MRH: One aspect that must have been difficult for you is finding that fine line between introducing subject matter that’s very disturbing or ugly, but not making it exploitive.

Janis Lundman: Yeah. How do you do that?

MRH: Not making it exploitive and sleazy, and maybe part of that comes from the characters, because they don’t degenerate; they stay true to who they are.

Janis Lundman: They stay true, and again I think this goes back to the wonderful genius of Laurie’s writing where you can take a character like Pen Verrity or a character like Ray Prager or Ivan Sujic (who’s the main antagonist in Season 3), and even though they do horrific things, even though they’re so flawed, you still have a compassion for them.

Sometimes you’re on their side, sometimes you want to give them a big hug, and I think that has a lot to do with Laurie. Of course, after the writing, we all talk about the script – myself and Adrienne and the other directors – and try to always keep the truth and the vision of what we’re talking about, because it is easy to kind of slide off one way or the other, but there’s always somebody behind you watching your back, making sure that your trying to stay close to the truth.

MRH: And one last question. Do you think Mike Sweeney will ever be happy?

Janis Lundman: He’s really happy! He was happy in Season 3! Unfortunately it didn’t last long, but yeah, he was happy! Hugh Dillon is incredible in Season 3 because you really get to see his range where he is happy in his family, and happy in his life, and things are going well - but as I said, it’s Durham County, so it doesn’t last, but it’s there.

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An interview with Season 2 and 3 composer Peter Chapman.