Spoiler alert!
The tip of Energy E book IV: Pressure Season 2 Episode 10 was epic. A quick-paced hour with loads of jaw-dropping moments, the ultimate hour put a profound exclamation level on a profitable second effort.
The center and soul of the sequence lies with Tommy Egan, its principal participant and the supply of so many riveting moments all through the season and in its remaining moments. And we have been thrilled to get a while with the magnetic Joseph Sikora to speak about all of it.
From Tommy and Diamond’s partnership to Tommy’s relationship woes and his appreciation for showrunner Gary Lennon, we lined loads of floor on this informative chat.
This one’s for you, Energy Pressure fanatics!
I needed to start out with Tommy and Diamond as a result of that was a central dynamic within the second season. Their partnership labored out, however one thing was lacking between the 2 of them.
I do not know if it is a stage of mistrust or what it could be, however are you able to speak about their evolution as companions this season and why it seems like they can not fully belief each other?
Properly, I feel a part of that comes from Tommy being sensible sufficient to see the chinks in individuals’s armor and the familiarity that they share is that household. Is there a chink within the armor that they have an inclination to make errors by those that they love?
And identical to Tommy, in the end, when he went to conflict along with his personal brother in Ghost, solely to understand that that is who he liked most on this planet. I feel that he sees that with the Sampson brothers.
So, he realizes that he is by no means going to be on the extent of those brothers as a result of Diamond has made strikes that will not essentially have benefited him, however they profit the Sampson brothers.
However I feel that Tommy — in contrast to Tommy within the Energy present when Ghost would say, “Assume Tommy,” Tommy would get annoyed as a result of he did not need to assume; he simply needed to behave.
Diamond says to Tommy, “Assume Tommy,” and Tommy simply seems to be at him as a result of Tommy is considering now.
And Gary Lennon has carried out an unimaginable job of bringing Tommy again and percolating that a part of Tommy that’s Ghost. And so now Tommy is considering two and three steps forward as a result of it was dormant in Tommy. It all the time existed, identical to Ghost stated, “We’re two sides of the identical coin.”
There’s Tommy and Ghost, and there may be Ghost and Tommy. Now Tommy is having to manifest the Ghost that is all the time been there.
That is so true. And when Diamond stated within the finale, “It isn’t all about you, Tommy,” I used to be like, “However is not it?”
As a result of Tommy, although they’re partnered, although he is part of CBI, and he is introduced all these items such as you simply stated, there are the Sampson brothers, after which there may be Tommy.
Moving into the connection with Mireya, Tommy’s been unfortunate in love all through the Energy sequence, however he appeared to search out this real connection. What about Mireya and their connection, that relationship, do you assume actually enticed Tommy?
I feel that as a result of, in loads of methods, she’s a fairly attention-grabbing stability of each of his former massive loves, and that will be Holly Weaver and Lakeisha Grant. And she or he’s like Holly in the best way that they’re magnets to one another.
Regardless of themselves, they can not hold their arms off of one another, and so they cannot avoid one another although they know higher.
They each know higher. Tommy is aware of that for girls he loves, dangerous issues occur, and this has been constant. She is aware of that anyone she will get concerned with in the end ends of their demise due to her brother, and but they can not say no to one another.
And I feel that is very relatable as a result of we, as people, are idiots, and love is blind. Actually, that is the place it comes from.
But additionally, identical to Lakeisha was from round the best way, from the neighborhood, she was comfy. Equally, Mireya is from that world. Despite the fact that she’s not a part of the life, she’s a part of that world. She could not assist it. So, she understands Tommy in a means that lots of people would not.
Identical to Lakeisha understood Tommy in a means as a result of they’re from the identical neighborhood, in a means that many individuals would not.
I feel that is a really engaging stability, and I really like that Gary has set it up like that as a result of it is true. And Carmela Zumbado, who performs Mireya, I feel she’s nice.
It is all the time prefer it’s regardless of herself. She’s like, “Goddamn it, Tommy.”
Very true. And all through the season, we see Mireya pushing him away like, “We should not do that.”
And he is identical to, “It will be high quality. It will be high quality,” then the season ends along with her lacking and Miguel discovering out, Miguel taking her.
Do you assume Tommy could have underestimated Miguel?
Completely. Completely. I feel he underestimated Miguel, and I feel that, form of such as you have been mentioning earlier than, he is underestimating Jenard as effectively. And a part of it, I feel that he thinks that he is obtained such a deal with on Jenard and Shanti Showstopper.
I feel Jenard reminds Tommy of Tommy, fast to violence, utilizing his personal provide — undoubtedly the addict mentality.
However then I feel, what curiously, what Gary Lennon did once more is we had loads of wins for Tommy, gradual and onerous, however wins till Tommy obtained just a little sloppy.
He is kissing Mireya outdoors of the residence. He is making these small errors which can be changing into vital. The FBI, the regulation is on them.
So it is just a bit bit like Ghost once more, hubris, “I am too sensible, I am too untouchable.”
However that is while you’re touchable, and that is when Gary ripped the carpet out from beneath Tommy’s ft, and Tommy loses the woman and will presumably lose the entire deal.
I additionally liked that they made Tommy query his mortality in a means that he virtually by no means has, when he was watching his mom OD and die presumably, and never a lot like JP thought he was simply going to let her die. However he did not notice that this was a real stultification.
He could not transfer. He was processing his mortality.
And I all the time say that Tommy lives as a result of he wakes up every single day able to die. However then we noticed this different distinction in Tommy’s armor, and Deon Taylor did a powerful job directing that.
He is like, “No, I want extra. I must see that complete relationship because you have been a child. I must see you while you walked in in your mom having intercourse with two males.”
All these items that Deon would say, you are identical to, “Whoa.” However he is like, “I want it. I want extra. It must be that vital of a second,” and I feel that we obtained it.
No, I really like that you just simply introduced that up as a result of I used to be going to ask you what was going by Tommy’s head in that second, which you simply described to me.
However I additionally thought it was very attention-grabbing that on the finish of Energy E book IV: Pressure Season 1, Tommy’s watching D-Mac and JP and Kate within the hospital, and he is them, and so they’re laughing, and it is just like the household he by no means had. However on the finish of this season, it is the exact opposite.
Do you assume there may very well be hope for reconciliation there, and the place do you assume the breakdown was in the best way that the household resulted in season two?
Once more, I liked it. I am unable to say sufficient fantastic issues about having Gary Lennon again and what a beautiful storyteller he’s. Let’s additionally give some flowers to Joe ‘Jody’ Williams, our cinematographer and our director of images all through this season.
One million lovely photos and an unimaginable consistency, together with when the door shuts on Tommy on the hospital after JP says, “You are not a part of this household anymore.”
I feel that that was one other splendidly directed scene by Deon Taylor as effectively as a result of Deon stated, “What I need to be seeing is you having to make the choice of, ‘if I can simply get in there, I can save my household,’ however you do not.”
Tommy would not. Tommy chooses the streets. Tommy chooses this different life. Once more, this can be a alternative. And he is like, “I obtained to see that alternative. I obtained to see it. And he advised me one million issues. I would like you to assume as quick as you possibly can have these ideas.”
So what that actually helped create was the impact of when a tire goes quick, so quick, it virtually seems to be prefer it’s going backwards.
That second was simply, once more, a really nonetheless second, however there have been one million ideas going by my thoughts of, “Simply let me in there, simply let me see JP, simply let me see D-Mac. I’ve obtained my nephew, my household, and my mom’s alive. I am going to decide on this different factor.”
So there needed to be that thick battle.
I additionally love that it is a glass door. So, Tommy, it is not prefer it’s only a door, and I can flip and stroll away, and no matter’s taking place there may be taking place there.
It is a glass door. And I feel, very symbolically, which means you continue to have to observe this as a result of Gary wasn’t letting Tommy get to have his cake and eat it, too.
He is not saying you possibly can stay on this glorified villainous life-style, nonetheless have every part, and have issues be good and dainty. You’re going to be out of affection. You’re going to be out of luck, and you are going to be out of life. So these are your solely choices.
And we watched that on Tommy, and loads of that’s mirrored in that face.
I considered that, too, with the glass. I used to be like, he is obtained to look in and see what he is misplaced, primarily, in that precise second.
Yeah, you’ve got obtained it. That is it.
I assumed Tommy’s progress this season, from Energy E book IV: Pressure Season 1 to Energy E book IV: Pressure Season 2, was fascinating.
As a result of in season one, he was coming in, getting his ft moist, and determining what he would do in Chicago, and this season, he cemented himself.
Might you describe Tommy’s progress from season one to season two and the place we go away him?
I can do it in two phrases: Gary Lennon. It is true, really. I imply, he is a grasp storyteller. Plus, he actually developed the voice of Tommy.
When he got here in, in season two, he actually introduced a lot of his personal life, being from the west facet of Manhattan, being from Hell’s Kitchen, having his brothers be gangsters in actual life, and simply creating that complete Tommy vernacular and really feel to it.
So, to have Gary again, I virtually felt like I used to be dishonest typically as a result of it was like I did half the lifting as a result of it was already there on the web page.
He’ll memorize the storytelling-wise. It was so nice. And it was additionally having my accomplice again.
So, it was like Gary is, identical to Ghost all the time stated, “Tommy and Ghost are two sides of the identical coin.” The Tommy character is one half Joseph Sikora, one half Gary Lennon.
***This interview has been edited.***
Whitney Evans is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.
