Jeff Hiller & Tim Bagley Find Each Other (and Happiness) on 'Somebody, Somewhere'

There is something bittersweet about watching the third season of "Somebody, Somewhere," the HBO comedy about the midlife crisis of a lesbian who moves home to care for her dying sister. After she passes, the woman – Sam (the phenomenal Bridget Everett) stays on to deal with her dysfunctional family, as well as reacquainting herself with her old friends, who include her gay bestie, Joel (Jeff Hiller).

Why it is bittersweet is that this will be the final season of this cult favorite, which shows that LGBTQ+ life in the Midwest is alive and well and most diverse. Sam doesn't lack contact with a community, what's missing is the confidence in herself to find her place in this world. A talented singer, will she finally gain the confidence to pursue her career? And is life in a small Kansas town what she wants?

While the show has been ignored by the Emmys, it won a Peabody Award last year. In their citation, they wrote: "Co-created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, the series' second season builds on the critical acclaim of its premiere season, continuing to interweave multiple engrossing storylines with razor-sharp dialogue and ribald comedic insight. Supported by an ensemble cast of heartfelt characters who are as flawed as they are endearing, and grounded by Everett's powerfully understated performance as Sam, 'Somebody Somewhere' discovers moments of authentic tenderness in the painful absurdities of the human condition. For its combination of pathos and hilarity, we recognize Somebody Somewhere with a Peabody award."

Watch Bridget Everett's acceptance speech.

As Sam, Everett is qually churlish and charming, and bring a wonderful complexity to a woman at a crossroad in her life; plus the show runners wisely cast a strong supporting cast of quirky and funny queer actors that bring a rainbow consciousness to this Red State community.

Chief amongst them is Joel, (Hiller), Sam's endearing bff, who is slowly moving away from her having found Brad (Tim Bagley), a friend from church with whom he is romantically involved. At the start of the season, Joel has sold his house and moved in with Brad; and as they bond as housemates, but Sam is beginning to feel him becoming more emotionally remote.

Hiller has been one of the show's numerous delights – his lanky presence and oddball sense of humor makes a perfect fit for the darkly funny Sam. And the addition of Brad (Bagley) helps complete the character's story arc. Maybe what's next should be a spinoff starring Hiller and Bagley. EDGE spoke to Hiller and Bagley about the show.

EDGE: For season three, is there anything you are most excited about for the views to experience?

Jeff Hiller: Personally, I think the scenes between Tim and me where we are trying to figure out what it's like to live together feel so truthful and universal. I think a lot of people are going to say, "Oh my God, were they listening inside my house?" and I like that.

Tim Bagley: The only thing I would add is that something special happens towards the end for Bridget's character, Sam. It happens near the end. And I don't believe I am in the episode, but it's my favorite. It's just so beautiful.

EDGE: What I loved about the two of you as a couple is that the relationship felt real. Was it easy for you to find that chemistry?

Tim Bagley: Well, look at Jeff's face. How do you not love this face? It was very easy. I had the good fortune of watching that whole first season. I wasn't in it, but I got to watch him. I remember watching the pilot with friends and saying, "I love this guy." Then I stepped into it a year later and was able to look at him and feel like I already knew him. It was very easy.

Jeff Hiller: It was good writing, and we get along well off-camera, too, so it was easy. The other thing is that we laughed a lot. We laughed a lot while we were shooting and even when we were not shooting.

EDGE: Being queer and religious usually rarely mixes. Both of your characters are very spiritual. Are you spiritual in real life, and what is the message to the queer viewers you are trying to share?

Jeff Hiller: I grew up very religious. I went to church every Sunday until I was about 31 years old, and that's only because I fell in love with a guy who is Jewish, and now, I spend time with him on Sundays. First of all, I know that there are some not-nice churches out there, especially for queer folks. I wouldn't ever say you need to get into church. I'm not one for proselytizing, but I do know so many queer folks who have found their community in the church. I went to Texas Lutheran University, and I had multiple professors who were LGBTQ+ and wanted to find a community in church. In my community growing up in Texas, because the government is so conservative, the only people doing any social justice were lefty church organizations. They were the people you went to if you had food insecurity, the people fighting for migrants, and the ones who were making sure that there was shelter in a rural community. I'm like my character, Joel, in that I don't think of the church as an oppressive place. I think of it as a safe place.

Tim Bagley: I also grew up religious, and it was tricky for me because, at the time, churches were not welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. There wasn't even the term LGBTQ. I had to figure out that path on my own. I remember deciding that I wouldn't let the church, which man created, stop my relationship with God, so I figured out how to do it on my own. I think there are young LGBTQ+ people out there that love God and have a relationship. I want them to know that there is a place and that God loves us. It is personal for me to imagine that there are people out there who should know that they don't have to cut off their church and God.

EDGE: I am not ready to say goodbye to "Somebody Somewhere"; if we were gifted more seasons, where would you have liked to see Joel and Brad's storyline go?

Jeff Hiller: I would love to continue exploring the intense and very platonic relationship that Joel has with Sam now that he's finding this romantic love with Brad. We touched the surface of what it's like to mix those two relationships together. I would love to see where that continues, specifically the mixing of those two soulmates that Joel has found and is lucky to have. In another interview, Tim said that Joel talks about giving up on the dream of having kids. Tim, I'm stealing your answer here: you never know what life will be and what it will bring. That excited me because what if they did adopt a teen, or what if they adopted Sam? These characters are so real that they are going to continue. They're not ending. I know that they're going to continue, even if they're not going to be airing on HBO. I love imagining the lives that they'll continue living.

Tim Bagley: I think that he answered perfectly.

EDGE: Representation matters, and this show does a fantastic job. As gay men and actors, what has it meant to be a part of a show that does this so well?

Tim Bagley: I can say it means everything to me. It is personal, and I am so grateful to be a part of it because it's a show I would've liked to have watched growing up. I would like to have known that there were people like this and me out there. It meant everything to me to be in this show.

Jeff Hiller: Me Too. So Proud. I was at a film festival when a kid approached me, and he's probably 30. He approached me and said, "It means so much to me to see someone on screen, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, who is not hot." I did take it the wrong way, but after I licked my wounds, I understood what he meant and I loved hearing it. I watched every episode of "Queer as Folk," but it wasn't mirroring my life. There is something really special about seeing someone who mirrors your life, and that's important and makes me proud to be a part of it.

EDGE: The series ended on hope. I believe the viewers will walk away feeling satisfied. What do the both of you walk away with?

Tim Bagley: Bitterness and contempt.

Jeff Hiller: I think Tim answered that perfectly.

Tim Bagley: I think sadness that it is not continuing, but I also hope that Sam continues on her journey and that each one of these characters continues on their journey. I don't know where the show would've gone, but I know that in real life, Bridget moved to New York, became a cabaret singer, and has lived this incredible life. I like the idea that these characters continue on, and I feel hopeful at the end for all of them.

Jeff Hiller: I love that you felt the show ended on hope because that's exactly where I wanted it to end, too. I think this show represents hope, and it especially says there's hope, even if you committed the mortal sin of aging. I appreciate the show for that.

"Somebody, Somewhere" airs on HBO on Sundays at 10:30pm. Episodes available to stream on MAX. For more on the show, click here.