‘Salem’ Season Two Shane West Interview

Shane West Interview Salem Season 2
Shane West as John Alden in ‘Salem’ season 2 (Photo Courtesy of WGN America)

Shane West returns as John Alden in WGN America’s second season of the supernatural thriller Salem premiering on April 5, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT, kicking off a season that promises to delve into the battle between witches and the fight for control over the town of Salem. West joined his series co-star Janet Montgomery as well as Salem‘s creators/executive producers Brannon Braga & Adam Simon for a panel at the 2015 WonderCon in Anaheim just days prior to the show’s second season kick-off and right before taking the stage to answer questions from fans, he sat down to chat in a slightly quieter environment about the theme of this second season.

Asked how the second season tops the first, West replied, “I had never been a part of a project that just played with boundaries so delicately and just pushed them in so many different ways. We couldn’t get away with that much murder on cable that wasn’t a premium station – like an HBO or Showtime, or stuff like that – so we did so much in that first season. Besides just the cool storylines, besides what was happening with all the characters, just in the gore aspect of it, the sex aspect of it, the witchcraft aspect of it all, that it is hard to go into a second season and do that.

But I think we pushed it perfectly with the finale of the first season, splitting everyone up, opening up the boundaries of Salem and spreading it beyond the actual town of Salem, adding in the Native American tribes for the John Alden storyline. And I mean this is kind of a major spoiler but we’re about on episode eight right now and I still haven’t reunited with half of the characters on the show yet. So, I think these are ways that we make the second season stand out and I think it’s another way of pushing the boundaries by literally separating everyone. Adding new characters but separating everyone and forcing them to different storylines.”

As far as aspects of this second season that have presented new challenges, West said it’s actually just focusing that seems to be the most difficult thing for him to do.

“Because I’ve had more time off when I work it’s incredibly difficult. I’ve had more days off…poor Janet [Montgomery], she’s the one constant connected to everyone and she’s had no time off. It’s weird because most of my scenes are with guest cast, recurring characters, myself – talking to myself a lot because he’s losing his mind this year. But, ultimately that’s been kind of a little bit more exciting in a way,” explained West. “But I feel like I miss the cast. I don’t get to see them every day. I’ve only…that’s way too many spoilers…but I’ve only worked with a few characters this year.”

– Also of interest: Janet Montgomery on Mary Sibley’s journey / Interview with Brannon Braga and Adam Simon

Watch the full interview for more on Shane West’s Salem season two experience:

The Salem: Witch War Plot:

Salem, a bold re-imagination of the infamous 17th-century witch trials, returns for season two at the dawn of a Witch War. As the disease and devastation unleashed by a deadly supernatural ritual spread through the war-torn village, Salem’s most powerful witch, Mary Sibley, must face off against adversaries old and new who are vying for her throne.