Below is part 13 of a series of blog posts that were written by Kelly Wheeler (writer and production assistant on ‘Terriers’) for the show. These were posted back in 2010 on the now defunct ‘Terriers’ site on FX.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 2, 2010
Episode #112 – Hail Mary
Directed by Ted Griffin
Written by Nick Griffin & Ted Griffin
Well, here we are at the finale. This is it. The big ending. Fitting, then, to have this episode directed by the guy who created the whole thing, Ted Griffin, (and co-written with his brother Nick). This episode ties up the big conspiracy, brings closure for our characters in their personal lives and just when you think its all hunky-dory – ZAP! We leave you wondering what’s next. C’mon, what self-respecting finale wouldn’t leave you wanting more? Still feeling jipped? Fine, included are a few behind the scenes still pics and my interview with TV’s Ted Griffin (popcorn is recommended).
And, hey, at least we give you the face of the big big bad villain, Mr. Cutshaw (played by Neal McDonough). This part was tricky to cast because we needed a guy who could leave you wondering, “Did he know what Zeitlin was up to?” And Neal lands that beat with perfection. Getting him in this role was not without its challenges, however. No, it wasn’t about the size of his fee or trailer, it was um… the size of his facial hair. See, Neal had already begun preparing for his upcoming role in the new Captain America movie… which requires a certain look. In the end, Neal generously agreed to have Cutshaw clean-shaven. Crisis averted!
Speaking of averting crisis, while on location, we had lined up a shot, ready to shoot, when low and behold, we discovered we needed more shade. Now, we could have hustled to find fake trees and hauled them to set OR we could just let our stellar grip department MAKE trees. We opted for the latter. (See attached pics of the trees, Terriers-style). What? It worked.
As we wrapped up the season, the set was filled with thank you speeches from Donal (Mikey was there too, but as he put it, “Donal’s the talker”) and Ted. The spiels were heart-felt, sincere and very appreciative of all the crew’s hard work. That, in turn, made us love them even more (ughhhh, MUSHY much, wheeler?) – Anyway, these speeches came complete with thank you gifts a-plenty – I’m talking super cool hoodie sweatshirts, ice-cream trucks, taco trucks, coffee trucks and even a Terriers beach towel from the nice folks at F/X. We felt very loved!
So… I guess that’s it. We came, we saw, we rode around in a Ford Courier. See you season two?
— wheeler