MONDO EXTRAS

C: Everybody really, really, really wants it to work.

SL: Right.

C: We really, really do.

SL: We have to remind ourselves, too, you know, we have to keep reminding ourselves that we've got seven days to get each of these episodes done. It's not going to be perfect all the time. It's the nature of the beast. And also to realize that even at our worst, we're still better than 90\% of the crap that's out there. And it's hard for us, because we're all perfectionists. And we would like every episode to be the best episode that it can be, and we try, but we don't get there all the time.

C: Uh huh.

SL: And that's, at times, frustrating for all of us. And when I consider a show like The Sopranos, which is easily considered one of the best shows on television, they've got a much easier production schedule than we do -- thirteen episodes, and they take, like, a year [to write them] before they start shooting the episodes. So they've really worked everything out. And we're just not able to do that. Like I said, there was literally a day or two turnaround between finishing the last episode and starting to write the second season, plus trying to find a new writing staff. And, you know, that's not to apologize for anything, but it's just, you know, that's the true nature of what's going on. But it's why I appreciate your site and the opinions [on it]. Because if you didn't give a damn, you wouldn't bother. And we're all the same way. We feel very strongly and passionately about the show, too, and you know, it gets there sometimes.

C: I really did appreciate the last episode. For one thing, it took me a lot less time to get through it. And I was just sitting there going, oh, my God, this is really good. Call everybody! Tell the boards, tell everyone! So, go back and tell Ron and Dan that I said "thanks."

SL: [Laughs]. I will. And, also, it's a lot like going back to school. When we got back from the first couple of episodes, it took a little bit of time to get the rust off. Plus, Dan and Ron very much wanted to make this season a little different from last year's. So the first two episodes [of this season] were these sort of cheese-filled combos, trying to do what last season did and make it more of an ensemble piece. So there were about nine million plot lines going on. But then there's a change with episode four, and then especially with the episode coming up, which is, acting-wise, one of the strongest of the season. And episode six is just one of our best episodes, period, I think, directed by Bruce McDonald. This week's episode was directed by David Wellington, one of our best "actor" directors. He gets wonderful performances out of people. He directed episode nineteen, the one with Brian's dad's funeral, and Ted finding Blake in the crackhouse. Which I think, performance-wise, is one of our better ones.