This is not a straight-ahead relationship, Rees said.
Its kind of a queer relationship for me.
Its not supposed to be.
Below, the writers break down an important scene of bonding between Ronsel and Jamie.
VIRGIL WILLIAMS:This scene is decidedly not in the book [by Hillary Jordan].
I need an answer to that question: What happened to Jamie when he was at war?
Within that scene, those guys have a forbidden friendship.
If you go back and watch it, tracking their scenes, theyre not close at all physically.
In that barn, they start to get closer and closer to each other.
So I like the questioning and calling out of dishonesty.
WILLIAMS:Id rather show, not tell.
Its an old cliche, but thats a movie moment.
One of my tasks in adapting this novel, which is super novelistic, and make it a film.
I needed movie scenes to do this, moments that make your eyes big and make you lean forward.
But its still kind of fragile, and its still in a way self medicating.
Jamie is falling into Ronsel because he needs an ear.
If he werent, I dont think hed give Ronsel a second thought.
Its playing on the edge of that.
WILLIAMS:I write TV primarily, and I do so much hand-holding in my TV writing.
Audiences are really sophisticated.
Youre still going to see that pilot.
REES:It goes further with the next time in the barn with these guys.
Jamie asks that deadly question, Have you ever been with a white girl?
For me, that felt like a trust fall in a way.
