[Exclusive Interview] Thomas Middleditch and Sean Giambrone On Droids, Canadian Thanksgiving & The Importance of Family in ‘Solar Opposites’ Season 5
Solar Opposites has quickly become the crown jewel of Hulu’s original animated programming and a series that truly puts the “mayhem” in Animayhem. Many series start to show signs of fatigue five seasons in, but Solar Opposites is funnier, more fearless, and confident than ever. A major factor in Solar Opposites’ continued success is its challenging and unpredictable storytelling, but these heightened hijinks are meaningless without a lovable cast of characters who the audience cares about. The Solars may be aliens from the Planet Shlorp, but they feel infinitely human and relatable. Korvo, Terry, Jesse, and Yumyulack are the beating heart of Solar Opposites and have helped the series soar.
To celebrate the show’s fifth season, the voices of Terry and Yumyulack — Thomas Middleditch and Sean Giambrone — open up the Solars’ changing family dynamics, the joys of watching the Shlorpians grow, what a droid pet brings to the equation, and what holidays they’d like to see the next Solar Opposites special tackle if they were calling the shots.
Daniel Kurland: A big part of this season follows up on Terry and Korvo’s wedding in the Valentine’s Day special and taking advantage of their honeymoon and other married perks. Thomas, was that a fun dynamic to explore this season?
Thomas Middleditch: Oh yeah, I mean, the sort of escalating seriousness and the escalating and calling out of the relationship for what it really is across the show’s entire run has been so much fun. It really wasn’t present in the first season and then it sort of became part of the show’s dialogue. It became this hidden dialogue between the fans and the creators of like, “Are they gay? Are they in love? Do they just sleep with each other for fun, you know, as a recreational sport?” To have all that suddenly be solidified and worked into the show’s lore is just so much fun. I love that it’s ended up with the two of them married. They’re just like these two husbands who are just living their lives. It’s sweet. It’s also insane, but ultimately, it’s kind of always been a sweet note for the show to land on.
Daniel Kurland: Sean, there are some major revelations about Yumyulack that arrive in the season finale regarding the character’s many deaths. What was your reaction to that plot point and do you think a giant Yumyulack head that floats outside the Earth’s atmosphere will have ramifications in the show’s future.
Sean Giambrone: I hope so! I think it’s just super interesting – the deaths, and all that stuff. I was surprised to hear it because that’s kind of like a big downer! He learns that his whole role on the ship is just to kind of be food. So yeah, I was very shocked. I think it’s very funny and fitting with the show. They get Yumyulack’s hopes up and present him as this cool bounty hunter person, but really, his role is just to kind of get killed a bunch.
Daniel Kurland: Thomas, the whole “Live. Die Repeat” episode is also a really satisfying Terry showcase that peels back the layers on him a little more. Was that a highlight of the season to you that helped you learn anything new about the character? Are you hoping that we see more of Terry’s friendship with that weirdo board game neighbor?
Thomas Middleditch: You have a lot of animated shows that are set in a town or wherever and now this guy is just another character who has been added to the lore or wherever they live! I love the premise of the device in that episode and, just as an aside, I think Live Die. Repeat is a fantastic film. The Edge of Tomorrow. Whatever you want to call it. It’s just a great, great movie. So anything that references it is number one in my book. But yeah, I mean, it’s not the only little side story that we get to explore with Terry this season, but the more, the merrier. That was a really fun episode though.
Daniel Kurland: On that note, you’ve all been playing these characters for five years now, which is a long time! Do you still find yourselves discovering new things about these characters or gaining a greater appreciation for them? Has it been rewarding to get to see them continue to grow and change over this extended period?
Sean Giambrone: You know, I’ve really been enjoying everything with the characters get the chance to build up and grow, like Korvo and Terry’s romance. It’s been fun to see Jessie go through so much, like with the Goobler in that one episode. Yumyulack has really been changing too, even if it’s subtle stuff. It’s always really cool to have an episode like the finale where you find out that something has actually been different from how it’s been presented the whole time. I love whenever that happens.
Thomas Middleditch: I think that one of the fun things about the show is that they kind of keep it serialized. Each episode doesn’t totally reset. There are character progressions and arcs that get a chance to happen, not just over the course of the season, but the entire series. It’s neat and it’s not exactly commonplace in animation. It’s fun to experience that and I’m certainly not tired of it. It’s a great gig, with great people, and I love the product.
Sean Giambrone: The product!
Thomas Middleditch: You know what I mean; the end results. The product — it’s a very top-quality product. Pure. Unfiltered. I would do it for years and years if we were so lucky to get the opportunity to keep telling this story and different versions of it. I’m always going to sign on with this show.
Daniel Kurland: The Solars kind of get a pet this season with JK-7, the robot, who becomes a fun foil for the Pupa to bounce off of. Has it been nice to see someone new enter the family and are you big on robots and droids in general? Which are your favorites in pop culture?
Thomas Middleditch: Oh baby. One of my favorite droids? Okay, well, Johnny 5 [from Short Circuit] holds a soft spot in my heart. I don’t know if you can count this next one because he’s not necessarily an android, but Jean-Claude Van Damme has a movie called Cyborg. As a kid, I really enjoyed that one, but that’s really just Jean-Claude Van Damme and you don’t really know that he’s a cyborg. He’s not like a droid. He’s not C-3PO or anything like that. What’s that other one…
Sean Giambrone: Treasure Planet?
Thomas Middleditch: Batteries Not Included! I love all the little machines from Batteries Not Included. As a kid, I was like, “Oh man, I wish my little things could come to life.” And there were these sorts of little machines that I kept. It’s kind of like that book, The Indian in the Cupboard. You know, you put the little toys in it and then they become alive. It kind of had that same feeling. Or Stuart Little or whatever. He’s a little mouse, but he gets a car, makes a noise, and then the car moves! It’s that kind of mini world stuff where you can’t believe that they’re alive. I loved all that as a kid. Sean! What are your favorite droids, you coward? Answer the question. Stop evading the question.
Sean Giambrone: It’s like picking my favorite baby or something!
Thomas Middleditch: Pick one!
Sean Giambrone: Well, you know, I love how the Pupa has been growing – like with his voice and everything – and I love that he has a little friend now. I think that’s pretty great. But that’s just to procrastinate my decision on the droid…
Daniel Kurland: Really not answering here…
Thomas Middleditch: Anything? I just know that there’s like…Do you like the more intense ones? Do you like the T-800s or the T-1000s of the Terminator universe?
Daniel Kurland: A Bicentennial Man, maybe?
Thomas Middleditch: There you go! Or the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica? Come on, we’re giving you–what do you want here?
Sean Giambrone: There are so many video games that I love. I can’t think of just one…
Thomas Middleditch: Oh, well, what about – and this isn’t a video game – but WALL-E?
Sean Giambrone: Yeah, WALL-E!
Daniel Kurland: Okay, good. We’ve settled on WALL-E. Finally, I’ve been a big fan of the series’ ongoing holiday specials and I’m excited that you guys are once again tackling Halloween. What are your favorite holidays that you’d like to see the show tackle in another special that touches on a different holiday?
Thomas Middleditch: I would love to see Canadian Thanksgiving represented, which is the exact same thing, but just on a different day. Let them really drill into that. Or like Labor Day or Remembrance Day.
Daniel Kurland: Remembrance Day, yeah! Let’s get some poppies going on!
Thomas Middleditch: Yeah, exactly. Just obscure stuff.
Sean Giambrone: There was a big day at school. It was Pi Day…
Thomas Middleditch: Sean, is this some kind of Illinois Midwest thing?
Sean Giambrone: No, it’s national, I think! I’m pretty sure! And it’s pi, like the the number.
Thomas Middleditch: The number!
Sean Giambrone: I think that could be a good day. Math teachers across the nation love that day.
Daniel Kurland: Yeah, maybe they finally figure out a final digit to Pi and that screws up the universe.
Thomas Middleditch: You know, the writers, they steal from these interviews….
Daniel Kurland: That’s okay! Let’s make it happen! I’m giving you permission. That and The Indian and the Cupboard. Let’s make it happen!
All fives seasons of ‘Solar Opposites’ are available to stream, only on Hulu
