Actor Philip Glenister makes the case for his character, and the Reverend’s new sense of doubt.
Cinemax: Where do we find the Reverend at the start of the season?
Philip Glenister: He’s a very broken man. I would say he’s jealous of what Kyle has. He’s certainly questioning his faith, his beliefs; if anybody is the outcast, it’s the Reverend at the beginning of Season 2. They’re all trying to find their own perspectives on what is going on in Rome and it brings him into conflict with Kyle and Giles. Everybody’s deserted him. He can’t really get much lower; the only way is up.
Cinemax: How has his relationship with God changed?
Philip Glenister: He’s now saying, “There is no God.” He turns full circle [in Episode 9], and ends up going back to his church where he’s suddenly embraced by parishioners who say, “Reverend, we’ve been waiting for you. Where have you been?” Suddenly he’s back in the fold.
Cinemax: How does the Reverend’s opinion towards Dakota and her group change over the season?
Philip Glenister: I think the first time he comes across them there’s a desperation and a need to believe in something again. He starts off thinking their [group is] an alternative to the way he’s used to doing things. He’s taken in by Dakota and her spirituality.
There’s something quite sweet and innocent and simplistic about the whole thing. He’s prepared to listen and take it in to the point where he says to Megan, “I know people who’ve been through what you’ve been through. They’ve had experience; they can help us.” But they’re not the sum of their parts.
Cinemax: Does the Reverend think the merge can be stopped?
Philip Glenister: He’s still figuring it out. He’s the one you wouldn’t have expected to be uncertain because he has a headstrong, brimstone-and-fire, mentality, though he’s pulling away from that now. He’s becoming more thoughtful about what it is. Kyle, Giles and the Reverend all have different perspectives on the merge. They know they have to do something about it. They have to work together, but how remains to be seen.