The Society’s Jack Mulhern breaks down Grizz and Sam’s relationship, Becca’s baby drama and whether he could rise to power

The Society’s Jack Mulhern breaks down Grizz and Sam’s relationship, Becca’s baby drama and whether he could rise to power

The Society’s Grizz is without a doubt the standout character of Netflix’s latest mystery drama.

With fans across the world demanding that he’s protected at all costs, Grizz (played by Jack Mulhern) is the lovable peacekeeper and gardening enthusiast of our dreams and his romance with Sam (Sean Berdy) has captured all of our hearts.

Now we’ve binged all 10 episodes and rewatched it paying close attention to all of the clues, Metro.co.uk caught up with Jack to talk all things Gram and whether they can break the mould for LGBT+ relationships on the small-screen and avoid being killed off. Oh, and we covered potential season two storylines in case it does return.



You are one of the standout characters from The Society, how does that feel?




‘It’s tremendously flattering and so unexpected. I couldn’t have predicted the reaction would be as massive as this.’

Why weren’t you initially on Instagram and how much persuading did it take to get you on it?



‘I’ve been off social media for six or seven years because it makes me anxious. It’s tough to be on your own side when you’re constantly comparing yourself to everyone else so I thought, “I’m going to cut myself some slack and invest in developing myself and finding out who I am.”

‘And then years and years went by and the show happened. It took some persuading, but it has spared my cast mates from talking about why I don’t have one all the time. I’m glad that I’ve done it, it’s cool, I’m very grateful for all of the support and I want fans to have a space where they can talk about the love of the show.

‘I try to keep usage to the bare minimum because I’m aware that if I spend too much time it becomes unhealthy, my relationship with it. I was very wary to get back onto it because it’s taken years for me to figure out an appropriate balance for it to feel healthy. It’s been nothing but positive so far.’

Were you nervous to play the part of Grizz?

‘A bit. I don’t think I was nervous about the specific parts of the role, but I’m not a naturally extroverted person. Doing the job was cathartic, it helped me situate myself in time and space and helped me engage with life.

‘It was also difficult for me to do because, unlike most people, I’m not the most comfortable to completely unknown circumstances surrounded by people I don’t know. I was nervous at the beginning like I am for every job.

‘I had no idea where it was going to go or what my contribution to it was going to be, and I had to just settle in and overcome that in order to get the job done. Once I get past that initial hurdle it’s nothing but positive.’



You were one of the cast members who learned American Sign Language, how was that?

‘I learned it in proportion to the amount that Grizz is learning. I had an awesome ASL coordinator on set. Gideon [Adlon] was very near in becoming fluent in it over the season.

‘I wanted to learn the whole thing forward and backwards because I love skill building. If we should be so lucky as to come back for two, I think that I’m going to have a lot of sessions with her so we can really tap into it.’

We’re all shipping Sam and Grizz (Picture: Netflix)

Speaking of Gideon, what do you think will happen with Becca and her baby in season two? What will the baby mean for Grizz and Sam?

‘I would be interested to see the dynamic with the kid. That’s going to be potential for humour, potential for drama. I think that the kid thrown into the situation is probably at the centre of the world from my perspective going forward.

‘The relationship between the three of them is what I’m interested in. I think the fans are clamouring for it, so I think there will be reconciliation I’m sure.’

Becca’s baby daddy remains a mystery (Picture: Netflix)

More importantly, do you know who the father of Becca’s baby is?



‘I do. I think I do. It’s a shocker, for sure. I imagine you’ll find it.’

Could Grizz become a leader if The Society returns for season 2?

‘I don’t know. I think Grizz absolutely doesn’t want to be. He’s poised to be a bit of a begrudging voice against injustice. Having a gay intellectual at the head of the labour division is purposeful, it’s a theme about what we do with ‘other’ people.


‘Grizz at this point is absolutely petrified probably by the idea of leading anything or speaking for anyone else or having his opinion tested by people, but he’s an incredibly naturally virtuous person so it would be interesting to see when push came to shove if he’d take the leap and start becoming a talking head.’

Jack wants Grizz and Sam to be a ‘pillar of the society’ (Picture: Netflix)

Do you know where The Society is?

‘No I don’t. For some reason the question didn’t even occur to me. It wasn’t until the show came out and fan theories starting coming out that I started to think about it.

‘My favourite theory is that the town has a Rosemary’s Baby going on and that the parents are really cultish and they’re not to be trusted – something they’ve done has resulted in them being punished.

‘For me this is clearly true, but I want it to be spun to the extreme.’

There’s a running theme in TV land that LGBT+ couples never stay together and are often killed off. Do you think Sam and Grizz could defy this stereotype?

‘I think that strength is the key word here. When Chris [Keyser] pitched the character he said the relationship becomes a focal point.

‘I would love to defy expectations and not follow any kind of a pattern of doomed lovers or anything like that.

‘However, I think that it’s an intensely violent situation in which they’re throwing themselves into, especially if people change over the course of seasons.


‘If Grizz gets involved in a philosophical war over how we organise ourselves, there could be some ill tidings. I, like everybody else, would like them to be a pillar of strength in the community – all the more tragic if anything should happen.’

The Society is available to stream on Netflix.

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