Coroner Season 2 Preview with Serinda Swan and Roger Cross

A new year means a new season of Coroner, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome it back! With the Season 2 premiere just hours away, it’s the perfect time to share the first part of our interview with stars Serinda Swan (Jenny Cooper) and Roger Cross (Donovan “Mac” McAvoy). They teased a bit of what’s coming up for their characters, and how the relationship has grown between Jenny and Mac.

We’ll have more from the interview coming up later this week, so stay tuned for that. And if you haven’t already read Heather’s interview with Morwyn Brebner and Adrienne Mitchell, check it out here.

Coroner airs Mondays at 9pm/9:30pm NT on CBC, or online at CBC Gem. [Update: Season 2 premieres in the US at 9pm Wednesday, October 7th, on The CW.]

Season 1 concluded with Jenny learning the truth about her sister, but rather than give her closure, it’s brought up even more issues. How does this affect Jenny’s arc this season?

Serinda: At the end of a season, I don’t love when everything gets wrapped in a bow because then what do you do? Do you untie it at the beginning of every season? It’s really important to make sure that we do [the storyline] justice, and honour people that have mental illness because it doesn’t just go away. It’s something that takes a long time to fully understand. Jenny [found] out in the last two episodes of the first season that she was the one who killed her sister. Over the past six months, she’s gone to therapy, she’s been able to start unpacking [it], but when she ultimately gets too close to it, she suppresses. And that’s the pattern. When you’re going through therapy, you can open up new doors, but then you’re like, “I’m not sure if I’m ready to go through that yet.” Jenny’s opened the doors and understands what’s going on, but she’s not ready to go through them.

From what I’ve seen of the season so far, Jenny also seems to be afraid of her own anger.

Serinda: In the first case in the first episode [of Season 2], you see her actually let some of the anger out that she’s dealing with. Since killing Katie, she doesn’t let that side of her out because it’s terrifying. When she engages with it, really bad things happen.

We immediately see how everything is affecting her at work, but how does it affect her personal life?

Serinda: There are a lot of things going on in Jenny’s life this season. You see a lot more development with her and Liam, and with Jenny and her father. His dementia is a huge struggle for everyone involved. One of the things we don’t talk about is the anger and frustration that happens with the children [of people with dementia], not only with losing their parent but everything that comes with it. It’s heightened by her father being able to tell the truth and then forget it, leaving Jenny with this burden to carry on her own.

Roger, I understand that something shakes things up for Mac this season as well.

Roger: There’s a person that comes into Mac’s life that complicates things. Mac’s a very orderly man, and this throws him for a loop. He has to find a way through losing control but still maintaining his self in the midst of it. And there’s a little Mac romance, too.

How has Jenny and Mac’s relationship grown since the first season?

Roger: In Season 1, he says that this work isn’t for everyone. He’s an observant man, and that’s why he’s good [at his job]. He sees [what Jenny is going through], and he wants to take care of her a little bit, but it can’t compromise the work.

Serinda: This season, Mac’s definitely got Jenny’s back. We’ve developed a relationship with inside jokes, and we know each other. He trusts her more and she trusts him more. Jenny lets Mac see more of her faults, and she gets to see some of his. We’re teaming up.

Roger: And getting to know each other.

Photo Courtesy of CBC