[This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization.]
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Crowded Room Season 1, Episode 8, “Reunion.”]
As The Crowded Room approaches the back half of its season, the actions of Danny’s (Tom Holland) alters are starting to cross paths with him, particularly in the latest episode, “Reunion.”
Preparing for his trial, Danny finds himself being visited not by psychologist Rya (Amanda Seyfried) but by Ariana’s (Sasha Lane) love, Jerome (Elijah Jones). Viewers will recall that it was recently revealed that most individuals from Danny’s life are actually alters that his mind has forged as a way to protect himself.
(Credit: Apple TV+)
We got a taste of Ariana and Jerome’s relationship in an episode earlier this season, but understanding the reality of it was something different as Jerome visited Danny in jail. It’s here that Danny and Jerome come to terms that there’s a whole personality standing in between them, and as Danny works to control his alters, it’s unlikely that Jerome will ever find the peace or solace he’s searching for with Ariana.
“She helps him express his need for intimacy,” Lane says of Ariana’s role as Danny’s alter, “whether that’s sex or even being able to really focus on a bond and have that relationship or to dance.”
Ariana’s the freest form we’ve seen Danny take on the show, as Lane says she allows him “to look a little bit deeper than just being within himself. I think that’s what it is. It’s how he gets set out because he normally would close up.”
“It’s just more of an intimacy thing despite her not even knowing how to do that herself,” Lane adds referring to Ariana’s apparent struggles with romance earlier in the season and her commitment issues, which, in hindsight, make sense due to her fleeting presence. “They kind of just pull from each other I think, in that way.”
As for getting to interact with Danny’s other alters, Lane says, “Just like in the show, off-camera we all have such different personalities that bounce off of each other. I love it. Our characters, everyone I think played them so perfectly that it’s nice when we all get together and they call action.”
Don’t miss Danny’s story as it continues to unfold in the final episodes of The Crowded Room on Apple TV+.
The Crowded Room, New Episodes, Fridays, Apple TV+