Sandra Oh’s Debbie Grayson has been through the wringer. And in Invincible season three, we really saw her get crushed by the narrative. But, in Invincible season four, Oh teases a little bit of peace for Mark’s long-suffering mother… but not one that lasts. In celebration of the upcoming season of Invincible, Nerdist sat down with Sandra Oh to dive deep into the character of Debbie, how she’s evolved, and where she’s going. You can read the full interview below.
Nerdist: I want to start things off with a bit of a hardball, if you will. Who do you think has done more psychological damage over the course of this series? Nolan or Eve’s dad?
Sandra Oh: That’s a great question because these two central characters, Eve and Mark, when you’re developing a character, and you have time for over multiple seasons, you get to figure out where they come from. When you see where people come from, suddenly their character really, really expands. So the question of who’s done more damage, it’s hard to say.
Yeah, I think it changes episode to episode. But these characters, regardless, they’ve been through the meat grinder repeatedly. And I’m curious for you, what was the vibe like when you stepped into the booth the first day back in season one, compared to when you stepped into the booth in season four?
Oh: It’s just not knowing what’s coming. And that’s like, if you go back, Debbie thought that she had the most perfect relationship. And also that there are bad guys, and you deal with them this way. And obviously, after season one, you realize the thing, the reality that she thought she had, and that she knew… It doesn’t exist at all. And I think that’s just fundamental. And I think for any kind of great storytelling or dramatic great storytelling, it’s like where you start, where you think you are is you have to leave that place.
So then, when you come to the beginning of Invincible season four, she’s gone through such a grind throughout season three that she has a moment of respite because there’s a little bit of peace. She finds herself in a good relationship with Paul. There is a little bit more grounding. She has the boys at home, and people have been healing, but then, and this is a little bit of a spoiler… Then, midway through the season, that changes. She has to deal with her past. She has to deal with that major wound or the betrayal. And so that’s what happens between her and Nolan.
Yeah. I mean, definitely hard when you have Chekhov’s mustache kind of looming large over what everyone in the story. Well, what’s one thing that you think fans will understand differently about Debbie by the end of this season?
Oh: I hope that they will want to go on her journey as she’s trying to figure it all out herself. Through the confrontation, trying to figure out what forgiveness is and what forgiveness means, and if it even exists. Hopefully, fans will think about what they would do themselves would do in those circumstances. Not like, in the same circumstances, but in the circumstances of betrayal and taking responsibility.
One thing I wanted to chat about is there are so many amazing needle drops in this show that really lend a deeper context to the characters, everything that’s going on. I’m curious, for you, is music something that informs your character development process? And if so, are there any songs or artists that you associate with Debbie?
Oh: That’s a great question. I’ll say no. But when I watch the show and as the show and the seasons have progressed, and the show has embraced and continues embracing a really wide range of music and the ability to have different types of music, I really, really like it. There’s a lot of times where it’s like you’ll see a montage and then you’ll have a song. So you don’t necessarily have to have the character speaking or doing stuff to be able to get that emotional feeling. It’s just the juxtaposition of the correct song. It’s a great use of it.
The official synopsis for Invincible shares, “While the world recovers from the global catastrophe of last season, a changed Mark struggles with guilt as he fights to protect his home and the people he loves, setting him on a collision course with a powerful new threat that could alter the fate of humanity forever.“
Invincible season four is now streaming on Prime Video.