Star Jewel Staite tells TV Week about the next chapter in the Svensson family firm’s messy efforts to juggle cases, clients and profound character flaws
Alot has transpired since Abigail Bianchi (Jewel Staite) joined her father’s practice in the first season of Family Law, after her alcoholism was exposed to the world through a viral video. “When she first started at her dad’s firm, she was so down in so many ways — so sad and so lonely,” says Staite. “Now, she’s got these relationships with this family. She feels like she belongs. She’s proven herself to her dad, who is actually quite impressed by her. And she’s feeling good.”
Indeed, Abby enters season three of the Canadian drama thinking she’s finally on the right path. “She’s feeling more confident than she has in a long time — which, of course, is a lot of false confidence,” Staite continues. “She still has a lot of issues to work on, and she’s just not willing to face the music quite yet. Because that’s her style — learn it the hard way.”
It may feel low-stakes compared to what has already been conquered, but the season begins with an obvious challenge for ex-spouses Abby and Frank (Luke Camilleri), who have been ordered by the court to alternate living in their pre-divorce house with their children. One week in, one week out doesn’t seem so bad for the couple that has overcome the worst, right? “It definitely creates a weird situation,” Staite counters. “She’s dating again and Frank is maybe dating again. They’ve still got a lot of issues to work out between the two of them — a lot of animosity there. But they’re both good people and trying to do what’s best for the kids.”
Abby’s comfort levels are further shaken by the romantic reunion between her father/boss Harry (Victor Garber) and mom Joanne (Lauren Holly). “She was raised with these two parents who fought all the time. Her dad was unfaith ful. And when they finally split up, her mother painted this picture of her father as this terrible guy, so Abby cuts all contact with him for 20-plus years. So, to see this happening all over again is dredging up a lot of feelings,” the actress explains. “She doesn’t want to see her mother heartbroken again. She is actually semi-enjoying this new relationship with her father and doesn’t want that ruined either. She’s stressed and really pessimistic, knowing it’s all going to go up in flames at some point.”
The resentment has an impact on Abby and Harry’s relationship, which — contrary to their characters — both Staite and Garber have enjoyed exploring. “Victor and I get to have lots of interesting fights,” says Staite. “It’s tough for Harry to have that negativity coming out about their new relationship because he really wants to make it work with Joanne. He starts to become really resentful of Abby’s negativity, which creates a whole new dynamic.”
On that note, what sets Family Law apart for Staite is how the characters continue to wear their emotions (and their flaws) on their sleeves. “This group of people making bad decisions and then trying to figure out what to do about those decisions — how to repair their lives after the fact — it’s super-fulfilling; it’s nice to see and feel that in these very human characters, and very human relationships.” The actress is quick to credit her writers for that, and for making the cases of the week poignantly relevant to what the lawyers are experiencing in their personal lives. “The case usually mirrors something that’s going on in at least one character’s life — if not a few characters. It’s fun to see the parallels and to see these characters learn lessons they didn’t expect to learn.”
This season, some of those cases include: a battle over a frozen embryo, a climate activist about to lose custody of his children as a result of being arrested for his activism, and attempts to take con artists to task. All told, it’s the more ambiguous cases that the cast enjoys playing the most. “There are definitely a few that we discuss and say, ‘I don’t know what side I would lean on here.’ That’s what I love about the show,” Staite muses. “There are a couple beautiful episodes, actually, near the end of the season — one about an autistic child who has grown into a teenager and his parents are finding it really difficult to manage him. That one hit me. The actors we have playing the family are out-of-control amazing, so that’s a huge tearjerker. We also have one about assisted suicide, which is a very heavy episode.”
For Staite, over the course of a career that spans all the way back to childhood, being able to unpack her own messes through the messes of her characters is cathartic. “It’s a release a lot of the time,” she muses. “I find I’m really lucky in that the roles that come my way are exactly what I need at that point in my life. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to go to work and have this energetic and creative release. It’s incredibly fulfilling, and I feel very, very lucky when I get to work on shows that bring that out in me.”
Family Law airs Sunday, January 19, on Global