If you watched the first season of Syfy's Helix, you'll know that some major changes happened to the series' characters, as well as the show's setting. Recently, Helix star Kyra Zagorsky (Dr. Julia Walker) and showrunner Stephen Maeda sat down and spoke with the press about those changes and what it means for Helix season two.
The season one finale saw the destruction of the Arctic base where the season took place. What's the new location and what are you doing differently this year?
MAEDA: One of the things we always talked about doing with the show, if we were fortunate enough to have a second season, was changing up the location. And because the show is so self-contained it happens -- it really occurs in one space for all 13 episodes. Obviously, season one, we were in the arctic at Arctic BioSystems, and it all blew up at the end of last year, so we can't go back. And so, we decided this year to find a great location, which we did. We found this really, really incredible space outside of Montreal called Oka Abbey, and it's where we're setting the second season. It's going to be set on an island off of the Pacific Northwest, and it's going to be cool and different, and yet the same.
The Arctic setting gave the first season the effect of being trapped. Will that still be true for the new setting?
MAEDA: The island, because it's on an island and they're surrounded by water and it's not easy to hop off to another place, there's still that sense of being trapped. It's not easy to hop off to another place, there's still that sense of being trapped. It's not as interior.
What can we expect from Dr. Walker's character arc this season? What kind of things is she going to be dealing with?
ZAGORKSY: Last season there was a lot that was taken from her, and who she was at the beginning of the season, she became a completely different person physically by the end of the season. So, there's a lot of things that have made her evolve.
And when we came into season two, I feel like every time I get a new script, I'm kind of in a different adventure and journey within the story. So it's been -- it's been pretty intense and interesting, and even episodes three and four in particular, I'm really excited about because some of the stuff that they did with my character and where she goes -- and again, part of that psychological thriller aspect of the show, really starts to hit home here for me.
She's become something else, and the whole thing with immortality, I think what's interesting is it's this new way of having to start over. You get that chance to try to right a wrong, but then that's where the whole "play God, pay the price" starts to step in.
MAEDA: One of the things I can tell you also about Kyra's character, Dr. Walker, in particular, is we're going to be playing with time this year, because one of the cool things about immortality is you live forever. And so, without getting into too much detail we are -- you know, the great thing about having a show with immortal characters in it is that they look the same. And so we're going to be having a lot of fun with structure and with time and with storytelling where we're bouncing around a little bit.
The CDC is in the news a lot recently, so do you feel that the show is becoming sort of prophetic?
MAEDA: It's bizarre. I think it's really strange and scary. It's nice to know that we were thinking just ahead of that. But actually, it's affecting us in a small way as well, because our technical advisor, the guy who's been reading our scripts all last season and this season, too, to make sure that we're staying true and honest, is actually working on one of the Ebola teams, and so he's been very busy. And if it takes him a little while to get a script back, we don't mind.
Helix season two premieres on Syfy on January 16 at 10 p.m. EST.
[Photo Credit: Syfy]
