Spoilers follow for the second season of Paradise through the seventh episode, “The Final Countdown.”

Who is Thomas Doherty’s character on Paradise? During a conversation about his season-two resistance leader, Doherty sometimes calls him Link, the nickname with which the self-described nerd who loves The Legend of Zelda is introduced. Doherty also sometimes calls him Dylan, the character’s given name, which just so happens to be the name of bunker mastermind Samantha’s (Julianne Nicholson) long-dead son. Oh, and that Dylan and this Dylan also share a birthday, information that shocks Samantha after she and Link/Dylan have a tense tête-à-tête in the penultimate episode “The Final Countdown.” Paradise isn’t beating the time-travel or alternate-universe allegations anytime soon, not with Doherty’s character being such a mysterious addition to its ensemble. And no, Doherty isn’t talking. “I’m in survival mode here,” he says, laughing. “I’m not trying to spoil shit.”

He really means it. Doherty politely abstains from talking about any of the emotional motivations of his character in next week’s finale — and from confirming whether the Dylan he’s playing might be some version of Samantha’s son. (He does share that when he auditioned for the character, he went by neither Dylan or Link but “burly man” and that he will appear in the series’ confirmed third season.) But even if Dylan is just a genius committed to restarting the world and making the billionaires in the bunker pay for abandoning the rest of society, he’d be compelling in his own right. He’s cheeky enough to announce himself to the bunker’s one-percenters with a “Take me to your leader” sign and resolute enough that when Samantha says she built the bunker, he’s furious at the erasure of his Caltech mentor, professor Henry Miller (Patrick Fischler), from whom Samantha stole essential technology. “That’s the thing that gets his individual ego out,” Doherty says. “That’s when he’s ready to go.”

When Link and his people arrive at the bunker, he first demands to talk to the president, but Sam says he’ll have to talk to her. What did you see as Dylan’s motivations in this scene — is he driven by wanting to get revenge for his mentor? Is he more interested in saving the world? 
There’s definitely a couple of things going on. There is unbelievable disdain and resentment and anger toward this woman. Link — Dylan — ultimately wants to avenge his professor, this person that’s taken him in and taught him so much and changed his life. That personal ego flares up, and I’m trying to, as an actor, keep that here [pantomimes pushing something down toward his stomach]. It’s still there, but what we’re talking about is the greater good. This is to restart the world. This is to save humanity. That’s bigger than my grievance — but my grievance is still there. I hope that comes through. At the end, she triggers Dylan with “Everything I’ve built,” and I say, “Everything that you’ve built?” During episode one, I didn’t really know what he would do in episode eight, but as you go, you get more tidbits and you’re developing more.

Can you speak to the emotions that you knew you had to get to in episode eight and how they influenced you in this episode?
[Pauses.] You’ll see what I mean when you see eight. That knowledge is more for me, Thomas, playing Dylan — Link; I fucking don’t know what to call him anymore — to kind of know what’s coming and to not play that too soon. The information that I’m hit with in eight, I don’t really see it coming [as a character]. It’s not like I needed to factor it in. [Pauses.] Oh, this is hard. Thomas had to be aware, but not necessarily Link.

Do you think of him as Dylan, or do you think of him as Link? 
It’s really funny. Now I’m starting to feel Dylan, whereas before, I would never call him Dylan — also because I was scared I was going to spoil something. I always thought of him as Link: I met Dylan as Link, and Annie met him as Link. But you’ll realize, once you see eight, why me as Thomas, I start to feel a bit more connected to the name Dylan. I feel a lot more confident now because I know Link and I know Dylan and I know what I’m walking into, and who I’m walking in as, whereas prior, it’s like, What the fuck am I doing? 

Tell me about filming this big confrontation with Sam. 
Getting to do a scene with Julianne Nicholson is insane. She’s the coolest person I’ve ever met — so chill, so talented, really cheeky. There’s no bells and whistles with her. She’s very professional, and she pulls up and creates a really nice environment. When I work with actors that are a little older, but vastly more experienced, I think it’s important to be quiet more and listen more and watch more, because that’s when you learn, you know? But it was really funny because before the show, I didn’t know her. I only associated her as Sinatra, and I remember working out and I’d always have her face in my head so I could get that anger. And then I met her and she’s so disarming because she’s so lovely. On the day, we both know what we’re doing. I really developed this character and knew what I wanted to do. But when you’re in the room with Sterling or Julianne or Shailene, all of that just goes to shit. If you’re going to be honest and present with them, it’s going to be different. It changes and evolves. It was like doing a master class in acting, but I was getting paid to do it.

Was there a note you got that was particularly helpful? 
I amped myself up as Link so much that it was really intense. You’re filming over five, six hours, so it’s about maintaining that intensity, and then it starts to become a little bit erratic, in your eyes. It was just, Compose, compose, compose because I’m working with one of the most composed people I’ve ever met.

I, of course, have to ask you about the similarities between your Dylan and Samantha’s Dylan. Can you confirm to me if Dylan is somehow Samantha’s son? 
Can I confirm that?

Yeah, can you confirm that to me? 
No. [Laughs.]

I had to try.
I enjoy this theory, though. This is a good one. This has come up many a time. Oh, Roxana, you’re gonna have to wait until episode eight.

Okay, so then my question is, Did you think about the coincidence of that? Did it matter to you as you were performing?
When you’re working on a Dan Fogelman script, everything is a possibility. Her being my mother was a possibility, being related to Xavier in some capacity was a possibility, and then you’ve got this quantum-mechanical stuff thrown into the mix. Even the smallest adjustment can change your whole character. You just trust them — the direction, the writers. The writers are always on set. You can go and talk to them. It is a lot, but it’s amazing. I’m so excited for the finale.

Did you have a theory for yourself that you could share?
The reality of what it is is so much better than what I could come up with.

The other element of this scene is that you’re eating a slice of apple pie as you negotiate with Sam. Did you have any techniques to get through the pie in this scene?
It’s really hard eating onscreen because you become hyperaware of what you’re doing. You’re like, Okay, we’re filming this for four hours, so I have to eat this apple pie for four hours. I’m going to take a bite here. I need to try and get continuity. You’re trying to time it well. Also, it was the sweetest apple pie I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. It was almost like it was dipped in syrup. It was fucking horrible. Sometimes you take a bite and you’ve got a line coming up, but your mouth is still full. It’s a real art form, I believe, eating onscreen.

How much pie do you think you had to eat?
It was the scene in the actual aircraft, but it was also leading up to the aircraft, and I was fucking about, eating it. [Laughs.] I probably ate a full pie. Like, a big pie. My blood sugar was a spike.

Dylan references Brad Pitt in this scene as one of cinema’s greatest eaters. Did you watch any Brad Pitt eating scenes as inspiration? 
No, because I didn’t want to try and stylize it. It’s so sacred, this job to me. I wanted to honor the team and all the other actors and be as truthful as I can. I don’t want to manipulate it and be, like, some sexy guy eating a pie, you know? Not that I could pull it off anyway: a sexy man eating pie, covered in dirt. [Laughs.]

When Link leaves Annie behind to go to Colorado, he leaves his college ID for her to keep. He held on to that for all these years, but he didn’t hold on to a condom. Do you have any thoughts on that? 
[Laughs.] Condoms — I think it’s the last thing on his mind.

It’s been three years. He hasn’t necessarily thought that he might fall in love with somebody. 
Exactly, and Geiger is not exactly his type. But listen, there’s no excuse. You’ve been a bad boy, Dylan!

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