Now three episodes into "Magic City's" (Fridays at 10 p.m. ET) debut season, viewers should now have some idea of the character dynamics at play in Starz's already-renewed drama. But like the sands of Miami Beach, alliances and relationships are constantly shifting, and as Ike (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) grows closer to his ex-sister-in-law, Meg (Kelly Lynch), he draws further away from his vivacious wife, Vera (Olga Kurylenko).
HuffPost TV has an exclusive preview clip for this week's episode, which proves that even gorgeous former showgirls have their share of insecurities. Ike has three children from his previous marriage, but he and Vera have yet to start a family of their own, despite being married for four years. And, for the gossipy housewives who frequent the glamorous Miramar Playa hotel, the delay certainly seems to be cause for speculation. Thankfully, Vera appears more than capable of handling herself when the claws come out. But will Ike's burgeoning friendship with Meg cause further obstacles in his relationship with Vera? When HuffPost TV recently interviewed Jeffrey Dean Morgan, we posed him that very question.
"I don’t know because there is what I’d like to say is an innocent flirtation there [with Meg], and we’ll see where that goes," Morgan admitted with a chuckle. "But to me, Ike is true to his wife, through the good and the bad. But there is a connection with Meg, and I think that’s based on Ike’s love for his first wife ... There’s this connection with Meg that is undeniable, as Ike has more dealings with [Meg], it’s tricky for him, because there is a certain heart-strain that she brings up in him. I think his first wife was a true love; I think Meg stirs up all these memories, so that’s a very complicated relationship ... I’m as interested as you are, to be honest."
We also asked Morgan about Ike's character progression this season, since the hotel owner has already managed to find himself embroiled in a number of less than savory schemes in the first three episodes -- mostly thanks to the influence of Ben "The Butcher" Diamond, the unpredictable mobster played by Danny Huston.
"I think he gets his hands dirty in the episodes to come," Morgan teased. "He’s in denial about this, as much as he can be, but I think you can see in that first episode that Ike knows exactly what he’s doing. As an actor, I played it like he knew what was going on. But yes, it gets trickier and trickier for him. He starts getting pressure from not only the mob side of the town, but also political pressure, as well as the law coming after him, so he gets himself in some tight situations that charm isn’t going to get him out of. He has to do more drastic things than a handshake and a smile ..."
Since the series is set in Miami in 1959, a culturally and politically tumultuous time, there are a number of famous figures woven into the fabric of "Magic City" -- but as fans may have noticed from Frank Sinatra's invisible "appearance" in the first episode, "Magic City" prefers the "less is more" approach when it comes to celebrity cameos. That's further illustrated in this week's episode, with a subplot involving Jackie Kennedy.
"I think that’s the easiest and best way to go about it," Morgan said. "Originally we were going to see a little bit of Sinatra; at some point, we were going to see a little bit of Frankie Avalon, and it just takes away from the mystique of it all. I think having their presence there and yet not seeing them is much more effective to the audience and won’t throw them out of what is going on."
Are you enjoying "Magic City"? Do you think Ike and Meg will give in to temptation, or will he stay true to Vera? Weigh in below.
"Magic City" airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Starz.