Even The American Gothic Cast Didn't See The Ending Coming
The stars of the new summer series give their exclusive perspective at Comic-Con.
Posted on Jul 21, 2016 | 11:35am
American Gothic assembled a panel at San Diego Comic-Con this week, including series stars Antony Starr, Justin Chatwin, Megan Ketch, Gabriel Bateman and Executive Producer Corinne Brinkerhoff.
After a teaser reel, the panelists took to the stage and dove right in, talking about the central mystery of the show: Who is the Silver Bells Killer?
Watch the first of two highlights played at Comic-Con:
"We knew before we shot a frame what the answer was," Brinkerhoff said, adding that there are Easter eggs even in the first episode that fans should recognize when the series ends.
"We always knew who the killer was," she continued, explaining that they knew the broad strokes when first pitching the show. “But the twists and turns evolved over the course of the season. What's great is that you end up adding layers that you didn't anticipate during the initial conception."
That doesn't mean the actors were clued into the big reveal. In fact, they weren't told the killer's identity until they began working on the final episode of the year. "Corinne takes a page from the Hawthorne book," said Ketch. "She’s very good at keeping secrets."
When asked if the identity of the Silver Bells Killer matched who they expected while filming, most of the cast admitted to shifting their suspicions from episode to episode. Ketch and Bateman wound up suspecting everyone over the course of the season!
"I'm always the last to figure these things out," said Chatwin. "It’s a great 13-part murder mystery with a great payoff at the end."
"It’s super satisfying," assured Ketch. "I've had so many theories. Who it ended up being [is who] I suspected by Episode 11."
“I had no idea the whole way through," shrugged Starr.
Asked about what it was like playing their characters, Starr said, "I seem to be cast a lot as someone who is really screwed up." Later, he added, "It's much more fun to play people who are screwed up. I'm not interested in playing the good guy."
Chatwin said that when he's in character, "I'm not a butterfly... I'm more like a moth... with a heroin needle sticking out of my wing." He underscored the importance of playing Cam as a "normal guy," not a stereotypical junkie.
"In 2016, it's a radical thing to play a hopeful character,” said Ketch of her portrayal of Tessa. "We all worry so much about being cool that we forget to be warm." She added that Tessa is "the priestess of the show," and said that she plays that same role with her friends in real life.
"Tessa is a really dynamic character," she said, and as time goes on the the series it's "dawning on her that maybe she doesn’t have the whole truth."
Watch the second set of highlights played at Comic-Con:
American Gothic airs Wednesdays at 10/9c. Catch up on the first season now on CBS and CBS All Access.
After a teaser reel, the panelists took to the stage and dove right in, talking about the central mystery of the show: Who is the Silver Bells Killer?
Watch the first of two highlights played at Comic-Con:
"We knew before we shot a frame what the answer was," Brinkerhoff said, adding that there are Easter eggs even in the first episode that fans should recognize when the series ends.
"We always knew who the killer was," she continued, explaining that they knew the broad strokes when first pitching the show. “But the twists and turns evolved over the course of the season. What's great is that you end up adding layers that you didn't anticipate during the initial conception."
That doesn't mean the actors were clued into the big reveal. In fact, they weren't told the killer's identity until they began working on the final episode of the year. "Corinne takes a page from the Hawthorne book," said Ketch. "She’s very good at keeping secrets."
When asked if the identity of the Silver Bells Killer matched who they expected while filming, most of the cast admitted to shifting their suspicions from episode to episode. Ketch and Bateman wound up suspecting everyone over the course of the season!
"I'm always the last to figure these things out," said Chatwin. "It’s a great 13-part murder mystery with a great payoff at the end."
"It’s super satisfying," assured Ketch. "I've had so many theories. Who it ended up being [is who] I suspected by Episode 11."
“I had no idea the whole way through," shrugged Starr.
Asked about what it was like playing their characters, Starr said, "I seem to be cast a lot as someone who is really screwed up." Later, he added, "It's much more fun to play people who are screwed up. I'm not interested in playing the good guy."
Chatwin said that when he's in character, "I'm not a butterfly... I'm more like a moth... with a heroin needle sticking out of my wing." He underscored the importance of playing Cam as a "normal guy," not a stereotypical junkie.
"In 2016, it's a radical thing to play a hopeful character,” said Ketch of her portrayal of Tessa. "We all worry so much about being cool that we forget to be warm." She added that Tessa is "the priestess of the show," and said that she plays that same role with her friends in real life.
"Tessa is a really dynamic character," she said, and as time goes on the the series it's "dawning on her that maybe she doesn’t have the whole truth."
Watch the second set of highlights played at Comic-Con:
American Gothic airs Wednesdays at 10/9c. Catch up on the first season now on CBS and CBS All Access.