SPOILER ALERT: This story comprises spoilers for the Season 2 finale of “9 Good Strangers,” now streaming on Hulu.

The friends who attended Masha Dmitrichenko’s (Nicole Kidman) therapeutic retreat within the Austrian Alps for Season 2 of Hulu’s “9 Good Strangers” checked out after July 2 season finale having confronted as much as their respective traumas — with the assistance of some unconventional periods ceaselessly involving Masha’s particular mix of psychedelic medication.

To run down the place the assorted characters ended up within the finale, troubled couple Wolfie (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) and Tina (King Princess) cut up, however Tina regained her need to play piano; disgraced former youngsters’s TV host Brian (Murray Bartlett) stated goodbye to the puppet that linked him to his previous whereas discovering a brand new BFF in compassionate former nun Agnes (Dolly de Leon); whereas Victoria (Christine Baranski) and daughter Imogen (Annie Murphy) mended fences and Imogen made future plans to fulfill up with rich Peter (Henry Golding) sooner or later.

Nonetheless, the connection between Masha and billionaire David Sharpe (Mark Sturdy) resulted in a extra combative place. As Kidman informed Selection, “It’s prefer it’s solely simply starting.” Earlier within the season, Masha had knowledgeable David that her lifeless daughter Tatiana was additionally his youngster from their tryst years earlier, and this confession helps her heal from the loss. However that wasn’t Masha’s solely bombshell since she explains to the friends that David was delivered to the retreat to additionally face all of them. “It’s an enchanting premise that Masha has organized this group of individuals understanding that every one of them, as you discover out within the remaining episode, have been affected by this man,” Sturdy says.

As a type of penance for wronging them, David tells the group that his firm will get out of the weapons manufacturing enterprise, however Masha finds out he’s mendacity. Getting the final snigger, she releases a really public A.I.-produced video during which David publicly states that his firm can be doing simply that, establishing a enjoyable remaining scene — in a McDonald’s, no much less — to wrap up the season.  

Right here, Kidman and Sturdy speak about that final scene in a sure golden-arched fast-food restaurant, the possibilities for a Season 3 and simply how far they’ll go for his or her artwork when strolling in snow and plunging into ice water is concerned.

My most vital query, had been you in an actual McDonald’s within the season’s remaining scene?

Nicole Kidman: Yeah, we completely had been. Simply outdoors of Berlin.

Nicole, you had been consuming by means of a straw from a McDonald’s cup within the scene. Was it an precise McDonald’s milkshake?

Kidman: Yeah, chocolate.

Mark Sturdy: Come lunchtime, all people simply tucked into the McDonald’s. It’s on a sort of property outdoors of Berlin, like a drive go close to a motorway. There was nothing round, actually. It’s an odd location in the course of nowhere, however apparently, it’s a really profitable McDonald’s.

Kidman: However isn’t that nice that we will say that we really had been there?

Sure! Now that we’ve obtained that out of the best way, how was it working remotely on the present within the Austrian Alps? Had been you up there nearly all of the time?

Kidman: No, if you do an eight-part collection, you’re shifting backwards and forwards and altering, as a result of we had been taking pictures chunks of every episode. It’s an enormous scheduling factor, however we had been fortunate as a result of we had our showrunner and director, Jonathan Levine, who simply managed all of it after which Anthony Byrne, who was the opposite director. We solely had two administrators, and they’re each very cinematic, which is nice. We had been shifting round quite a bit, however we had been positively up in these Austrian Alps.

Mark, how was it so that you can be filming up there?

Sturdy: It was nice. I used to be positively strolling barefoot by means of the snow, it was lovely. All over the place you appeared if you’re up within the mountains like that, 360 levels, Austria is a phenomenal nation. It made the efficiency component simply really easy, as a result of it was breathtaking.

When the 2 of you do the ice plunge outdoors after strolling by means of the present earlier within the season, was that the actual deal?

Sturdy: Ought to we inform him?

Kidman: A part of the ice plunge is actual, however the precise within the water was on a stage as a result of I believe we might have died.

Sturdy: It was as heat as a shower.

Kidman: Yeah, we might have, but it surely’s not even viable to shoot for half a day.

Sturdy: They wouldn’t permit you to do this anyway.

Kidman: There’s no manner, however we might have finished it as a result of strolling within the snow and strolling as much as it and every part, that was all actual. We had been barefoot in that snow, strolling alongside, which I didn’t discover too laborious, which is so bizarre.

Sturdy: However I used to be fortunate, as a result of I used to be with you and also you had been like, “I’m going to stroll within the snow for this size of time.” Since you’ve finished it sufficient to know that if we simply maintain doing it and doing it, we had been going to get frostbite.

Kidman: You then lose your foot. So, we’ll do something for artwork, however not that.

Mark, how did you go about constructing David’s relationship along with his son, Peter, and constructing that with Henry over the season? Did you have got time to actually work on that?

Sturdy: That’s the loopy factor, you need to immediately bond with anyone and you need to create this historical past for yourselves instantly. I hadn’t met Henry earlier than then, and now, I imply, we really dwell fairly close to one another in London, so we’ve develop into actually good buddies. He’s such a beautiful man and such actor. We simply obtained off to a flying begin and it wasn’t troublesome.

Kidman: And for Mark and I, we’ve labored collectively earlier than [in 2014’s “Before I Go to Sleep”], so we already had this historical past and we had been very relaxed with one another, which was unbelievable. That did make it a lot simpler, didn’t it, Mark?

Sturdy: Completely. I used to be nervous that you’d be frightened since you’d need to be intimate with some man, and I assumed as a result of we labored collectively that you just’d need to kind of say “OK” to who you’re going to finish up filming with for Episode 5. I felt very, very honored.

Kidman: I don’t have that sort of management. I simply assume as a result of we’d already labored collectively, you simply instantly fall into one another. It’s weird, you have got a rhythm in the event you get alongside and also you’re ready simply to have that quick ease so that you don’t need to work for it. Typically, as you say, you’re thrown into it, and also you don’t have that so then you really want the rehearsal. However as a result of we already had that, that was one thing we may depend on.

Sturdy: It was very straightforward.

Nicole, Masha does appear to come back to an emotional conclusion and actually accepts her daughter’s demise, and possibly she’s finished with this a part of her grieving. Is that the way you performed it?  

Kidman: Sure, and in addition, Masha selecting to have David come was very intentional. There was a purpose for the entire trajectory to the present, as you see in the best way during which it performs out. There’s a cat and mouse to them, however they’re additionally intertwined without end as a result of that they had a baby. And that was part of closure for her, and having the ability to transfer ahead.

Sturdy: It’s an enchanting premise that Masha has organized this group of individuals understanding that every one of them, as you discover out within the remaining episode, have been affected by this man who can be the man that she has had a daughter with that he doesn’t know. It’s an unimaginable setup to deliver all people there, and to deliver David there and to make the reveal that they’ve a daughter collectively. And to even have a drug that permits them to return to the time to once they met, after which to have that ending the place Masha tells all people, “OK, this man is the supply of all of your issues.”

Kidman: However, additionally, it’s wanting David to just accept some kind of culpability but in addition be free and possibly have a greater relationship along with his son and have a greater relationship with the place he’s. Masha is all about getting by means of one thing and changing into extra linked, not about changing into much less and never about punishment, however about change. She believes you’ll be able to heal and alter, but it surely’s gonna be painful.

Nicole, after Martin (Lucas Englander) tries to kill Masha within the finale, she nonetheless forgives him and doesn’t punish him in any respect. Do you assume she would have finished {that a} week earlier earlier than all these occasions?

Kidman: It’s all about forgiveness. Masha is shifting by means of trauma, shifting by means of issues. Her coronary heart is in the suitable place. She’s obtained her personal issues however she’s at all times attempting to develop, be taught, broaden and assist individuals. She’s not about attempting to destroy. She needs individuals to broaden their horizons when it comes to their emotional panorama, their therapeutic panorama. However she’s nonetheless human. She’s not a God, so she has the human foibles.

All of the friends get some kind of completely satisfied ending of types. Was that at all times the plan?

Kidman: Sure, and that’s what occurred within the first season, as effectively. There’s no wreaking havoc. There’s wreaking havoc throughout it. You’re gonna stroll by means of hearth, however on the opposite facet, we’ll see the place we find yourself.

Mark, did you play David as somebody who needs to alter however possibly doesn’t know the way? At one level within the finale, he says he has modified, however I didn’t actually imagine him.

Sturdy: He’s very boastful and really assured originally. He doesn’t really feel there’s something that he’s obtained to be taught right here and there’s nothing that Masha can educate him. He’s completely pleased with who he’s and, clearly, his journey is that he learns quite a bit about himself, his relationship along with his son and his relationship to Masha, the truth that he’s a father. All of these issues are huge revelations for him. And as Nic says, “It’s not an Agatha Christie story.” It’s not that she’s blaming him. The individual that wants probably the most assistance is him. They’ve all come voluntarily understanding they’ve points, however he’s turned up and he’s pretending that there’s no drawback.

Kidman: And he has a crap relationship along with his son, however the remaining scene is what I believe is so attention-grabbing, as a result of then it’s nonetheless recreation on. It’s ain’t over. It’s prefer it’s solely simply starting — ‘til demise do us half.

Is there a hope that Season 3 will come round so that you two can play collectively some extra?

Kidman: I imply, proper now, we’re simply getting this on the market. This was such a juggernaut of a collection to make and to launch and simply to get it on the market, you already know? I solely have the bandwidth to think about right here and now, sorry to say.

If budgets and schedules weren’t an element, the place would you wish to shoot Season 3?

Sturdy: I really like the transfer from California to the Alps. That’s such a superb concept since you’re in a light-weight, heat area, and you then’re going to every part the Alps has to supply. It may be mild snow, but it surely may also be very spooky. I suppose I considered this, and the one different locations I may consider had been the jungle, like Costa Rica or one thing like that, you already know?

Kidman: Oh, wow. I like it. I’d like to be within the jungle!

This interview has been edited and condensed.