“This can frustrate some people”

After Phoebe leaves the team The Irrational season 2 welcomed a new research assistant to work alongside Rizwan. Simon Wylton is introduced in “A Kick in the Teeth” and initially presented as a controversial choice due to his last name. As Simon struggles to cope with the more gruesome aspects of the job, he proves to be a valuable asset in Alec’s investigations. However, now that Phoebe has returned, Max Lloyd-Jones jokes that there could be tension within the group.

Lloyd-Jones is known for his work on The Mandalorian, War for the Planet of the Apesand Woman of the hour. In addition to The Irrationalthe actor’s most recently released project is Hallmark’s When it calls the heart. Jesse L. Martin (The Flash) leads the NBC series as Alec Mercer with Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz, Rose Dinshaw and Arash DeMaxi rounding out the show’s cast.

TelaRant interviews Lloyd-Jones about Simon’s backstory, a possible love triangle, and his character’s mentor-mentee relationship with Alec in The Irrational 2nd season.

Lloyd-Jones Explains Why Simon Joined Alec’s Team in Irrational Season 2

“Simon is obsessed with understanding this phenomenon of suicide and human behavior.”

What is the most surprising thing you have learned about human behavior since joining The Irrational?

Max Lloyd-Jones: Sometimes multiple concepts are introduced in each episode. Some stick with me, and some I remember later, when someone drops a pen, I pick it up and give it to them, and then you realize that reciprocity is a real thing, not just an effect. What stuck with me is the Barnum effect. It’s a theory, and I’ll probably piss off some people who are really into astrology, let’s say, but how we can interpret very vague, amorphous descriptions of people and make them personal to us.

So someone might say, “Oh, a Pisces is like this, this and this,” and we say, “Oh, that’s totally me.” And this is called the Barnum effect, named after PT Barnum, I believe, who basically created the circus and was famous for the phrase, “A sucker is born every minute.” This one stuck with me as something interesting. That we, as of course humans do, make it all about ourselves.

In episode 5 we learn the details about Simon’s brother’s death. Do you believe that’s part of the reason he wants to be on Alec’s team?

Max Lloyd-Jones: Yes. Hey, you should play the part. That’s exactly what I thought when I got the job. I thought this was a core memory that would boost you enormously and could set you in the wrong direction, or in this case, I think it would be quite productive. Simon is obsessed with understanding this phenomenon of suicide and human behavior, essentially, because he experienced something so shocking.

It didn’t make sense to him as a child to see his brother who was the star, essentially, suffering so silently. And I imagine for him there’s a great desire to understand this so that maybe he can help the next person and that his work going forward can save a life where he wasn’t able to. Obviously, he was a child when it happened to his brother. I think that’s an astute observation and I’ve tried to incorporate that as much as possible.

Simon is bullied by Phoebe in season 2 of Irrational

“I think there is a desire to impress Alec and show that they can all work together and play well.”

His mother has been lying about what happened, which obviously affects their relationship. Does Simon want to work on that this season?

Max Lloyd-Jones: I think we found a good moment of closure at the end of episode 5, and this heavy burden that he’s carried his whole life – he was able to find some relief in that, being able to share it with a very Rizwan. empathetic that Arash DeMaxi played so well.

This is a part of his life that will never fully heal like something like this. When we lose someone, especially at such a young age, it will affect us forever, and especially if a parent lies to us, it will be difficult to trust in the future. I imagine this will continue to affect him in certain ways, but I really liked how we found closure and didn’t end on a sour note at the end of episode 5.

Phoebe returns to the RA team. How does Simon feel about this initially?

Max Lloyd-Jones: I think intimidated is a good word for it. She is a huge presence as an intellectual heavyweight. Obviously she was the number one AR before changing departments at the end of last season. And so he knows that when she returns, for example, his job security may not be as secure as he had hoped, given that the person he was supposed to replace has now rejoined.

So I think there’s a desire to impress Alec and show that they can all work together and play well, and that he continues to bring something to the table, even though the star student is back. It’s a fun dynamic that they created for us and it gives us a very natural tension that we can bring to each scene. So that’s always a gift as an actor to act.

Lloyd-Jones teases romance for assistants in Irrational Season 2

“I think this will surprise people and may frustrate some people.”

On that note, I always wondered if something would form between Phoebe and Rizwan, and of course, her character is now part of their dynamic. Could we be setting up a triangular situation here?

Max Lloyd-Jones: I think viewers will have to stay glued to their seats to find out. You guys obviously play a third wheel in a situation like this, with people who work together all the time, what do you think guys? What happens in a workplace where people spend all their time together and need to be emotionally honest with each other? I think this will surprise people and might frustrate some people. I think this will keep people coming back, hopefully for season three, to see how their dynamic develops further, so to speak.

I love that Alec was happy to accept Simon right away. What will the relationship between mentor and mentee be like over the course of the season?

Max Lloyd-Jones: Yes, I found that very interesting. It was as if your childhood family friend became your boss and mentor, there is an adjustment in the relationship with someone he probably saw as an avuncular figure before he was hired by him. So it was a fun, hierarchical dynamic negotiating the need to reposition someone in his life who had been, obviously, a more friendly presence and now someone he has to impress and has to bring his absolute A-game to.

Jesse and I had a great time, and we have a great episode a little later in the season where he takes me under his wing, and we essentially get to solve a mystery together. I like that he starts to trust Simon more and gives him a chance, although I think many people in his position wouldn’t give him the possible accusations of nepotism that could come from Simon obviously being the son of the university’s owners. They created a very engaging and relatable dynamic.

You probably have a lot of questions about Simon because his character is so new, but are there any in particular that you hope the series answers?

Max Lloyd-Jones: That’s a good question. Without revealing more in the future, I’d love to see where his weaknesses are. I think it would be interesting to find out what makes him tick. We see a lot this season of him being a more stable character, especially after the episode where we find out his backstory, and there’s a little bit of closure there. I would like to see where your flaws are, maybe a little more. I think if we get the chance to do a third season, the amazing writers will definitely explore that.

About Irrational Season 2

Created and executive produced by Arika Lisanne Mittman

The Irrational follows renowned behavioral science professor Alec Mercer (Jesse L. Martin) as he lends his unique expertise to high-stakes cases and mysteries. His unconventional vision and approach to understanding human behavior have led him to work alongside a variety of clients, from the FBI to everyday people caught in perplexing situations and desperate for answers. With the help of his trusted team and social science experiments, Alec solves crimes and uncovers the truth to answer intriguing and irrational questions.

Check out our previous interviews with The Irrational cast and crew:

New episodes of The Irrational Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 10pm ET on NBC.