Exciting news for fans of RTE’s hit drama, Smother as it is returning for a second season!
The show which first aired earlier this year, kept us well entertained at home during lockdown and as the winter months are approaching again, we’re glad to have some great TV to look forward to.
We caught up with leading lady, Dervla Kirwan ahead of season two as she shared how delighted she is by the response to the show; “I was more than delighted, and it’s always just tremendously nerve wracking when something new goes out there, something that fresh, that’s a new take on a thriller.
“I couldn’t have hoped for better. I really couldn’t have hoped for better.”
Chatting about why she feels the first season of the show was such a success she said; “I think it has shone a light on privileged dysfunctional Irish families dominated by quite tricky female leads.”
Despite the fact the show had quite dark themes, it was a massive success during lockdown; “It has a dark story, and I think that we’re old enough and big enough to want to understand, psychologically why people behave the way they do.”
Continuing Dervla added; “I felt that it concentrated on an enormous female presence in that family and the damage that had been done to this highly dysfunctional relationship. I think a lot of people really enjoy that, it enables the audience to come along on a journey on an Avatar like experience, and walk away maybe understanding a little bit more about what it means to be human.”
Having such a strong, sexy and dominant female lead is a huge part of the show and Dervla shared that she thinks we need to see more of this in TV. She said; “Just because a woman is 50 we are known as over the hill.”
“When I started off in this business Irish female characters were very underrepresented in any drama. And if you go back there was just nothing of substance, and I have been fighting throughout my career to find those parts.”
Continuing she added; “I’m definitely personally, enjoying my life more than I did in my 20’s. And even though the character I’m playing is going to hell it’s, it’s important to hold on to that, you know that we want sexy, challenging female characters who are really fraught, that’s exciting.”
Speaking about season two, after it’s initial success with the first there a big expectations for whats yet to come.
Dervla revealed that viewers have a lot to look forward to; “I think we’ve, we’ve reached for the stars and we’re not going to disappoint your audiences, that’s the most important.”
However she did share that the pressure doesn’t to her too much; “There’s no doubt there’s enormous pressure. The way I look at it is, because I’m surrounded by terrifically talented actors and actresses and a brilliant director and a great producer, and we all know each other, we trust each other, we really have each other’s backs.”
“I cannot in any way control, or have any control over how a second series is going to be received. That’s not my job, my job is to just go in and do my job to the best of my ability.”
Season two will see the Ahern family’s world rocked all over again as when they begin to pick up the pieces after Denis’ death a stranger appears at their home. The stranger, Finn, reveals himself to be Denis’ estranged son making him an unwelcome surprise for the Ahern family.
Smother will be back on RTE 1 this autumn.