ABC's "Suburgatory" has established itself as one of the most uniquely charming comedies on network TV, and its hourlong Season 2 finale is no exception. Effortlessly blending the absurd, the surreal and the downright hilarious with heartfelt emotional beats, it seems designed to remind you that the egocentric residents of Chatswin still have souls beneath their overtanned exteriors.
The Huffington Post caught up with "Suburgatory" creator Emily Kapnek to preview the surprising events of the Season 2 finale, and we'll have an in-depth discussion of the episode and Kapnek's plan for a potential third season after the east coast airing, which begins Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
Tessa (Jane Levy) and Ryan (Parker Young) seemed to have formed a surprisingly genuine romantic bond this season. How will their recent break-up affect Tessa going into the finale?
I think that things aren't completely settled between the two of them. And I think this is one of those situations where it's easier to say goodbye when you're arguing and in a fight, and they're sort of clinging to that. But they do have an unexpected encounter and get a moment when she has to reconnect before he is off and on his way to [college]. So I think the door is left a little bit open. I think the two of them have great chemistry and it's sort of undeniable, so we get another glimpse of that and another pretty satisfying send off in the finale.
Dalia [Carly Chaikin] now has a vendetta against Tessa, and we know that she's not someone you want to go up against when she's got a score to settle. What can you preview about their impending confrontation?
It's pretty gory. I think that this is a long time coming with the two of them. Since Tessa set foot in Chatswin, Dalia's been pushing her buttons and trying to get a rise out of her and Tessa's just finally snapped. And the two of them really go head to head. It's a tough thing to come back from, in terms of their animosity. I think it will be a while before we're able to bridge it, but those two characters have a lot in common and they’ve both dealt with a lot of the same stuff this the season, and [they both] have parents that aren't together and are dealing with some abandonment stuff. I think ultimately, there's hope for these characters to reconcile, but as they say, things get worse before they get better and things do get pretty bad between the two of them. And it's not really on their parents' radar. So I think George [Jeremy Sisto] and Dallas [Cheryl Hines] are a little oblivious to just how bloody the battle gets.
Dalia's same-sex relationship was so unexpected, but such a great insight into this very insular, very enigmatic character who doesn't ever reveal much about what's going on inside her. How did that idea for her come about?
I think that we always thought that Dalia was very resourceful. And ... much more than focusing on the same-sex element -- which we knew would be a little bit scandalous, but also just felt right for Dalia, not just because of how much she mocks Tessa about that and accused her of being a lesbian for so long, but it seemed sort of fitting that she would have this sort of bone in her closet ... In general, it's enlightening about who Dalia is as a person, and how needy she is emotionally, and I think Dalia really will take her attention from anywhere she can find it, whether it's Evan or Jenna or Daddy Altman. She's really pretty needy; there's some emotional damage there. We talked about it a lot with Carly and I think that because she's seemingly a little two-dimensional [on the surface], that these glimpses into what's going on with her just make her character that much more interesting. The well runs little deeper than you think and there some issues there that she has to work through. So there's plenty of stuff for her to work on and I think when Dallas is able to sort of get a real understanding of what her daughter's grappling with, they'll have plenty to work on, the two of them.
Speaking of George and Dallas, they have plenty of issues of their own heading into the finale, since they've decided to move in together. What can you preview about how we'll see their relationship change in the last hour of the season?
We've watched them this season try to have a real go at this, and I think they have had very different approaches to the relationship. I think George has really, really tried -- not just with Dallas, but with Tessa as well and he's really spent the season trying to placate the women in his life. So of course, the sky would have to fall on him for having done that. [Laughs.] But he's doing whatever he can to keep everything afloat and as always, it's just never quite worked out the way he expected it to.
I think with him and Dallas, it's been hard for him to prove to her, to properly convince her that he is as invested as she is emotionally, and she's had a hard time being in the relationship, even. She, quickly after her divorce, jumped into this thing with George and she's not really been able to make him understand who she is a woman, and for that reason, she feels insecure and she's just lapsed into this very easy position with him all "sure thing, Daddy," and just playing that role that she's always played and I think she's insecure about it. So I do think, although George wishes that he could convince her that he feels the same way, perhaps she's picking up on something. It all does kind of come to a head in the second part of the finale.
Do you think George and Dallas are right for each other? Will Tessa and Dalia ever be able to reach an understanding? Weigh in below!
The "Suburgatory" Season 2 finale airs Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. ET. For more from Kapnek, head back to The Huffington Post at 9 p.m. ET.
