'Switched' Creator Previews What's Next!
Switched At Birth returned for a fresh run of 12 episodes last night (with 10 more coming this summer), and creator Lizzy Weiss sat down with TheInsider.com to reveal what's next!
But first, a quick premiere episode recap: Daphne and Bay picked up right where they left off: fighting over Emmett. Even though he made his feelings for Bay clear to Daphne. An admission that opened the door for Wilke to make his move and curry favor with his crush. Elsewhere, Regina, John and Kathryn were still reeling from the return of Bay's birth father, Angelo -- who may or may not have played a part in switching the girls at birth!
Insider.com: Did last night's episode resolve the Bay/Emmett/Daphne love triangle?
Lizzy Weiss: Daphne is not quite over Emmett just yet even though Emmett made himself clear, both in the finale and last night that he's with Bay. What I really wanted to do with these next 12 episodes was explore a deaf/hearing romance – there are so few things in the world these days that keep people apart. We've moved past race, religion and class but a deaf/hearing relationship is so inherently difficult and complex. As you saw last night, how do you learn how to behave if a guy starts a fight with your deaf boyfriend? How do you deal with an impatient waiter? Bay and Emmett are really from different worlds and we thought it was so interesting to dig into the details of that.
Insider: Daphne may not be over Emmett but she definitely thawed a lot to Wilke during that dock scene -- where does their relationship go from here?
Lizzy: Daphne doesn't think things changed on the dock, which is something we actually establish pretty clearly next week. What's great is that Wilke did see it that way. To him, they had the kind of heart-to-heart that you'd only have with someone you were dating. Daphne still thinks of him as a great guy, but she isn't quite there yet.
Insider: There are also lots of questions surrounding Angelo -- what excites you about bringing that character in?
Lizzy: He's the fourth piece of the parental puzzle. The spine of the first 10 episodes was Regina's secrets and finding the last dad – well, he found them. We were very excited about using these 12 to explore John and Kathryn not being happy about him staying but also knowing it's an irrational feeling. They can tell themselves they have all these good reasons why he should have limits put on him, but deep down they know he is Bay's dad. What's important to me and the writers is that we make sure this all stays very grounded and real. There's already such high stakes that I never want to go too melodramatic because we already have such a big hook.
Insider: On the tip of that "right kind of drama" conversation, I'm curious: do you ever envision mixing up the romantic partnerings of the parents? I ask because I felt like there were some sparks between Regina and John during that car wash scene.
Lizzy: [laughs] We were not hinting at anything in that moment, but I would never say no to anything, ever. For example, in episode four, we talked about Emmett's parents getting a divorce and if you asked me at the time if we'd ever have a story about his dad, I would have said no. But further down in this batch, we have a whole story about Emmett's family. We follow where the characters take us, so while I wasn't hinting at that, I wouldn't rule it out one day.
Insider: What are you excited for fans to see in these next 11 episodes?
Lizzy: I really was excited to explore the Bay/Emmett relationship. I've never seen that on TV. It felt so fresh to me as a viewer and writer. I was so excited about that. One other spine of this 12, and the next 10 episodes, is to find out what happened in the hospital that day. As you saw last night, we introduced the nurse, and we have some more twists coming up with that as Kathryn finds out what really happened that day. It's a fun, Grisham element that we have. Lucas gets a love interest this year, episode 2 has an amazing argument between Emmett and his mother (played by Marlee Matlin) over Bay and speech therapy. It's so real and fierce and silent. Speaking of, the teaser for episode four is totally silent. I love that our fans have proved to be so open to seeing all-ASL scenes, so now we can go further with those too.
Insider: So the hospital storyline will continue into the fall season?
Lizzy: Yes, it will continue it through the next 10 episodes. I think fans will be very surprised by what happens there.
Insider: And lastly, will we see Helen Mirren's Cleavage again?
Lizzy: [laughs] That was an inside joke because Vanessa [Marano, who plays Bay] was doing an interview where she was asked who she'd like to have on the show. She's 18 years old, so you might expect to hear some tween star, but she said Helen Mirren. I thought it was so great that I just had to throw a little reference in there for her, that's why the band was named Helen Mirren's Cleavage. One day, we hope to get Helen Mirren herself on the show though!
Switched at Birth airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.
