being pulled from the comic and how
there amongst all the demon hunting.
Absolutely, I love it. I think that women,
continues to be so underrated for how
much of that was you really trying to
You just looked and there were women
particularly in genre, are such perfect
extraordinarily well-written it was. I
make sure that you had a really good
everywhere. I knew that the sister
protagonists because women are naturally
guess what I loved about it—[and] is
roster of characters to work off of?
relationship was going to be really
underdogs already. So it’s just thrusting
the secret about genre—is the way
important to me, I felt like that’s the
a character into a world that is really
they talk about the human condition
true romance with the show.
supernatural or alien or seems kind of
in a way that is really exciting.
Right. With the exception of Wynonna
and Bobo, none of the characters existed
foreign to the audience. It’s great to
in the comic. The real gist of the comic
It happened pretty naturally and I
was the character of Wynonna. Beau
felt just grateful both that we were
Smith had just created this witty, bad-
supported by the network and my
ass, effed up female heroine who had
producers to do that but, at the same
just felt like she lept off the page. I was
time, the audience absolutely got it.
really interested when I knew was going
They recognized that it was both really
to do a modern western. The idea of
fresh, but felt real and grounded.
flipping the patriarchy of the Western—
That’s probably the thing I’m most
I’ve just been really privileged though
when you think about a great Western,
proud of about the show...that people
too that I’ve worked on shows with such
it’s always a bunch of dudes running
completely understand what we were
strong female protagonists and I don’t
around on horseback, right? [They
trying to do there.
know if I’m ever going back. I feel like
whip out] their guns to see who has
the biggest gun.
I knew very early on that I wanted
to flip the script and make sure we
have a lot of women interacting and
it’s just been a pleasure. I was kind of
surprised they let me do it. I stuck it in
use someone who already feels like an
underdog. Women already sometimes
argue with the code how to act in society
and they’re often kept in the fringes
still to this day, so I think those are
always heroes worth fighting for.
it is a challenge and a joy to write these
You were on, “Lost Girl”, very famously
three-dimensional characters and kind
previous to this and also you were
of upset tropes and make sure they’re
on first season of “Killjoys”. They
really funny and vulnerable and flawed
share the theme of women who buck
and not perfect and it’s become a passion
expectations. Is that one of your
of mine for sure. I’m so grateful I go
favorite leads to write?
to do “Lost Girl” and “Killjoys” as well.
Talk about a trinity of amazing female
characters. I just think God if I can
drink with Bo, Dutch, and Wynonna,
I love what Marvel is doing. I mean
everybody does, right? I think they
really have cracked the code with the
action and comic book stuff, but also
character. I think that’s really important.
To the surprise of no one, Buffy, the
Vampire Slayer really changed my life.
That’s a show that taught me that you
could write female characters that defied
expectations and also...a little high
school show to tell these amazing epic
stories. It wasn’t about the budget and
it wasn’t about the costumes or the
special effects. It still came back to
character. That’s a show I go back to
again and again and again to watch.
I just absolutely love it.
But I have pretty broad tastes. I try
to devour a lot of different stuff just
because I think we’re living in a time,
I’d be happy.
particularly in television, where so
That would actually be a very excellent
everyone else this summer, I watched
episode, whichever series it happens on.
[Come on Killjoys] writers, let’s
much amazing stuff is being made. Like
Stranger Things and I was like, “Oh my
god, why didn’t I write that?”.
go. [laughs]
I’ll try anything. I like a lot of everything,
Switching gears slightly, what do you
I would say.
nerd out about it? What are your favorite
nerdy pursuits or genres or anything?
I love genre. I think it goes all the way
back to the weirdness of Twin Peaks.
I was a huge Star Trek fan, especially
Next Generation. I feel like that show
but those are some of my favorites
I find that with Next Gen and Buffy,
like the venn diagram of women
especially who cite both those shows
as favorites is almost a perfect circle.
It’s interesting.
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