The Hulu Original Series The Artful Dodger returned with Season Two and gave audiences a deeper dive into the women who make Port Victory pulse. Everyone who has already binged the new season knows that it feels sharper, riskier, and more emotionally charged, but the captivating moments are seen between the characters.
For two of our favorite cast members, Maia Mitchell and Susie Porter, stepping back into the world of Lady Belle Fox and Lady Jane Fox was thrilling. After time away, reconnecting with their characters meant rediscovering not just who these women were—but who they’ve become.
We sat down with Maia and Susie to talk about how they reconnected with their characters after years away, raising the emotional stakes, and how they think their characters would advise on love.
How was it getting back on set for season two?
Maia: It was the best. It was so good. It was such a relief to be picked up for a second. We all wanted it desperately. So it was a big reunion, and we took such a big, long break, like a couple of years. So definitely, I mean, for me, some nerves, just going, “Who is this girl, and how do I walk again?” And it takes a sec to settle back in.
Susie: I felt exactly the same, because there was a long period of, yeah, “Who is this woman?” I think so much is informed by the writing, so much of the stuff that we need to know of each other, and the time and the relationships are within. You know, when the writing's good, it's all there, but it was just so easy once we got on set and got back together.
How would you describe this new season in just a few words?
Maia: I'd say “dangerous, yearning, and revelations.”
Susie: I would say “frenetic, fun, and heartbreaking.”
Maia, what was most exciting about getting back to your character this season? Any growth you were excited about?
Maia: You definitely get to see a more evolved side to Belle. Season Two picks up six months after where we left off, so you're seeing a Belle who has survived a kind of life-or-death surgery, who's recovered from that surgery, whose true love has been in jail. She's been advocating for and trying to save him, and she's definitely been through some trauma.
We’re seeing a much more grounded Belle, who's really fighting for autonomy in a much more grounded way, especially with Lady Jane. You see them really butting heads this season, and you do get a look into where Lady Jane's coming from. The love story is not a fairy tale. You see her really critically thinking about her options, and whether Jack's just too risky, and you see her learning a lot of tough lessons.
How did your characters’ dynamic evolve in Season 2, Susie?
Susie: I think it was just a great thing for Lady Jane, who not only has to spin many plates and set boundaries, probably physically and metaphorically, but also to have an insight into her humanness, I think, was such a big thing. So for that opening, rather than a parent always sort of cracking the whip, this is a fully formed human being who has a history, but that hi
