At long last, Carol and Daryl return to our airwaves this Sunday on AMC in season two of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, and in anticipation of an epic season two premiere to come, we here at NTG took a little time to sit down and talk with several cast members from the show to discuss what they’re excited for audience to experience and they hope we take away. So, without further ado here is what, Anne Charrier (Genet), Romain Levi (Codron), Eriq Ebouaney (Fallou) and Louis Puech Scigliuzzi (Laurent) had to say about season two of this beloved show.
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John Betancourt: I’m curious what each of you hope audiences take away from season two of the show?

Anne Charrier: That you can always choose, choose your side. Of course, I'm doing, you know, a message that is about my character a bit, but you can always choose the side you're going on, you know?

Romain Levi: Yeah, and even in very dark times, you can open your heart, you know, I like that idea. And we can feel, we do can feel love in this season, and even if, yeah, it's hard, we're all fighting, you know, we don't know if we're gonna die tomorrow, but yeah, we can still open our hearts. Yeah.
Anne Charrier: I love that. I love… Romain says it so well. That's exactly what I meant.

Eriq Ebouaney: I mean, my name is Fallou on the show, and I'm the leader of Union of Hope. And I think for me, the message, the main message is don't give up the hope.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it does. It's really, it's spreading hope around the world. And also, we see it with, you know, everybody arriving at the Nest, and it's always about hope and never giving up in your dreams.

John Betancourt: What are each you most excited for audiences to experience this season? Without any spoilers, of course.

Anne Charrier: There’s so many things.

Romain Levi: Well, definitely, but the first thing for me, definitely the fact that Carol is back, you know, when I read this in the end of the first season, I was like, so happy about it. And to… I think, I won't spoil anything if I say that they will see each other, you know, they will be back together. And this is magical. This is very beautiful there. That's why I really love the Carol idea. But more it's… it's stronger than this, in a way. It's this… finally they find the way to find each other. You know, they found a way to find each other, and it's very beautiful to see them together. Really.

Anne Charrier: Yeah, I would have loved to find a more interesting answer, but I couldn't, you know, it's… he’s right. You know, that's definitely what is the point of this season. To see them together, to reunite them.

Eriq Ebouaney: I mean, having Carol back, it’s just such a great moment, you know, and don't forget that this season's called The Book of Carol. So, everything is around Carol. She brings back emotions, she brings back her great soul. She brings back energy. I mean, she's fearless as well, the same. She's a badass. So, the thing is, we just surrounded by this badass. It just we having a such a beautiful moment, because it just an inspiration for us.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: Yeah, and I mean, she really does bring that sort -- she brings that friendship back in the show. And that's really exciting for, you know, all the fans.

Eriq Ebouaney: Yeah, and we shot in those iconic locations in France as well, you know, the Louvre, Mont-Saint-Michel, Pont du Gard, and all those places, so and watching them destroyed like that. I mean myself as an actor, I was a bit sad, but on screen, it's just awesome.

Louis Puech Scigliuzzi: Yeah, it is, it is.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Season one of Women in Blue (Las Azules) has come to a close on Apple TV+, and to further dive into its bold nature and the journey that Mária went upon, we sat down with series co-creator Fernando Rovzar and series lead Bárbara Mori to discuss ‘Valentina’.
 
John Betancourt: Fernando, what went into the decision to end season one in such a surprisingly unconventional manner.
 
Fernando Rovzar: I think that the show began, you know, as a mix between reality and fiction. And as such, I think in the end, there had to be also a very clear idea of where the reality was and where the fiction was. And the truth is that even in the in the happiest of endings, the reality is that in 1971 in Mexico, there had to be, there also had to be a little bitterness, and there also had to be a little reality, because the truth is that the struggle that these women went through in 1971 was only the beginning, and we couldn't, in good conscience, we couldn't pretend that that was that, that was like the end of it, that the system wouldn't try to, you know, to keep doing what the system does. So, in that sense, and on the other side, talking about reality, I think that, you know, in, I think it was 1974, there was a convicted serial killer known as Goyo Cardenas. Goyo Cardenas was released and pardoned by the President and invited to the Senate to talk about second chances.
 
And this man murdered four women and buried them in his backyard. And he was released for the same reasons that the government started the program of Las Azules, which is, you know, to pretend, to show people that that we were something that we weren't, and to show people that, you know that women are in the police, but at the same time, don't let them investigate. And here's second chances, but at the same time, this man murdered four women and so it just, it just shows that that all the characters in this story are living in in a system that is very prone to theater. So, it was very natural for this, to be able to have a mix of all those things, because that's very much at the essence of Mexico.
 
John Betancourt: Bárbara, I'd love to know what it meant to you as an actor to have so much to work with in this finale.
 
Bárbara Mori: Yeah, it felt really good since the part of the creation, you know, with Fernando, all the work that we did before, also when we rehearse with all the actors and actresses, and you know, the story is getting stronger and tough and very dark in some ways, and very emotional. For me, the inner transformation, emotionally speaking, in Mária… it was very, huge, very, very like challenging for me as an actress, but it felt really, really good to get out of my comfort zone as an actress and be able to tell the story like this.
 
John Betancourt: Some follow up questions to all that, back to Fernando for this one. I'm very curious then, because you mentioned that the finale felt very, very real, which I think I appreciate. It was almost like I was watching more of a documentary than I was a season finale. And I'm curious how you as a showrunner managed to make it feel so raw and so real.
 
Fernando Rovzar: Well, I think that I do have something against endings that don't that feel -- because life doesn't end like, life doesn't close. Like every, every time a door closes, another one opens, in life. And I think that we live every single day ending a story and beginning another one and living like a middle of a third one. You know, we always have, like, all these stories, and not all of them end, and not all of them, you know, we don't notice when, when some of them begin, even. Like, as in love stories, you know, sometimes you don't even know when a love story begins. So, it was interesting, because we had so many moving pieces with Valentina, with Gabina, with Ángeles, with Mária, and also the moving pieces with Alejandro and Romandía and, you know, and the police, you know, the investigation, that I think that what I really wanted, is to sort of establish the idea that that you don't get a curtain that closes on you and says, “we're done.”
 
It's sort of like life doesn't give you that. And so, I guess that's why it feels a little bit more like real life, because, because you can, you have this feeling that you're sort of very satisfied at what the season is closing, but also you do get the feeling that you could watch another episode right away. You know, you get the feeling that the story could go on. And I think that's a good place for a series, because we are very excited at the idea that, that maybe we'd get a second season. So, I also didn't want to, I didn't want to close down all the doors.
 
John Betancourt: For Bárbara, to continue to talk about the acting process for you. You mentioned your performance, was out of your comfort zone and you tried some new things. How did you tap into such raw emotion as an actor?
 
Bárbara Mori: Well, I, to be honest, I've been acting different for the last four years in my life. I've been acting for 27 but the last four I was I started a new process. And my new process has to be with energy, you know, and to tap into the energy of the character and let the character and let the scenes surprise me, you know. Before, me as an actress, I always was trying to get into, you know, this is the result of the scene, so I have to get there, you know. And now, in these last four years in my career, I've been like, you know, let the scene take you. I don't know where. We don't know where, which emotion we're gonna reach, but we're gonna reach some true emotion. So, let's go and with his hand (Fernando) and with, you know, Leonardo Sbaraglia, actor, that he works like this as well, and all the actors and actresses in the show that were very compromised with the scenes, you know, with the characters, with the show, and everyone was very ready to shoot, you know, all memorized and everything. So, it was perfect. The set was perfect to just play and see what happens.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Joanna Scanlan is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared on numerous shows and in numerous films. Currently she stars as Moira in season four of Slow Horses on Apple TV+, and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with Joanna to discuss her experiences on the show thus far.
 
John Betancourt: I'd love to start today by getting to know how you managed to come to the world of Slow Horses.
 
Joanna Scanlan: Well, um, I'm very lucky to have had a long relationship with Slow Horses in that when they originally started to develop the show, a very close friend of mine, Morwenna Banks, was in the original writers’ room, along with Will Smith, who I'd worked with on The Thick of It, the UK show. So, I knew they were developing it, and I heard lots about how that process was going, and I was always very excited about it. Seemed like a great idea, and I hadn't read any of the books, but it seemed very positive. And then when the night, the first night, when it dropped, my husband and I sat on our sofa, out of loyalty to our friends, to watch their show, and we were blown away. I mean, literally in that case, because it is a lot of explosions. But it was just… we just couldn't believe how utterly brilliant it was. So, we were early adopters, and then I loved it, for everything that it is, the extraordinary cocktail of thrills and comedic sense and the emotional heart of it as well, all of that coming together. We loved it. Loved it, loved it. Couldn't wait for the next series. Couldn't wait. And then I couldn't believe it when I was asked to join the team, and, you know, end up in Slough House myself that just felt like, “No, I'm a fan.” I was only hoping that it wouldn't spoil it for me, because it'd been such a pleasure to watch. I didn't want to kind of see behind the curtain.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that, that leads me right to my next question, what does it mean to you then, to join a show that you're a fan of, and that is also just an outright phenomenon?
 
Joanna Scanlan: Well, I think at the end of the day, the way I approach all my work, is that I don't really do it for what happens afterwards. I do it on to be there on that day, doing that thing with those people. And there can be no greater pleasure than being a part of Slow Horses for Apple TV Plus. I mean, seriously, it is the happiest, most enjoyable and most enriching job I have ever had. I absolutely loved it from dawn ‘till dusk.
 
John Betancourt: What was it about the job that you enjoyed so much?
 
Joanna Scanlan: I think it's just being surrounded by complete quality at every turn. You know, whether you know seriously, from the facilities guys, to Gary (Oldman) himself, you know, every single person is at the top of their game. They are all producing and delivering. There's nothing I could have brought, you know, I didn't have to think about anything other than just playing Moira. Because normally, in every job I go to, I'm a shocker for trying to do other people's jobs. Because I think, you know, you really should -- that prop isn't quite right, or that costume isn't quite right. I'm quite fussy, but my God, these guys are so ahead of the game that there's no way that anything I could bring would do anything other than diminish it. They are superb. Adam Randall, the director, every single bit of that show is thought through with such excellence. And not least the comedy, which is something that… you can't do that by hammering it on the head. You've got to let that live and breathe. And I think Will (Smith) has been the most amazing showrunner, because he lets the space and the air into the rehearsal time so that people are bringing their very, very best to the party, and not trying to kind of control it. No, you know, not trying to just, you can sit on Comedy too, too easily. Just, you know, sit, squash it. But he just allows that kind of energy and so it flies. Yeah, really good.
 
John Betancourt:  Something I also really enjoy is how realistic all the characters feel. Everybody seems like somebody you would know in life or have worked with in life. And I'm curious how you as an actor, added such depth and realism to Moira. Because there are folks that I’ve found in my travels that are like Moira.
 
Joanna Scanlan: Really. You recognize that type?
 
John Betancourt: Yeah, oh yeah. I’ve worked with a couple of people like her.
 
Joanna Scanlan: I think it relates back to The Thick of It again, because I think Will at some level, was remembering the character I played there, and I had based her -- so like this is iterations back on a real person that I worked with when I was young, and I worked at a big arts organization in London, and this person was exactly, you know, I'm channeling her really still through Moira, somebody who's sort of a little bit deluded into their to their value in the world, but at the same time, they are actually quite good at what they do. They just miss the bigger picture, miss the context of life, and focus too narrowly on their own self-importance in a way, and sense of indignation, should people not go along with their way of thinking. How shocked and surprised they are that nobody agrees with them, and that quality, I think you do meet in the workplace quite a lot, because they're just very, in a way, very narrow minded, but at the same time they've got something to offer. It's a real thing. It's not, it's not pointlessness, but it doesn't see other people's concerns. And I think, so I based, you know, originally, that one other character on, and this is a kind of revisioning, back to my experience as a young as a young administrator in in this arts organization. The other thing I think about people like that is they're not people, people, but they think they are.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, that sums it up perfectly. That’s Moira to a tee. Obviously, we’ve still got a few episodes left in the season, without any spoilers, what are you, kind of most excited for audiences to enjoy?
 
Joanna Scanlan: Well, it gets really, really complicated, not in a confusing way, in a very shocking way. Actually, there's very little I could say without giving too much away. But you might be, you know, when you've seen the French stuff from the first couple of episodes, you might be thinking, “What's that? What's that all that about?” And that really, really pays off. So, I think you're following River, going through a very, very important emotional journey. And it's, yeah, it's a… I wish I could tell you more about that. In terms of Moira’s story, that also gets interesting. And a couple of friends of mine have said to me, “Oh, I think you're the baddie. I think you’re; you know, I think you've been planted there,” or, you know, “You're definitely not what you seem.” So, and that's not exactly right, but there's a kind of way in which she definitely has a sting in her tail. More to her than you might imagine.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Scott Weintrob is an accomplished director, whose work can be seen on Prime Video and Peacock. His current project, Paradox Effect, is also his feature film debut, and it is available on demand now, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Scott to discuss his first feature film.
 
John Betancourt: I'm very curious, first and foremost, what attracted you to this film as the director?
 
Scott Weintrob: Well, it's funny because the producers first approached me, they saw a Ford commercial they liked, and they said, “Hey, come in and we'll chat.” So cool. I went to meet them, and they offered me this Christmas movie. And I was like, “What is this, man?” Like, What? What? Because you get, as a filmmaker, the goal for me is always to be to make movies. So, when you get a call and people are like, “Oh, I've got a movie for you,” you’re like, great! But I was like, I don't want to make a Christmas movie, you know, like, here's this script, read it, and they're like, “There's nothing, no one attached, no money. But if you want to rewrite it, go for it.” And that's basically where it came from, is they gave me this script, and the bones of it were pretty solid. And then, you know, a friend of mine and I would just rewrite the thing
 
John Betancourt: Now this film is such a tight knit ride, like everything pops, everything moves, and I'm curious how your prior experience influenced that, that tight knit, intense vibe.
 
Scott Weintrob: Well, there's two parts to it, right? So, I do a lot of Doc(umentary), and I really believe that, like when you make doc, it makes you a really good storyteller, because you can have your assumption of what the story is going to be. But in doc, you're like in real time making decisions, should I go left? Should I go right? And you're making instant story decisions, right? And so that's like a really good preparation for a movie, because on a movie with a very small budget, like things don't always go to plan, and very rarely do. You don't have time to shoot extra, and if things go amiss, you have to work out, “What can I do? There's a scene I no longer have time to shoot. How do I tell the story to keep going?” So, I mean, the doc part of it is very helpful. And then obviously, I've done a ton of car commercials, so I just understand how to shoot action because been doing it for, you know, very high level for quite a while.
 
John Betancourt: What was different about directing a feature in this vein over anything else that you've done so far.
 
Scott Weintrob: So, the thing about a feature is it's a very, very intense and like all consuming process, like you can work on several projects at a time in Doc, you can be, “I'm working on a doc and I'm shooting a commercial at the same time.” A movie? Your whole life stops, and you are just working on the movie. So I was in Italy, and you spend a few hours asleep, and other than that, you work on the movie. It is everything. And as a director, there is no one that can move forward because they have like questions, and everyone has questions. No one ever says, “Hello, how are you?” at all. They always have a question. So that's your like, from dusk till dawn is answering questions, but they're all like, you know, valid questions. It's just very, very like, this is a story, and there is no time for anything else.
 
John Betancourt: I’ve heard from other directors; how critical it is to be prepped for a project. What kind of prep work goes into a project that is he's kind of a bit on a smaller budget, but so ambitious and so big in scope regardless.
 
Scott Weintrob: Yeah, so, like the other directors said, so, coming from commercials, I know exactly what I'm going to shoot before I shoot it, right? I've gone through -- I go to the location. I take stills, I like work out exactly the movement, both camera positioning and talent and/or car, whatever it is that's actually moving through the scene. So, I know, and I pick locations that I know how to utilize. I just have that background of, you know, knowing that this is going to take X amount of time, and once I've got that worked out, the like, technical part, I can get creative, because I know that once that's ticked off, the team's good and they can do what they need to do. And now I'm like, I can get creative.
 
So, in terms of prep, I went there way before the shoot to pick locations. So, because that's so key, is the locations all get triggered and approved, for budget, for schedule, because in my head, I'm like, this is where we're going to shoot this scene. This is how it's going to work. So, I need those things to like, get settled so I can really like, then start to (story) board, and then I board, and then when we get there, like, we know what we're doing. And remember, you only get the talent, like, maybe a day or two before you start shooting on a budget like this. Olga's gotta do a fight. Olga's gotta do a car chase. When is she gonna rehearse? There's no real time for rehearsals. I believe Olga (Kurylenko) got there on a Thursday and we started shooting on a Saturday.
 
John Betancourt: Well, that’s just incredible prep work, and I have to ask a follow up to that. In that, how did you pull off rehearsals and everything else, in such a short time?
 
Scott Weintrob: So, I had a rapport with Olga because I'd spoken to her a couple of times before the shoot. It was just important. I’ve just worked with, like, a lot of talent. I know it's important to really sort of get to know each other, and, like, they need to know that, like, I earned my spot, and by doing work that got me the spot, like it wasn't that someone just said, “Hey, your uncle got you…” wherever the bullshit that happens, right? And when they've done other work that they know and you earned it, there's a different rapport. So now, like we're into that, and we talk about character, we talk about what's needed. There was actually a scene that was very important to Olga, because she had had a friend who had some addiction challenges before, and she was like, “This movie is all well and good, but like, there has to be a moment where the character stops us. ‘I don't know if I can do this’” right? And you're like, “Yes, brilliant, great idea, totally valid. Let's put that in there.”
 
And I think these are the moments that like, built the rapport with the talent, there's trust, and you're a shared vision. So, when you need to like, say, “Look, this is where we're going now. We need to go and do this car chase. We need to go and do this, like, this is how we're going to do it.” It may seem like a rush, but she has the trust that I know how to build these scenes, right? And there's a trust in her that she's really deeply thinking about her character, because she's asking questions like that, and that's how you do it in a shorter time.
 
John Betancourt: This is a big, ambitious film. I noticed there's a little bit of heart to it, though, and a little bit more depth than some of the average film in this particular vein does. What are you kind of hoping audiences take away from this movie on a deeper level.
 
Scott Weintrob: Yeah. I mean, look, there's this, the mama bear, parent idea of, like, what a parent would do for their child, but not in such a like, cheese ball way that it's like, you know, just tons of people fighting, and it's unrealistic, and people are like, falling over walls and stuff. Like this is, I wanted it to be believable and true. Like this is really the characters. You believe them. And like Olga all the way through, never felt like an action hero. She just felt like somebody just happened to be part of it, holding a gun. She always looks a little awkward when she's holding the gun, because she doesn't really know how to properly do it anyway. You never see her doing some sort of crazy maneuver, right? You never see her like doing shooting somebody and then like a trained shooter, like, missing her and her shooting them like, so I feel like just everything about it felt true and real and that was important. And then, like, you know, at the end of the day, her goal was very simple, like, just to be with her daughter and have a regular life.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today, what does it mean to you now to have this out to the world.
 
Scott Weintrob: I mean… It's been out in different countries, so I’ve received messages and stuff. You know, we premiered it at Rome Film Festival. Jared Butler introduced it. It was really cool to see it, you know, we literally locked the movie up, I don't know, like 48 hours before they screened it for the first time. So, I didn't even watch that screening because it just looked like a bag of shots. It didn't look like a movie to me because I was too close. So now, like, however far away we are from wrapping is cool because I can watch the movie as a movie, which I enjoy.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Reginae Carter is a rising star in Hollywood, and in recent years has graced our multiplex and our televisions with her dynamic talent as an actor. Currently, she stars as Miss 290, one half of the Drill Group, K-Town, on Kold x Windy on ALLBLK, and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with Reginae to discuss her season two experience!
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, since we last talked, some big things have happened for you. Acting is now your focus, which is great, and you're everywhere on TV and film now, which is just phenomenal to see for you. But I'm curious to know what it was that called to you, first and foremost about acting.
 
Reginae Carter: Well, I've always wanted to act since I was a little girl, like That’s So Raven was, like, one of my favorite shows. Like, I honestly auditioned for it and everything. Like, I loved acting. I used to be in like, acting schools and have acting classes, so I've always wanted to act, but I didn't start getting, like, more serious to it, until I turned, like, 17-18, and that's when I did my first movie, Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta. And that's when I was like, “Okay, I like this. I love that I can tap into different characters. I love that I can work with, like legends. I love that all of this stuff is happening”, and, yeah, it was a blessing.
 
John Betancourt: Now what was it that attracted you to the role of Miss 290?
 
Reginae Carter: Well, I actually narrated season one, like did, like a story time narration on it the first season, and they called me back a year later and was like, “We want you on that.” And I'm like, “Well, sure, like, I had already watched the season one,” so I'm like, “I actually love this.” So, when they gave me my character, I'm like, “Oh my gosh. And I could be a rapper, not just in my mirror at home.” So, I'm like, “Okay, cool. Like, this is fun.” So, I just study all my all my favorite like female rappers and stuff, and became Miss 290.
 
John Betancourt: Now that I did not know. So, something new for me to learn today, and since you’re clearly deeply intertwined with the show, what do you love about it?
 
Reginae Carter: I feel like the show is very relatable. Um, especially with new artists nowadays, where they're coming from, a different background and different like, I feel like nowadays, with TikTok, with just everything, you can come up overnight, like you never know when your spot is gonna get taken, or when you might have competition, or whatever the case. So, I feel like the show is very relatable with saying Kold and Windy felt like they were gonna be on top for a minute, and nobody was gonna come in their way, where it's like, oh no, K-Town is here. So, what y'all gonna do?
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that, actually, I do want to dive a little bit further into that, because this show has just been just a phenomenon. I mean, you see it on social media, people love it. You love it, so, I'm curious what you think makes this show resonate with audiences so well.
 
Reginae Carter: Well, like I said, I feel like people can relate to it, where it's like, sometimes it's hard to give up something that you've been dealing with or going through your whole life, to want something better for yourself, or to get to going to a different route. Whereas I feel like that's what Kold and Windy is kind of going through. They've been doing stains, robbing, doing all of this for years, where it's like, listen, though you got a chance to be one of the biggest like, y'all are one of the biggest groups, but you can't be on the news killing people at the same time. So, like, I feel like people can relate to that, where it's like, not as extreme, but certain things, you gotta give up one thing to get better.
 
John Betancourt: Now something I love about this show, is how every character is so incredibly realistic, and I’m curious how you made Miss 290 feel so real?
 
Reginae Carter: Well, like I say, I feel like everybody kind of kind of knows how it is to be like a female rapper, you know, the looks, the sexiness, the this, the that. So, I feel like I channeled that with also being from Chicago, being from the west side of Chicago. I have a lot of friends that's from Chicago, so they helped me with that. So, when I first found out about me being Miss 290 from the west side of Chicago. Um, I hit up my friends, and I was like, “Okay, what is it like? How? What they like? What do they say? How? How should I say this word?” Like, they helped me a lot with that So, I brought that person where, so you can relate to me, but I'm also hungry. I want this, like, and with Mae West, you can see the difference between us two, where it's like, I feel like she's like, a little bit more cooler than me, like nicer than me, but we're still on one thing, and that's taking over. And also, I studied a lot of female rappers, like Latto, The City Girls, like different things like that. So, I can become that artist too. There's a lot of studying going on, just so I could become Miss 290.
 
John Betancourt: Now, obviously you're aware of the phenomenon this show is, coming into this was there any pressure for you in joining this cast and joining a show that's so important?
 
Reginae Carter: Well, honestly, I don’t walk into a room thinking that it's pressure, but I feel like, as far as it already being a show, they already had their cast. Of course, I was like, “Hmm, how am I going to fit in? Probably, I don't know how that's going to be,” but… fit right in. Everybody was super cool. Everybody was super welcoming. It felt like a family. It felt like I was on the first season. So yeah, I really enjoyed the cast and the production and everybody on set.
 
John Betancourt: As a follow up to that, what has been the most satisfying aspect of this role for you?
 
Reginae Carter: I actually like that people are randomly telling me that they're seeing me on it, like, and then just different things. Like, I feel like a lot of people don't really – now that I'm acting more. I did Boxed In, I did my Libra movies, Boxed In one, Boxed in Two. And like, now they're kind of seeing me. So just to add another accomplishment, and people are actually like, “Oh, I love you on Kold x Windy, I can't wait to see what y'all do.” Like it's kind of giving people that… “what will happen next,” and I love that.
 
John Betancourt: Something else I've always enjoyed about this series is that it does kind of play in in both the light and the dark. It's very much a gray area show. Now, so far, your character hasn't had as much of that. But clearly there's still some of that desire to get into some of that darker part of the world with Drill as it is. I've always been curious for actors, does any of is it hard to differentiate, or hard to differentiate, hard to pull away from some of that dark material when you leave for the day?
 
Reginae Carter: Honestly, I feel like… I know with reality TV, it's helped me to like, say, for instance, when a camera is on, like, um, that's when you it's time to say, what you got to say, do, what you got to do. Like, for instance, like, when I'm that character, I come in that character, as soon as I get on set, like, that's where I'm at, but when I leave, that is my life, like, I know I'm not that character anymore. I don't take that home. And I also read about, like, the Joker or something. So, I really am big on, like, not kind of becoming my character, out of the scene, or off of set.
 
John Betancourt: If I can follow up on that a little bit further, because I'm it's always a great opportunity to talk to actors and just learn their process. So how then do you shut it off so easily?
 
Reginae Carter: Sometimes it's not always easy. I'm still learning how to because, especially, like when I was in Chicago, okay, I was coming home talking like I was from Chicago, they was like, “hold up, girl!” (Laughs) Like, sometimes, you know, it's kind of like, you gotta get it, but as long as it's not for the bad, like, it's nothing, being the character all day, like, hey, if you want to, if you feel like you killed that scene, and you want to do it all night, till you go to sleep, there's nothing wrong with it, until it's like you just being rude to people, or you're being mean, or it's like, I don't know, I feel like it's all in the energy that you give towards that scene or that character.
 
John Betancourt: It’s also quite impressive how everyone in this series is searching for something, searching for more. What would you say Miss 290 is searching for in this series?
 
Reginae Carter: Um, I feel like really, really showing that we have a drive. We're hungry for this. Like, we're actually in music, we're putting our all into this. Yeah, we from Chicago. We… we probably did some stuff. Maybe, you all never know. I don't know what's going on there but stay tuned. But as far as right now, I feel like, we’re those girls where it's like, we're different from Kold and Windy, and they see that, and they're like, “Hold up, what's going on?” And then we're also stepping on their toes. As far as probably like, working with the same people, so it's like, hold up. Now we're in the same room as them, what's going on? And I love that, because it's like, we're waking them up.
 
John Betancourt: What does it mean to you both personally and as an actor, to be part of a show that is this unique and this important?
 
Reginae Carter: It means it a lot, first of all, to be on ALLBLK where you know, it's promoting and honoring my people, black people, and also just giving people a chance. I love that Kold x Windy has a lot of new faces too. But that cast is, like, amazing. I've seen so many, like, so many scenes where I'm like, “Oh my gosh, she went really deep in this,” like, I love that. I'm also learning from them as actors and actresses as well. And I feel like we've been watching certain shows for so many years. Kold x Windy, is that new show that I feel like we'll have multiple seasons as well.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of its importance, it does have a lot of messages in it as well, what’s the message you hope audiences take away from season two?
 
Reginae Carter: Um, it's a lot of things to take away from Kold x Windy season two, just like, say, for instance, like with your health. You know, I know Kold and Windy’s, Auntie or the lady that raised them, like your health, just like being more into your health. The music industry, always like being hungry, but never getting too big headed and humble yourself, staying humble, because you never know who will be the next person that may take your spot. You never know, like, so be humble. Keep working. Never feel discouraged.
 
John Betancourt: With season two out now, what are you most excited for audiences to experience?
 
Reginae Carter: I feel like I'm most excited for our audience to see -- I feel like the main question is, what is like, who is K town? Like, what are they about to do? Like, I really feel like it's going to be left off where it's like, “Oh, wait. They probably about to give them a run for their money.” And I feel like people are probably about to start choosing sides or figuring out, like, you know, this is when it's that time where it's like, “Oh, we're coming over. We're taking over,” and Kold and Windy, they not going for that. I don't know. They probably gonna kill us. (Laughter from Reginae and John.) Yeah, no, I'm just super excited. And hopefully there is Season Three with me on it.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work this season?
 
Reginae Carter: I'm always proud for people to see my craft and see what I'm doing like every project that I do, every movie, every series I love, like my growth from one to another. I love to see myself, to study myself, to also critique myself, what I'll do better next time. Because I'm my biggest, like, you know, supporter, and also, I'm gonna be, I'm honest with myself too. So, it's like I'm not in denial about anything. I'm very hard on myself, but not that hard. Like I feel like I'm very realistic with myself, I would say.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Stream All Episodes of 'Kold x Windy' at allblk.tv.

Season 2 of Kold x Windy on ALBLK wrapped up the other day on the network, but we have so much more coverage to bring you. Starting with a grand discussion about all things season two, courtesy of our interview with the actors who play Malika ‘Kold’ Wise, and Renee ‘Windy’ Johnston, Sh’Kia Augustin and Nijah Brenea.
​
John Betancourt: I'd like to start by getting to know what it means to each of you to be back for a second season.
 
Sh’Kia Augustin: It's an amazing experience. Um, just, basically, we just got off a strike a year ago, and a lot of shows didn't make it to another season. A lot of shows were canceled. So that's always a fear as an actor, that your show's gonna get canceled, or that you're just, you're just not going to be working. Like your parents tell you not to get into this career, because it's just not stable. So, you don't really get into this career for stability. So, the fact that we got a season two, I think, is it's just a blessing. It's a testament that somebody does believe in the show, the network believes in the show, they believe in us. So, I'm just, I'm filled with nothing but gratitude that we get to continue to work and get to, you know, continue these stories with these characters, because I feel like we do have something special and just the bond that we've been able to create as actors, as castmates. I think it's just been an amazing experience to be able to continue on this journey.
 
Nijah Brenea: Yes, yes, especially at a time where a lot of shows are getting canceled, like, big shows are getting canceled. So, it just makes you feel like, “Oh no, like, are we next? Are we going?” So, the fact that, like she said, clearly, like the network, people watching it, you know, people saying, “where's season two?” Or “I'm so happy it's back.” Like, that feels really good. And we are -- we have chose a career that, like it is full of ups and downs you just never know. So, it feels really, really good, same, filled with gratitude. I'm very happy.
 
John Betancourt: That's wonderful, and you deserve to be back. Now the first time we talked, we spoke a little bit about how complex and how tough your characters can be to play, sometimes just because of the tough decisions they make in the world they live in. And I'm very curious, since there was a slight break in getting back to the show, was it hard to return to the minds of Kold and Windy?
 
Nijah Brenea: I would say it wasn't. I don't think it was a switch that I had to, like, try to cut back on and get back in because it had been such a long time, and then an even longer time, because it we had a strike in between. So, like, I wasn't stretching that muscle as much, because it's like, everything's kind of shut down. And, I mean, just to be honest, sometimes even trying to stretch the muscle just felt like, “Oh, what's going on? What's next?” Like, it's a whole strike going on. So, but once I got into it, it was, I would say, kind of like riding a bike. Like, it's like, okay, getting more familiar, listening to the music, reading the lines. It's like, something that I had done before. So, it was definitely like, nice to get back into and even though it did come quick, I still just basically moved away all plans. It just became all about preparing for Kold x Windy to make sure I have enough time.
 
Sh’Kia Augustin: I agree. I think, I think the analogy like riding a bike is perfect. Once I found out the show was renewed, I was a little nervous, because I was like, “Oh my God, who is Kold? Who is this character I have to play?” But then I binged season one, and after watching it again, it felt like, “Okay. I think I know who this is. I think I remember.” And then I feel like, once I got the scripts, it was the bicycle. It was like, “Okay, okay. I remember this dialogue,” especially since we had the same writers. I'm sure maybe if we had different writers, that might have felt tricky, because sometimes season to season, writers will change, and you're kind of trying to figure out this, this new style of writing. But since we had the same exact writers from season one, Kenny Young wrote the first episode again, we were we were back into it. Just… it just clicked instantly. Um, even though the characters probably were emotionally in different places, I think having the same character as having Gege, having Windy, it all made everything feel more familiar.
 
John Betancourt: Now something brought up here is the fans, and their dedication to the show, and I’m curious why you think this series resonates so well with audiences?
 
Sh’Kia Augustin: I think, it resonates firstly, because Kold and Windy are best friends, and everybody has at least one best friend, one person that they confide in, or at least used to have someone that they confided in. And I think Kold and Windy’s relationship is familiar to people. I think they have a sisterly bond, but I… think it's not perfect, and I think that's why people ultimately love to watch TV, because I think TV kind of depicts all aspects of the relationship. It shows the good, the bad, the ugly. So, I think people resonate with their relationship, but I think they also resonate with the familiar, familial aspect of having Gege around, having this motherly character that even though Kold and Windy are sometimes reckless and crazy, they have a motherly figure that is around, kind of always talking sense into them, always trying to get them back on track. And even though they can be reckless in terms of the street life that they have, they have Gege, which kind of shows a softer side to both of them, even like, you don't see Windy cry, but when she's with Gege, that's when you see the tears come out. So, I think it, I think it humanizes the characters in a deep way.
 
Nijah Brenea: Yeah, I definitely think that the characters seem like, raw and vulnerable. Sometimes people are crying, they're laughing, they're arguing. I feel like, if they haven't experienced it themselves, they know of someone that has and everything, just like life isn't glitz and glam. So, you know, like on the show, technically, in the TV world, the cameras are always rolling, so you're seeing the good, the bad, the ugly, like we have the -- it's really good. I think it's really important, especially in times of social media now, where they show scenes of somebody doing something on social media, and then as soon as they click in, it's like the snap back into reality. Because we all have been there, like we all have been there. And I think that part is super relatable in times where like, social media has like, taken over the world.
 
John Betancourt: So as actors, obviously, you had to find the voice in season one for your characters. In season two, what did you do as actors to further enhance the wonder of these characters?
 
Sh’Kia Augustin: I would say for season two. Personally, I… I dealt with loss. I lost my grandmother during Covid. So, I think when Malika lost Marlon, even though I didn't lose my grandmother to gang violence. I feel like that loss is still very, very prevalent in me. And a lot of times when I was reading scenes, and especially the scenes where she's talking about Marlon or thinking about Marlon, it just resonated with me personally. Because I think regardless of how you lose someone, loss impacts us. It changes us. It… makes us look at life differently. And I think because of the loss I experienced, I was able to empathize with Malika, especially losing someone unexpectedly, losing someone that you thought was going to be there long term, or at least longer than they were. So, I think a lot of people in the audience can relate to losing somebody, and that was something I was able to personally tap into.
 
Um, the only difference was the rage I needed to show from Malika was a lot different, because I personally, like I said, if you lose someone to gang violence, I'm sure you're a lot, a lot more angrier at the process because someone took that person's life, as opposed to someone dying from natural causes. So just kind of trying to tap into, “Okay, I can't relate to this directly, but I know what it means to be angry. I know what it means to be upset and kind of thinking about how I would feel if another person literally took someone from me, how, how would I react?” Maybe I might not go out in the streets looking for them. But what does that… what does that experience look like if I do just go all crazy and decide, “No, I want to find this person?” So just tapping into that that emotional space was difficult, but I thought it was, it was easy because I could empathize with someone who might be in that situation.
 
Nijah Brenea: I think on the contrary, I was able to have a little bit more fun, because I feel like I really had to tap into Windy's, oblivion. Like Nijah in real life, would acknowledge the flames around her and the issues and things like that. And Windy isn't… she doesn't do it really much in season one, but I feel like in season two, she really is just laser and hyper focusing on the good, even though the good really isn't that great. So, because of that, I was able to like to have a little bit of fun, I felt almost like the Joker in some instances, like just laughing and having a great time when it's just like, you are crazy, but it's just like, having fun. So, I that's what I feel like I tapped into, like I'm reading, and it's like so many scenes of like this person saying this is wrong, or this is going on, and then my lines are just kind of like, “Okay, so what? Let's rap, let's get money.” And it's just like, “Okay, you're just going to act like nothing.” So, for me, it was a little bit more fun.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, one of the best parts of watching this show, are the messages it carries, and I’m curious what you hope audiences take away from season two?
 
Sh’kia Augustin: I hope they can take from season two just learning how to grieve. And I think Malika isn't just grieving the loss of Marlon. She's grieving the loss of her son, even though he isn't he hasn't passed away. He's been taken from her. And I think she's also preemptively grieving her relationship with Windy, because their relationship is, is slowly severing. It's falling apart every scene; it's getting worse and worse and worse. So, I think, I hope people can take from this show just learning how to grieve in a healthy way. I don't, I don't recommend following Malika's path. I think she's grieving it in the worst way. Um, but learning. Learning how to grieve relationships, learning when to let go of relationships, learning when to move on. I think a lot of times, we as people, hold on a lot longer than we probably should. And I think Malika is in a place where she just hasn't, she hasn't let go of anything yet, and we're kind of seeing the chaos that is resulting from that. So, I hope people can at least take that from the show and kind of learning how to discern how these characters can be inspiring, but also learning when not to follow these characters as well.
 
Nijah Brenea: I agree. I hope that people take from this season to learn how to be there for your friends a little bit more when they are grieving and going through things, even though it is very positive to look at the glass as half full, you still need to acknowledge some of the emptiness in the glass as well. Like, you can’t be so optimistic that it's unrealistic. So, I hope it reminds people to stay grounded, to prevent from things that could happen if you do not handle issues. So definitely don't advise, like, taking the Windy approach, like we see after they get the record deal, Kold blatantly lays out reasons why she's not the happiest. And I'm like, I “Cheers” to the baby stomach. Like that is like, “What?” that wasn't the best way to go about that. You know, I'm saying, like, it's like, she skips over being there for her and is just like, “I'll just be happy.” And it's like, “Well, can you just sit with me for a minute?” I think it's important, like, when people lose people, to like, don't be so quick to be like, “Everything's okay. They're in a better place.” But really sit with the depth, that they have lost someone.
 
John Betancourt: Um, obviously, there's a lot you've taken from this role, a lot from this series. What has been the most satisfying part of being a part of Kold x Windy?
 
Nijah Brenea: The most satisfying? Oh, my. There's so many things. Well, I'll say, I can say, to sum it up, I guess growing with, like, the cast, the production, like growing with people in the studio, like, it's starting to feel like family. Like, it literally feels like a family getting together and working together. So, I really appreciate that.
 
Sh’Kia Augustin: I agree. I feel like the most satisfying is, honestly what happens before and after cut. It's like being in the makeup room and being close with the makeup artist and the hairstylist, and just feeling like you're in an environment where you just went to the salon and get your hair done, and you're not preparing for a show, you're just hanging out with family, the relationship I've built with Nijah has been amazing. To be able to be like, “Oh no, this is, this is my work friend,” but this has actually become a friend in real life. I think that makes this career a lot more enjoyable. Getting along with the writers and the producers and the directors, and feeling like the directors value your opinion, and you can actually share your thoughts on the story with them. I feel like this, this career could be miserable if you don't get along with the people you work with, if you just, if you're just on set, because you're on set for 14 hours, sometimes that's a long – that’s more than a regular nine to five.
 
You're on set for a very long time, and if you don't like the people you work with, if you don't enjoy the material, if you don't enjoy the space, you're in, it could it could become a very miserable, very miserable experience. So, to be able to actually be able to send Nijah a text, first thing in the morning, “You here yet? Hey, where you at?” Or just stopping by her trailer and just talking during lunch, or just texting during lunch about how good the food was today. Having those experiences, makes the day so much better, because the weight of the material is… it's heavy, and sometimes I just got out of a scene crying, and I could go to a dark place and start thinking about my grandmother and thinking about how sad life is, but the fact that when we cut me and Nijah can, you know, crack jokes or talk about something funny on set, makes the day go by so much smoother, because it makes a huge difference.
 
Nijah Brenea: It does.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Stream All Episodes of 'Kold x Windy' at allblk.tv 

John Betancourt: I’d love to know what it means to each of you to be part of such a unique project?

Amira Casar: Well, absolutely exciting, because there's an arc, you know, as my friend Lambert was saying, and that the characters who are dealing with pain, loneliness, solitude, are they valid? Are they still valid? How long will they be valid? How long will they last? What's the process of their life? Is this dynamic in this relationship going to work? You know, I feel often that when they take their clothes off, these characters are very lonely, Vincent, certainly lonely, you know, and I think it's actually very isolating, and you freak out if you're a muse, you know, because you know, there's a time limit on that, and you know there is a time limit when you play a muse. So, they are very interesting dynamics within all of these characters who are all suffering. And again, we're dealing with social factors, with bourgeoisie, aristocracy, that he (Vincent) incorporates, and he is a sort of Pygmalion to me. So, I think that was a very fascinating dynamic to work on together.

Lambert Wilson: I will tell you one thing very quickly, one of the last times I went to America, and I was meeting agents, the first questions that they asked you, “are you ready to do a series? And I would say, “Oh, no.” Because series, for me meant being away from home, doing things in America or, you know, in Canada or wherever. And I just, I would say no, and I would see the curtain falling in their eyes, you know, like, “Okay, ouch. We can't work with him.” And now I've discovered the pleasure of being on a series, which is the number of scenes that you do if you have a leading role, you know you have so many possibilities of acting, different things. You meet several directors. You will get the intake from several directors. That's fabulous. You live all these months with your character, and you have the promise that maybe there will be another season, so that you can develop the arc of your character. And so, it's super exciting, and I'm such a fool for not having accepted before, because I actually… I thought it was just exciting. Because in a film, a feature film, yes, you might have the lead, you might have a number of scenes to perform, but if you have a lead in a series, you have more scenes to perform. You evolve. And it's like, it's like a leading role, but that it goes on and--

Amira Casar: It’s very much the actor’s medium, don’t you think?

Lambert Wilson: I love it. I don't know why I was so dreading it. I know why… I love this one because it was being filmed in my hometown. Because if you're six months -- now, that's a little question that we could talk about one day. If you're away from your home for six months, and your family and you're, you know, in a foreign town, it can be tricky. The life of actors can sometimes be a little bit more difficult.

Amira Casar: But we got to travel also with this one, and we got to see the best of France, because it's all about quality. It's all about maintaining artisanry. It's all about maintaining a tradition that Pearl and Vic and Van Sant are trying to hang on to, that's been in the family for 150 years. But that is something that's still alive today in France, because they're so brilliant at, you know, artisan, that they've got some of the best craftsmen in France. And they used to be able to know how to make everything without exporting it elsewhere. So, this is something that this has to be homemade, “Made in France,” and to create to keep this family house from splitting, keeping it as an entity, and that is something that they're both fighting for with, with different shifts, you know, but it could happen anywhere. It's all it's also about family feuds, tension, tragedy, loneliness, you know, everyone is shattered inside, really. Basically, they're all highly strung and living intense lives and having to survive.

This week’s episode of The Anonymous on USA Network featured another surprising exit. Since Lilly decided, the time had come to send Xavier packing to better her chances of winning the game, and to properly bid Xavier farewell, we sat down with him to discuss his experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know how you became involved with the show.
 
Xavier E. Prather: I saw a casting producer friend of mine kind of post about this new concept of a show. I was like, “Oh, dang, that looks brilliant.” So, I told him. I was like, “Hey, if this is something that actually happens, like, let me know. I'm not exactly sure what’s involved, but on the general concept, I kind of like it.” And then after that, you know, he comes back to me, like, a while later, and was like, “Hey, I know NBC wants you like for this show.” And so, we hopped on a call. He told me more about, like, the concept itself, and I was really intrigued by it. I was like, this is a very layered type of show. It's the duality of it. I really liked. And I was like, “Alright, well, let's see what we can make happen here.” And I was like, “Oh, if I'm able to lie about who I am, this is, this is a very dangerous game for me, because that means I'm gonna be, Xavier out here and in that chat, I'm just gonna be an absolute savage.” So yeah, the possibilities contained in the game definitely intrigued me. So, I was hooked. I was like, “Yeah, let's, let's make it happen. Let's, let's see how it goes.”
 
John Betancourt: Now it’s not every day I get to talk someone that has done so much reality TV and been so successful at it. And I'm very curious now, as a seasoned veteran of this genre of television, do you have, a preparation routine? Something that you do before you go into a show to get that edge.
 
Xavier E. Prather: Great question. Great question. So typically, before I go on a show, and like, the last three shows I've done have been shows that have never, kind of existed before, the challenge was a spin off. So, it's like, I kind like to have more precedent, but like Reindeer Games, and then this show, there's nothing to go off of, so you try to find things that are similar. Um, with this show, my preparation consisted of watching The Circle, um, The Traitors and The Mole. Those were three shows that I felt like elements of those shows are going to be heavily involved, here. From The Circle, you have the kind of chat atmosphere, from The Traitors, you have the adding money to the pot element, and then from The Mole, you kind of had that undercover need to be deceptive or be one way to people's face and kind of another. I took all those and tried to take as many notes as I could, not physical notes, but just kind of make mental notes on like, “Okay, these are things that I'm seeing working effectively.”
 
That’s typically my pregame strategy. I try to find some type of precedent and then analyze that. That's what I did for Big Brother before Big Brother, I watched probably 14 prior seasons, like all within probably about a two-to-three-month span, as I was getting ready to go on the show and I was analyzing, I wasn't watching it for the enjoyment. I was watching it like game film to try to figure out, like, “Okay, this strategy is effective. This isn't effective.” Just so that way, when I got into the game, if you look at my pre-season interviews for Big Brother, I said what I was going to do before I went on the show, and then I just executed that play preparation. Preparation is definitely a big thing, but some games you can't even prepare for, so you just got to go and give it that shot.
 
John Betancourt: Now what's really amazing is, I think we can safely say you kind of brought out the first strategy of the show, since we really didn't have it the first couple episodes. But you started kind of bringing the alliances together, you’re the one who figured out that focusing on someone might be helpful. How did you kind of arrive at that strategy?
 
Xavier E. Prather: So, the strategy you guys didn't really get to see kind of how intricate that was, the strategy that I had behind the group, I was trying to figure out a way to increase the probability that, like me or someone I'm working with gets power. Because up to that point, it seemed like I was just missing the mark. I was like, “I was coming close, but not quite getting over the hump.” And so, I found out, I'm gonna give you, this is a lot, so I need you to stay up with me. I need you to stay with me. So, I found out, if you can get a group of people, you can use that group of people to kind of influence the chat. I was like, “Okay, who are, who are the names that we want to see in the chat.” So that way these handles can have reason to vote for those people in the chat. After that, once we have those people at the chat, then what we can do is we can determine how we're going to kind of allocate votes for the test.
 
So, it's like, okay, I'll use Lilly and Tyrenna, as an example. So, we have Lilly and Tyrenna. What handles do we think they are based off the chat? All right, we, let's say we think Lilly is Pizza, Truck, Fish. Okay, you two, that we're working with, you're gonna vote for Lilly for Pizza. You two, you're gonna vote for Lilly for Truck. You two, you're gonna vote for Lilly for Fish, because Andy was in on it, too. And so that way all those guesses aren't going to be right, but if one of them are, it significantly decreases the probability that that person got The Anonymous because we correctly matched their handle. And then with the people, the Alliance member, if you think you know who they are, scramble it on our alliance members. You think you know their handle, scramble it, it because it increases the probability that any of us become The Anonymous so then the power is in our hands, not theirs. And that was the plan. That's how I ended up getting the power.
 
John Betancourt: That’s brilliant. I mean, hat's gamesmanship.
 
Xavier E. Prather: Oh, I said in interviews that, like, I figured out how to hack DANI, and, like, you guys didn't really get to see it. But yeah, that's literally how I got power. It was funny because, like, I did it with the Connect Four board. When I first kind of came up with that, I sat Jack and Robbi down because I was like, look, I was like, my brain's smart enough, but you guys are big brained. Like, I just…  know this works, but I just needed to get verification. And I broke it down to them, and they were like, “Oh my God.” And I was like, “Yeah, I think this can really, like, ensure that one of us is going to get power.” So yeah, that was, that was kind of the strategy behind it. I wish you guys got to see more of kind of the intricacies behind it, because you see people in the in the hideouts, saying who they're voting for in accordance with kind of that plan. So, like, yeah, that was probably one of my prouder moments, is knowing that I kind of like figured out how to get power without jeopardizing the game for one of my allies.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this wasn’t the result that you wanted, so I’d like to know how tough was it to say goodbye?
 
Xavier E. Prather: Um, you know, at this point, it's just kind of like ripping off a band aid. I've been on four shows. I've made it to the end on two of them. Um, lost three of them. Like, it's one of those things that, like, you take a step back and you're appreciative for the experience. Um, you, try to maybe leave a nugget or two, which I definitely gave people a couple of nuggets on the game before I left, which I think the effects of that, you start to kind of see them in this episode. I'm curious to see if they continue to kind of snowball in the coming episodes. But yeah, you leave them a little nugget, and then you just kind of, you know, shake hands, give hugs, well played. And you keep it pushing, yeah.
 
John Betancourt: You know, I was just thinking that when you were talking about the strategies, like we're kind of seeing some of the impact you had on the others, it definitely showed up in this week’s episode.
 
Xavier E. Prather: I had a feeling that some allies were going against me, specifically after the Math Challenge with Jack. So, I was like, I didn't really… I wasn't sure if he wanted me out that day, but I had a feeling like he was plotting against me in some capacity. And I was like, “we shouldn't be doing that.” So, like, all right, well, if you want to play that way, that's fine. You might get me. I'm not the one to play with. Should just work with me.
 
John Betancourt: That entire challenge was pretty tense to say the least. I must say.
 
Xavier E. Prather: Oh, that challenge. We ran out of time. We didn't, we didn't even actually come to a consensus. It was just DANI told us we had to make a decision. So, in that moment, it was like, either we don't come to a decision, then we likely are disqualified from competing, as like, my experiences told me, if partners don't come to decision, they don't compete, or we go for the number he wants to pick and pray that we get it done. I was very pessimistic about our probability of getting it done. But it was like, this is, this is better than not competing at all.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you've been an important part of the reality TV landscape for several years now, and this is another big moment Because this is, such a unique and dynamic show. And I'm very curious what it means to you personally now to be a part of such a pioneering reality TV show?
 
Xavier E. Prather: It's crazy to still be kind of involved in the space as involved as I've been. It was funny when I was going through the interview process for the show, the producers said that I kind of reminded them, aspects of me reminded them of Cirie Fields. Arguably the most flattering compliment I think I've ever received. And it's just kind of like, you know, you see people like Cirie, you see people like Sandra, C.T., Dan Geesling like some people, Danielle Reyes, like people who are just really legends in kind of this space, and you hope that, like, you know, maybe someday you'll be in the same consideration of them, or like, you know, you're doing something to make an impact. So, to be considered for, like, a lot of these new and really funny, unique and exciting processes, I just feel like eternally grateful. It's really kind of, it's still kind of surreal. Honestly.
 
John Betancourt: So last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of, what you accomplished with this tshow.
 
Xavier E. Prather: I was most proud of was figuring out how to hack DANI. I wish you guys really got to you got to see more of, like, how that all played out. But like, that was definitely the thing, because I was like, DANI, I like, I figured you out. Like, I figured out how to get power for either me or my allies and not have to, like, throw their name in the chat, or, like, throw them -- because, like, one, as you have already seen, one of the more effective strategies is like, be really close with someone in person and then just absolutely obliterate them. That that's not something I really wanted to, like, that was a very like, no disrespect. It was, like, kind of a surface level, like, obvious answer. And I was like, there's ways I don't want to throw my allies under the bus. So let me figure out a way to kind of get power without having to resort to that kind of last resort and figuring that out. I was just really like, wow, like I actually kind of was able to make this happen. I wish I hadn't gotten power that day, actually, because I think if my allies, if one of my allies, had gotten power, they would have had more faith that it worked, but because they didn't, I think a lot of them were skeptical about, like, whether or not it actually worked.
 
And I was like, “No,” I was like, “I can't tell you guys that I got The Anonymous but I'm telling you it worked.” So yeah, that was probably my proudest moment on this show, and also being one of the last couple of people to be put at risk, I thought I might have been gone first when I told them, when I had to tell them that I won Big Brother. So, ending up, you know, seeing it be me and Nina be some of the last people to be put at risk was kind of cool, given that we both had, like the experience. I was like, “Okay, clearly, we've taken our prior experience and are using it to our advantage here in this game.” So that was kind of cool, too.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

​Ellen Frankenstein is an accomplished documentarian whose current project is going to stir up some conversation. For Cruise Boom asks from tough questions about the arrival of cruise-based tourism in small towns, and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with Ellen to discuss her poignant new film.
 
John Betancourt: I’d like to start by getting to know what motivated you to tell this story?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, I can say that many ways, I didn't want to make this film, but I came up to this community, Sitka, Alaska, this beautiful community surrounded by mountains and ocean and eagles and whales and all that, to make a film, and I ended up staying. And what happened -- that was like years and years ago, came up as a documentary filmmaker. Well, this is a town where we kept voting down public cruise ship docks, and anyway, someone built a private one, and suddenly the community was facing this incredible change. And some people that I worked with or knew said, “You're a documentary filmmaker, you should document the community on the cusp of change.” So, I made this film.
 
John Betancourt: That leads me right into my next question, which is a two-part question, what were the challenges of putting this film together and the challenges of doing so when you had some reluctance to do so.
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, there's so many challenges. Um, one challenge is, I've made a lot of films. I've made films about grief and healing and food and teenagers, whenever you get into resources, and capitalism, it's a really tricky topic. So that's one thing that it's really hard to make films about the economy, about things that have -- and it's a polarizing topic. It's not a healing topic. The film is a lot of questions. It's also… this is a topic that's on many people in the community's minds, like all the time, because we're faced with more tourists some days than actually live in town. A lot of people are creating new businesses because of the cruise boom. But for the other people who live here on the day-to-day basis. It's it really impacts our lives. So, it's kind of almost feels like, who am I to take on such a topic that is so part of so many people's lives?
 
John Betancourt: Now you also beautifully explore the “Us vs. Corporation” mentality that’s out there right now, and I’m curious why you think now really is the perfect time to have that discussion, while showcasing an issue that few of us know about.
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, for one thing, this type of issue is not just about cruise ships. We know it's a time where corporations and privatization, it's everywhere. I mean, whether it's prisons, it's schools, what other places are we seeing? They’re just trying to privatize everything. So, it's just there's so much tension. And it's also this time of climate change. So, it feels like we should be thinking about how we do things. But with that, there seems to be this hunger to just go ahead and use and do and not think about impact. So, I don't know. I mean this, it happened that this boom happened in the town I was living in. So, I made this film with my co-creator Atman Mehta. But I don't feel like I answered that question, so why do you think it's relevant? Why does it resonate with you?
 
John Betancourt: For me, it’s just a hotbed topic. Because we are seeing more and more that corporations are just being awful to people. I live in Denver, and out here, Kroger, our big grocery supplier admitted to fluffing up prices and it has people rightfully mad. Because they don’t feel like their best interests were in play, and it has raised the temperature here. So, perhaps to redirect a bit, let’s shift to what the temperature is like in Sitka, when it comes to this.
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, it's interesting, because the grocery store thing is, is huge, and it impacts everyone everywhere. I think one of the issues here that's interesting, as a filmmaker, trying to keep my eye on this whole thing about privatization, globalization, corptocracy, I guess, is that the right way to say it on a local level, sometimes people get kind of bogged down with this. The streets are crowded, the trails are crowded. It's hard to get groceries, and there's diesel fuel fumes in the air. So, and what about the quality of our town? So sometimes the quality of our life, I feel like it's a tension. I felt like, “Hey, we got to step back and look at this as this issue of -- this is not in the film. We have some small fishermen. We have a -- we're the home of a mom-and-pop fishery. And the tension, one of the tensions in the film is that Chris, who decides to buy this boatyard, boat haul out, has both the boat haul out that fishermen use, where you get your good cooking line salmon from these fishermen. And he gradually turns it totally into a cruise ship dock. It was a financial choice. He thought it would be better for not only himself, but for the whole community. But that put the mom and pop, small people more on edge. So, it's that, if there is that tension, and I don't know, I think we're seething as a country and as a world, because things are not trickling down. And we get all over the world, there's, I mean, there's housing and access to food issues, you know, what's our minimum wage right now in the US?
 
John Betancourt: A joke. It’s nice and stagnant. So then, to continue that discussion, and that line of thinking as a follow up now to post filming, has the town seen the boom that it wanted, or is it still at that point of kind of like, well, we did this and it's nice, but it's not the benefit that we wanted?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Ooh, that’s complicated. I think people, there's been a local group called Sitka Soul, and they've been working on putting in these petitions to try to set a limit on the numbers of how many -- because I think, you know, we have 8500 people in town, and sometimes days we have more than people, more people than that, visiting town. But then other people are expanding their businesses. We have more food trucks; we have more tours. So, it's very unsettled. There isn't one answer, but a lot of the businesses, local businesses, do say they agree that more is not better. I mean, they actually find that the more people you bring to a place, they don't spend as much per person. And it's really hard to get data, so I don't think, I think we remain in a polarized, tense situation.
 
John Betancourt: That’s fair. I would imagine the important thing is the discussion gets underway. Now, something that I noticed about this feature that I loved, is the sheer balance you maintain in telling the story, and I’m curious, how did you maintain that balance being so close to the topic?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Oh, it was very difficult. I mean, I think I made films and other topics where sometimes you get caught with this thing, where folks who are called critics and activists, which I don't think they should be called, that they should be people care about their community. They feel you should fight harder. You should have more things about environmental damage. You know workers. You know what happens to workers on cruise ships and on the other side, so to speak, any kind of question, especially with something like tourism, you're being negative. What a negative film. So, I don't – again I'm not answering you very well. But I think the film kind of wanders purposely and raises a lot of questions. It’s really hard with polarizing topics to like, to deal with them, to do them in a way. But my thing is, can, and there's been some great community screenings and use of the film where people are using it to think about, what do we want for our communities? How do we how do what kind of shape or control? What leverage do we have to make this work as best we can for everybody?
 
John Betancourt: And speaking of that, what do you ultimately hope that people take away from this feature when they watch it?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, one of the things is to think about how we travel and the choices we make. Um, because I think a lot of people don't know how cruise ships work, and how they're registered offshore and how they push back and play communities off each other. So I just think that realization, um, in your impact when you travel, that you do have an impact, and then for communities all over I mean, I think the film does call and make pay a lot of attention to how community looks at itself, how we work together, how we shape the places we live and keep the things that we love. I mean, the thing about Alaska is it's a beautiful place. One thing I want people to feel when they watch this film. I want them to feel confused. We have whales, eagles and bears in the film. We have totem people working on totems polls. We have an amazing section about indigenous tourism. So, I want people to feel kind of torn like, yes, I want to see that, but what is the impact of our wants and desires? I had a friend during Covid who said, “If I don't get to travel, it impacts my mental health.” And I was like, wait, you're not living in a war zone. You're not ill. Why do you think travel is – you know what I mean? It was an interesting concept. And there's even a thing that talked about in some literature about revenge tourism, post-Covid, people felt they deserved to travel. So, do we deserve our bucket list? The other thing is, I want people to think about their bucket lists. Your wants may have an impact.
 
John Betancourt: I think that’s great. That’s something we don’t think about, in the slightest and clearly, the companies don’t think about the impact either.
 
Ellen Frankenstein: I mean, in the film, I was really lucky to have a representative from the the international cruise line agency, and from Royal Caribbean speak, and they say they want to be partners, and I think we need to hold them accountable. One of the things in the film, there's that scene where they've donated for a parking lot at the Raptor Center, and I'm really glad they did that, but they didn't give money to the women's shelter. They gave money for a parking lot, to bring in busses. So, my thing is, and I've helped with some films like The Proposal and Further Tales of the City that have come to town, I think we need to extract as much as we can from them as they're extracting from us.
 
John Betancourt: Absolutely. It was also shocking to learn how much money they’re swimming in.
 
Ellen Frankenstein: I know people that have seen that one section in the film and then they've said they didn't realize how a multinational works. So, I'm really thrilled that this could be an insight into that for people. I mean, the film's gonna be airing on PBS, streaming for free, Pbs.org, starting September 14. It's on Kanopy. I just encourage people to watch it and think and to use it and talk about it. I don't know… it's hard sometimes with choices, right? You can try to like, “Yeah, I'm not going to eat this I'm not going to take this flight.” But what do we do in this world where capitalism is everywhere? What choices can we make?
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of lessons. What did you learn as a filmmaker that you didn't know before you stepped into this project?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: Well, one of the challenges in this film, you know, when we watch films… they're character driven. Well, when we started this film, we wanted characters, and then we realized the town was a character. So, one thing that's really hard is, how do you do that? And I don't know if we succeeded. Can you make a place a character? What else did I learn? Well, one thing is, as I said, I make films that involve people talking about self-mutilation, suicide, grief, people who work in tourism are cheerful and the people who -- most people, when they're traveling, are really excited. They I mean, it's really exciting to see a beautiful place. So, it's an interesting tension. I think to make a film about something that's like, it's this happy realm on the one hand, but it has this other impact. What I learned, you know, it's also a really hard time to be an independent filmmaker. It's a struggle. If you look on, let's say, Netflix or Hulu or whatever. It's stories of celebrities and crime and you gotta be someone famous. It's really, it's a rougher time than it was when I started making films, in some ways, but I love, there's more voices out there, but it's harder and harder to kind of get through and get your films used well. So, I think I may be learned that and may go back… I did a whole series of shorts between longer films. And I think I'm going back to shorts.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to this film?
 
Ellen Frankenstein: I'm most proud of use. I'm all about… I've had some great discussions with college students, with communities using this to think about what's going on in their community. That also makes me proud. I really like to think about what happens after a film. And I love my collaboration. I had this young collaborator Atman, who's now getting his PhD in economic history at the University of Chicago. It was a lovely collaboration. And the thing about an independent film like this, it’s based on collaborations, and I really am happy with all the people that were willing to be in the film, all the people, the sound, the score, the sound designer. I mean, I just love that process.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Maya Gabeira is easily the best surfer on the planet, and Stephanie Johnes is a highly accomplished documentarian. They come two very different worlds but worked together to chronicle ten years in Maya’s life to create the documentary, Maya and the Wave, and we here at NTG sat down with both of them to discuss their incredible fim.
 
John Betancourt: Maya, what inspired you to tell this story. Because you didn't have to. You're literally the best surfer in the world, but you had a story to tell.
 
Maya Gabeira: Well, I think that that was Stephanie's work. You know, she found a go and she was interested in a story that nobody really was. And I think not only through the sport, you know, big wave surfing was still very unknown, and female athletes were very, not really seen at the time, and I think she tapped into something. And to be honest, I wasn't really the best surfer at that point. I don't think, I think I became the best surfer throughout those 12 years. And I'm sure that, you know, by telling my story and by continuing to be engaged in the project, it also inspired me to reach higher, you know, I think, especially when I look at the petition and the work we did to really pull that record out of the Guinness and the WSL (World Surfing League), I don't think I would have done it alone. You know. I think it would have been too big of a job if I didn't have somebody that I loved and I cared for and was depending on that to finish a movie, you know? And so, I think that that really kind of helped everything, to be complete, and to happen.
 
Stephanie Johnes: Well, I'm a very mediocre surfer, and I'm a, you know, a very recreational athlete, and, you know, I've worked in film for most of my life, and documentary, specifically, and some sports films, and so I always think that's an interesting landscape to explore. And I was really curious about big wave surfing. I didn't know anything about it. And being a woman, I was especially curious to know that there was Maya, who was really one of the only women performing at a very high level in this sport. And this was 10 years ago when I met her, so I was just, it's just curiosity, like, what is it like for her to surf giant waves and, yeah, you know, filmmaking is like a, you know, it's a wonderful way to explore something that you don't know about. So, I reached out and we connected, and then just started down this road that neither of us knew was going to take a decade. But here we are.
 
John Betancourt: What kind of challenges went into creating such an ambitious and sprawling project?
 
Stephanie Johnes:  I mean, the boring answer is, resources. Making an independent film is extremely challenging. You know, this was not a studio production. So, I mean, in a sense, that's why I was able to continue year after year after year. But this is a pretty unique style of filmmaking. This is truly a Cinema Vérité film, where you just explore a person and a subject without knowing what the outcome is going to be. It's not like a retrospective biography of someone. And so, from the beginning, I just thought, “Wow, this woman is amazing. She's in an amazing environment. Let's see what's going to happen.” And that's like, a pretty rare type of film to be made. And, you know, it took a lot of dedication to stick with it year after year, pretty much as a personal, you know, project, and so that that's super challenging. And then, you know, you can see the movie. There's a lot of technical challenges. Like surfing is very complicated to capture, and Maya had obviously, a lot of experience doing that as a professional surfer, that's woven into what she does. So, she could help me, you know, connect with people and figure out the right way to, you know, capture what she does. And there's just so many surprises along the way that we just didn't anticipate things happening, you know. And that's what's exciting about this kind of film, is like, you don't know what's going to happen, but you gotta really run to try to capture it when it does happen? So, for the most part, we did.
 
John Betancourt: Now for Maya, what kind of challenges wind to being so vulnerable? Because you really open yourself up in this film, and you don't see a lot of that when it comes to sports documentaries.
 
Maya Gabeira: Yeah, for me, it was just that Steph was working independently, right? So, she was a one-person kind of production. And I think when you have just one person doing it all, it's easier to connect with the person and the human being in a level that she wasn't really a filmmaker at a lot of those moments. You know, she was my friend, and I needed her, and so sometimes, you know, when she when she would -- I think there's a scene that for me is very strong when I'm in in the room, and I had to ask her, what room was it, and where were you? Where we were together when we were in Lisbon, I was doing in Cascais, I was doing a speech, and where I cry, you know, and I tell her that I'm really tired and that I don't know what's happening, but I'm really sad and I basically, you know, I didn't say that to the camera, you know, I said that to my friend. I said that to the person that was on this crazy journey with me, and I was just really tired, you know, I was like, working against so many forces that I was just depleted. And, and I think that's how she captured the moment, but I think as a whole, that's how she captured the movie. And by working alone, I was able to connect with her at a personal level. And by working independently, she was able to connect into a freedom of creativity that really kind of kept the movie rolling, you know, into the direction it should.
 
John Betancourt: There's a lot in addition to the inspirational portion of it, this is a movie that really talks about a lot of things we don't see in sports documentaries, honestly, ever. Because I don't think these stories ever talk about the psychological side of what happens in sports, at least not enough, if anybody does. And not to mention, you know, I mean, look, just call it what it is, the wanton sexism that Maya encountered. And I'm curious from each of you, what went into the decision to showcase this other side of sports, if you will.
 
Stephanie Johnes: I guess, from my perspective, I'm a documentarian and a humanist first. And I think sports is a very visual, wonderful landscape to explore, because it's just, you know, it lends itself to film much better than, you know, historical things. It's just made for film. So as a filmmaker, it's a great landscape to be in. But I think I'm a humanist first, and I think human beings are interesting, and that's, you know, what I wanted to explore. And the this, the films that chronicle athletes that I really admire, when my favorite movie is The Crash Reel, really do have that texture of humanity and family and background, which, you know, was what I was trying to accomplish, rather than just like a, you know, splash reel. But that's why we're on earth together, is to understand each other as humans. And sports is a great vehicle for that. But it's not the end, you know, it's not the end game.
 
Maya Gabeira: I said, look, it's your movie. You know, it's my life, but at the end of the day, it's your movie. And you know, you have to do what you have to do, and you're gonna grab on to whatever you think it's important to you and what’s important to the story. And I wanted her to feel that freedom and know that whatever you know, path she chose, and whatever she felt with, you know, whatever we experienced together, she was free to use it.
 
Stephanie Johnes: Yeah, in a way, I think it's also like the, you know, there's always the flip side. You know, with a lack of resources, you have a lot of big, you know, Maya has been filmed by a lot of big productions with 10 person crews and lot of lights, a lot of interference, and that's a very different way of approaching someone when you're filming them, and it yields a different result. And so maybe our very, you know, our independent approach, and you know, minimal resources and minimally invasive style of shooting yielded a different result.
 
Maya Gabeira: It was, the only way to get this type of result. You know, if you're trying to make it splashy and big and expensive. You don't get to the core of human beings, you know, it's the opposite of what our nature is. You know, that's all the pools that we have from society. But you don't get deep.
 
John Betancourt: Now, this is premiere week. Congratulations on that. What does it mean to have this out to the masses?
 
Stephanie Johnes: I wouldn't say the masses. I mean, I would say we're still going very small here, I mean, for me, it's exciting just to, you know, have the public release. We had a huge success on the festival circuit, and so to have a, you know, Oscar qualifying run in New York City is a big deal. So that's exciting. But honestly this, you know, we are still on the independent path, which just means, you know, night by night, bookings on a film tour and hopefully gaining fans and inspiring people. And, yeah, as far as a, you know, digital release, we don't have a plan for that, but we're hoping that we find a home for the movie. I think we're probably going to be independent for a little longer. And we just, yeah, we appreciate you, and we appreciate people that connect with the story, that help us share and spread the word.
 
John Betancourt: It’s my honor and let me narrow that down better by asking what it means to have people finally see this?
 
Stephanie Johnes: Oh, it's rewarding. You just feel good, you know… 10 years is a long time to work on something, and you imagine one day we're going to be in a theater with an audience, and that's, you know, the process is part of it, part of the enjoyment, but you also anticipate the joy of sharing it with people. And they just really, they love it, they really connect. They're moved, they're wowed, they're appreciative. You have a lot of people saying, “Thank you for making this film,” and that just feels great. It feels really good. And you have a lot of people, you know, for Maya, she doesn't -- for what she has accomplished, the recognition in her life doesn't match, because it's a smaller sport and for the reasons you see in the film, it was never, it was never really properly celebrated or recognized. And this is, this is part of our moment, to be able to celebrate and recognize what she does, which you know, her accomplishment is on par with Billie Jean King winning “The Battle of the Sexes.” I mean, that is one of the most legendary, historic stories in sports, and that has been told over and over again. And what Maya did is equally as impressive but has not yet been celebrated on that level. And so, I'm hoping that this film will, you know, help celebrate something phenomenal.
 
Maya Gabeira: To me, honestly, at this point, it's kind of a vehicle to hopefully realize some of Steph's dreams and the whole team's dreams. You know, I think they deserve it. I think they worked really hard. I think they deserve recognition. And to me, you know, is the more famous the film gets, the more good I can do, you know, in the world, and the bigger of a voice I get, too, and I know what to do with it. So, I hope it goes as far as it can go for me to do what I want to.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for each of you today. What are you each most proud of when it comes to this project?
 
Maya Gabeira: Pushing through, never giving up and believing, you know, we really, we both believed in it, and I think that's a hard thing to do when you have so many obstacles. It was so hard, you know, and the fact that we kept believing and we kept holding on to each other and holding on to everyone that believed in us, too, I think that was the magic.
 
Stephanie Johnes: I would say the same perseverance. I'm very proud of the artistry of this film, and I'm also very proud of the perseverance, and, you know, I'm proud of the ecosystem, the relationships of people that are around us in this movie, and we've just worked with and connected with some really phenomenal people, and that's a gift to be able to connect with people through the filmmaking process.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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