Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce EP Spills Season 2 Secrets
Marti Noxon breaks down what to expect for Abby and the crew.
Things are as complicated as ever for Abby McCarthy on Season 2 of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. This time around Lisa Edelstein's small-screen persona tries to navigate her complex relationship with her on-off ex- husband, Jake (Paul Adelstein), in addition to dating, her friendships with her tight-knit group of pals, and her new gig at the female-focused website, SheShe. Viewers got a taste of what's to come for our protagonist during the December 1 premiere, but that's only the beginning. "What worked in Season 1 was all those moments when you tell on yourself; when you tell the secrets and the hurtful things and the happy things and the unexpected things that happen in your life," the show's executive producer and writer, Marti Noxon, told The Daily Dish. "So we mined the room [for] things that feel grounded and real even though they might be super comical or super sad. So more of that, we tried to do more of that." Looking for more answers on what's to come? Marti spilled a few more juicy secrets about this season.
Jake and Abby 2.0
The exes continue to live in will they/won't they territory, which will only get more complicated once Abby learns that he's expecting a baby with another woman. "To me, part of the fun and the challenge of Season 2 was the question of, 'Can you overcome your history? Can you really start over with somebody even though how ever much love there is, there's still all that history and old habits?' And so that was really a fascinating thing to write about and see how it evolves. We weren't entirely sure to be honest and then, and then we found our answer. I'm very excited for people to see how Jake and Abby make a go at it."
All Those Hotties
Season 2 welcomes a bevy of babes to charm the ladies — including Homeland actor Maury Sterling, Mad Men actor Aaron Staton, Mark Valley, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, and Will Kemp. "They're obviously more than [good looking], but it is funny that we're aware of the fact that we have all these beautiful women and they need their foils. And the lucky thing is when the right person steps into the right role, I feel like Will Kemp is delightful in every way and because he is that, his role expanded beyond what we thought it would. And that's where it's great to have flexibility and you start to see chemistry happen and you start to see actors working great together. Then you can say 'This isn't just eye candy, this guy is trenmendous actor and great comedian and he and Jo [Alanna Ubach] just their scenes together are working great, so let's have more of him please. Yeah that was rough; that was hard," she joked.
Marti's Daughter Played Casting Director
When it came time to cast Abby's workplace rival, she really had to look no further than her daughter for some advice on who to cast. After bingeing on Parks and Recreation, Marti's daughter suggested she ask Retta if she might want to appear on the show. It appears executive producing is genetic. "It turned out that [Retta] also had a deal with NBC and other projects [so] that it just worked out. She saw the show and she related to it and I just feel like we're so lucky to have her. She impeccable and funny and a new flavor."
There Are Many More Rules to Learn
And here are some of Marti's favorites: "Let's see, 'The boy's a douche mobile'; 'Labels are for canned goods'; 'Let her eat cake.' One of the things that I really wanted to write about this season was body issues and how much pressure we put on yourselves, not all women, but I feel like all women feel like they're either winning or losing."
The Final Say
So how would Marti sum up this season in three words? "I would say surprising, intense, and funny." Well, consider our interest piqued.
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce airs Tuesdays at 10/9c.
