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Which makes the shows third season all the more tragic.
Judy doesnt want to be a burden, but Jen wont stand for it.
And yet the worst still occurs.
Judys diagnosis is terminal.
She accepts it, but Jen refuses to.
Shes finally free as a bird.
What was she, for you, during that time?Christina would do the same for me.
I think thats what friends are for.
We were lucky enough to be friends and be there doing it all together.
Is this something you feel she was finally able to experience?I do.
I think thats a really important point.
She has always been searching for that feeling.
She definitely finds that in the most unlikely place with Jen, the person whose husband she killed.
Her whole life, shes looked for that kind of love.
Jen does that for her.
They both need each other.
Its a really incredible love letter to friendship.
When Judy told Jen, You filled a hole in my heart, I was a wreck.
I know thats an overused way of saying it, but its true for them.
They compliment each other, they help each other, and they lean on each other.
Thats what great friends do.
I think that unconditional love is something Judy never really felt like she had.
No matter how messy it is.
you might never quite put your finger on exactly why you love somebody.
The same goes with friendship.
I still have a lot of the same friends that Ive had since I was born or in kindergarten.
Sometimes we go a while without seeing each other because were living very different lives.
But when we do get back together, its as if weve always been there.
You know that persons soul somehow, and that doesnt go away.
Thats the really magical part of true friendship.
You cant take everybody along with you every single day even though you wish you could.
Well be friends forever.
That bond is real, and it will stay.
Its also nice to say good-bye to it before its overstayed its welcome.
For whatever reason, when she latches on to Jen, she does not let go.
She only ever lets go and relents in any way when Jen tells her to leave.
Im always rooting for them.
Judy is always coming from a place of love.
Thats just kind of who she is.
Unfortunately, some of her help is very misguided.
Thats how you make your biggest mistakes.
Its just an inexplicable thing that happens with the chemistry of life.
On paper, some people shouldnt go together.
But when they meet, it can be a totally different story.
I remember she turned to me one day and said, I think Im going to be doing this.
And I thought,Oh!
What I didnt anticipate was the idea of Judy thinking it was somebody elses diagnosis at first.
Shes gotten this horrible news.
And in the same moment as shes processing that, shes truly so relieved that it isnt her friend.
That says a lot about what it’s crucial that you know about who Judy is.
Shed rather it be her than Jen.
Was any aspect of Judys journey altered during the five months production shutdown?Story-wise, no.
We had shot almost half of the season at that point, but it was all out of order.
We shot something from nearly every episode.
So we were already sort of set on that course.
Luckily, it worked out in the way that it didnt need to be changed.
Have you given much thought to what Judy was chosen for?I have.
Judy was chosen to reaffirm Jens hope in life.
Because when you first meet Jen, shes pretty angry and sad.
But by the end of the series, Jen has changed.
A lot of that has to do with what they went through and how they went through it together.
It ends on a hopeful note with new life.
How has Judy changed?Shes definitely more honest.
Judy doesnt like to be alone that much, and she goes off on her own in the end.
I think thats a really strong choice for her.
We always laugh that Judy has this whole other double life that you would never know.
I think thats one of the most interesting things her mother says about her: You dont know Judy.
So theres always this question mark about how reliable our narrators are.
I think thats a huge moment for her growth and her strength being a defender.
Have you ever tried to fill in those question marks with a backstory for Judy?Oh, yeah.
Me and Christina have all kinds of theories.
Ill come up to Liz and I go, I think its this.
Shes like, No.
What theories do you have?Sometimes I come up with things just to play around with Liz.
Something like, We find a time capsule right before Judy dies.
A really fun thing that she and Jen went to do, trying to give Judy extra life.
In case we want to revisit Judy, we just find that time capsule buried somewhere.
How did you interpret Judys ending?
Liz definitely left it ambiguous on purpose, so I wouldnt want to speak to her creative decisions.
I think its wise because it ends on a cliffhanger, likeDead to Mealways does.
Theres still some loose ends there.
Its funny because Judy and Ben have a lot of similarities.
Its very realistic to think,Oh, she would end up with Ben because theyre similar.
Theyre both kind of vulnerable and messy and willing to do things for other people.
She was like,Never mind.
Probably as far as she can remember.
But you cant really get away from anguish and grief if you love people.
Is Judy staying in Mexico for good?
Or maybe lurking around Laguna on occasion?I think all of those things are absolutely possible.
Theres a line in an earlier season when Judy says, Oh, this is my very favorite dress.
So we made sure that Judy was wearing her very favorite dress for that moment.
Judys wardrobe was a huge thing.
We really concentrated on that piece of her with our wardrobe designer.
When you do lose somebody, you always hear them.
When somebody does leave, theres a hole.
Theres something that you cant quite explain.
you could only feel.
How is Judys wardrobe emblematic of who she is?Judy doesnt like to wear pants.
I always said its because Judy doesnt really like to wear underwear.
She likes to be free, so shes always wearing skirts.
Judys an accessorizer, more so than I am.
I think all of those pieces have memories for her.
Theres a freedom to the way she dresses, but theres also sort of this eclectic version of it.
Theres a light and airy way about it.
Even in the darkest of times, shes trying to lift herself up.
Tell me more about what it was like to film the finale with Christina.
Did you both luxuriate at that beach house for as long as possible?I wish.
A lot of that was shot out of sequence.
We didnt get to go to Mexico, but we went to other beachy places in California.
The funny thing is we started getting to know each other back in the first season on the beach.
Theres a scene where Jen and Judy are talking and smoking a joint on a beach.
We didnt even go back to our trailers.
Even though it was freezing, we would just put a blanket on and keep going.
Wed just sit there, laugh, talk, and bond.
I think the same thing happens in that final season when were sitting on the beach.
When we werent shooting, we just hung out as much as we could.
Ill admit, I thought that Jen was going to name her baby Judy.
And then I was immediately reprimanded with this isnt a Hallmark movie.Yeah, right?
It also might be a nod to their favorite show,The Facts of Life.
Were there any other endings considered for Judy?I really dont think so.
Liz always talks about the themes of the show being grief, loss, friendship, and forgiveness.
I would also addwine as the fifth theme.Oh, of course.
