‘The Buccaneers' Stars on Uniting for That Divorce Trial & Shifting Mother-Daughter Dynamics
The Buccaneers went to court in Season 2's penultimate episode, 'All Rise,' as Nan (Kristine Frøseth) traveled back to America in order to support her mother, Patti (Christina Hendricks), amid her divorce.
But supporting her mother also meant confronting the truth about her true parentage as they stayed with Patti's sister, Nell (Leighton Meester), who had gotten married and become pregnant in the time since Nan saw her at her wedding. This stirred up strong feelings as Nan had come to understand that Nell was her true mother.
Things came to a head, though, when the divorce proceedings turned pretty ugly, and Patti was ridiculed on the stand. After getting a couple of mistresses of her husband to agree to testify against him, they changed their minds after seeing Patti's experience. This left Nell as the only person able to testify, but Patti didn't want her sister Nell to ruin her fresh start in life by tarnishing her reputation that way.
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Nan pushed for Nell to testify, but Nell argued that her new husband, Arthur (Anthony Welsh), might leave her and her unborn child if she were to reveal her secret. But Nan's words push Nell to be honest with Arthur, giving him the option to support her at court or not, as she took the stand to prove Tracy St. George's (Adam James) infidelity against Patti by revealing herself as Nan's true mother. Nell even came to court with receipts and evidence.
Ultimately, Arthur did turn up to court and accepted Nell's truth and her complicated family. It was Nell, Patti, and Nan's united front against Tracy that led to victory and triumph. And while not every matter is solved by the episode's end, it's clear that the trio's bond is stronger than it ever was before.
When it came to Nan's feelings towards Nell in the episode, Frøseth says, 'I think that's where the anger and hurt and pain come up a little bit more, when [Nan's] back in New York and we're confronted with other complications that make Nan feel things again. But I think it's just a lot of suppression and denial, but also leading with a lot of love and forgiveness.' By the episode's conclusion, Nan departed New York by hugging Nell goodbye as she and Patti set off for England.
Meanwhile, when it came to filming the courtroom scenes, Hendricks tells TV Insider, 'It was a very vulnerable feeling. We shot in this beautiful courtroom, but [it was] quite small and filled with men gazing upon us with critical eyes and humiliating words, and it felt scary as it should feel scary.'
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Hendricks notes, 'Patti comes in with this sort of false sense of confidence that she's going to stand up for all the women who need to start their lives over and fend for themselves and she comes in with this sort of statement of victory before she's even begun and very quickly she realizes that it's not going to go her way and it's not going to be easy.'
'It's an interesting way to tell the story,' Hendricks adds. 'To show what a struggle it is and what a fight it is, but then also a really nice moment when the other women come in to lend their support and come out with a much greater outcome.' Still, the divorce trial isn't without injury, as Tracy alleged that Nan wasn't his daughter in order to try and win his case, as he thought Nell would never take the stand to prove him wrong.
'It's most complicated for Nan,' Hendricks offers. 'I mean, the marital struggles are what they are. Patty has many reasons to leave and be done with that relationship, but this is Nan seeing her father in a different light.'
'In the most extreme light,' Frøseth finishes Hendricks' thought. 'Because they know he's definitely been up to questionable things.'
Following the victory at trial for Patti, Tracy confronts the three women and essentially cuts ties. But does that mean he's gone for good? 'I think it's the last step, it's the ultimate confrontation, and Nan even tries to have a conversation with him, and he's not in a place of any growth or responsibility,' Frøseth points out. 'I don't think she can hold more space for [that], maybe in like five or eight years they can have a conversation again, and maybe he grows, but right now I think man is going to cut ties,' she notes.
As for where Nan and Nell stand, Meester says, 'I think it is a form of healing,' regarding their reconciliation. 'Probably not ultimate closure because how do you ever truly heal, especially when they're in this time. I think that it is a slow burn, and you can't speak every word that you want right away. We're trained not to, but we have a moment of resolution, and a lot of that is probably brought on by the impending birth and letting things out in the open for better or worse.' Still, Meester says, 'I don't think it's like a perfect sealed envelope.'
Only time will tell how Nan, Nell, and Patti's stories will unfold, but stay tuned for more on The Buccaneers as we gear up for the Season 2 finale.
The Buccaneers, Season 2, Wednesdays, Apple TV+
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