The third episode of Falling Skies Season 2, titled “Compass,” airs tonight at 9PM (see some images here), and a few weeks ago in preparation for the new season, members of the cast and crew spoke with press, including KSiteTV.
One of the folks we spoke with was Colin Cunnigham, whose character, John Pope, is a match that could explode a can of gasoline if his temper gets to the right place. Where most characters are content to step back and not say anything if they don’t think something is right, Pope has no reservations. And while his character will remain true to what we’ve seen before, his direction in Season 2 might be a little different than what we saw last year.
“It’s not so much about the little spark of light in his heart anymore,” Colin explains. “I think he buries that – to hell with that. I think he becomes more of a tactitian, as in ‘instead of just killing one Skitter, forget the consequences. Let’s see how we can kill 30.’ He’s more fearless. More on the front line, just ready to kick some ass… but I think ultimately, the storyline for Pope this season is he doesn’t trust Tom. Who the hell is this guy that disappeared and then just dropped back into our lap? And why am I the only one that feels this way? So Tom becomes the elephant in the room, and Pope’s the only one willing to shine a flashlight on him.”
“When Tom comes back, there’s a massive celebration,” he continues. “Everybody’s so incredibly happy to finally have the savior of the 2nd Mass back, except for Pope. He’s like, ‘what are you all, stupid? The man just spent three months in an alien ship, now he just shows up, and everybody’s dancing around and having a great time? Is anybody not asking the logical question. What the hell has happened to him? Where the hell has he been? Has he said anything? And he can potentially be a homing beacon for the whole 2nd Mass now. We could all be annihilated tomorrow. What the hell’s the matter with you people?’ Everybody’s [happy] whereas Pope is the one who says ‘no, you should put a bullet in the guy’s head’.”
Especially in the past, Pope seemed to be a “shoot first, ask questions later” type of character. Now, there’s another character behaving that way – Tom Mason’s son, Ben. Will this direction for Ben lead to some interaction and perhaps an alliance between Ben and Pope? “Ooh, boy. That’s a great idea, but it hasn’t come up… and you know what, the reason it hasn’t happened is I don’t think Pope trusts Ben for beans. He’s been touched by these things. So if anything, he’s a liability. Pope would shoot Ben in a heartbeat and not think about it,” Cunningham responds.
You can see Colin Cunningham on Falling Skies tonight at 9 on TNT. Enjoy the episode!
