Finding Carter’s Kathryn Prescott on Finale’s New Character Cliff-Hanger

Warning: Major spoilers ahead!

Tonight’s Finding Carter summer finale certainly rocked the boat for the Wilson clan. We finally saw Gabe (Jesse Henderson) struggling with his father’s death – and reacting poorly to nearly-stepmom Elizabeth’s (Cynthia Watros) efforts to help. Plus, there was the massive event that was Lori’s (Milena Govich) trial, including an emotional Carter (Kathryn Prescott) and the introduction of Lori and David’s (Alexis Denisof) lovechild Benjamin (Ben Winchell).

Prescott chatted with us about the episode, where she thinks Carter and Crash (Caleb Ruminer) are headed, and the show’s super impressive props department.

Carter is so great at being a friend. She is always looking at someone – like Gabe in this episode – when they’re upset and asking, “What do you want to do?”

She’s very empathetic and sensitive, almost to a fault. I think she absorbs other people’s energy [and] that probably comes from having a very generous mother growing up. Even though Lori turned out to be her kidnapper, Carter had a very nurturing and attentive mother who was in touch with her child’s emotions and never tried to make her feel like her emotions were wrong or invalid; I think Carter likes to validate other people’s emotions, too.

And what Gabe does want to do is play video games. Were you actually playing something when you filmed that scene?

[Yes,] and after a while we we’re like, “That really looks like [assistant prop manager] Barry [Green] and [props master] Elliott [Boswell].” Elliott had made these video games by dressing [crew members] up in those suits that completely cover you, like Morphsuits, with the light things that they use to make real video games, and put them in front of a blue screen. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is insane.” It’s really just the props guy wearing a hat, but a cartoon video-game version, fighting these aliens, which are really the sound department and the props master dressed in these suits. So yes, we were playing a real game, but a fake real game.

But it isn’t all fun and games. Gabe’s reaction to Elizabeth, after a few beers no less, wasn’t too nice…

I don’t think Gabe was ever a fan of the whole Elizabeth and Kyle [Eddie Matros] thing. And so I think that it makes sense that he’s a bit like, ‘Look, you didn’t want to be involved in our family before but this is now too late. I’m not interested in being involved with you now.'”

Let’s move onto the meat of the episode: the trial. Not only is Lori trying to get out of jail, she’s also trying to get custody of Carter. Why does she think that’s even possible?

Lori is obviously mentally unstable and not in a theatrical way. I think it would be interesting to see how Lori was brought up and see what her background looked like and why she’s like that. But I think it’s a little bizarre. Those lawyers must have cost a fortune, because I don’t know how they are fighting her case. Also Carter is nearly 18. There’s no way Lori would get custody of her; even if she did, Carter would just run away. Maybe Lori just set up this whole trial to get Ben in the room, the brother, and have that bombshell drop. Maybe that was the actual point of the trial.

By the end of Carter’s testimony, she’s bawling on the stand.

Shooting that scene, I was f–king nervous. It was a 10-minute long take every time, really nerve-wracking. As it was written it seemed like, “Suddenly she remembered how much she loves Lori,” but I don’t think that’s actually what it is. She’s so determined that she is going to get this woman away from her, forever, and it’s going to be really simple. Then this lawyer asks her these questions and she can’t really lie. I think she just feels very trapped. Everything she says is going to be the wrong thing [and] I think that overwhelms her. Then she sees Lori grinning at her, and Elizabeth looking heartbroken. They’re just angry tears, like sick and tired tears, sick and tired of being pushed and pulled.

Meeting Benjamin at the end was nuts. How did you react when you read that?

I knew from the beginning of the season that that was going to happen. I think it will be very interesting to see the similarities between Carter and Ben. It will be nice for Carter because she’s finally got someone who’s actually been through The Lori Thing. You know, sometimes when you’ve both been through something bad, it brings you closer.

Should we really believe he’s Lori and David’s child?

I think they do a test. I think they have to in order for the evidence to stick. They had trouble getting a hold of him so I think he maybe didn’t want to testify at first. From the way he says, “Lori is my biological mother,” it doesn’t sound like he’s like proud … I believe he’s been in foster care a lot.

How do you feel about Taylor (Anna Jacoby-Heron) and Max’s (Alex Saxon) reunion?

It is slightly strange. I think if my sister slept with my ex-boyfriend or such a recent ex-boyfriend that I obviously was still into and who was obviously still into me, I think it would take me awhile to be OK with that. I don’t know if that’s something that a couple can ever get past.

What about Carter and Crash? Do you think that they’re better for each other now that Crash straightened himself out or do you think they’ll be less compatible?

I do think they’re going to be less compatible. I don’t think she’s the kind of girl that would be OK with him being in the army for a long time. I think that would eventually become an issue. [They] met each other when they were both in these chaotic, crazy points in their lives and they were each other’s lifeboats. They both clung on. But now maybe it’s not so right and Carter’s going to maybe outgrow him a little bit, or maybe he outgrows her!

Is it possible to ever return to the lighter, happier days of earlier episodes? Benjamin has the potential to wreck everything the Wilsons have built so far.

Maybe if David honestly says, “I didn’t know, and she’s crazy; she’s mentally unstable, and she didn’t tell me she had a kid.” So maybe, maybe then they can move forward. Or maybe Ben is like that glue that comes in and holds the whole family together. I don’t know, but we’ll see. This season had some very heavy bombshells, but hopefully next season, it’ll be more fun.

Finding Carter returns in the fall.