‘Falling Skies’ Remi Aubuchon Answers Burning Questions

By: Robert Prentice
Falling Skies

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As the season 3 finale aired, we had a chance to ask departing show runner Remi Aubuchon some of our burning questions about season 3 and what might be coming in season 4. There is still a lot to be told and season 3 was only the beginning of a larger mythology that will explore more about our 3 alien races.

The season finale ended a bit on a low note when compared to season 1 and 2, in that it wasn’t a major cliffhanger. What can you tell us about the mindset for you and the writers went going into that decision? Was it based on not knowing a renewal would happen? Or was it wanting to clear up arcs that began in season 2?

“I wouldn’t so much say that it ended on a low note, but rather there is a sense of the circumstances settling in, and the 2nd Mass knowing that there’s been a shift in the war against the Espheni’s. Tom is convinced more than ever that humans must win this conflict on their own terms. Of course, what and who Alexis is, is kind of a what the BLEEP moment, no?”

I personally feel a major cliffhanger was not needed, as we have already done ‘new aliens’ arrive thing twice now. Do you think that the show is at a point that it doesn’t need major cliffhangers to keep its audience now that we have built up the characters?

Yes, I think the audience is very familiar with our characters now; invested in them as it were, and are willing to go along on the ride no matter where it takes them. The show has always been centered around our main ensemble of characters and I’m not sure we need any big giant reveals anymore. Having said that, there is a lot more to the big mythological story than has been told.

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The Volm’s arrival and quick decision to allow the 2nd mass to go on their way seemed like it was rushed a bit and there wasn’t enough of a drawn out conflict there. Was this intentional knowing more would be explored moving forward?

We only have ten episodes, that are one hour each. When I first pitched my idea for the season finale to Greg Beeman, he said it sounded amazing, but it sounded like a three-hour episode! We had to pick and chose, but we hope that the audience got that there had been some off-camera persuasion from Cochise. There will be repercussions to this for Cochise, but that’s for the fourth season.

While most fans seemed to dislike Denny, we didn’t. So we were wondering, what happen to her?

I’m sorry most fans disliked Denny, and I’m glad you didn’t. I thought she provided a good friend for Ben — the kind you have at 16 where is doesn’t have to be romantic. I wanted a strong, self-confident character to be able to match Ben’s strength. The reason she wasn’t in as much as she was had to do with actor availability.

Season 1 and 2 focused a lot on the mythology surrounding the harness and its victims. Season 3 touched on it a little at the start and ignored it (mostly) the rest of the season. Looking at the long-term ‘arc’, will we be returning to the harness story and what it means for Ben, Denny and the others in season 4?

I felt that we had done the harness story already, and thought it best to put it in the background this season. We did touch on the sad consequences of the fully harnessed kids in the second episode.

The 2nd mass is back where it all started, being nomadic and on the move at the end of the season, do you prefer them that way from a storytelling standpoint versus stuck in one place?

I love the 2nd Mass being on the road, and it was our intention right from the beginning to find away to bring the “band” back together at the end of the season. But they have a strong agenda (2nd season was about surviving) and more confidence than ever before that they can win this war on human terms. Of course, they will still interact with Charleston, because, well, we built a big set.

Many feel the alien baby has been cliché. Was the alien DNA/hybrid story arc something that has been planned out over several seasons to come? Was it a result of real life factors the writers could not control?

Ummm, this is a tough one, because honestly, especially in the genre of Science Fiction, everything is a cliché if you want to look at it in that narrow, cynical way. What we wanted to do was shake up Tom’s world, and put Anne in jeopardy. That was our objective. An alien baby seemed like a good way to go, and we fought the stereotypical way of doing that, by having Anne doubt her sanity and then realize that her child was in danger if she didn’t run away with her. Her accelerated growth (if indeed that’s even Lexi, or Anne for that matter at the end) was, well, I guess something we’ve seen before, but I thought it would be kinda cool only in that Tom’s got something else to deal with now.

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What can you tell us about the decision to end the Karen story line in season 3?

First, let me just say that all of us love working with Jessy Schram, so it was a very difficult decision to make, but we all felt that with everything Karen had put Tom, Hal, Maggie and really the whole 2nd Mass through, we needed to give them a victory over her evilness. There’s something fascinating and sad when one of our own turns to the dark side, but really the only way to free Karen from her self, was to kill her.

Season 3 saw great pairings on-screen like Weaver/Pope, Tom/Cochise and Matt/Ben. What pairing has been your favorite to write/direct?

Well, speaking personally, I really enjoyed the Tom/Cochise relationship. I love the idea of different cultures learning from each other, and the notion that you can actually have a friendship with a being from another planet, and come to depend on each other… well, it’s a message I wish we all could pay attention to a little more here in the real world when it comes to understand other cultures. I would have liked to have done more with their relationship, but budget got in the way a little. I hope that David and his crew for Season 4 can explore that friendship more.

Matt really evolved this season into someone who is going to have a lot of pain and regret. He has had Ben to lean on but he is hardening. Tell us a bit about how that story was developed on your side.

A couple of things drove that: first and foremost, Maxim the actor was growing up really fast, and it would have been impossible for him to be the little cute kid that needs rescuing for very long without it being, well, weird. And Max is a great actor who was, in our opinion, up to the challenge of broadening out his character. The 2nd reason is that Matt’s character, more than most, is closer to the effects of war and the new world he is forced to live in. In order to survive, he naturally has to adapt to the harshness of the environment and so a certain hardness is inevitable. It will be interesting to see where he goes in the 4th season.

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When the Volm arrive we learn their leader is Cochise’s father. This leads to the realization that Cochise is young and ‘foolish’. Tell me about creating the alien language they used and that father son introduction? Were the other Volm all CGI or some of Doug playing many characters?

I would argue, that it wasn’t so much that Cochise was naive as he was hopeful that his father would see in the humans what he observed. Cochise knew what the agenda was going to be, he was, after all, under strict orders not to tell them anything. He knew this would not sit well, but was hoping he could smooth things out. In the end, it seems he convinced his father to let the 2nd Mass go — a decision the Commander may end up regretting. What we didn’t want with the alien language was it to sound like Klingon. We wanted something really alien and jarring. Our sound designers did an amazing job with it, in my opinion. And yes, Doug plays almost all the Volm. Some are CG, and there is a stunt man who fills in, but for the most part it’s a Doug Jones fest!

Cochise and his father talk about ‘protecting native species’ which really gives us a new perspective on Cochise and his intentions all along. How much of that backstory was already fleshed out when you went into the finale?

We really worked hard to make sure we knew the whole backstory before we started writing this season. We liked the idea that the Volm had the best of intentions for us and our planet, but that it was best to protect us from the terrible conflict that was to come. I like the idea that they had never encountered a species such as us that were willing to be in harm’s way and it really puzzled the hell out the Volm, including Cochise who is constantly trying to get a handle on who we are. But he’s had a year to figure it out, and knew it would be a tough sell to his dad. In fact, we have so much of the backstory figured out about the Volm, the Espheni, and the Skitters, that it will probably take 4 more seasons to get it all out!

Any secrets you can share that you have learned from your friend David Eick, or things you suggested to him for season 4?

Honestly, I don’t know anything about what David is preparing for Season 4. We met several times and I told him everything I could until I could see his eyes spinning like a pinwheel. I have a lot of confidence that it will be great, whatever he and his team come up with, and I can’t wait to watch Falling Skies as a fan.

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Lourdes, the mole. At comic con we touched a little on how much we might learn about when she was infested, after seeing the finale, is her back story about when she was infested and if that affects those she was deharnessing written moving forward?

We wanted to explain more in the finale about the how and why of Lourdes’ infestation, but we ran out of space. I am confident we will know more next season.

What is your parting message to the fans?

I hope that the fans got a deeper sense of identity with the 2nd Mass and Tom, and all the characters. That’s what I love most as an audience: to really feel like you’re living the experience with whatever character you identify with. Explosions and cool visual effects are great and exciting and fun, but really I just want to feel like I’m part of gang. I get mad when a character does something stupid, I get sad when something bad happens, I get excited when something amazing happens. I hope I gave as much of that as I could to the loyal fans who watch and live Falling Skies. Keep the Resistance Strong!

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