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But that didnt stop those of us at Vulture from having … even more questions.
I want to start with a question for Stephen.
Stephen Falk: I came up with that sometime in season three.
Aya and Chris, when did you find out how the show would end?
Did you not know until you got the last script?
Chris Geere: Hello darling, by the way!
Aya Cash: Hi, my love!
The season is very secretive, normally.
But we shot a flash-forward on day one of shooting, so obviously there needed to be explanations.
Like a grandpa telling the story of we werent on his knee or anything.
Falk: Chris was on my knee.
Chris Geere: The first four seasons, I didnt want to know.
I was desperate to see how that last scene played out.
The wedding venue that was used in the last episode, where was that?
Cash: Stephens wedding venue!
Falk: That was where I got married a couple years before.
Its called the Paramour Estate and its at the top of the hills in Silver Lake.
Geere: It was pretty peculiar.
Cash: You got invited to the wedding?
Cash: No, Im kidding.
We were all there.
So Stephen, you were basically location scouting.
You could write the wedding off on your taxes.
Falk: I know, I shouldve.
Cash: What can they do, cancel us?
Aya and Chris, what was it like shooting that scene?
Was it challenging to calibrate your emotions to hit the right note?
[A couple seconds of silence.]
Cash:We both go silent to wait to see who would
Geere: Yeah, were both polite.
You go, sweetie.
Knowing it was the last one was quite hard for us, really.
The entire season was like that.
What do you think, sweetie?
Thats a rare thing and thats why they are the best.
Cash: Thats nice.
Now that you mention it, no show ever really goes away these days.
Theres always the chance that something could come back.
Is that in your mind at all?
Or do you feel like the story was pretty much told?
I think itd be really fun to revisit these characters many years down the line.
But I really want to know Stephens answer to this.
Falk: Oh me?
Cash: He likes to be called Mr. Falk.
Falk: Yeah, just, Aya, come on.
Now I will address you.
We got to do it with the best group of writers and the best crew and the best directors.
I think there are opportunities for other stories to be told in theYoure the Worstmultiverse.
I dont know if that will ever happen, but Im certainly always open to it.
Stephen, would you characterize the ending of the series as cynical or romantic?
Falk: I see it as deeply romantic.
I dont see it as cynical.
They are aware that this traditional thing was not quite them, but they didnt want to break up.
You have to know that going in.And he says, Yeah, totally.
They said, This is the damage I have.
This is the broken human I am.
Do you still want it?
And the answer was yes.
I think thats really romantic.
For some reason, especially Gretchen starts to hide herself again in reaction to getting married.
Its putting them into a position where theyre not doing what they agreed upon from the beginning.
It was forcing them into a construct that wasnt working for them.
Thats why its the right decision at the end, to be together but not get married.
Cash: You know, relationships are just, Whose bad parts match your bad parts?
And which good parts match your good parts?
Ive been married a long time, but it is!
What theyve agreed to is what theyve agreed to.
Geere: I agree with that entirely.
It wouldve been insulting to the audience if it was a walk off into the sunset ending.
Thats a hats off to remembering everything that everyones been through.
I thought their decision was romantic, too.
Lets have this really be a remnant of this Jimmy that hadnt met Gretchen yet.
But its allowing them to tell that old version of themselves,Its fine, we still got it!
Youre still cool, man!
And then they can go just live as a fucking boring married couple.
The finale has a lot of callbacks to previous moments in the series.
The trash juice, thank God, made one last comeback, and Ben Folds was at the wedding.
Were there others you wanted to include, but you just couldnt get them all in there?
Falk:There was a fine line of doing too much fan service.
We may have even gone too far with a couple things, but we chose very carefully.
There were a lot of minor characters that I wouldve loved to bring back, or little in-jokes.
But it wouldve felt like a band thats been around 30 years too long doing one more tour.
It didnt fit in with what we wanted to do.
What about you guys?
Was there anything that we missed?
Cash:I wish Flo [Stephanie Courtney, who plays Flo in the Progressive commercials] came back.
I wanted to see what happened to the bookstore owner, mainly because I just liked her so much.
But it wouldve felt like piling the dead bodies.
I had great fun working with him.
Obviously, he never met any of the other characters.
That couldve been quite fun.
I was to ask about Edgar.
Do you think hes being a good friend or a bad friend in this last episode?
Geere: Hmm …
Again, no one wants to go first.
Geere: Yeah, hes being a very good friend to Jimmy.
If someone behaved like that with me, Id have a different reaction.
But hes finally not only reached Jimmys level, hes beating him.
Hes won in the end.
But maybe thats what Jimmy needed: a bit of tough love.
Cash:I also think Edgar needed to separate from Jimmy.
Maybe he needed to blow up the friendship as well, subconsciously.
Because he felt like the sidekick to Jimmy in his own life.
Weve all had those moments where we realize were not in a friendship that is serving us anymore.
Falk: Uh, we recorded quite a lot.
That was Starlee Kine who is obviously a great podcaster fromThis American Lifeand her own podcast.
Cash:Mystery Show!
Falk: Ive always just loved her voice and love her.
I just reached out and asked if she would do it and she did!
As we usually do in the writers room, we scripted way more than we needed.
We could probably write Jimmys book,Width of a Peach, with all that weve scripted.
Geere: Quite a few people out there would want you to.
How long has it been since you guys wrapped?
Falk: So its been quite a while.
Cash:Ive seen everyone except Chris, because Chris lives in Manchester.
Geere: I know, I cant wait!
But now Im going to New York for a few days, if youre still there.
Cash: Yes I am, Im here!
Its really touching that a show about terrible people has brought you all together in such a positive manner.
Cash: Thanks, Stephen!
Geere: Yeah, its funny.
Falk: Its true.
Cash: Stephen, we want you to Ryan Murphy us.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
