Peter Gallagher: We're Going To Blow Fans' Minds
It's been a full month since Covert Affairs aired a new episode and, for fans, that time was necessary to recover from the shocking series of events -- Teo's assassination, Arthur's incarceration, Joan's hospitalization, Auggie's professional probation, Henry's machinations -- that led to Annie fleeing the country!
To find out where the show is headed next, ETonline rang up Peter Gallagher to talk about Arthur's legal issues, his impending fatherhood and how both could make him reconsider a life in Washington, D.C.
ETonline: We got a lot of Arthur backstory last season thanks to the introduction of Teo. What excited you about that arc?
Peter Gallagher: I loved having a backstory. I loved having a place in the story. For however long it lasted, it was fantastic. I wish I could have worked with Manolo [Cardona] for a bit longer before Teo died. And Kari [Matchett]'s real-life pregnancy was such a godsend. It deepened the relationship between Joan and Arthur, and added a new layer of interest to their storyline. The whole season was exciting with all the changes and various locales and twists and turns -- with any luck, the next six will fulfill the promise of the first part of this season.
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ETonline: So Teo is really dead?
Gallagher: Look, I didn't run in there to see his body like I would have in the real world, so ... maybe he's alive? But I think he's resting in peace. Unfortunately.
ETonline: What excites you about these six episodes?
Gallagher: They're really interwoven and dense and you're not quite sure why Henry's doing what he's doing. Hopefully it all becomes clear, but we have a few more surprises in the last episode that I think are going to blow fans' minds. Whenever people approach me about the show, it's clear that they love the show and Piper [Perabo] and Chris [Gorham] and want to see her triumph in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Well, she's going to do that -- and change her hair color! [laughs]
ETonline: With a baby on the way, will we see Joan and Arthur potentially talking about leaving The C.I.A. given the dangerous lives they lead as a result?
Gallagher: I think they will, but Arthur and Joan's focus is on Annie, and trying to bring Henry to justice while taking care of each other. I think one thing you'll see is that the marriage, while tested, will reassure those who believed in it from the beginning, that it's stronger than it might have appeared at various times. At the moment The C.I.A does seem riddled with evil for Joan and Arthur, but I don't know if that'll be the case for long. The writers could have us contemplate anything! We could go off and run an ice cream shop, and that would be the last you'd ever hear of us.
Covert Affairs airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA.