'True Detective' star Finn Bennett on that death, 'gut-wrenching' finale - Entertainment Weekly News

Warning: This article contains spoilers for True Detective: Night Country, episode 5, "Part 5."

Things in Ennis, Ala., are really reaching a boiling point, and in the shocking fifth and penultimate episode of True Detective: Night Country, no one learned that the hard way more than Peter Prior (Finn Bennett).

The episode packed a lot in: Detectives Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) and Liz Danvers ( Jodie Foster) finally locate the caves where they believe Annie Kowtok died; Navarro says one final goodbye to her sister; and we're told the Tsalal men died in a freak storm. But it can't be that simple... can it?

The full scope of the connection and corruption between the mines, Tsalal, and Peter's dad Hank (John Hawkes) comes into focus. It all comes to a head in a confrontation between Danvers, Hank, and Peter, which ends with Hank raising a gun at Danvers, and Peter shooting his father to protect her.

Nobody has time to process this before Navarro shows up and quickly convinces Danvers and Peter that, in order for them to finally get the real answers they seek about the deaths of the Tsalal scientists and Annie, they need to cover up what happened to Hank. The episode ends with poor Peter insisting he'll handle the clean-up of the murder of his father, while Danvers and Navarro drive off to the caves in search of the answers to the season's mysteries.

Ahead of the episode, EW caught up with Bennett to discuss the implications of that major death for Peter, what it was like going toe-to-toe with a legend like Jodie Foster, and more. Plus, he teases what to expect from next week's "gut-wrenching" finale.

Finn Bennett stars as Peter Prior in 'True Detective: Night Country'.

Michele K. Short/HBO

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Before we get into the episode, what was it like for you in this season as whole to go toe-to-toe with someone like Jodie Foster?

FINN BENNETT: Somebody as Jodie Foster as Jodie Foster? Yeah, I mean, there's this whole mystique about Jodie because she's such a decorated and celebrated actress, and that was very nerve-wracking, and I think it was one of the biggest fears I had going into this project. And then when you meet Jodie, you meet this woman who's maybe 5'2" tall, has a big smile, and she's so warm and kind and very intelligent, and she just wants you to do well. So that image falls away and it just becomes a very lovely working relationship against someone who you learn an awful lot from. She was just brilliant. I'm forever grateful for her patience in working with someone a lot less experienced than her.

What would you say you learned from her?

Many, many things, but I think the big one was to not take myself too seriously. Take the work seriously, take the work very seriously, because we're all here to do a good job. But just for an example, on the first week I turned to her, we were just setting up another shot, and I turned to her, and I said, "What do you do to prepare?" She was like, "What do you mean?" I was like, "What should I do to prepare for this?" She was like, "Go dancing, go have a drink, go to the cinema, go watch movies." And I just think that speaks volumes to the kind of person she is. The job matters, but you have to enjoy yourself, because I don't know when there's another opportunity in life that I'm going to go and get to live in Iceland for six months and work with these incredible people. 

Getting into this episode, let's start with Kayla, who kicks Peter out. Is there hope for these two moving forward?

I'm going to say, yes, there is hope, but I think the relationship comes under strain. It was so funny filming all of those scenes with Anna [Lambe], who plays Kayla, because we filmed most of those scenes in the house in about a week, where we would go from an incredibly happy relationship to him being kicked out. I think there is hope for them, but I think also they're both intelligent people who will realize that maybe they settled down too young and she has aspirations, and those aspirations are as important as his aspirations. 

There's a really prophetic moment where Liz's stepdaughter, Leah, tells Peter, "Don't let Liz ruin the guy you were." And given what happens with his dad at the end of this episode, would you say that that happened, that he's kind of ruined? Is he a good detective still? Is he as bad as his dad? What's your read on him after this happens?

I'm going to compare it to the scene, I dunno, maybe 20 pages earlier where he confronts Danvers about what happened with Wheeler, and just how disappointing and heartbreaking it is for him to find out his cop hero is just another filthy cop, just like his dad. I don't think he suspects his dad of having moved Annie K's body or placed it and so on. But he knows that his dad's kind of a lazy cop, and now he knows that Danvers is a dirty cop, and he's so pure up until this moment. I think he's such a good-hearted, sweet man, and now he's a cop with a secret. And my take on him after, and I would discuss this at length with Issa [López, the showrunner], but she explains it as a kind of necessary evil that he can't really be at peace until this action is completed. Maybe he eventually finds solace in that, maybe he questions it until the day he dies. I don't know. It's a good question. But, I don't think he could go on living as pure-hearted as he did for so long.

And what of his decision to stay behind and clean up the scene? Did he do that purely out of guilt, you think?

Yes. I think that's a big part of his journey. It's necessary not only for plot and script for the two lead characters to get where they need to go, but he needs to do it for himself. And he also needs to do it for Danvers and Navarro, because I think he can see how close they are. And even though Danvers kind of refuses to leave him for a split second, I think he sides with Navarro and he can see that this [needs to be done], otherwise it will all be for nothing and would be a waste of human life.

I'm sure if Hank hadn't raised the gun to Liz, then he wouldn't have done it. People have been asking me, why did he make that decision? And I think truthfully, there is an element to it that saving Liz is what appealed to him more. But people make decisions every day of their life, and they make some good ones, and they make some bad ones. They make some really bad ones, and I think he will question that decision forever, and he'll have to live with that.

What should we expect from next week's season finale?

Personally, I think a finale in a murder mystery, or any show that you could consider similar to this, is usually really disappointing. And I watched this show, and I burst into tears, not only because I was so proud and overwhelmed with what we had achieved, but because of the ending and how satisfying it is and how gut-wrenching it is. I think, one, be prepared to be satisfied. And, two, it is a real tear-jerker, in my opinion. I think it's beautiful, and I'm very, very proud of it. And also, be prepared to try and keep your mind open to it. I think what's so brilliant about True Detective, particularly season 1, is you can make your own explanation if you wish. You can lean into a supernatural element, if you wish, in that first season, and I think there's room for that here.

The True Detective: Night Country season finale airs Feb. 18 on HBO.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( 'True Detective' star Finn Bennett on that death, 'gut-wrenching' finale - Entertainment Weekly News )
https://ift.tt/iVhxZt1
Entertainment

Bagikan Berita Ini