City on Fire extinguishes its first season on Friday, June 16, and huge revelations and reversals are in the offing.
As fans of the intricately plotted Apple TV+ drama know, the July 4th shooting of enigmatic Samantha (Chase Sui Wonders) remains unsolved, her smitten pal Charlie (Wyatt Oleff) has exposed the arson ring she was connected to, druggie musician William (Nico Tortorella) — after getting clean and reuniting with his uptown sister Regan (Jemima Kirke) — has been stabbed by their bitchy, shifty step-uncle (John Cameron Mitchell), and, oh yeah, New York has been plunged into the Northeast Blackout of 2003.
It’s been quite the journey for this disparate group, from the grungy underground music scene and murder-for-hire plots to a crumbling marriage and a gorgeously directed, wordless exchange between estranged siblings. Along the way, the characters have crisscrossed and collided (we love Will’s boyfriend Mercer, played by Xavier Clyde, befriending Regan!) in ways we never saw coming, especially back in January when the ensemble joined creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage to discuss putting this puzzle-box mystery together.
“Casting is one of our favorite parts of making the show,” states Savage, who has been creative partners with Schwartz since they blessed the world with The O.C.. “We really, really enjoy the process, we love dreaming, thinking, meeting with actors, talking… having them read with each other.” Noting how the show is an adaptation of Garth Risk Hallberg’s 2015 novel, Savage goes on to note how magical it is to see the material go from page to person. “[We love] to hear people say the dialogue and get into character and start to figure out what is that chemistry that is really going to bring the show to life.”
While the always watchable Kirke and Tortorella each admit to sharing a personal connection to their characters, it’s Wonders (a true standout along with Oleff and Clyde) who may have the most relatable link to Fire, thanks to Savage and Schwartz’s participation. “I feel like I grew up with Josh and Stephanie as my weird pseudo-parents,” the Bupkis actress laughs. “[The O.C.‘s] Seth Cohen taught me how to be a person and a misanthrope and angsty. So to be able to play a character who is coming of age through their eyes was a dream come true.”
Now if only her comatose Sam would actually open her damn eyes!
City on Fire, Season 1 Finale, Friday, June 16, Apple TV+