What about Ricky, who went off to the Marines in the season-four finale? Will we see him in season five?
Come season 13, he’ll be out of basic training. [Laughs.] No, we are locked in a little bit to the timeline and it has been established onscreen that he would return in December at the soonest. We’re exploring those possibilities now and looking as everything is arching out. I know he is a fan favorite. I was a fan of his as well; I really liked his relationship with Jack and that sort of mentor dynamic. I thought was interesting. Seeing where he is on the other side of his experience in the military thus far is also something worth catching up on.
Should we take Denny at his word that he has Huntington’s disease, which is very serious and, sadly, terminal?
Yeah. I don’t think there’s any backpedaling from that. It’s very real. I ran a show called Chasing Life that was on ABC Family for a few seasons and it was about a young woman dealing with leukemia. And I think what we found in that is something akin to what I want to find for Denny that is very respectful to the community and the people that are going through it. Finding light in it and not exploiting the experience just for the sake of making it dramatic or sad is really important to me.
Speaking of something also very real is the way sexual assault and women’s health care has been portrayed on the show. Brie was raped, which resulted in a pregnancy, and then she miscarried. Mel previously gave birth to a stillborn baby. Now, as you start filming the new season, Roe has been overturned. Virgin River is an escape, but those are very real storylines that are important to see. Is that something you want to keep exploring?
Yeah, we want to continue on in that tradition as well. Tackling women’s issues is a huge priority for the show. It’s another unique opportunity for us and it’s baked into the DNA of the show. So not only is it organic, but it’s also important. Looking at Brie’s story and what Mel is going through in her own experience…again, speaking to representation, we take that very seriously. We want to make sure that we’re accurately portraying the experiences that women in similar situations have gone through. Especially survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, like with Paige’s character. It’s very much on the forefront of our minds as something that’s very important in our storytelling and a part of our show that should be celebrated.
What can you say about season five so far? The most ambitious? Most romantic?
We get into things that will be new and exciting, but still very much feel like the same show, but are definitely taking a more exciting approach to some of the stories. A little bit louder, but not to the detriment of the comfort of the show. I want it to feel like season five will be next-level.
Please tell me everything about Paige’s bakery. Have you tried the desserts? Are they all real? Where do they come from?
I’m still the new kid on the show, so I don’t want to be the showrunner standing at the bakery truck, eating the props. I would fire me. [Laughs.] I will have to report back to you. We’ll have to talk again.
This article originally featured on GLAMOUR US. Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the upcoming book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series (October 11, 2022). You can follow her on Instagram @jessicaradloff14.