‘The Irrational’: Maahra Hill Teases Revelations About Marisa That Are Surprising Even to Her

The Irrational Season 2 is kicking off with quite the important case: What happened to Rose (Karen David)?

Beyond that, there’s going to be plenty to explore emotionally for these characters. At the end of last season, Alec (Jesse L. Martin) got answers about the church bombing that left him scarred and has been so important for his ex-wife Marisa (Maahra Hill) as well. And now, Alec’s sister Kylie (Travina Springer) is working at the FBI alongside Marisa.

Ahead of the new season, Hill previews the show’s new dynamics.

Last season ended with that cliffhanger of Rose being taken. What can you preview about what happened and the search for her?

Maahra Hill: That is the first case of the season. That is definitely the most important thing that we’re looking into. Alec is a huge part of that case. Marisa is involved in the case as well. We’re going to put all of our efforts—FBI resources and Alec’s expertise and special gifted know-how—into making sure that she returns safely.

How’s Marisa’s relationship with Alec this season after getting answers about the church bombing?

As they ended last season, they have this unique friendship, which I think is pretty cool. You don’t often see exes interacting on a regular basis and creating a friendship and staying so close. The relationship that they have will evolve over the season. But right now, in the second season, they’re exploring something that’s more platonic. The way that he’s been able to put that case to bed, they both have closure around this thing that’s been their baby for the last 20 years, and so it’s like a new beginning. He’ll look into some of the reasons that he’s, I think, emotionally involved with a case and we’ll kind of flesh that out throughout the season. But I am very excited about the way or the direction that their relationship is going in because you don’t see that that often.

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Another relationship you don’t often see is that between sisters-in-law following a divorce, and I’m excited for more Kylie and Marisa scenes with Kylie at the FBI. What can you preview about that dynamic now they’re adding this professional layer to it? 

Right? That’s not something that you look into as much, is sisterhood and friendship and how heartbreaking that can be if that goes south. I hope that viewers will be interested in looking more at their sisterhood and their friendship and their professional relationship. Kylie is very much an asset to have at the FBI. Everything that she’s used throughout Season 1 is applied in a more technical and more specific way and helps them to solve cases. But then it’s also like this breath of fresh air. You know how you have coworker friends, but she’s like a sister to her, so they get to [talk in a different way]. “This is what happened. What do I do?” I am excited about it and I love working with Travina just personally. It’s been really fun.

What’s new for Marisa this season, whether it’s something professional or personal?

This is post-divorce, post a bit of a traumatic end to some relationships for her. What’s new for her is her relationship with herself and the kind of emotions that some of the things pull out in her this season. We’re going to take a deeper look into her past and some things that even I think she probably was suppressing will be revealed and shared with the audience.

Anything else you can tease about that? Are we going to see anyone from her life that we haven’t seen yet in relation to that?

That is definitely possible. It could definitely happen. You’ll definitely see more of her past come into her present life, I think that’s safe to say, and how she is in a relationship with herself. It’s more just about a journey into Marisa’s experience of this newness of the last 20 years. If you’ve been in something for the last 20 years, no matter how old you are, you identify with it in a way that keeps you from getting to know other aspects of yourself. So she’s exploring other aspects of herself this season.

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Is she in a better position to deal with that part of her past coming up now than she would’ve been even, say, last year?

I don’t know if better position is the right word, but she’s dealing with it. She will deal with it, that’s for sure. I would say better position just because that case was intense and that’s off the plate and so now it’s kind of like you’ve moved on [and] have closure. You don’t have that in front of you anymore. And so now other things can come to the plate, other things can come to the forefront.

I know Alec and Kylie’s father is coming in and obviously Marisa has a relationship with him. Is there anything you can say about that dynamic?

Well, I mean, she loves him. They had a great relationship. I don’t think that Alec and Marisa got divorced because it was bad. The fact that they get to stay in touch with each other with these cases and the work that they do, I think, is a bonus. And I think it’s helpful for Marisa. So the fact that she’s still able to be in touch with her family, with his sister and with his father, I think feels good to her. But that relationship is more specific to Alec than it is to Marisa.

The Irrational, Season 2 Premiere, Tuesday, October 8, 10/9c, NBC