Masali Baduza: I was very excited.

Hannah Dodd: It can be quite intimidating. 

Hannah Dodd: We were like, 

Masali Baduza: Yep, 

Hannah Dodd: This says it all.

Masali Baduza: Mmhm.

[upbeat music playing] 

[TITLE CARD] Which qualities are you most excited to explore in your characters this season? 

Hannah Dodd: For me, it's Francesca's resilience. I think, also, she's just got such a long way to go still. I feel quite proud of where she's started and where she is now. And as much as she is a shyer character and a more introverted character, there is a feeling that she doesn't always need the validation that a lot of people seek. But I don't think there's a self-assurance there yet, so I'm kind of excited to get her there. 

Masali Baduza: I'm excited to explore Michaela's vulnerability. I think I'm excited to see what it's like when she doesn't have to run and she doesn't have to hide and she is forced to, like, stay still. I'm excited to see what comes out and how that changes her and forces her to grow.

[TITLE CARD] What is intriguing about Francesca and Michaela’s connection? 

Hannah Dodd:  We're like polar opposite.

Masali Baduza: Yeah. 

Hannah Dodd: We also have a lot in common. I don't think they know that yet. 

Masali Baduza: Yeah, yeah. 

Hannah Dodd: How important some of the other qualities in the other person is to that person.

Masali Baduza: 100%. I don't think Michaela understands how important it is to really, like, do some introspection. And I don't think… I don't think she's there yet. I think she's going to learn that from Francesca. 

Hannah Dodd: And Francesca's got a lot to learn from Michaela. They've got a lot of work to do. 

[TITLE CARD] How important is representation in this love story? 

Masali Baduza: I think that it's really important Michaela and Francesca have, without giving too much away, hopefully a  happily ever after. I think that's really important for queer people to see on screen in the show. 

Hannah Dodd: Yeah. I also think that they've traditionally been excluded from things like period dramas, and queer people did exist, have always existed and will always exist.

Masali Baduza: Mmhm.

Hannah Dodd: So they deserve a love story just like everybody else.

[TITLE CARD] How does your friendship impact your performance?

Masali Baduza: Hannah, for me, from the beginning has always been such a supportive rock, honestly. From the first moment I met you, I was like, Oh my goodness, this girl and I are going to become real close. I feel like we're quite similar. We know that it's really important for both of us to hold each other. And it's so much fun to go to work with a friend.

[TITLE CARD] Can you tease anything about Season 5’s costumes? 

Hannah Dodd: I got a peek of one of your dresses.

Masali Baduza: What?!

Hannah Dodd: The one that came in.

Masali Baduza: Oh, oh yeah. 

Hannah Dodd: And it's really cool. I do think that you're going to even get to see Michaela in another light.

Masali Baduza: Yeah.

Hannah Dodd: Through her costuming as well. 

Masali Baduza: Yeah, yeah. For me, the costume part of it all was probably one of my favorite parts of creating a character. Just 'cause I feel like you get to visualize, like, what the character would wake up every day and wear. That tells you a lot about her.

Hannah Dodd: The costume department are doing a lot of storytelling. When we stood next to each other the other day, we were like…

Masali Baduza: Yep. Mmhm.

Hannah Dodd: …this says it all.

Masali Baduza: Exactly. Exactly.

Hannah Dodd: Yeah.

[TITLE CARD] Are there any songs you have on your Season 5 wish list? 

Masali Baduza: I feel I can answer for you.

Hannah Dodd: I can answer for you. 

Masali Baduza: Chappell Roan, "Good Luck Babe!" 

Hannah Dodd: Beyoncé.

Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza: Any. 

[TITLE CARD] How do you think Francesca will feel about approaching love again? 

Hannah Dodd: It's exciting. I think that conflict within herself as well. I think there's always… We think about the societal idea of coming to terms with anything like this, but I think she's going to have an internal battle because I think that there's quite an instinctive attraction to Michaela.  They gravitate towards each other.

Masali Baduza: Like magnets. Drawn to each other. 

Hannah Dodd: There's qualities that Francesca needs and qualities that Michaela needs. I just think they naturally kind of gravitate towards each other.

[TITLE CARD] What can fans expect to learn about Michaela in Season 5? 

Masali Baduza: I'm excited for people to see Michaela's inner world when she first met Francesca. I think because she has had to hide a lot of it when you meet her. I think I'm excited for people to see the effect that Fran has had on her and the guilt that she feels and having to push that down and lying to herself. And yearn. I'm excited for people to see Michaela yearn for Francesca. 

[TITLE CARD] What do you hope for Francesca in Season 5? 

Hannah Dodd: When you spend so much time with a character, you do want them to be happy. And like at the moment, she's in such a devastating position. So she deserves love. I think you can blame yourself for certain horrible things that happen in life. All of that was out of her hands, but I think she is somebody who carries the burden and weight of the world on her shoulders. She's always trying to get things right, and so much has gone wrong for her. So, yeah, I'm really excited for her to experience, like, feeling loved. I really want her to feel loved and getting to know herself and feeling enough within herself as well and somebody else making her feel loved and everything. But also I want her to fall in love with herself a little bit as well. 

Masali Baduza: Hmm, I love that.

[TITLE CARD] Should we expect to see Scotland next season? 

Hannah Dodd: We hope so.

Masali Baduza: We bloody hope so.

Masali Baduza: Just take us to Scotland, please.

Hannah Dodd: Yeah!

Hannah Dodd: We got this.

Masali Baduza: We got this. 

Hannah Dodd: We got this.

[classical music swells]

[music fades]