Warning: General spoilers ahead

Truth be told, ever since I watched the Pilot of Bitten for the first time way back when, the Jeremy Danvers character has always been my favorite. He’s strong, steady, has an immense sense of integrity, and is completely devoted to his Pack — traits that I have the utmost admiration for. Granted, he’s had to make some difficult, and even unpopular, decisions, but everything he is, everything he does goes back to that unwavering commitment to his Pack and keeping them safe.

I was very fortunate to be able to sit down with the immensely talented Greg Bryk  earlier this week to get all the deets on what to expect in season 2, how do these new witches fit into the mix, and of course, that impending fallout after discovering his father is still alive and is responsible for all the mayhem in season 1. In the process, I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that the man behind Jeremy Danvers is actually a mirror of his character. Or as Greg put it, “Life imitates art.” The actor is one of the most well-spoken, articulate, strong, and humble people I have ever interviewed — all qualities that we are used to seeing in his portrayal of our Alpha werewolf every week on the small screen.

TV GEEK TALK: Can you talk a little about where season 2 will pick up, and in particular, how your character, Jeremy Danvers, will deal with the discovery that his father, Malcolm, is still alive AND he’s the one who responsible for the big Mutt War in season 1?

Greg Bryk: “Season 2 picked up three days after season 1. I mean, the sweat literally hasn’t dried on us from the battle of episode 13 of season 1. Malcolm has disappeared although I now realize he was behind the entire uprising in season 1. All kinds of things keep turning up, the sort of repeated betrayal by my father, and we’re on the hunt for Malcolm. In season 2, we’re trying to find Rachel, we’re trying to find Malcolm, and to add a degree of difficulty to this, the Alpha Council has convened from around the world and has descended on Stone Haven. They are not pleased with the way the uprising unfolded. They feel that there is a question of weakness in my leadership, and they threaten to take my pack away unless I can deliver Malcolm to them. So, we’re up against a big time crunch to find Malcolm, and then, Elena is struggling with this incredible tragedy, this loss and huge void in her life after Philip is killed at the end of season 1. We are filled with a blood loss and a blood confusion.”

TV GEEK TALK: Wow, talk about hitting the ground running.

Greg Bryk: “Yeah, we definitely hit the ground running, for sure.”

TV GEEK TALK: Now that the show has one full season under its belt, how do you think season 2 is different from its freshman season?

Greg Bryk: “Oh yeah, and I would go so far as to say that it feels like a new show, or perhaps 2.0 in a lot of ways. I mean the show looks so sexy, so incredible with the use of shadowing in this wonderfully flick atmosphere. We also introduce witches and magic in our world in season 2, which brings this incredibly unsettling psychological thriller element to the show as well. So, season 1 really dealt with what it meant to be a Pack, this incredible family bond that was put to the test. There was the physical violence of wolf fighting wolf, and it was a very earthy season. In season 2, the wolves expand both in the global element of the Pack Alphas and the Alpha Council, and then, this incredibly mind-blowing — particularly for the wolves — magic which we have to deal with as well. We worked so hard to create this tight family bond in season 1, and [then have this] pressure that is exerted on that, on those bonds, as we get further and further and further apart. It’s almost like Sandra Bullock’s character in ‘Gravity’, where a single thread connects them together with hope alone.”

TV GEEK TALK: I personally have not read the books, and so, I was very surprised with the introduction of the witches in season 2. In particular, I think it may be somewhat unsettling for your character in that there are these witches out there AND to top it off, they know the werewolves exist. What can you say about how Jeremy will react to this revelation? If these women were ordinary humans, he would be obligated to kill them.

Greg Bryk: “You know, I was actually surprised there were going to be witches as well — both as Greg and as Jeremy — because we both thought at the beginning that they were going to be honoring the books and honoring the spirit of the books. We were going to be focusing on the werewolf storyline and arc, and the other fantastical elements of the books weren’t going to be introduced. Then, I guess between season 1 and season 2, there were discussions on the executive level, and they thought they would add something to the dynamic, to add danger. So, they thrust these witches upon us, these three witches — Tammy Isbell, Tommie Amber Pirie, and Kiara Glasco as Ruth, Paige and Savannah — who were so extraordinary, and they brought so much to the show. But, for Jeremy, they were a disruptive force. My reason for living is to protect my Pack and keep them safe. Then, the witches brought a destabilizing element in our world, they threw us into chaos, and they dragged us into a conflict that was so outside of our control. We were forced to react in ways that were not comfortable, and as the Pack leader, it was particularly true for me because I had to navigate waters that were very unfamiliar to me. And, you’re right — the witches knew all about the werewolves, and we had no idea about them. We were the sucker at the poker table for a long time. [Laughs]”

“You know, it’s funny how life imitates art, and this year, there was a huge element for Jeremy — trust. Not having physical control of the Pack, but to trust that they will carry the values that you imparted on them. For me, my son went away to the university this year, and it was the first year when my kids — at least one of them — weren’t at arm’s length. At least I couldn’t feel that I could keep them safe, and I had to trust that what they had learned along the way, that would be their toolkit, that would be what they would use to navigate the world alone. In season 2, the Pack is separated for long periods in the story, and we are caught in these riptides, dragging us every which way. For Jeremy as the Pack leader, it was accepting this uncertainty that was a huge challenge.”

TV GEEK TALK: Now did your character know that there were other supernatural beings out there, or did Jeremy assume that werewolves were it?

Greg Bryk: “I assumed that werewolves were it, and this is somewhat of a departure from the books. In the books, Jeremy’s mother is supernatural as well, of Japanese origin. When Jeremy was created for the series, that part of my heritage was ignored. So, Jeremy assumed there were just werewolves, and now that that laden has been lifted off, there’s this curiousity of what else is out there, what else is there that’s going to make it difficult for me to keep my Pack safe.”

TV GEEK TALK: With the exception of Elena, the show has always been a male-dominated series, and there seems to be a pre-conceived notion — and correct me if I’m wrong — among the werewolves that the male is the dominate sex. How do you think the introduction of these very powerful women will change this pre-conceived notion, if at all?

Greg Bryk: “You know, it’s interesting that the star of our show, Elena, is the only female werewolf. And, she’s resilient, charismatic, and a dynamic force in a male-dominated world. When the Alpha Council convened — and which is very typical for men — there’s a lot of bravado. You have these brutal patriarchs who dictate law onto people and who doesn’t listen and are unwilling to compromise. Jeremy is a hybrid in that world because there’s still a tremendous physical ability that Jeremy has, but there’s also the ability to listen, the ability to know when you’re wrong, the ability to compromise and to lead by everybody being on the same page instead of dictating what is right at all times. So, it’s a leadership where I listen to everyone around me and make a decision based upon wisdom, I think.”

“When the witches come and there’s this tremendous power, the werewolves are forced to realize that they’re not it, that there’s this maternal and feminine strength and it brings a uniquely feminine energy but also an incredibly powerful energy. Elena, for her it is nice to have that balance, and each of the women on the show were dynamic and fiercely intelligent. And, I think they forced the guys to raise their game a little bit. There are definitely herioc moments from both sides and this wonderful synthesis of both the masculine and feminine energies, thus creating something newer and more powerful.”

TV GEEK TALK: You mentioned “wisdom,” and that made me think of something. Your character, Jeremy, is actually my favorite on the show. Strong, steady, which is probably why he’s the Alpha. Do you see any parts of yourself, per se, that are like Jeremy, and if so, do you ever pull in parts of yourself to better portray your character?

Greg Bryk: “Absolutely. It’s actually very interesting because when this role came into my life, I had just turned 40, but have a great life, 3 great kids, an amazing wife. But I came to a point when I realized that I needed to give more of myself. I started working with this amazing counselor who does work with men, and I started on this journey of what it means to be a man in our community. I started volunteering, working with some average, inner-city kids, trying to be a mentor in their lives and showing what it means to be a father to the male kids, to be a husband, what the role of an evolved man, an enlightened man, what effect that can have on a community, what effect that can have on a family. That was my journey in this role, and in a way, Jeremy is a combination of a lot of searching and work that I’m doing personally. And, I think you have to find elements of yourself to really own a character. I mean, I think you have to have those qualities to be believable, and so, the challenge of Jeremy has actually made me a much better man and this carries through with the wonderful young actors that I work with on set, where I’ve taken on that role in real life. I have “the Pack” over for dinner regularly, and they’re all at the phases of young relationships and young love and curious about what it will mean to be parents themselves some day and to make a marriage or relationship work. You know, we’re in a really crazy industry that destabilizes you at every turn, and taking on that responsibility may be the greatest blessing the show has given me, that it’s forced me to become the man I’ve always wanted to be.”

TV GEEK TALK: Now, when you auditioned for the role, I assume you were told a great deal about your character. If so, is that what drew you to the part of Jeremy Danvers in the first place?

Greg Bryk: “Absolutely, 100%. I think we have an existential point in our life where we think about who we want to be, what we want to be, and you take action and you become that. The character was described as the Pack Alpha, that he embraced a new type of leadership — a maternal element of leadership, had a strong physical masculine energy, and it appealed to me. You know, I fought for this role, I fought so hard for this role, because originally they thought the character should be older, and I auditioned for it, put a little extra grey in my beard. Then, the role went away and they weren’t looking at me, and then, right before they made their final decision, they brought me back in again, and I just made that character my own. I can’t imagine playing anything else or get any joy playing anything else. I think in a lot of ways that character on the show has my fingerprints all over it, and more than that, it has my flesh and my blood in it. And, I can’t imagine anyone else playing that part now.”

TV GEEK TALK: This is a question about relationships. Clay’s got Elena. Logan has Rachel. And, Nick, well, Nick has his flavor of the week. What about Jeremy? Is there ever going to be a love interest for our Alpha?

Greg Bryk: “You know, it’s very difficult because as he dealt with in season 1 with Clay, we can’t really have relationships because it’s a secret. The way I look at it, I think that sexual energy is a very powerful force in all of us, and I think it has its own gravity. I think Jeremy is very conscious of leadership and very conscious of his responsibilities. Right now, all of my energy, all of that sexual creativity, all of that is transmuted into leadership. And, I understand that romance at times can be a distraction, and I have my painting, my solitariness as part of the discipline. Now, that would be an interesting element, how would falling in love change Jeremy? How does that vulnerability, that passion change him? And, I think that would be an interesting journey at that point, but right now, my feeling with Jeremy is that I need everything to be for them, and I’m willing to make that sacrifice. Sometimes you need to put your urges, your needs aside, they need to be secondary to what’s most important, and what’s most important to Jeremy is to keep his Pack safe in a very dangerous time.”

TV GEEK TALK: Season 2 finally premieres on Syfy this Friday, and the fans are so ready. Anything else you can say about season 2, just anything that will get the fans even more excited?

Greg Bryk: “Season 2 is literally break-neck, breathtaking. This is exciting psychological drama, there is the same action, there is sex and passion, and all those elements that the audience gravitated towards and fell in love with in season 1 are enhanced. It’s terrifying and it’s harrowing, and there will be times when the audience is left gasping for breath, some of it is so shocking and heart-breaking. But, at the end of the day, it’s deeply satisfying. It’s satisfying in a way that all beautiful love affairs are satisfying, and they make your heart race.”

Is everyone as psyched as I am and can’t wait for Friday to get here? To make the premiere even better, Greg will also be live-tweeting during the East Coast airing, and so, all you Bitten fans, be sure to follow Greg on Twitter at [email protected] and be a part of this super-exciting 2 hours of television.

The Bitten 2-hour season premiere event begins at 8/7c Friday on Syfy.

VIDEO

Season 2 Trailer:

The Undoing:

PHOTOS

All photos courtesy of Steve Wilkie/She-Wolf Season 2 Productions Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

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