THE TOMORROW PEOPLE: Phil Klemmer on the Tomorrow People Being Compromised, Redemption for Cara, Russell’s New Plan, and the ‘Crazy’ Finale Cliffhangers

THE TOMORROW PEOPLE has been ramping up the insanity with each episode, and as the show gears up for its final hours of the first season, things aren’t slowing down at all.

To get some scoop about what’s in store — and to get a little preview of how the season will end — I spoke with THE TOMORROW PEOPLE boss Phil Klemmer to see what he could share…

What can you share about tonight’s new episode?
Phil Klemmer: In 15, we will get to see the return of Julian, [who first appeared] in 1×11. He’s Cara’s arch nemesis, and when he comes back to our world, he comes back as an ally to Jedikiah. The last episode, we saw Cara basically took a hit out on Jedikiah, so the next episode is basically about Jedikiah trying to return the favor by killing Cara.

It’s tough timing for Cara, who has lost John, who has abandoned the lair and rejected her offer to return. In a way, she’ll start to lose Stephen as well, as we introduce a new love interest. The next episode is sort of one of the gnarliest. Not to give away too much, but the location of the lair is compromised, and the Tomorrow People are no longer safe in hiding. By the time we get to the end of the episode, we’ll get Ultra agents with guns storming our castle.

So we don’t bum people out too badly, the episode that follows is just a much, much different tone. It’s a Russell episode, and focuses on his backstory in Vegas as sort of a “Bringing Down the House,” paranormal gambler.

One of the interesting things about blowing up, figuratively speaking, the lair, is that Russell is forced, by going back and reliving some of his past, to really put the philosophy of the Tomorrow People, and wonder if their powers are really meant for self-preservation and hiding, or whether there’s a third way.

We’ve sort of established it’s the Ultra way or the Tomorrow People way, and episode 16 is Russell forcing everyone to question instead of hiding from humans, what if we made ourselves indispensable? What if we did the Superman thing? Instead of just trying to hide in the gutters, what if we helped humans, so even if we were discovered, by the time that happens, humans will recognize us as their allies.

That sounds about right. I could see him pitching costumes, as well.
PK: He deserves a much better life than the one he’s been living. So any chance for him to show off is something that Russell indulges.

Given the unrest and troubles with the Tomorrow People — and that their location will soon be compromised — in some ways is Cara as a leader the biggest issue they have right now?
PK: I think…I guess I’m much more sympathetic to her. I think that whomever was at the helm would be spiraling, because…over the course of season 1, I think it’s just becoming clear that they’re not going to be able to remain hidden. And that at a certain point, they’re going to have to take this fight to the streets. And I think she was just the one holding the bag when all this happened.

The fact is, that she has to put her feelings for John on hold is tragic. Her struggle is to reunite this fracturing band of rebels who are facing adversaries who are much more dangerous than Jedikiah ever was. So my heart goes out to her, and I think by the time — I think in a lot of ways, Cara will be…not that she needs redeeming, but I think she’ll prove herself to be the true and rightful leader of the Tomorrow People.

She’s had a rough stretch for sure. In some ways she really just needs a hug.
PK: She does! She’s going to get a lot more than a hug quiet soon. I think she’s so strong, and so tough, and you love her when she kicks ass, or when she smiles, or in those moments of tenderness between her and John. In contrast, they’re such a relief because of the burden she bears.

That’s one of the things about the end of the season: as we’re ramping up for doom and gloom and final reckoning, we’ve made a conscious effort to take a couple of deep breaths, just so it’s not so relentlessly dire and dark. And you’ll get to see Cara as a woman versus Cara as a leader.

Well, speaking of dire, we now officially know Jedikiah has his brother contained. What can you tease about where that arc is going?
PK: It’s going to get pretty, pretty bad. Eventually, we’re going to understand why Jedikiah put a bullet in his brother, and eventually, I believe, we’re going to understand that was the best thing to do; not just for Roger, but for Stephen and his family, for the Tomorrow People, and possibly for the entire planet.

One of the interesting things is we assume Stephen’s goal to bring his father back was kind of a simple, linear one, but the deeper we get in, the more deeper and convoluted it becomes. And the more we realize Jedikiah isn’t purely the bad guy. Many of the things he did were horrible things that he did for all the right reasons. And we’ll realize that what’s best for Stephen and his family [might not] be what’s best for the Tomorrow People. Certainly not for mankind. It’s another version of the impossible decision he has in the pilot: whether to choose humans or the Tomorrow People. Except this time it’s not just talking about the people underground and his family. It’s talking about both species in the entirety.

And how does Stephen’s mom, Marla, fit into all of this?
PK: Marla spent so many years trying to deny her powers and deny her true nature, and at the end of 14, she was sort of forced to show her cards. In a lot of ways, she’s still holding on to her choice to be human, and her vain struggle to try and shield her family.

She will gradually become engulfed the same way Stephen was, and she’ll find herself slipping into this world of danger. It’s tragic, but it also brings the family much, much closer together. The irony is the reconciliation of the family is kind of the worst thing that could happen for mankind.

Given all this insanity in the next batch of episodes, does season 1 end on a cliffhanger?
PK: [Laughs] Oh, man. It ends on so many crazy cliffhangers. I’ll say a character dies, a character is stripped of [his or her] powers, the Tomorrow People’s secret is basically blown up. There will be paranormal freakout fighting in the streets of Manhattan. Ultra won’t be burned to the ground, but it will be pretty damn close. We’ll realize we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg as far as breakouts go. I think season 1 will end on a way that leaves us feeling like [a potential] season 2 will be no longer skulking underground and rescuing breakouts. It’s a much bigger world, a much more dangerous world. It’s a world that suits Stephen as hero versus a coming of age, boy to man, story. Season 2 is much more about hero turning into superhero.

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THE TOMORROW PEOPLE airs Wednesdays at 9 PM, before moving to its new day on Monday, March 17th at 9 PM on The CW.