Rubicon's Michael Cristofer on the Stunning Finale and Hopes For a Second Season
Did you know from day one that Spangler was the evil force behind the whole operation?
They did a wonderful job. When Henry took over the show, we didn't have any scripts when we started. We had two, I think, and that was it. So we were following the plot the same way as the audience was. We had no idea what was really going to happen to any of us.
And since this is running before Sunday's episode, we can't really discuss if anyone is killed in the finale or not.
No, that's right. Then you can talk about it after, I guess. And I guess they trust you not to do that because they wouldn't have sent you the screeners. Yeah, and after 13 episodes, I mean, people would be really pissed off at you. [Laughs]
That's true. See, no one really wants to know what happens. They might think that they do, but they really don't.
They really don't. That's exactly right.
If a fan of the show is headed into the finale, it's tough when it comes to Spangler's character. As a fan, you want Will to prevail. But Spangler's character is so great, you certainly want him back for a second season.
I'll tell you, when I got the script that had me ordering Will's murder, I thought, Oh, how can Truxton ever go on? How could he ever come back if there was a second season? Then I spoke to a few people and it was like, "It's the villain you do want." You do want him around because it makes it more interesting. What happened was they did a panel with people who had previously worked in American intelligence. Henry came away from that panel saying, "You know, these guys don't give a f*ck what you know about them or what they've done. They are untouchable." And I said, "Henry, that's what I've been telling you. I don't think that there's a way Truxton can lose. Because there's nothing he can't handle."
Here's what I love about Spangler: Even though he put a hit on Will, I feel Spangler was really sincere when he went down to thank Will for all that he's done up to that point ... even though he just ordered Will murdered.
I think that's true. I think that was in the writing and it's in the character of this man. I really do believe some of these great villains that are operating in our government, they are not vicious cartoon characters. They are people who believe that certain things must be done and they are the guys to do it. And if it means that someone dies or one government is overthrown or 500,000 people are murdered in some kind of civil war that's going on... so be it.
I love the scenes between you and Arliss Howard. Kale Ingram is one of the best characters on television.
I know, we have a great time with those, a great time. Pretty extraordinary and he does such a great job with it, too. But, I'm telling you, it's the writing. Probably one of the best written episodes, overall, was the episode where I go to Washington with Will. And, at the same time, the rest of that team is back in New York making a decision about the life of someone and some people and at the same time I'm...
Worried about Will's lack of a briefcase.
Exactly. And trying to get from the government the kind of privacy that allows us to make those decision about life and death with other people. It was such a well written thing. So well written. And look at that speech about the necktie. You don't get stuff like that.
When the original showrunner left, did that affect production or had the show not started shooting yet?
Initially, I was not in the pilot. My character was added by Henry when he took over, so Truxton didn't really exist in the pilot that was done a year and a half ago. When Henry took over they didn't interrupt production. It was at the point where they were rewriting the scripts. So the only thing that happened was that we started production with only two scripts. so each script was being written five days before we shot. And I don't know that the bible had been done; I don't know if they knew exactly. Because I know from my experience with Henry working on Truxton, we didn't know where it was going to go.
And in last week's episode the terrorist attack occurs causing an oil spill in the Gulf. Is that life imitating art or art imitating life?
This episode was written after. We shot that episode around July 19 or 20. Maybe it will happen next year, but the whole idea was that Truxton and these guys were working to get the country off its dependence on oil. And that's an interesting twist on the events of the plot.
Pages: 1 2
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
I'm assuming the oil supply line above the fold could be considered a spoiler for those of us that were waiting for Rubicon on DVD?
At some point, people need to get over their spoiler touchiness. I understand if you can't watch each week, and even if you want to skip a season of a show and watch on DVD. But if you see the title of an article about a particular show references the finale of that show, maybe just play it safe and don't look at the article - even the opening paragraph. The rest of us are getting tired of having to tip toe around discussions of things we enjoy so that someone else might not get spoiled. The show can still be 100% enjoyed if you know that the conspiracy touches on oil going in. I had never read the Harry Potter books before this summer, and even though I knew going in that Snape kills Dumbledore, I still enjoyed the hell out of them. I might even say that added to the tension.
Great interview! Looking back, I did like the necktie speech.
Wait, whaaaaat? Snape kills Dumbledore?
Seriously though, thank you, Biff. Couldn't agree more about the spoilers. There is a common-sense prerequisite that comes along with reading about television in the modern age: The world will not wait for your TiVo or your DVDs. I don't understand how or why anyone waiting to watch an entire season of a series -- about a conspiracy -- would hasten to read an interview about that very season and series.
For the record, and unequivocally: This site is about the conversation now, not the conversation later, and it always will be.
I hope this show gets renewed! I like it better than Mad Men this season, to be honest.
Superb interview and article. Christofer was wonderful, and I am so hoping for a second series. AMC produce brilliant shows, perhaps the best around, and seem to have a sense of commitment to excellence. Bravo to everyone involved.
Rubicon is such an excellent show - I hope it is renewed. I have thoroughly enjoyed it from the first minute. I really hope Truxton will remain; all of the characters in the show are fantastic and I don't want to lose any of them (poor Katherine). And I agree about the spoilers; why would someone who hasn't seen any of the show yet be reading an article about how it wrapped up??
this guys a brilliant actor and I really hope if season two happens they somehow manage to keep his character..somehow.
As much as I love Rubicon, the writing is just not up to par with Breaking Bad and Mad Men, it's slow pace has hurt and a scene in episode 12 kind of killed the show for me, in that scene Bloom gets on his boat destined for Galverston Bay and he's carrying a red case, he opens it so we dumbo tv watching couch potatoes know that there's a bomb inside ! like we wouldn't have guessed that, Mad Men and Breaking Bad have gone against the traditional "treat the viewers as dumbos" formula and it's payed off, someone overseeing Rubicon either won't give the writers a chance or the writers have been given too many chances, I say Vince and Matt from BB and MM need to lend out a helping hand to save what is nearly a great show.
If any AMC execs read these comments...RENEW RUBICON! Mr. Christofer as Truxton will grow into the archetype villain on TV.
Naturally, he will not deign to bow to the clover!
Instead, he will run a corporation or other intel agency and make the other members of the Fisher Island group live in fear.
I, for one, will never utter or hear the words "thank you" or "enter" the same way for a long time to come.
Truxton/Christofer brought back a song from 1984 to mind. It's from Paul Simon's Graceland. The first track called "The Boy in the Bubble" and the lyrics, "I believe these are days of lasers in the jungle, lasers in the jungle somewhere. A staccato signal of constant information, a loose affilication of millionaires and billionaires...."
I'm sure Dick Cheney would feel that Truxton is the brother or son he never had.
KUDOS to the writers and actors.
And now I must go before my cereal gets soggy.
I love Rubicon, and I'm not usually into this type of show. I only wish I have saved them all to my DVR so I could watch them all over again.
When my wife and I saw the first episode of Rubicon we both said it was slow and not too much going on; however, it had enough bursts of story to keep us looking. But I did say that Cristifor playing Truxton was playing this evil patriotic govt agent so convincingly Cheney like that he will win all sorts of awards. I didn't know who Christofer was before this show but I do now. Great acting!
Some times the writing is frustrating enough to turn it off, but I get glued hoping the mysteries of the show will develop, and they do, but like cold molasses poured out of a bottle. Keep the show going!
Hey.. this was my must watch show. I hope it comes back - because it does a great job with the human heart. I just loved it week to week
great great show - bring it back - get new marketing people.