GCB: David James Elliott Previews Ripp and Carlene’s Vow Renewals and More

It may be a holiday weekend, but ABC is rewarding GCB viewers with two brand new episodes tonight! First up? It’s time for Ripp and Carlene to renew their vows!

“Every year they have a big bash, a big party and a vow renewal,” David James Elliott (Ripp) told me. “It’s GONE WITH THE WIND themed [this year]. Just an excuse to spend an enormous amount of money and be the center of attention, that’s all they care about.”

Viewers will get to hear about some of Ripp and Carlene’s previous parties, but unfortunately, just how elaborate they were may need to remain a mystery for a little while longer.

“No, I don’t believe [you’ll see the previous vow renewals], but they speak of the earlier themes,” Elliott said. “That would have been a great idea, but it just may not have been in the budget. But certainly next season if we’re lucky enough to have one, that would probably play out. That’s a good idea.”

“They’re a funny couple people, the Cockburns,” he added. “There’s a great episode coming up where the church puts on a musical, and that’s a pretty big episode. I haven’t seen it, but the people who have seen it said it’s spectacular. I think that’s episode seven. I was never disappointed. We would have a table read every week and you would just die, it was so funny. ‘How are we going to top that?'”

And fans of Elliott will be delighted by what he gets to do in the hour.

“I’m singing a little bit and I play guitar in that musical episode,” he teased. “I don’t want to give it away, but it’s a good one. You’re going to want to make sure to keep tuning in, because you don’t want to miss that one.”

Happy to hear Elliott will get to show off his musical chops? It turns out the actor was the one to pitch that to the writers.

“The wonderful thing about [GCB series creator] Robert Harling is that you come to him with an idea and he goes, ‘Yes! That’s a great idea!'” Elliott noted. “I asked to play the guitar and he went, ‘Great! We’ll have you play the guitar!’ He just embraces anything. He doesn’t care — a good idea is a good idea. He’s so talented, he’s not afraid of someone else having an idea. It’s just such an easy place to be all the time and I think you see it on the screen. Certainly we’re still in the honeymoon period so maybe season 3 or 4 we’ll be killing each other, but right now, everybody gets along famously.”

Speaking of future seasons, Elliott does some ideas for what he’d like to see in a potential season 2.

“We kept saying, ‘Put the guys together!'” he said. “The guys never got to do anything together. So that would be something I hope they do. Maybe the guys go on a fishing trip together or they go hunting. Not that David James is a hunter — I’ve never hunted in my life — but ol’ Ripp, he’s a big hunter, I assume.”

“Certainly would be interesting with Mark Deklin’s character and my character to be together, because it seems like they would be at odds,” Elliott added. “They would certainly be enormously awkward together if Ripp were to know that he was gay. But I think it would be funny. The girls go on a hunting trip at some point so maybe the guys need to go fishing. Maybe in the Bahamas. Maybe ABC could get involved and supply the extra cash for that one!”

Hey, why not?

Want to catch up on GCB? Make sure to check out full episodes (and more) at the official website!

Related:

GCB: David James Elliott Previews Ripp’s DALLAS-Inspired Costume and Why His Relationship With Carlene is Solid
GCB Exclusive First Look: Carlene Does Some Snooping in ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’

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