Interviews: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and the cast of Surface talk about the intense second season

Last Updated on February 28, 2025

The first season of Surface was met with mixed reviews as the Apple TV+ thriller tried to use a unique amnesia storyline to evoke a psychological twist reminiscent of films like The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. Led by a stellar performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen, the 2022 first season of Surface ended with a cliffhanger teasing a major shift for the second chapter in the story. Now, Surface is back with a vastly improved sophomore run that introduces an all-new cast of supporting players as the action moves from San Francisco to London.

Surface follows Sophie Ellis (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a woman suffering from amnesia after a suicide attempt. Trying to piece together her past and face suspicions about her husband, James (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Sophie finds herself uncovering a complex web of lies that include details about her past. This season finds Sophie in London, living under her real name Tess Caldwell. Reuniting with her childhood friend Eliza (Millie Brady), Sophie aligns with a reporter (Gavin Drea) to investigate Eliza’s family, including her parents, brother Quinn (Phil Dunster), and his fiance Grace (Freida Pinto). As Sophie searches for the truth, James reappears in her life to complicate an already twisty mystery.

I talked with the entire cast of Surface and producer Lauren Neustadter and series creator Veronica West. Gugu Mbatha-Raw talked about her dual role as star and executive producer and how her inside knowledge of the story’s direction helped inform the new season. Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Phil Dunster discussed whether their characters are inherently good, while Freida Pinto discussed her character, knowing exactly what she was getting into. Millie Brady discussed getting to lay the foundation for her character in season one while new addition Gavin Drea reflected on joining the new season. Producer Lauren Neustadter talked about what she hopes fans will get out of this season, while creator and showrunner Veronica West teased what we may see in season three. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Surface season two premieres on February 21st on Apple TV+.