Staff Writer: Angelina Burnett
Entry #2

“The Path of Least Resistance,” my second and final episode of the season, was a special treat. I had a strong sense at the read-through that this one was going to be a blast. Usually, when we get everyone together to read the script through in front of an audience, it’s a bumpy ride. The writer finds all sorts of lumps that need smoothing. Rhythmic hitches in dialogue. Lines that don’t sound at all how you thought they would coming out of actors mouths. You tend to leave with a laundry list of tinkers to be made. This script was different. That’s not to say it didn’t need work, they always do, but this one leapt off the page in a way I’d not yet experienced. I was very much looking forward to seeing it on its feet.

The first day of shooting did not disappoint. We started off with work in the Surf Shop. Our first substantial scene of the day was between Melissa and William in his office. I could write a tome on my love of watching Ben Bratt and Amy Price-Francis work together. Their chemistry is special and takes scenes they’re in to often surprising places. This isn’t to belittle the work of the rest of our cast, all of whom are fantastic and a real pleasure to work with. Este’s quick witted and often finds a better joke than the one I’ve written. Grace is nuanced, I’ll catch her doing something subtle when she’s not the focus of a scene that makes me wish I’d thought to write the moment in. Not that I need to. That’s the beauty of actors. Just as with the crew in prep, there’s a real sense of collaboration between the actors and writers. They keep me on my toes, forcing me to rigorously examine the choices I’ve made and in turn, I hope they feel I work hard to service their characters with respect.