Michael Dorman and Julianna Guill talk Joe Pickett season 2

The Paramount+ series Joe Pickett returned to the streaming platform on June 4, 2023. The series is currently running through the end of July. We had the chance to catch up with Michael Dorman and Julianna Guill, who play Joe and Marybeth Pickett in the series, to talk about some of the things that unfolded in season two.

Joe Pickett season two picked up a year after the violent attack on the Pickett family, with Joe and Marybeth struggling to pick up the pieces from the loss of their child. As they continue to struggle, a serial killer is on the loose in Saddlestring, throwing the town’s hunting season for a loop. Mustafa Speaks, Sharon Lawrence, and Aadila Dosani star in the series alongside Dorman and Guill.

"Excerpt from my review of the season: Rarely does a second season take such a massive step forward, but with Joe Pickett, it felt like things mattered a little more as the Picketts were reeling from the loss of their unborn baby. Because of this, the emotions led to some incredible scenes that kept you wanting more. On top of that, the writers do a great job of balancing the Picketts and the happenings in Saddlestring, resulting in great television."

I sat down with Joe Pickett cast members Michael Dorman and Julianna Guill to discuss the current season of the Paramount+ series. You can check out the interview here.

Joe Pickett cast talks season 2 of the Paramount+ series

Hidden Remote: Michael, the writers do a fantastic job of writing about Joe’s struggles with everything that went down, how was it like preparing for a more vulnerable side of Joe Pickett?

Michael Dorman: I mean, you know, we’re all human, so all of us have emotions. For me, it was more about how do I access them and then pull them into Joe and how does it manifest in him. And you know, it’s one of those things that as we venture further, I’m making discoveries, as is Joe. The Dowdle Brothers and I talked, you know, we talk in-depth about these things. And one of the things that we came up with was we don’t ever want to know exactly how it’s going to happen. We always want to be surprised, and then it becomes lightning in a bottle, so to speak, at the moment. But definitely, always a challenge to get into those states.

One of the things that really helped me was when I was exploring those things in season one with Juliana. There were a lot of scenes with Mary Beth where the two of them are going into these places, and I can remember being in these scenes, and Juliana has that ability to just drop into that space. And I am an empath at times, so I’m able to just sit and follow. It’s like getting on a ride, and then it just becomes a back-and-forth on that ride, and that was always something that made it a little easier.

Hidden Remote: Julianna, Marybeth brings some fun detective skills to the table throughout season two, what was it like exploring that this season?

Julianna Guill: Honestly, it’s been, it’s been a great joy. Some of the most fun scenes we’ve done together have been those who did it, and how can we solve it? Moments. And they, I think, could really keep the show moving in that way of we are working towards solving a mystery as well as dealing with these very serious issues within our family and these horrific murders that are happening. It serves a purpose to lighten the emotional load at times, which I find to be a compelling part of this series in general. And that in that balance and it also just a great they’re great fun to shoot, and it’s cool to imagine.

All the things that led Mary Beth to this particular skill at a childhood of trying to figure out what was coming next, a legal background, and a long marriage and partnership to a person in the law enforcement field and combining all those things. And it’s a delight, and it becomes a way for the two characters to reconnect.

Hidden Remote: Michael, I was a huge fan of Klamath Moore this season, what was it like working with Aaron Dean Eisenberg in the role?

Michael Dorman: Aaron was great. Aaron came in with his socks pulled up ready, ready to play. And that character, the way that he portrayed it and played it, I really admired. So for me, those scenes were really fun scenes when I got to work with him. And it’s always interesting to have a character you don’t get to see until we get into the weeds in the later episodes. So he was just that character that was out of touch, that I was waiting to go and work with him in the days came that we got to work together, and, you know, that was a lot of fun.

Joe Pickett season 2 is currently streaming on Paramount+.