Meanwhile, tell me about the decision to kill off Calvin right in the beginning.
The character had been on the show for quite a while, and I think he served all of his purposes. I didn’t see much more going on after that. For a while we explored a sort of Gone Girl Charmaine storyline, which was just too nutty, even for Charmaine. So it felt interesting for her to find herself in this precarious place because her baby’s father is such a nefarious guy. It could have been anyone who shot him; it still could be Charmaine.
So are we done with Charmaine for now? Or will she be coming back for season eight?
There are no plans to have her back now. I love Lauren [Hammersley, who plays Charmaine], and I think her character is so fun. But I think we need to have a good reason to bring her back because that poor character went through so much on the show. I’m not sure, outside of pulling a 911 and sticking her in space, we can top the stuff that’s happened thus far.
Let’s talk about Preacher. He seems unsure as he’s about to sign the paperwork that would break up his business partnership with Jack, but what can you tease?
I think even if he does sign, Jack and Preacher’s friendship is so special that it can really withstand anything. We’ll see the strength of their friendship this next season.
Was expanding Jack’s Bar something you were prepared to do?
I didn’t want to touch that set. That set’s too perfect.
It’s so good. It really is. Another set that I now love is the ranch, and Mel and Jack’s new home.
As the show continues to grow and we’re looking at its longevity, [we had to] say goodbye to the cabin, which was super emotional. But also, considering so many directors have shot every angle of that one-room cabin, you kind of start to run out of options. So finishing the farmhouse and getting to start Jack’s dream of the farm was fun and something that will continue on in season eight as well.