Kat Harlton
Photos: Hallmark Media
Based on the Audible global hit podcast of the same name and created by Ken Cuperus, Mistletoe Murders was filmed in Toronto, ON and follows Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy) as Emily Lane, the outwardly friendly, and optimistic shop owner of a charming year-round Christmas-themed store, Under the Mistletoe. However, her inner voice reveals a sardonic sense of humor, cunning intellect, and keen eye for details most people would miss…because Emily has a big secret. Residing in the quaint tourist town of Fletcher’s Grove, Emily finds herself compelled to investigate not-so-quaint local murders. And when Emily begins her personal investigations, Detective Sam Wilner (Peter Mooney, Rookie Blue, Saving Hope), a smart and attractive local cop – with a crush on Emily that is not completely unrequited – begins to wonder if there’s more to Emily than meets the eye.
Mistletoe Murders, Season 2 will premiere Friday, November 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on W Network and STACKTV as a part of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas.
I had the opportunity to chat with Peter about his role, what he hopes the audience connects with and what’s next.
Kat: Detective Sam Wilner walks the line between local lawman and romantic interest, how do you approach balancing those two sides of his personality?
Peter: That’s one of my favourite parts of this job. I think with any character, it’s important to remember that they aren’t just what they do professionally. Anyone’s job informs their life outside of it, and certain personalities gravitate towards certain professions, but everyone is multifaceted and different aspects of our personalities come to the fore depending on the circumstances. What’s fun about playing Sam is how much time he spends in two contradictory modes. When he’s with Emily, solving a crime, he’s wrestling with those two things. The fun is in deciding which one wins in any given scene.
Kat: In Season 2, we get to see Sam dig deeper into both the town’s mysteries and his connection with Emily. What new layers of Sam are you excited for audiences to see?
Peter: It’s fun for audiences to get to know a little more about Sam as a dad. Not just in his relationship with Violet, but in how that informs his relationships with everyone else — most especially Emily. At first, Emily’s clearly a plus in his daughter’s life. But as the mystery of who she really is continues to develop, he begins to worry that she might be a danger. Seeing him wrestle with the pull between what he wants and his drive to protect his daughter will be fun for audiences.
Kat: You’ve played your share of strong, grounded characters, from Rookie Blue to Saving Hope. What sets Sam apart from your past roles?
Peter: Sam’s at a different phase in his life. Trying to juggle being a single parent and a detective in a small town with an unusually high murder rate means he’s always in a balancing act. In a way, things were simpler for Nick in Rookie Blue or Bishop in Saving Hope. They had a more singular focus on the intersection of their careers and love lives. But they were a little younger then. I’d love to think of where they are now. Is Nick settled down somewhere? Did he get a promotion? Is he working as a detective while trying to juggle getting the kids to hockey on time?
Kat: The series mixes Hallmark’s warmth with a hint of crime drama. How did that tone shape the way you played your scenes?
Peter: That’s another balancing act. The creator and show runner, Ken Cuperus, does an excellent job of baking the tone into the script, so we’re only having to do the fine calibrating on the day on set. The mysteries themselves have a bit of a classic Agatha Christie-ness to them, which helps keep the tone in the right lane — neither too gruesome nor too light or silly. Just real twists and turns, to keep the audience guessing and still leave room for us to find all the moments of human connection in between.
Kat: Sarah Drew’s Emily and your Sam have a slow-burn chemistry. What was it like developing that relationship on screen this season?
Peter: Their relationship goes deeper this season. There was a bit of a cooling and some distance between them after season one. But when they come back together this season, they have to face the choice to either open up a little more and let each other in, or call it. But these darn murders keep forcing them together. Working with Sarah is great. I think there are two sure-fire ways to have great chemistry on set. You either have to really hate your coworker or really like them. Lucky for me, we’re safely in the latter and we have a great time filming. We laugh a lot. And I think that comes across to the audience. The thing with any show that you hope to continue for a long time is that you never want to make it too easy for your main couple to come together. The obstacles are what make it fun to watch, and the chemistry is the fuel to make sure you can keep it going through all those ups and downs.
Kat: The show’s filmed in Toronto, did you enjoy returning to shoot in your home country? Any favorite behind-the-scenes memories from set?
Peter: I love shooting in Toronto. Most of my career has been there, and I consider it home as much as LA. We shoot the Fletchers Grove Main Street exteriors on a back lot that was originally built for the show Reacher just outside of Pickering. Everyone hates it. The road in gets muddy, and all the drivers’ cars get covered in it. It’s a pain to run cable, and thunderstorms forced us to shut down the generators and pause filming a bunch of times in season one. Getting the gear in and out is a nightmare. It’s hot and shadeless and dusty and gross… and I love it. I think I’m the only one who’s thrilled when we’re there. I walk around taking pictures between set-ups or on lunch (once or twice… or three times, accidentally wandering into the background of a shot I’m not in). The trailers are set up alongside an open field, and since we’re often there shooting night scenes, our lunch will frequently be around sunset, and the view is always spectacular. Most people love being in the studio. But I go a little loopy in a dark box where you don’t know what time of day or night it is. Give me a day on the road — even if that means driving to Pickering at rush hour — and I’m happy.
Kat: Since Mistletoe Murders started as a podcast, did you check out the audio version before filming, or did you prefer to come to it fresh?
Peter: I didn’t. I was tempted, and I’ve been tempted since, but I did want to approach it fresh. There’s a great cast, and my friend Mairi Babb has co-directed a bunch of the episodes, so I will definitely listen to it sometime after I hang up my badge.
Kat: Sam seems to have a knack for finding trouble in the most festive places, how do you think he’d actually handle a real Christmas in Fletcher’s Grove?
Peter: Violet spends Christmas with her mom in the city, so Sam is usually alone. He loves the season, loves the lead up, but I think without Emily and a couple of dead bodies it would be a lonely time for him — just a turkey sandwich, reruns of It’s A Wonderful Life and a couple heavily spiked ‘nogs.
Kat: The series really leans into the “cozy mystery” genre, why do you think audiences love seeing that mix of crime and comfort?
Peter: If you go all in on the cozy, it’s hard to find stakes and keep the story propulsive and engaging. If you go all in on the mystery and murder, it can get a little dark for some people. There’s a bit of alchemy when you put the two together. It’s a messy time, and I think there’s real comfort in watching someone untangle a knot and make a little order out of the chaos.
Kat: Finally, if you could describe Season 2 in three words, without giving away any spoilers, what would they be?
Peter: WHO. IS. EMILY.