Were you surprised at the way things ended up turning out for Jessica in the True Blood series finale? Deborah Ann Woll, the actress behind Jessica expressed her own surprise during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter posted after the finale. For her part, Deborah thought that Jessica might end up with Jason (Ryan Kwanten). But the switch in storyline gave Deborah a better understanding of her character:
“I had to give into this idea that [Jessica] just loves. In a way, it didn’t matter who she ended up with because she’s an independent woman, and she didn’t have to end up with anyone. It’s just about her capacity to give herself. This storyline forced me to come to that realization, which I think is really beautiful.”
As for her favorite scene in the finale, Deborah reveals that it is the one with Bill (Stephen Moyer) upstairs talking about the possibility of marrying Hoyt in part because it was one of her last scenes with Stephen:
“I would definitely say my favorite scene of the finale is the one with Bill upstairs. When I think about Jessica’s arc and the kind of domineering father she grew up with, it was very important to me that her story be about becoming an independent woman who didn’t need a man or a woman making decisions for her. I spoke to the writers, and we agreed we liked this idea of her saying, “I know you’re from a different time where marriages were arranged, but when I get proposed to, I want it to be because the guy really loves me, not my father telling me.” It’s a really lovely scene with just the two of them, and it was my last scene with Stephen. I will miss him, and do. I’ll miss Bill as well.”
Getting back together with Hoyt (Jim Parrack) happened very quickly on the show. But Jessica’s draw to Hoyt came out of a place of wanting to go back to a simpler time. Hoyt was Jessica’s first love after all and came into her life before Jessica had experienced all of her life complications with Jason, killing the faeries, and vamp camp. And although their reunion is complicated by a wedding for the sake of Bill, Deborah believes that we’re lead to believe that Hoyt and Jessica do last together. And just because Jessica doesn’t end up with Jason, Deborah says that they are kindred spirits in a way and therefore don’t have to be together as a couple to continue their relationship. They just have to be in each other’s lives.
Hoyt’s return is something that Deborah found out about earlier on and she gave into the idea of having a triangle:
“They had mentioned to me they were planning on bringing him back before the season started, and there would be romantic ties. I assumed that it would be a triangle ending in a different way.
It was happening sort of quickly, and I had to give in to it. I think that’s really where I cemented this idea of Jessica just having a very open heart, a very big heart that was capable of so much love that it could not be contained to James [Nathan Parsons] or Jason or Bill or Sookie [Anna Paquin] or Adilyn or all these people who I really think she loves, who I genuinely think she could say that about.”
For Deborah, Jessica has changed the most over the course of the series in her maturity. She now understands what is a vampire impulse and what works for her in the real world. This was indicated at the start of the season when Jessica was able to save Adilyn (Bailey Noble) and be in the same house with her without draining her. As for being killed off, Deborah admitted that she was very nervous about it. Killing Jessica would serve as an emotionally powerful storyline for multiple characters. But the mistakes which could have resulted in Jessica’s death were some of Deborah’s favorite stories to play:
“I always like it when characters make mistakes. That’s the most fun to play. It’s no fun to be good all the time and right all the time. You want your character to struggle and suffer and learn. To me, the killing of the fairy girls was a remarkable step to take. You’re not going to kill off Jessica without having her kill some teenagers, and that was also a very important moment for her and Jason. I like that she went to him afterward. That allowed them to take another step in their relationship. That would definitely be a move I thought was really courageous. I was daunted by it but also enjoyed exploring the deeper recesses of her character.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter.com- “‘True Blood’s’ Deborah Ann Woll on Series Finale: “It Was Not What I Expected”
Image Credit: HBO, Inc.