Collider: At what point did you decide there would be this three-year time job?
What made you want to do that, and why was three years the right amount of time?
Thankfully, we came on midway through shooting episode one, so we were able to change a lot.
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And then, on top of that, it really relegated our incredible supporting cast to just doing exposition.
It bought us the why, of why it could happen.
Thats what we wanted.
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DEAN GEORGARIS: Just from a basic storytelling standpoint, we wanted to create more obstacles.
In any true love story, the more obstacles, ultimately the more satisfying.
We miss each other.
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The whole first season, every character was like, Were getting him home.
And I was like, I think youre a genius.
The time jump allows us to do all of that.
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GERO: Yeah, we thought about it.
All of her friends who went through this with her like, Wow, thank God for Tom.
Tom is a really solid guy, which I think helps.
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We get to imagine the whole journey, and then we tell it one piece at a time.
You pretty much went straight into filming Season 2.
Did that give you any extra filming time?
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GERO: It was a direct result of a potential strike, which turned into an inevitable strike.
We were in such a unique position because of an order of 18.
Not that they needed it, but they were going into almost 200 days of filming.
We went to 16 countries on five or six continents.
We did everything except for Antarctica.
For us, I knew it was something that we could do, but it just takes planning.
The first season was a clustercuss, as far as us just trying to stay on task.
This season feels more assured.
We know were gonna hit this, and this.
And we chose Egypt because, if youre gonna go someplace, go someplace grand.
Egypt in the sixties, there are place in Egypt that look that way now.
With a little bit of Photoshop to take away some satellite dishes, its perfect.
It was so great to do.
Full kudos to Chris Grismer and the skeleton team we brought to Egypt with us.
We used almost entirely local crew, and it was a magical experience for everybody.
I cant wait for people to see that episode.
Its like a Hollywood blockbuster.
It feels so huge.
If youre going to go someplace like Egypt, you want people to know thats where you really are.
GEORGARIS: Thats exactly what Martin said.
He was like, Dean, were in front of the pyramid.
They cant think its green screen.
GERO: Were literally as close as you legally can get to the Sphinx.
The access they gave us was so incredible.
What can you guys say about Hannah and how Eliza Taylor fits into this season?
We know that shes a regular this season, so well be seeing her again.
What can you tease about how shell be a part of the season following the end of episode three?
GERO This is a really hard one to talk about.
It will be clear a little later in the season.
All Ill say is that shes not a time traveler and shes not an evil person from the future.
What I can say is how freaking lucky we are to get Eliza Taylor.
Shes an incredible actress.
When she was available, I was like, Shes not gonna wanna do this?
And then, the fact that she said yes was such a thrill.
Youve gotten just a taste of what shes able to do.
In later half of this first eight, there are some really incredible episodes with her.
GEORGARIS: Her presence in Season 2 is probably one of the things Im most excited about.
Im so excited for the audience to get to know her character.
Part of it is a real joy, and part of it is a real drag.
In our season premiere, we burned off four incredible actors.
To have Melissa [Roxburgh] and Aaron [Abrams] and P.J.
To have them all in one show, there was such excitement.
Theres a certain etherealness to it.
Same with Janet Montgomery in episode two.
So, its been nice to have.
Weve been overwhelmed with the level of talent that weve been able to attract this year.
After the teaser that weve gotten for episode four, what would you say to tease him appearance?
GERO: Thats a perfect example.
We cant get Tim Matheson as a lead on our show.
So, its great to have him come do our show.
That episode is a little unusual.
Its a little lighter than we typically do.
Hes phenomenal in it.
But it is one of our most emotional episodes.
Its able to unpack a lot between Ben and Addison that has been fizzling under the surface.
Ben has been able to say some stuff out loud, but Addison has been very careful not to.
That isnt the case in episode four.
Even in writing and producing it, I was like, What a good episode.
And then, I realized, All right, what they did with that material is brutally incredible.
I cant wait for yall to see it.
GERO: I have to say that it was 201.
That was a big episode.
It was our season premiere, so it had been scheduled for nine days.
And they were like, Yes, absolutely.
And then, it just hit snag after snag.
Someone got COVID and we had to shut down.
Someone got really sick, not COVID-related, and we had to shut down.
So, what should have been a nine-day commitment took us almost three months to shoot.
We could never have done that, if we had not been picked up so early.
It ended up being advantageous for the show.
The satellite dish was a miniature that we had built.
It rained that night, so we couldnt shoot it because of the scale of the rain.
So, it just felt like the episode that refused to ever be finished filming.
Was there any kind of backup plan?
The vis effects are on a whole other level this year.
The scoring is on a whole other level this year, and it was already incredible.
How does that work?
But we love the episodes where other people end up being the hologram.
Sometimes its because fate pulls someone away.
GERO: Everything is informed by the episode.
Whatever the idea is, its about the best time period to put that in.
And also, were trying to mix it up.
Were trying to make it so that every time you tune in, it feels viscerally new.
We wanna spread it out a bit.
Sometimes its the whole raison detre.
Were doing a Salem witch trial adjacent episode in the 1600s.
Thats the only time you could do that episode.
Thats how we like to work.
Quantum Leapairs on Wednesday nights on NBC.
