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Joel Kinnaman Robert Hennessy gives the Apple TV address Incomplete women A run for her money. In the second episode of the psychological thriller adaptation, Kate Mara’s alcoholic widow, Nancy, crosses a line that was never meant to be crossed when she sleeps with Eleanor, the best friend of his recently murdered wife, played by Kerry Washington. However, the audience might be able to overlook this transgression if Robert shared the same decades-long longing for Eleanor as she does for him. Or if he didn’t cringe in episode three of “The Beast” at the touch of Eleanor’s hand on his arm as she relayed her grand plan to issue a joint statement denying their involvement and not immediately “go public” about their romance after Robert’s daughter Cora caught them in the pool together and exposed them on TikTok.
It’s this move, and Robert’s subsequent explanation that his lawyer advised him to cut off all contact with Eleanor, that calls into question his declaration that he’s not a monster earlier in the episode when Eleanor finds a letter he wrote to Nancy admitting that he knew about the case he pretended not to know about. It’s something that elicits sympathy (if only a little more than an ounce) for Eleanor, too, who tells Robert, through her withheld tears, that she believes their relationship is finally real after all these years. It also provides a motive for Robert as Nancy’s killer, which is exactly what the writers were going for.
“We had a lot of fun making the show and constantly adjusting what the audience would think,” says Elisabeth Moss, an executive producer who plays Nancy and Eleanor’s friend Mary. Hollywood Reporter In the conversation below. “There were times we wanted to get them to doubt Eleanor more, and times we wanted to get them to doubt Robert, going back and forth with that, not just in shooting, but in the huddle and playing with that throughout the season and constantly changing it up.”
Below, Mara, Moss, and Washington discuss not judging their characters’ questionable behavior, whether the women at the heart of the series are actually friends, and what the show taught them about secrets.
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Elizabeth, you started this series with your selection of Araminta Hall’s novel. Did you always see yourself playing the lead, and was Mary the character you were most drawn to portraying initially?
Elisabeth Moss Yes. I wanted to play Mary. I knew I wouldn’t be Nancy. I knew I didn’t have what it took to be Nancy, so it was between Eleanor and Mary. I was in the middle of playing in June[in[inThe Handmaid’s Tale]at that time. That was in 2019, and I was in the middle of it for the next six years. There was something about Mary that felt different. I was very drawn to this idea, and I’m very happy with the choice. I also liked the idea of being part of a band. I loved the idea of being able to go up to a great actress and say, “Hey, are you going to lead this show?” I loved being able to collaborate in this way with another actress. Of course, getting third place was even more exciting. Being able to split the show between us was something I had never done and was very interested in.
What was it like finding your chemistry as these women who are old friends, but also, in some ways, don’t know much about each other?
Kate Mara It was very easy for us to find our way, even though we didn’t have enough time to develop that chemistry or bond before we started filming. We got really lucky. I think we all had a feeling that it would work, and it was very easy from day one.
Kerry Washington I always think a big part of chemistry is respect because when you have that, you have the freedom to shine together. There was a lot of respect and admiration here. The chemistry was instant.
moss We’ve all been doing this for about the same amount of time, so when you watch someone’s career, you get an idea of what’s important to them and who they might be, especially when you watch another woman leading a show and pushing for it. We had some personal crossovers as well with friends, and I think that helped get that feeling of, “I think this is a woman I can be friends with. I think these are people I can go to dinner with.” So there was a little bit of luck in that being true, but there were definitely a lot of things that we could look at and think, “I think this will work.”
Having Lesli Linka Glatter to be a part of this show is a bit of a reunion for you, Elizabeth, but she mentioned, Kerry, that you had seen each other and expressed interest in working together. What was it like having her on this project, especially directing the pilot and setting the tone for the series?
Washington When Leslie Lenka Glatter said yes, we said, “We have an offer.” It’s a myth. Like this legend, And she can do anything. At the time she assumed this position, she was President of the DGA. She doesn’t have to get along with anyone. It felt like a great confirmation that we were on to something really special, and the team continued to grow and grow.
By the time the audience gets to episode three, it seems likely that they might start to wonder if these women are actually friends. What would each of you say to that?
moss I think so. Obviously there’s drama going on as part of a TV show that’s maybe a little more extreme than you might get in your everyday friendships – I certainly hope so – but that makes it a little more entertaining. There are so many moments in our lives where I truly feel like there is a connection and support that Mary and Nancy have that Nancy doesn’t get from anyone else. And Eleanor and Mary – some very, very complicated things to talk about, perhaps in the future – but I think there’s definitely a real friendship there. You know that sometimes that person you can have a fight with is the person you’re actually closest to and you’re safe enough to do so.
Washington The exciting thing is that people will ask this question. We want people to have those conversations about what friendship is and when does it cross boundaries? What makes a good friend, and when does he become irredeemable? Those are the questions we had on set all the time, like, “Is this good?” So I think the idea that people are going to ask that question and have those conversations is exactly where we want people to be.
moss And whatever you think in episode three, in terms of their friendship and what happens, it’s going to be different in episode four, different in episode five, definitely Different when you get to six, seven and eight. So there is no single answer to this question. It will change every episode anyway.
In the third episode, Mary judges Eleanor very harshly for her choices with Robert. Do you struggle at all with judging your characters?
Washington I think it’s a really important part of your process as an actor to figure out how to have an empathetic understanding of the choices your character makes, because if you’re judging them, you’re outside of them. In order to truly be in the body of the character, I have to understand why. Even if I don’t agree with it, I have to wrap my heart around the why, otherwise I’m doing the character a disservice because I’m looking at it instead of being in it or letting it be in me.
moss Yes, you have to understand where they are coming from. You have to see why they do something, otherwise you won’t be able to play it. There is no virtue in judging character. We’ve all probably played more evil characters than this, and even then, it doesn’t help you at all to play this by judging them.
Washington No, it’s more fun to say, “Oh, this is a really interesting decision I’m about to make; let’s find out.”
What has working on this series taught each of you about grief?
moss I think, maybe, more than sadness, we get into talking a lot about the power of secrets and the power of secrets in friendship and how that fear of being judged, that fear that someone will think that you’re not going to talk to them anymore, that you’re not going to be their friend anymore, and That you will be looked down upon, which is what prevents these women from being honest with each other sometimes. Unfortunately, these become deadly secrets. And while I hope I never have to use any of this lesson in my real life, it’s something we talked about a lot and definitely explored on the show.
The third episode is titled “The Monster,” and the theme of feeling like a monster and not wanting to be seen as someone else comes up repeatedly. Robert says he’s not a monster. Should fans believe him?
Washington It keeps moving forward. Keep watching. We will not answer that.
moss Not possible. Not possible. But that’s the idea. We had a lot of fun presenting the show and constantly tweaking what the audience would think. At times we wanted to push them to doubt Eleanor more, and at times we wanted to push them to doubt Robert, and going back and forth with this, not just shooting, but deploying and playing with this throughout the season and constantly changing it. Once you settle into it and say, “He did that,” “I did that,” we want it to be like, “Oh, we have to change that now.” And that was really fun for us.
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Incomplete women New episodes release on Apple TV+ every Wednesday.
