The unexpected pregnancy leaves Jenny reeling as she copes with an avalanche of emotions. “That core sense of performance anxiety, the feeling of abandoning your parents, all the things that come with the potential of an unwanted pregnancy, just as deep shame overcomes her and a disbelief,” describes Lail.
Although Jenny is very much alone with her timeline decision of Joe becoming a rock star, she is is doing find a source of support in the police timeline. “You’ll see her hook up with Ray,” Lail says, adding that Jenny’s future husband—who is raising Joe’s son like his—”is a good guy, so I think we’ll keep our fingers crossed for him.”
Below, Lail talks about Jenny’s decision to hide the truth from her college friend and whether she’ll tell Agent Joe about his son.
Well, I want to say no. And I don’t believe in right or wrong per se, so there’s a part of me that Jenny is very protective in all three versions. She did what was best for her at the time. She tried her best to be vulnerable that way. It’s such a scary moment when it’s unplanned and your life as you know it will be totally different.
In the show we see what an incredible father Joe turns out to be, and we see how supportive and loving he really is to her. And I would think that the hard work and being honest and vulnerable with the people you love pays off in the end. Because now in these other worlds she carries this secret that is heavy. Ultimately, those kinds of secrets can make it difficult to love and be loved. So in that way I am sad for her.
I’ve seen some frustration from viewers about Jenny for withholding that information. But Music Joe doesn’t really acknowledge how hard it was for Jenny to give up on the baby, and that he brings out all that pain for her every time he tries to reach out to Zeke.
I know. Well, he’s a rock star, and you can tell. He’s a bit selfish in that regard. It’s been nine years and he doesn’t remember Jenny carrying this child for nine months. She saw this child and then made the decision to give it away, thinking it was best. All of us, if someone were to come to us and ask, “How the hell could you make that choice?” we would get defensive. It’s like, “Well, we did what we could then. You weren’t there, so you can’t say that.”
Last Monday’s episode saw Jenny and Cop Joe team up against Diaz. Does that bring the two closer together? Would that cause problems for Agent Joe and Amy?
Jenny and Joe, it’s like a moth on a flame. And because Jenny has this secret of, “Oh, I’m raising your kid,” I think there’s a part of her that’s just attracted to him and wants to be close to him, and get to know him more, and want tell him. The truth sets you free, right? So I think it’s always kind of on the tip of her tongue. And I think working together is an entry point for her to eventually tell him the truth.
What do you think kept her from telling him in that particular timeline? Because we saw that she did tell him at the music timeline reunion.
I think it’s Ray. I think it’s the deal. She has a partner to consider. And [Joe] is there, apparently with his date and seems happy, excited and healthy. While in the timeline of the music, he complains a little bit about how his wife and him are struggling to have children. And again, it’s on the tip of her tongue as always. It just comes out of her, whether she likes it or not.
