Will Cards is the hit new CW show you never knew you needed! And suppose the crime-solving stylings of con woman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan, Riverdale) and boat/desk duty officer Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Grey’s Anatomy) aren’t enough. In that case, you have Max’s con father, George (Jason Priestley, 90210), helping his baby girl with any contacts and protection she may need.
Nerdophiles had the pleasure of chatting with Jason about his parenting regrets regarding Max, what lies ahead for their relationship if he ever gets out of prison, and more! Read out our conversation here:
On whether George regrets raising Max and bringing her into this criminal fold, Priestley shared: “Well, we address that in episode seven. George has a bit of an existential crisis, thinking that maybe he did bring his daughter into an industry that she shouldn’t be in and didn’t give her a choice. This whole thing is born from a conversation he and Ellis are having. George is a guy who doesn’t trust cops, but after having this conversation, he starts questioning himself. It’s pretty interesting because it shows that George listens when people are talking. While he likes to play tough, he’s a softie at heart.”
On the code of ethics George instilled in Max, Priestley told us: “Max has a strict code of ethics that she lives by, which is admirable. Being able to raise kids with any morality these days is quite a challenge, and apparently, George did pretty well. George probably created a bunch of little rules that the family must follow. When you’re a con person or running a criminal enterprise, it’s easy to get pulled in too deep. George created these rules as safeguards to help keep his wife and daughter away from some of the bad things that could have befallen them.”
On George’s furlough in episode seven, Priestley teased: “George gets furloughed for a few days in episode seven to help Max & Ellis on a case and of course pulls a con with his daughter because that’s what every con person would do, right? I mean, I won’t spoil it, but Max & George pull a con within a con.”
On how George & Max’s relationship continues to expand as the season progresses, Priestley mentioned: “George has such love for his daughter, and he just wants to protect his daughter. Of course, being in prison, it’s tough for him to protect his daughter on the outside. So, he utilizes many of his friends and contacts outside of prison to help look after Max. In a way, he’s using those contacts to keep a watchful eye on her. Whenever she needs something, he can tell her who to talk to, and I think that’s how he shows his love for her. Even though they’re separated, his feelings for his daughter aren’t going to change, but his situation may change. It’s already been revealed that Max has a secret plan to get her dad out of prison, and at the end of the season, there’s a cliffhanger that gets set up for season two that I think you’ll find pretty satisfying.”
On his feelings about this next chapter in his career, Priestley added: “I’m sort of in that next chapter of my career where I’m not the ingenue anymore. I’m now the father, and I’m just glad that my career has been long enough that I’ve been around to transition into this new role. And it’s pretty comfortable, I have to say. I can pop in, dole out some fatherly advice, and then pop out to go home and sleep in my own bed. It’s pretty amazing, I must say!”
New Episodes Of Wild Cards Air On Wednesday Nights On The CW!