SPOILER ALERT:This post contains spoilers for thePachinkoSeason 2 finale.
And thats where you understand why we told the story in the way we did.
Thats always been the plan.
Lee Minho as Hansu and Tae Ju Kang as Noa in ‘Pachinko’ Season 2Apple TV+
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Ellenberg and Kang spoke with Deadline ahead of the Season 2 finales launch.
MICHAEL ELLENBERG:From the beginning, Soo presented this multi-season vision for the show from the outset.
And we pitched that when we first went to Apple.
Anna Sawai as Naomi in ‘Pachinko’ Season 2
So that became a story.
Soo wanted to lean into more.
This brief romance between the two of them [that] emerged.
And everyone gets moments of joy and moments of elation and moments of freedom this year.
Lets go deeper on character.
THERESA KANG:It was also amping up the scale from Season 1 to Season 2.
Season 1 is a family story and its about immigration.
Season 2 is a sweeping love story against a massive world war.
Season Three, even bigger things to come.
Soo knows what the show is every season, even more and more.
And she won an Emmy.
Were excited already thinking about, how do we amp that up, even for Season 3?
How do we electrify even further?
Were always thinking of different ways to do that in this unique canvas that we have.
How does that factor into the conversation aroundPachinko?
Is there a wayPachinkocan still hit likeShogunhas?
ELLENBERG:Pachinkogoes in dialogue with the culture now.
We have relatively unknown actors whove now popped into Emmy-winning sensations on this spectacular show likeShogun.
This is not There should only be one.
SoShogunhopefully begets more projects, as well asPachinkohas.
Theresa spearheaded bringing Rose in.
So you also have global superstars entering our show who are just feeling it.
Korean pop star moving into a single career pulls Coldplay song.
Soo wanted to pull a Coldplay song in.
Coldplay was so excited to have the song in the show, and that entered our world.
When youre introducing new voices, new creators, and new stories.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
Parts of the Shogun team.
Why did you shoot Vancouver?
We looked at some of their directors, they looked at some of our key creatives too.
Its exciting for us as producers, but we feel were also part of that global creative grouping.
Were excited for all of them.
DEADLINE:Theresa, could you tell me more about the Coldplay song?
Lets figure it out, then it kind of came back around that idea.
So we reached out to Rose and her managers at the Black Label, and they were really supportive.
She went in multiple times of her own choice because she wanted it to be perfect.
And when we first heard her version of the cover song, we were floored.
It was so emotionally powerful, vulnerable and strong and memorable.
Were excited for everyone to hear the full version of her song in the finale.
ELLENBERG:We love the title sequence.
Like, thats what they wish they were doing all the time.
The title sequence isnt fiction.
Its like their inner desires.
Its not an alternative, its a part of them they cant express.
And to interlace Korean pop music sensibility and Rose committed to it.
She didnt turn into a pop song.
She actually brought it more down to earth and more soulful.
Its a fairly fearless group of people.
They go through tough stuff, God knows, they endure.
Sometimes they thrive, but we dont like to be as tough and strong as they are.
ELLENBERG:There are spoilers involved so Theresa and Ill be cautious around it.
Noas journey is incredibly powerful.
It echoes his mothers, echoes Solomons, but its its own distinct thing.
Hes an intellect, hes passionate.
It turns out his biological father, is a much less noble figure than he thought.
He also realizes hes been lied to and so hes in a fundamental and profound identity crisis.
Next season, well see him have a go at see if he can define himself without his past.
And so Noas gonna take the radical path to say, maybe I can escape my past altogether.
DEADLINE:Generational struggle is another recurring theme this season.
Is there more to Mozasus story with the plotline of his feud with Yoshi this season?
And are you going to choose your own path?
Are you going to go down one that one of your ancestors did?
Theres a lot of this.
Hansus in response to his past.
You kind of see that fantasy play out both ways, its power, but its pain as well.
Sunja as our lead, is the most constant.
And its really hard.
Solomons a man of reinvention.
He now has some American in him.
Hes ingested a big dose of American can-doism.
So what does that look like in the late 80s Japan?
All these impulses are in all of us.
At various times, most of us get to live a piece of everyone in the show.
Why do you need that third season to wrap this up?
What do you want to hit home in that third season?
ELLENBERG:I think Soo should define what the final season is.
There are so many cliffhangers.
Solomon has become a real mother-effer.
Hansu is heartbroken and thought he had just made it all work, and now he hasnt.
Hows he gonna respond?
Were full of cliffhangers.
Theres plenty left to explore with all these people and also that it gets closer to now.
KANG:if were lucky enough to do a season three.
