikki and Julie, what it’s like in the writers’ room, and the exciting future for queer characters on television.

AfterEllen.com: Can you tell me a little bit about the overall process of writing for a show like The Returned, seeing as it’s a remake [of the French series Les Revenants]?

Gianna Sobol: The writer’s room on The Returned-and every room is different-but the way we work is that we would break story together. So, we come up with all of the beats in each episode together, and then we were each assigned episodes. We would go off and write our own outlines and scripts, and then produce part of our own episode and part of somebody else’s. You know, we all were big fans of the French show. We showed up on the first day pretty well versed in it. We were all ready to talk about how we wanted to stick to it, and how we wanted to change things and make it our own.

AE: When it came to deviating from the French version, was there a lot of input from producers or were you all left to make those decisions?

GS: We have our two showrunners, Carlton Cuse and Raelle Tucker, and they were really steering the ship. So, ultimately, they made the decisions, but most things were a conversation in the writer’s room and everyone would chime in with what they thought. For the most part, we all saw things the same way. Nobody really felt strongly against the direction we were going.

AE: Your episode [aired] this week-I really liked it!

GS: Thank you!

AE: I think AfterEllen fans are going to be very happy to see Nikki and Julie finally getting back together. Did you specifically request to write this episode for that reason? Or did they ask you to write it, knowing that you are out and queer and might have a different perspective on things?

GS: No, actually. I was secretly hoping I would get that episode, but I was assigned an episode number and as we broke story the cards just sort of fell that way. There were earlier iterations [of the story] where that was going to happen in a previous episode or a later episode. Once we got down to bolting down the story, I just got lucky.

AE: Awesome-what a happy coincidence.

GS: Yes.

AE: So one thing that specifically stuck out to me: At the end of the episode, Nikki is basically about to go down on Julie. And that’s not something, even today, that you really get to see on TV very often. Was there any pushback on that scene in terms of how explicit it could be from your perspective?

GS: There was no pushback at all. I think it’s a scene that starts out as a really sexually charged moment, and then when Julie realizes that Nikki’s going to see her scars-and Julie’s never really shown them to anybody-the moment sort of turns into something that’s much more emotional than that. So that’s why the energy shifts, and that’s why it doesn’t really have a chance to go further than that. And I think had Victor not shown up in the doorway they would have sort of moved through that moment into, um, into what the AfterEllen readers are probably hoping it would be. [laughs]

AE: [laughs] I mean just shut the door guys, really.

GS: I know. [laughs] Well, Victor doesn’t sleep, so he’s got eyes on everybody in there.

AE: Was there any other scene in the episode that was you particularly enjoyed writing?

GS: I loved writing the Helen at the dam stuff. Helen is such a complex, fascinating and unpredictable character. And Michelle Forbes is so fucking talented that you know she’ll turn whatever you put on the page into something magical.

AE: Are Julie and Nikki your favorite characters to write or is there another character that you really enjoy?

GS: I loved writing for them. I love Victor, also, he’s such a creepy little boy. So he’s really fun to write for. And, you know, I didn’t really expect that Rowan would become such a favorite of mine. I think I assumed, for obvious reasons, that Nikki and Julie would be it, but then once I got into writing Rowan, I realized what a complex and nuanced character she is. And Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just so amazing, and she brings it to light in beautiful, unexpected ways. I just got more and more excited about that character as the season went on.

AE: So, you kind of talked a little bit about this already, but how much of the plot in your episode was already completely decided when you began writing?

GS: We really decide the major plot points as a room together. Then once you get into outlining, you find smaller moments to bring to it that may change things. And then once you’re writing the script, again, you find new things that you wouldn’t have expected. Sometimes once you’re in the writing process you’ll find that this scene doesn’t work, or this story feels flat, or something’s wonky here- and then you take that back to the room or to one of the showrunners. And you talk to them about it and come up with ideas. It might have a ripple effect into the next couple of episodes, or it might shift something in a previous episode that we haven’t actually shot yet so there’s still time to make a change.

It’s sort of an evolving process. I’ve worked on shows where you’re constantly changing and moving plot points as you’re writing. Raelle and Carlton had a really, really clear vision of what they wanted with the show. and they were really on top of things. So the writing process didn’t have any frantic energy about it, which was really nice.

AE: And how involved are you in the process of shooting and editing and all that once the script is written?

GS: So you’re involved in the prep meetings from Los Angeles-you’re on the phone for things and you’re involved in emails-and then we actually got to go to Vancouver to be on set. We worked with the directors and the actors and helped shape the final outcome of the episode. That was a really amazing experience. Not every show has writers on set, so it’s a really fortunate thing that this show did.

AE: That’s awesome. So, more generally speaking, being an out queer writer and getting to write for queer characters do you feel-I mean that’s awesome and I’m sure you’re excited about that-but do you feel any pressure or responsibility that you’re speaking for this whole group of people?

GS: You know, I’ve actually been really spoiled. I was an associate producer on True Blood and I worked for Alan Ball, and then I got to work for this show, which was an incredibly queer-friendly show. So I was just excited to get to be a part of that, and I was in really queer-friendly and supportive environments. People weren’t just looking at me to be the gay voice. I think that everybody was pretty progressive everywhere I’ve been so far.  

I’m really excited. I just wrapped on a show called Extant on CBS, which is also just like a kick-ass show for women, and now I’m reading all of the pilots of what is coming up next season. There are so many gay characters and queer characters-and I mean main characters or side characters-and I feel like we’ve moved into this new phase where it’s not a big deal: It just is, and we don’t have to do these big coming out stories.

AE: Right.

GS: Even Julie and Nikki, we don’t have to explain that they’re gay, they just are. It’s a really exciting time and I’m really excited to be a part of that. And yeah, I guess there are moments where I’ll chime in and be like, “No, you know, it doesn’t really work like that,” but for the most part the writing teams I’ve been on haven’t needed me to explain too much to them. They get it.

AE: It’s nice that you don’t have to educate everyone while you’re trying to write.

GS: Yes, exactly.

AE: What are some of your favorite shows-either current or past-and do they influence your writing? Or, if not, what does influence your writing?

GS: One of my favorite recent shows was Top of the Lake, I thought it was really, really brilliant. And I really loved The Returned, the French one-that was really inspiring to me. I’m definitely inspired by television, but I find that I’m more inspired in some ways by real stories in the world. I listen to a lot of This American Life, and I loved Serial. I found Serial really, really inspiring. And the people I meet in my life, I travel a lot and I find whenever I travel it sort of opens my mind up to new ideas and new worlds. So it’s a combination of seeing shows and working for really cool writers, and sort of understanding what you can do with television, mixed with my own experiences that I can bring to the table.

AE: You mentioned that you were looking at upcoming pilots. I don’t know if you can say-I don’t really know how things work-but is there anything that you’ve started writing on?

GS: Nothing has been formally picked up yet-I’m just reading scripts. It’s mostly pilots that have been shot, but we don’t know if the shows are actually going to go yet. So there’s nothing specific I can really say other than that I was just sort of shocked at the number of queer characters. I mean there are even a handful of trans characters, and this is network television that I’m reading right now. So it’s really exciting. I feel like shows like Transparent have really changed the game.

AE: Yeah, that’s awesome. Okay, last but not least, I have some rapid fire questions for you. So just say the first thing that comes to your mind.

GS: Okay, got it.

AE: What’s your favorite color?

GS: Blue.

AE: Do you prefer Tegan and Sara or Ani DiFranco?

GS: My 15-year-old self would say Ani DiFranco, my current self would say Tegan and Sara.

AE: [laughs] That’s actually exactly what my answer would’ve been.

GS: Really? [laughs] It’s a hard one!

AE: Wine, beer, or liquor?

GS: All of the above.

AE: [laughs] Oh man, I just interviewed Agnes Bruckner and she said the same thing.

GS: [laughs] She’s awesome. I love her.

AE: Do you have a favorite author?

GS: Right now it’s Junot Díaz. AE: Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?

GS: The beach.

AE: Cats or dogs?

GS: Definitely dogs.

AE: What is your favorite current song?

GS: I’ve been on a John Prine kick. I’m going to say “In Spite of Ourselves” by John Prine.

AE: When you write, do you use a pen and paper (old school) or do you type on a computer

GS: Computer.

AE: If you were not a writer, what would you be?

GS: I’d like to believe I’d be a doctor. [laughs] I’m not sure if that’s actually true.

The Returned airs on A&E Monday nights at 10/9c. Follow Gianna on Twitter: @giannasobol

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