Exclusive: 'Diva' Creator Teases His Fave Ep Yet!
Last Sunday I had the unique pleasure of watching the Drop Dead Diva season premiere alongside the cast and crew at a special screening hosted by creator Josh Berman. And considering they've long known how the premiere ep ended -- with Stacy kissing Owen -- I was surprised to hear so many people shouting, "NO!" at the screen as she went in for the kill.
Yes, it turns out five seasons of shockers couldn't even prepare the people who work on the show for that scandalous moment! And it's understandable since that act brings up so many questions regarding Jane's friendship with Stacy, Stacy's feelings for Owen, Jane's feelings for Owen and the future of Drop Dead Diva as a whole. So, to get some answers, I rang up the big brain behind DDD's deliciously brilliant twists and turns, Josh Berman!
Bonus! Watch an exclusive clip from Sunday's episode above!
ETonline: I feel like this is the most controversial choice one of your characters have ever made. Would you agree?
Josh Berman: Absolutely. Look, none of us are perfect and Stacy just found out she was pregnant with Owen's child, which can mess with anyone's brain chemistry. It was an instinctual moment. The fans are not pleased with Stacy's behavior, and they feel bad for Jane, but thankfully the viewers seem to trust me that there will be real fallout from it.
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ETonline: Is that in Sunday's episode?
Berman: Yes. Before I published the script, I called both Brooke [Elliott] and April [Bowlby] to talk about it. They were both nervous about the scene, so I told them to use that anxiety in their performance and they really did. I never want them to be uncomfortable as actors, but I love for them to be uncomfortable as characters, and they both got that. They really play into it and I'm so proud of their work; there are two scenes in Sunday's episode that blow my mind. I have to say, these five episodes are by far my favorite we've ever done!
ETonline: What can you tease about Jane and Stacy's confrontation?
Berman: Jane basically says, You asked if Owen could be a sperm donor because it was best for you and best for the baby and you convinced me it was the right thing to do. If I had known that this is what you were after, I would have never given you my blessing. And Stacy is being honest when she said it was the furthest thing from her mind, but it's been documented that undeniable hormones of attachment are released when a woman gets pregnant. It's biological. She is carrying his child and all she is thinking about now is what's in that child's best interest, and in the ideal world, that's for Owen to be an active father. Stacy has to sort through that mess in her head, and I don't think Jane is going to be that sympathetic.
ETonline: It seemed like Jane and Owen had moved into the friend-zone, so where's this feeling of betrayal stemming from? Is it simply, "He was mine first?"
Berman: Jane will always love Owen, and I think all of us have been in situations where we love our exes, but we move on. Jane's in a situation where she loves Owen but is in love with Grayson. It's a push-pull for her.
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ETonline: And for Grayson? Where's his head at in terms of Jane now that he's with Nicole?
Berman: He still has feelings for Jane on some level, so I'm not done with that relationship at all. We turn over some big cards in the next four episodes.
ETonline: How long can these two honestly be kept apart? Are you looking to write for them as a couple or is that the series finale?
Berman: I want to write Jane and Grayson as a full-fledged couple, I just hope we get the chance. I know what the end of their relationship will be, it includes at least one more season, so I'm hoping we get a sixth season to tell that story. It all depends on the ratings.
ETonline: Can you tease your vision of their pairing?
Berman: There's a twist in the simplicity of Jane and Grayson that I cannot reveal, but it will be the biggest and most shocking twist of the series, and that will inform the series moving forward.
ETonline: Knowing how much this show loves a cliffhanger, and how the fans will force Lifetime to give the show another season, I'd imagine the final episode of this season features a doozy?
Berman: The season finale is my favorite episode we've ever shot, and the cliffhanger is my favorite thing we've ever written. It's so good, it takes my breath away and no one will see it coming. The finale is just jam-packed and it is all about Jane and Grayson. The title is Jane's Secret Revealed, so you can imagine what that means for all our characters.
Drop Dead Diva airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.