The makers hope to continue after the series finale

(This story contains major spoilers for the series finale of Someone Somewhere.)

The last episode of Someone Somewhere literally makes a high-pitched sound. As the HBO comedy’s supporting cast (Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Murray Hill, Tim Bagley) looks on, Bridget Everett’s Sam toasts and performs a rousing rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” It’s a fitting end to a series whose greatest strength has often been its ability to be sentimental without being saccharine, and it’s easy to see the scene as a symbolic farewell for its stars. “We didn’t know it would be the series finale, but we really wrote as if any moment could be the final moment of the series,” says co-creator Hannah Bos. “Due to cast availability, we also shot this in our first week of production this season, so we really just thought, ‘I hope this works.'”

Bos and her long-time collaborator Paul Thureen first presented the idea that would become it Someone Somewhere in October 2018, and although this weekend’s series finale marks the end of this particular six-year process, they – along with star Everett – are adamant that they will return to these characters at some point. The creative trio joined us below THR to reflect on the show’s growth and discuss its (still pretty unclear) future.

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I think we should start by talking about “The Climb” and how you came up with the idea for that song…

BRIDGET EVERETT I’ve been covering this song for a long time. I know it’s a little on the nose, but it’s also such an uplifting power ballad and I love singing it, so it felt like the right song for the moment. There’s a bit of Bridget in this performance, but I also feel like there are Sams all over the country just singing like that in karaoke bars. So I took advantage of a little bit of all those moments.

When you started working on the idea for this series in 2018, did you think about how you wanted the arc of the series to go, or did you even imagine the ending? How did this finale fit into those early thoughts?

PAUL THUREEN A topic we addressed early on was the “bridgetization” of Sam and how far that would go. I think at some point there was an idea that we would see Sam singing at a big event at the end of the first season – so I just love that she’s singing in front of her family and friends at the end of the series. But you can have all these plans at the beginning, but once you start filming and editing and figuring out what you love about this world, they all go out the window.

HANNAH BOS This show is largely about small growth, but looking back now over the three seasons, it feels like gigantic growth – look at Tricia, from her very first scene to the end of this season at Friendsgiving. I think Sam in that final karaoke scene parallels the end of season one; At first she was invited on stage, but now she’s the one in charge, and I think that’s a beautiful example of Sam’s expansion of self-love. This isn’t a show where she goes on tour and becomes a superstar. It’s about being happy in your own hometown and finding yourself in the people.

EVERETT At the beginning we didn’t even know if we would get past the pilot. But I don’t think this is the end either Someone Somewhere World. I think of it as a timestamp of where they all are at this moment.

It seems like everyone is – for now – very happy with how the show ended from a narrative and creative standpoint. But how do you all feel about HBO’s decision to end the series after the third season?

EVERETT I think this is the first time I can just say how proud I am of something I’ve done. I really feel like HBO is the only place that would make this type of show and that they provide creative value. Working with them was a 12 out of 10 and I don’t know if I’ll ever experience something as wonderful again. I don’t know if that completely answers your question, but that’s what number one on the call sheet has to say. (Laughs)

THUREEN I think there are things that happen that we don’t see, but our interaction with the executives, the press team, the marketing people – it felt like they expressed their love for the show and brought so much talent to the way it was done how the show is presented. I don’t think we could have asked for anything more.

Something about the fact that this show was intended for an audience completely sandwiched between two Trump administrations feels almost…poetic? Do you think you would have changed anything about your approach to the show had you continued through these impending, presumably dark times?

EVERETT If we did another season or film during the Trump administration – I’ll try to find the right word to describe it. It’s not resistance, but it has something to do with showing people from all walks of life that they want the same things as everyone else. They want to be happy, healthy and safe. There is nothing wrong with kindness and there is nothing wrong with trying to understand each other. If we ever did more of the show, we would just stay the course. It’s a terrible time and I’m glad people are finding this show now. If it makes people feel better, I’m behind it 100 percent.

What do you turn on on TV when you need comfort?

EVERETT I’ve seen slow home renovation shows. I just let that sink in and look at my dog ​​lying on my leg. She used to sleep on the floor, but I think she knows something is wrong, so now she’s right on the couch. It’s a high price to pay for tenderness, but I’ll take what I can get.

Has your dog seen his own scenes this season? Someone Somewhere?

EVERETT No, but I have a friend whose dog jumps into his owner’s house whenever my dog ​​Lulu comes over to their house. For some reason he is afraid of her. They were watching the show and she came and he ran and jumped into her arms.

Can you talk about the romantic storyline this season and what you were trying to achieve? Especially since the absolute last image we see is of Sam and Island together.

EVERETT We first wrote the role for Darri (Ólafsson) because he is so incredible and I had always thought of him when it came to loving Sam. I always thought it had to be him. And then we brought it into the author’s room and we all loved the idea. This is about showing a different side of Sam, about her trying to overcome self-esteem and confidence issues and step out of the bubble of her relationship with Joel. It’s about taking a big swing. It’s not about “girl meets boy, girl feels better.” It’s about what it took to get them into the room in the first place.

THUREEN We also didn’t want to undermine the idea that this is a show about someone whose primary love interest is a friendship. We’re happy that we can also show the conversation between Sam and Joel in which they articulate that they are each other’s people.

EVERETT The big romance of the series is the platonic romance between Sam and Joel.

Do you have any hopes for the show’s legacy in the industry? Is there anything you want from the success of this show?

EVERETT I feel like every time you move away from what makes art art and push it toward commercialism, you lose. We need things that feel real and real. I think people in positions of authority need to keep that in mind. The conversations I have with people on the street are about how necessary I feel for this show. I hope people don’t always think about the end result. I always said to my niece and nephew when they were little and we played Pass the Pigs, “Greed kills.” If it’s always about money, you’re going to lose.

BOS When they gave it the green light, a lot of people took a risk. We don’t have any famous people. We don’t have any special effects. We’re not even a coastal show. These are about real people and made by real people. If more people took risks, I think it would inspire more people to write their stories.

I think it’s worth noting that this wasn’t a charitable endeavor by HBO either. They made a lot of it.

EVERETT Agreed. We received positive reviews and received a Peabody and an AFI Award. They also saw something in us that I didn’t always see. I remember when I saw the first season I was like, God, isn’t this show cool? And they said: No! Honestly, I enjoyed every second of HBO and I just love that they’re willing to do things like this. They have things like The penguinthis is a huge achievement, but I think we got great value for our money.

Did this show and the fact that it was unexpected for all of you change the course of your career?

EVERETT Well, I’m currently looking for a job, so not that way. But for me personally, it has strengthened my belief in myself and the confidence that I can achieve such things. I never thought I could do a TV show. I will always carry this with me and it is a huge gift.

THUREEN Hannah and I have been writing together for 25 years and are best friends. But being able to spend the last six years with this group of people has changed my life. This makes me want to try even harder in the future to live up to this standard and do things that are really close to my heart.

BOS I’m in tears, but there was a lot of heartache in this show and in our lives while we were writing it. We come from the world of live performances, so creating something lasting is very special. Plus, as Midwesterners, we enjoy sharing the show with our family and friends.

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Someone Somewhere streams all episodes on Max.