[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Poppa’s House Season 1 Episode 13, “Graduation.”]
Even therapists have their relationship struggles. Viewers obtained to know Dr. Ivy Reed (Essence Atkins) on a deeper stage within the Monday, March 3, episode of Poppa’s Home. The Ivy-focused episode noticed Ivy’s ex-husband, David (performed by Walker‘s Coby Bell, a former costar of Atkins’), unexpectedly reappear with the hopes to reconnect, and it welcomed Ivy’s mom, Felicia (performed by visitor star Ella Joyce). Each of those difficult relationships served to deepen Ivy’s backstory, one outlined by relationship struggles that impressed her to make huge modifications in her life.
However like so many people, Ivy couldn’t assist however slip again into previous habits underneath her mom and David’s affect. Ivy’s loneliness made her foolishly assume that her ex had lastly modified and was able to be trustworthy. In actuality, the previous NFL participant was making an attempt to make use of her and had no intentions of being monogamous — he couldn’t even keep trustworthy throughout the identical social gathering the place he requested her to get again collectively.
Poppa (Damon Wayans) caught David in his lies and uncovered him to Ivy to guard his pal. These colleagues began off hating one another, however they’ve been slowly and sweetly getting nearer as the primary season of Poppa’s Home has performed out. There are 5 episodes left in Season 1, and we sense a romance brewing between Ivy and Poppa. Atkins can’t out-right say what’s forward, however she tells TV Insider that this relationship is happening “a journey that the viewers will get pleasure from” within the subsequent episodes. “The event of their relationship, I really feel, has been notably genuine in that it hasn’t felt rushed…I’ll say that you must watch and see how the connection develops, and I believe that the viewers will adore it.”
Right here, Atkins breaks down Ivy’s huge episode with TV Insider.
This episode may be very Ivy-focused. Her ex-husband seems, and this provides us a take a look at her susceptible aspect, which she doesn’t at all times present, regardless of being a therapist who’s very geared up to take action. Is she afraid to let Poppa see this susceptible aspect?
Essence Atkins: I believe she’s afraid to let anybody see this aspect of her, however notably Poppa as a result of she has such an excellent respect for him. If we return to the pilot, it’s actually sort of encapsulated in that scene the place she says, you helped me. You impressed me, you anchored me, and I’m right here to deliver again what issues most to you. I’m right here to get you to struggle to your present and to your voice and why you began this factor. And I believe that for Ivy, there’s quite a lot of airs that she places on and she or he hides behind her achievements as quite a lot of profitable individuals do. However yeah, there’s positively a reluctance to let Poppa see her full self.
Did Ivy ever anticipate that Poppa might develop into such a great pal when taking over this co-hosting job with him?
No. [Laughs] The way it started was positively very tumultuous, and he didn’t need her there underneath any circumstances. He was used to internet hosting his personal present. He was used to doing it by himself, his means. And I don’t assume that both or one in all them ever anticipated that of their collaboration, which actually comes from their love of music, they’d develop into such good buddies. And I believe that they’re related. They only deal with it in another way. However I believe they’re each very afraid of intimacy.
Given her psychology expertise, she most likely might gauge that he can be a bit defensive when she obtained into this job, proper?
Completely. And I believe that that’s why it’s such a pleasing shock that, as they’ve gotten to know one another, they’ve discovered frequent floor and so they have discovered that the way in which that they needle and prod one another is definitely good for them. It challenges them to develop and to problem their very own beliefs and their very own coping mechanisms. I like this episode, since you see much more so how a lot they’ve grown.
Robert Voets / CBS
How did you want working with Ella Joyce and Coby Bell as your mother and your ex-husband on this episode?
It’s a reunion for me! Coby Bell and I labored collectively many moons in the past again within the ’90s when he appeared on Good Man, after which we labored collectively once more on Half and Half when he performed Phyllis’s [Telma Hopkins] a lot youthful boyfriend, so this was an exquisite reunion for the 2 of us to work collectively once more. We had loved one another a lot once we labored collectively so way back, and he was so excited to place again on his comedy chops after being concerned in a drama [Walker] for therefore lengthy. He was actually excited to get again to comedy, which is sort of how he began in TV.
I truly did a monologue studying with Ella most likely over 10 years in the past, so I had labored together with her on stage earlier than. When her identify was tossed into the hat as a possible for my mother, I used to be like, completely, she’s great. I’m so grateful that she got here and mentioned sure and joined us. I believe it’s actually enjoyable that her character is so completely different than Ivy.
As the primary season evolves, how typically are you contributing concepts for Ivy’s character growth?
It’s been actually great as a result of oftentimes Dean, our showrunner, in addition to Damon will ask me what I believe or how would I say it in another way or what’s my perspective. They usually’ve been very welcoming of our concepts, pitches. I wrote a complete backstory and bio for Ivy that I gave them to work with and mess around with. It’s been actually an unimaginable invitation for collaboration, which isn’t typically the case. Oftentimes, as actors, we’re given the script and we construct round it, and we’re sort of seen as being in a single lane. And right here the Wayans in addition to Dean Lowry’s means may be very a lot one in all like, properly, what do you assume? Effectively, what are your concepts? They usually get very detailed and ask very probing questions on what the training is, what the household dynamic is like. So it’s actually been enjoyable to construct her out, not only for me, but additionally to share my perception.
What are a number of the issues in Ivy’s backstory that you just created which may not essentially have been seen on display but?
I actually wished to delve into the truth that she was very a lot an introvert in school. She was so studious and she or he was so pushed. I believe you see parts of that within the exterior of her, however that when she was in school, she was actually introverted. And that’s why getting to satisfy David — David was the love of her life. He was the primary particular person, the primary man that she ever cherished. He was the one which she misplaced her virginity to and married. He’s an enormous, huge, huge Achilles [heel] for her.
Robert Voets / CBS
And the way is Ivy going to recalibrate after this newest disappointment from David?
After you see this episode, which is 13, the following 5, you’ll actually see Ivy a bit extra trusting of Poppa and leaning into that friendship and sort of each of them doing that. That’s all I wish to tease for now in regards to the two of them. However David is that one who in the event that they confirmed up unexpectedly or we noticed them in a grocery aisle, they’d take our breath for a second and we wouldn’t precisely know what to do. And so David being in Ivy’s world once more, and even the trace that he might presumably come again, is simply sufficient to shift the earth off of Ivy’s axis for positive.
I’m sensing a romantic vibe between Ivy and Poppa beginning to brew right here. Am I proper in sensing that?
I imply, I do know the reply. [Laughs] I believe that it’s a journey that the viewers will get pleasure from as a result of the event of their relationship, I really feel, has been notably genuine in that it hasn’t felt rushed. Like, oh, we hate one another, now we love one another, and now we’re greatest buddies. Over the course of the season, you’re seeing two individuals get to know each other, two individuals develop a congenial work surroundings initially, after which crossing over into real friendship and confidant. I’ll say that you must watch and see how the connection develops, and I believe that the viewers will adore it.
Effectively, the very best relationships begin as friendships.
Amen.
Waiting for the remainder of the season, have there been talks about how Ivy and Poppa’s relationship will progress in a possible second season? And what do you hope to discover if renewed? [As of the time of publication, Poppa’s House has not yet been renewed for Season 2.]
Sure, there have been numerous concepts thrown round for what the evolution of that relationship appears like, and there’s some actually nice concepts on the desk. And likewise simply what I like is that as foolish as we’re on the present and as broad because the present will get by way of a comedic flare, there’s at all times grounded in it the center of a narrative that comes from an actual place. And in order that shall be maintained it doesn’t matter what.
For me, I simply hope to observe [Ivy] unravel and put herself again collectively once more. I believe Ivy may be very a lot in her Humpty Dumpty section. I can’t wait to see her fall utterly aside and notice the worth in publicity and notice the worth of getting your innards uncovered and seeing who’s there to cowl you and who’s there to assist put your self again collectively. That’s what I hope for Ivy, as a result of I believe that’s a narrative that everybody can latch onto, and at the very least in the event that they haven’t skilled it themselves, they know anyone who has fallen aside.
Poppa’s Home, Mondays, 8:30/7:30c, CBS