If you were a wrestling or music fan in the 1980s, Rowdy Roddy Piper was on your radar, from his moves in the squared circle and his lively, often out-of-control “Piper’s Pit” interview segments to his feud with Hulk Hogan, Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper that led to the first WrestleMania event in 1985 and, later, Piper’s own Hollywood career.

Tonight, Piper pops up in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (10PM ET, FX), playing – what else? – a wrestler. In “The Gang Wrestles for the Troops,” Charlie, Mac and Dennis decide to do their patriotic duty by putting on a wrestling show for the troops, including an appearance by Da Maniac (Piper) and fashioning themselves into a wrasslin’ trio. This, obviously, cannot end well for the Paddy’s Pub gang.

I had a chance to chat with Piper yesterday about his gig on Sunny, about his thriving movie career (including a recent flick with his daughter and Corey Feldman), about his feud and friendship with the late Captain Lou Albano, and, in just-announced news that took Rowdy Roddy by surprise, about Hulk Hogan’s announcement that he’s returning to wrestling.

Does that mean a Hulk vs. Roddy rematch could be in the works? Could be …

Hi, Roddy. Thanks for taking the time to do this today. I used to watch wrestling with my grandpa growing up and was a big fan of yours.
(Laughing) Oh, you must have been starved for entertainment then.

Tell me about your character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia … His name is Da Maniac?
Yes, he’s an interesting character. He’s a take-off of the character Mickey Rourke played in The Wrestler, and putting him in a sitcom situation. You know, they’re very kind people, the Sunny cast, I’m a big fan of theirs. When they were growing up, they watched wrestling –
they were very sweet (to me) – and when this project came about, and I heard they wanted someone to play the part of “The Wrestler,” so to speak, it seemed like kind of a natural (thing) there, I guess.

The guys on It’s Always Sunny are obviously big fans of yours, too …
Yes, and they’re just really super people. When we did the first scene and I came out, they didn’t know me. And I was late, and jumped out onto the set just in time. And I guess I was being intimidating – I didn’t mean to be – and Charlie (Day) was the poor guy who suffered the most. There’s a scene where (Da Maniac) takes a helmet out of his station wagon, and it has barbed wire all over it, and I inadvertently hit Charlie in the groin with it. Poor Charlie suffered, you see. So I don’t know whether Charlie is still talking to me, but the rest of the cast is, and they’re all wonderful.

They have several recurring characters on It’s Always Sunny, so is there any chance you’ll go back after this episode?
I would love to go back and see them. I guess we’ll see how this episode plays out. I’m talking to some folks about doing a sitcom now, so that would be a lot of fun.

That’s something you would want to do, a regular weekly series?
Yeah, I think so. I’m talking to Bunim-Murray right now, talking about developing one. And I’m also hosting Monday Night Raw in November at Madison Square Garden. I don’t think I’ll be getting back in the ring again though. I was (in the ring) in April for Wrestlemania XXV – can you believe that?

I know! You were there back at the very first one …
Right! I was there when it didn’t even have a number, wasn’t I Kim? (Laughing). The event, Wrestlemania XXV, in Houston was a really nice one, and I think there was something like 70,000 people in attendance, but I just don’t think my time in the ring is much more. I think it’s time for me to grow up. May as well have people laugh with me and at me and do something in the entertainment world.

And you’re hosting Monday Night Raw in November?
Yes, with Jimmy Fallon. That one’s easy for me, but poor Jimmy … I hope he doesn’t speak to Charlie.

Now Hulk Hogan just announced that he is going to return to wrestling … does that change things for you? You two have such a long history of being rivals, there’s still no chance of you going back in?
Wow, you know what … did he announce that last night?

He announced it this (Wednesday) morning. He’s going to be wrestling with TNA.
Ah, okay. Wow, this is terrible, giving me openings like that … I only wrestle for the major leagues. I’m the reason (Hulk Hogan) has got no hair, you know. (Laughing). But if he’s going back, I might be willing to go back for a one-off. You know, to be honest with you Kim, this is the first I’ve heard about it. But right away my ears perked up when you said that. I beat him once and he’s never beaten me, and I know that drives him crazy. So yeah, maybe I could give him a chance to lose twice, I guess. Hahaha. See, these openings that you’re giving me? You’re gonna have to make this match with me now if I go.

I would be right there in your corner! One of your other big rivals from the first Wrestlemania, Captain Lou Albano, recently passed away – what was your relationship with him like more recently?
I had an on and off relationship with Lou. I respected and admired the talent. Quick story: The first time I went to Madison Square Garden, when I was 19-years-old, they called me “The Boy Wonder.” And I used to play the bagpipes before I wrestled. So I got there, and Lou came up to me and hugged me and said he’d seen me (wrestle) and said ‘Oh, you’re too good, we don’t want you here.’ And then Freddie Blassie, the manager, “Classy” Freddie Blassie, came up to me and said, ‘Aw, you’re a pencil-necked geek, we don’t want you’ and gave me a hug. And then, before I went on that night – there were promoters from everywhere who had come to see me – I went to play my bagpipes, and nothing came out. Freddie Blassie had stuffed rolls of toilet paper in them. When they said they didn’t want me there, they meant it. And when I went into the dressing room, Vince McMahon Sr. basically said, ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ And it took me another 10 years to get back there. It was a brutal business, very brutal business. So I always carried a grudge, but later in life I found out that Captain Lou hadn’t known anything about it. It was Freddie. So when I came back, it was during the Cyndi Lauper (feud), and I explained to him that I had thought he was involved with it, and apologized to him, and we became very dear friends after that. So it was a very sad day for me (when he died). I’ve lost too many friends.

In addition to wrestling and the It’s Always Sunny episode, your movie career is really thriving, with several movies coming up for you. In The Bloke Goes to Hollywood, you co-star with your daughter, and the movie was directed by Corey Feldman?
Yeah! My daughter Ariel Teal Toombs. She’s a working actress here in Los Angeles, and she’s a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy … cost me a fortune. (Laughing). She’s just one of the most beautiful kids. I have four beautiful children, and I have great relationships with them. Being able to be on the set with her was like a dream come true. She was always hugging onto my arm, and it was great to get to work with her.

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It’s a very It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia week, as the Sunny cast kicks off its tour of live The Nightman Cometh performances tonight in Boston, just in time to ring in the show’s fifth season premiere on FX Thursday night (10PM ET).

To get the scoop on The Nightman Cometh tour, the new season (hint: Kitten Mittens! Wrestling with Rowdy Roddy Piper! The gang’s naughty Christmas DVD!) and the next big thing from the cast (the upcoming FX comedy Boldly Going Nowhere), here’s my recent chat with Sunny star Charlie Day, who plays the angry, glue-sniffin’, thermal underwear-sportin’, musical-writin’, oddly endearing Charlie Kelly.

Hey, Charlie! Thanks for chatting today. How did the idea for the live performances tour come about?
Well, we did it once at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, and it was all entirely by accident. A friend of (Sunny star Rob McElhenney’s) named Don McCloskey is a musician, and he had booked a gig at The Troubador and asked if we maybe wanted to sing a few of the songs from the various episodes in which we sing on the show. And we sort of agreed, and then The Troubador put up on their Website that the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was going to perform The Nightman Cometh, and it sold out almost instantly. And then we said, ‘Alright, well, now we actually have to do something here.’ So we got together and figured out the best way to do it, and we collectively decided that the best, most interesting thing would be to perform the entire episode like a play, and then the play within the play. So that’s what we did, and it was great fun, and it was a success, so we decided we would take it on the road.

Now that you’re moving the performance to these bigger venues in cities like New York and Boston and Los Angeles, will it change? Or will you still be performing the entire episode, with the sets, etc.?
Yeah, I think so. We’re gonna put the sets on a bus or van or drive it around to wherever we go.

Were you surprised at how the tickets – almost all of them at each venue – sold out almost instantly?
I was enthused. I’m pretty aware of the fan base that’s out there … we at the show are very grateful for it. So we’re all just very pleased to see how excited people were, and also excited that we have the opportunity to do this live performance for (the fans).

The tickets were even being sold on eBay for hundreds and in a couple of cases thousands of dollars …
That’s just evil.

There were many “troll toll” jokes being made on Twitter.
(Laughing) Yes, and that’s appropriate.

But you guys must feel like rock stars now, as well as TV stars.
(Laughing) Well, this is as close as we’ll get to being rock stars, so that’s another fun reason to do it, to enjoy it.

Is there a chance that you may do still more with The Nightman Cometh after this? We kind of have the Behind the Music-ish episode in season two where we originally saw (the idea) and now we have the actual show … could there be an episode of It’s Always Sunny about the gang taking the show on the road?
Well, it wouldn’t be like the gang to ever make it out of Philadelphia, but … certainly they would aspire to do something like that, and that could make for a pretty hilarious episode.

Is that true that we won’t ever see the gang leave Philly?
Well, we may or we may not. We don’t want to set down any ground rules so that there won’t be any surprises, but I don’t see big changes for these characters. I don’t see the final season taking place in Miami or something.

There’s lots of buzz about season five … Is it true that The Waitress (played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Day’s real-life wife) gets married this season?
Absolutely, absolutely. There’s certainly a snafu there. And we have a great episode in which we wrestle for the troops, because we want to celebrate the troops coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we decide what better way to do that than to put on a USO-type show, and what’s more American than good old-fashioned wrestling? And Rowdy Roddy Piper makes a guest appearance in that episode and he’s fantastic. So that’s a favorite of mine this season. And there’s a bunch of them that are great this season … we’re going to flash back to 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series and see what the gang was up to that day, and that’s a good one as well.

And there’s a flashback to the gang as babies?
Well, not in the (regular) season. You will see younger versions of these characters in the Christmas DVD that we’re doing.

Is that episode a standalone, or will the Christmas episode be part of season five?
That’s a standalone thing, on DVD. And it’s uncensored … it’s pretty dirty. And we’re going to put it out at Christmastime.

And is it true that Charlie’s Kitten Mittens come to fruition this season?
Yes, Kitten Mittens! What the world has been waiting for (laughing). Yeah, there’s an episode in which my character designs these Kitten Mittens and then everyone (in the gang) tries to think of something they can create and sell in the bar.

You realize that fans are going to actually want to purchase Kitten Mittens? You’ve ensured humiliation for an entire generation of cats …
Haha, yes, well then, I apologize to cats of America.

Are you and Rob and (Sunny star) Glenn (Howerton) also working on Boldly Going Nowhere?
We are, we’ve been retooling and writing that. Our focus, really, for the last few months has been on finishing (season five) and getting that out and doing this tour, and then we can kind of shift back to that.

Is there a premiere date attached to it yet?
I don’t think so. We’re still working on it.

You guys are co-creating it, writing and producing it … will the Sunny cast also make guest appearances on it?
If all goes well with that, sure, I think that’s something that we would love to do. If we pull it off, it will be the kind of show that would have lots of people coming and going every week, so there will be plenty of opportunities for performers.

Boldly Going Nowhere has been tagged as “It’s Always Sunny in space” … is that an accurate description? Is it that same kind of attitude, same kind of humor as Sunny?
I think so. I mean, our humor is our humor, so we can’t change it too much.

I recently saw the Reno 911! episode with you and Mary Elizabeth – hilarious. Is that when you two met?
No, no, we had met years and years before that. But we’ve always had the same sense of humor, so we enjoy getting to perform together.

Had you performed together a lot before that, or before Sunny?
No, actually, I think Reno 911! was the first thing on camera, aside from home videos and that sort of thing. But yeah, Reno and then Sunny … I think that was the order. It’s all kind of a blur now.

With Charlie proposing to Waitress in The Nightman Cometh, it begs the question: how did real Charlie propose to Mary Elizabeth?
Haha, on a beach somewhere … we’ll put it that way.

And there was no bright yellow suit involved?
Haha, there was no bright yellow suit. And no musical.

In The Nightman Cometh episode, and several others, are you actually playing the piano?
Yes, I am, I do. Both of my parents are music teachers, and I grew up in a house full of instruments, so I can make noises on a lot of them.

And are you the one who writes the music used in The Nightman Cometh?
Yeah, I do write a lot of the music. And I brought in a good old friend of mine, a guy named Cormac Bluestone, who’s done a lot of music with us, both on The Nightman Cometh episode and on the Christmas DVD, and various other things throughout the show. And, as always, everything on the show is a group effort, so everyone chimes in with their opinions about things. Maybe I’ll come in with a good jumping off point and then everyone will go from there.

Obviously fans love The Nightman Cometh song, and bands are even covering it in concert, but you have been living with it since season two. Is it still fun for you, because everyone else loves it so much, or are you tired of the song?
Haha, no, I’m still having fun with it. I don’t have enough of a music career to be sick of any of my music.

During The Nightman Cometh tour, you’re performing the entire episode … and what else will we see during the performances?
We’re going to show either the season premiere or a random episode from the new season, and we’re going to show a scene from the Christmas DVD, and then do the live episode. And then there are going to be a couple of other numbers in there …

Cool, surprises?
Yeah, a couple of surprises …

And will people have the chance to interact with you guys at all during the show?
(Laughing) I have a feeling people are going to be interacting with us whether we planned it or not. But that’s going to be a part of the joy of the performance, or at least, I hope.

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TGIF, and the best reason for settling in on the couch on Friday nights is USA Network’s Psych, the always fun crime comedy with a great cast, great guest stars and an endearing obsession with referencing nearly every bit of pop culture that unfolded in the ’80s.

That obsession has made fans obsessed with catching every little detail of the clever series – from the running pineapple gags to the wacky character nicknames – which is one of the many things Psych star James Roday talked about when I had the chance to chat with him recently.

He also dishes on upcoming episodes – including one where his Shawn Spencer meets the too-perfect ex-boyfriend of his sorta love interest Juliet (played by Roday’s real-life girlfriend Maggie Lawson) – how much fun it is to work with co-stars like Dule Hill, who tops his wish list for Psych guest stars, the possibility of a Psych crossover episode (Psych/Chuck, anyone?) and how he and the Psych crew really feel about the similarly-themed CBS hit The Mentalist.

Hey James, thanks for making time to chat today.
It is my pleasure.

So where are you now? Are you still filming on season four in Vancouver?
We absolutely are. We will be here for another couple months, but we’re past the half-way mark. We’re shooting number 11 out of 16.

Is that the episode where we meet Juliet’s brother?
No, that’s (episode) nine. The one we’re filming now is where we meet Juliet’s college boyfriend, her ex-boyfriend, from back in the day.

That sounds like a fun little bit of love triangle stirring, with Shawn and Juliet.
Yeah yeah, it should be good. There’s an interesting hook to it, and the case is pretty interesting, and we bring him back in an unusual way.

And is Juliet’s ex at all like Shawn?
He’s not. He’s a completely, completely different kind of guy, and doesn’t really have any sort of glaring weaknesses or chinks in the armor for Shawn to go after, which frustrates him. He’s just a really good sort of earnest, slice of American pie kind of guy. Shawn just can’t figure out how to break him down, so there’s an interesting little dynamic there.

Sounds like a great episode.
Yeah, it should be good. (Psych creator) Steve Franks is directing it, and Maggie (Lawson, who plays Juliet) has all kinds of new fun stuff to play. We see her in a flash back from when she was in college.

I think one of the things that most endears the show to fans is that it looks like the cast is having so much fun making it. Is that true?
Yes. I would even go as far as to say we’re having even more fun (now), just because we’re that much more comfortable doing what we do, and there’s not quite as much pressure on us to succeed as there was when we were sort of starting out. We’re kind of established now and we know who our audience is, so it’s just us messing around, coming up with inventive ways every week to keep them laughing. It’s good … we have a great vibe on the set now, and I think it’s probably better than it’s ever been.

Does it help you bond as a cast that you’re filming in Vancouver, away from the craziness of Hollywood and studio interference?
Absolutely, we’re sort of in a little bubble up here. We don’t really know anybody but each other, and executives really don’t want have to get on a plane to come and visit your set so … there’s a little bit of the inmates running the asylum through our show, which I think we’ve handled responsibly. It’s weird. Like when we came back to the states – I say ‘the states’ now because I’ve spent half the year in Canada and that’s what they call it – but like when we went back for Comic Con not too long ago, and it was a real sort of eye-opening experience. We’re not used to being around our fans and seeing up-close-and-personal the kind of response that we get for the show. And, we knew we had fans, but we were a little worried going to Comic Con … it was kind of a big venue they were putting our panel in, and it could be embarrassing if, you know, only 100 people show up. So we were all sort blown away by the response. The place was jam-packed – it was standing room only – and it was sort of a nice reminder that, oh yeah, wow, we’re this cool show that people really dig. And I think sometimes we lose that being up here in Vancouver.

It must also be a plus though that you don’t have to deal with paparazzi as much as you would if you were in Los Angeles.
For sure. I mean, right now, we’re sort of being followed around by paparazzi just because Twilight is shooting here at the same time. So everybody is being followed around by the paparazzi, but then they realize that we’re not the Twilight people and we see the disappointment on their faces and then they leave us alone.

You mentioned Comic Con – that was the first time there for the Psych cast and crew, right? Was it overwhelming?
It was the first time, and it was a blast. All of us, I mean we were sort of in and out quickly because we were on a tight schedule, but I’d actually love to go back with a little more time and experience the whole thing. The energy was great, and we had a great time mingling with the fans.

Were you surprised at just how devoted the Psych fans are? They really notice every little detail in the show.
We sort of expected that (Comic Con) would have the most fanatical version of it, that it would be the enhanced fanmanship. But I still didn’t really expect people to be walking around dressed like giant pineapples, and they were. They were just full-blown fans, and all of them have caught all the in-jokes and the running gags that we always think like, maybe 10 people are appreciating. It was really, really cool. I felt like a Jonas brother for an hour. Hopefully they’ll invite us back next year.

Speaking of the pineapples, are you getting weird pineapple things from fans? Recipes in the mail, or actual pineapples?
Haha, yeah. A lot of people send fan mail adorned with various pineapple accessories and insignias. It definitely sort of became a trademark for our show, and it’s just so bizarre that it happened the way that it did. We always joke around about how it would have been if a different piece of fruit, in the pilot, had been on top of Gus’ refrigerator. Like, what if it had been a coconut? Then our trademark would be a coconut. Or a dragon fruit or a lychee? Whatever was up there, if I had grabbed it instead, that’s where we would be right now.

Well, at least the pineapple is a pretty fruit.
It’s beautiful, and it seems to be a naturally welcoming fruit. I couldn’t have picked a better fruit if I wanted to, which of course I didn’t, because I didn’t have anything to do with it.

Fans love the nicknames Shawn gives Gus. What’s the one that’s quoted back to you most often?
I think it would have to be Lavender Gooms. And Dule loves that, because it’s actually the name of his great aunt. So it’s a double score – people dug it and it’s also a shout out to one of his family members.

The show’s also known and loved for all the great pop culture references, particularly ’80s references. Is everyone in the cast and crew a big pop culture junkie?
Some of us more so than others. The writers, definitely, because it certainly starts with them. Me, I’m just full of all this information. As for Dule, I would say 60 percent of the time he doesn’t know what he’s referencing, but he can mix it up and sell it, because he’s just that good. And Steve Franks, he’s the king of it all. He puts me to shame. The stuff that guy can spit out, especially when it comes to music. He’s impressive … like, not only does he know the album name, he knows every song on it, when it was released … he can actually tell you the tracks in the order they appeared on the album, and that’s for like two decades worth of music.

Psych gets so many great guest stars, especially the really great character actors. Who’s on your wish list of people you really want to have on the show?
Yes, we really have lucked out with guests. We still really want to have Martin Sheen on the show, and sort of reunite him and Dule after all the years they worked together on The West Wing. It’s sort of been a work in progress trying to figure out what that character is he would play and what he would be interested in doing, but there is a dialogue happening, and I feel pretty good about the chances of it happening, probably next season. We’ve also been chasing David Bowie forever … he’s definitely my dream guest star. And I’m not giving up. I don’t know if we’ll be able to make it happen, but we’re certainly not going to stop trying.

What about the possibility of a crossover episode with another show? Monk would have been great, though now that it’s ending, probably too late. Psych would be a great match-up with a show like Chuck, though …
Yeah, definitely. I mean, Chuck is an NBC universal show, too, so that’s something that could happen. Monk, like you said, Monk would be the obvious one, but I think we sort of all kind of slacked on that and missed the boat. And then, as far USA Network goes, I’m a huge Mary McCormack fan, so whether it makes comic sense or not, it would be fun to do an episode with In Plain Sight.

When I first heard the description of The Mentalist, my reaction, like a lot of Psych fan reactions, I’m sure, was ‘Hey, that’s just like Psych!’ Can I assume from the jokes that have popped up last season and this season that the Psych gang agrees?
Haha, well, there are certainly enough similarities that we got our ears kind of perked up, but, for me it’s sort of like if you go back through the history of television, everything that you’ve ever loved is probably completely derivative of at least 30 other shows. So that’s sort of the way it’s been in our industry, and I just hope everybody can sort of have a good time with this. Because we’re certainly not going after The Mentalist. You know, anytime you can find the level of success, with both audiences and critics adoring you, the way that they have, it’s like, hats off, congratulations. We just have the type of show where we can get away with those kinds of jokes. So we’re going to for a little while. And, hopefully, you know, The Mentalist folks will be laughing all the way to the Emmy awards.

Have you gotten any reaction from The Mentalist crew about the jokes on Psych?
Um, we have not. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not even aware that we exist. But if they fired back in some sort of clever way, I would love that. I would love to see a very sort of subtle response on their show. I think that would be great.

Dealing with the logistics of the different networks and studios would be a nightmare, but a Psych crossover with The Mentalist could be really fun.
And which theme song would you play?

Oh, the Psych theme song, of course. You can never replace the Psych theme song.
That’s true. Very true.

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So … did I exaggerate? Was last night’s Sons of Anarchy season two premiere every bit as good as season one, if not better? And was the vicious attack on Gemma at the end of episode some of the most graphic, brutal and heartbreaking moments on TV this year?

Katey Sagal, who plays SAMCRO matriarch Gemma, continues her incredible, should-be-nominated-for-an-Emmy performance, and the episode itself was an example of series creator Kurt Sutter’s best, most layered writing. The contrast between tough-as-nails Gemma kindly waiting with Chief Unser after his cancer treatment and the debauchery of SAMCRO’s welcome home party for Bobby Elvis was a good little “day in the life of Gemma” piece, and made the episode-ending attack on her that much more powerful, shocking and crushing.

And as I said in the intro to my interview with Sagal, the show, and Sagal’s performance, just keeps getting better throughout the season.

I had to leave a few things out of the post of my interview with her yesterday, so as not to spoil anything in the premiere, so here, now, are a few of her thoughts on what happened to Gemma, and how it will affect the rest of the season.

SPOILER ALERT: Sagal discusses a minor plot point from next week’s episode below, so if you want to remain totally spoiler free, skip it. But it’s something her co-star, Charlie Hunnam, discussed in greater detail at EW.com, so I’ll go ahead with it here.

And there’s still more to come from Sagal, after next week’s episode.

The attack on Gemma in the season premiere was a powerful moment, very difficult to watch, but it seems like it’s going to open up a lot to viewers about her character, her past, her motivations. What did you think when you read the script for the episode?
Well, I knew it was coming. Kurt (Sutter, Sagal’s real-life husband) had told me what was going to happen. You know, I was a little intimidated by doing it, but, it’s like everything I’ve been learning while doing this show … there are things where I think, ‘Oh, wow, I don’t know if I can do that,’ and then I do it and I’ve learned more and I get better at what I’m doing, and I feel more comfortable. So that felt really great. Ultimately, being an actor, you just want to keep trying new things.

And then, the season … what happens to Gemma really sets up the arc for the season. The fact that she is not going to tell them what has happened to her is very important in what goes down, because the season is all about loyalties. Everybody’s falling apart a little bit. It’s all about secrets. Secrets can destroy things. So we’re going to have to spill secrets at a certain point.

Were those scenes in the premiere, and all of the scenes that make up the aftermath of the attack for Gemma, more difficult to film with your real-life husband on set?
Oh no, I felt very comfortable around him. Kurt’s an actor as well … so no. I felt comfortable with everybody on our set. It’s a very safe environment, and the show goes into some dark, risky places for everyone. So it’s a pretty cozy set. If anything, I felt safer being there with them.

One of the things that’s so heartbreaking about the attack and its aftermath is that it makes Gemma so vulnerable, which is, clearly, her least favorite state to be in. Is that going to catch up with her?
Yes, you’re going to see her act out in some ways, definitely. There will be circumstances in which her behavior will be very uncharacteristic of who we think she is. And as a character, her own behavior startles her.

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WARNING: Minor season one spoilers ahead, in case you haven’t finished that DVD box set yet …

First, a mini review of the Sons of Anarchy season two premiere: six stars on a scale of one to five, an 11 on a scale on one to ten, three thumbs up … you get the picture. For a show that had as great a first season as a show could have, SoA tops itself with tonight’s sophomore season premiere (10PM ET, FX).

The premiere delves right into the action, with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and Clay (Ron Perlman) butting heads (especially after Jax’s realization about Donna’s murder), just as outsiders threaten the SAMCRO gang. “White separatists” led by guest stars Adam Arkin and Henry Rollins are as evil as they wanna be, and they reveal just how far they’re willing to go to oust the Sons of Anarchy from Charming with a shocking, brutal, heartbreaking move that will set up the rest of the season.

A central figure in the plot: Gemma, “old lady” of Clay, mother of Jax, who’s not only caught in the middle between her hubby and son, but is also thrown into the middle of this new war.

I had the chance to chat with Gemma portrayer Katey Sagal on Friday, just as the cast and crew – including Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, who plays Big Otto on the show and who is married to Sagal in real life – prepare to shoot the season two finale.

Sagal (who should have received an Emmy nomination for Sons of Anarchy’s first season, and, based on the first five episodes of season two that I’ve seen, has already made her case for one again) talks about Gemma, her relationships with her motorcycle men, the comeback of her other hit series, Futurama, the likelihood of a Married … with Children reunion and whether or not she might be resurrected for the final season of Lost.

One more note: Tune in to TVScreener.com on Wednesday for Sagal’s thoughts on the season two premiere (to share them now would be very, very spoilery).

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat today, Katey. Is it true that your husband wrote the part of Gemma for you?
Yes. He was approached by the Linsons (father and son producers Art and John Linson) about writing a television show about this world, and he started writing it and somewhere in the middle of it he said, ‘I have a part for you,’ and I said, ‘Oh, fantastic.’ And that was the last I heard of it until he gave me the script and it was really fantastic.

That must have been flattering, given how strong of a character that Gemma is, that he wrote her with you in mind.
Oh, yes. Especially considering that I think my husband is an amazing writer. So yes, I was flattered that he would give me that challenge. I don’t think he would have done it if he didn’t think I could pull it off.

What was your reaction the first time you read the script?
I thought it was really amazing. And I hadn’t seen that world explored the way he was exploring it, and I just loved the epic nature of it.

It is, uniquely, a very respectful treatment of this motorcycle club world …
Oh yeah, (Kurt) is treating it very respectfully. And realistically. He pays a lot of attention to detail, which is important to him, and I think it really enhances the storytelling. Sometimes I watch the show, and I think ‘Really?’ You know, like, ‘Really, that just happened?’ And that’s just in the details of the goings-on, the formality of the club, the rules and regulations, the things you’re supposed to do and the things you’re not supposed to do. I think that all contributes to the world that he’s created.

How much research did he or you and the rest of the cast do into this world, this motorcycle club life?
Kurt did a lot. And then he also created an entire mythology for these characters, where they’ve come from, and how they got to where they are. So there’s a lot of backstory that (viewers) may never really hear about, but we did. He researched a lot of the world. I tried to find research on the women (of motorcycle clubs), but there’s very little. You know, it’s really a pretty misogynistic group, so Gemma is a lot of creative license. Gemma has been there since the beginning. She grew up in Charming and kind of ran away from home, hooked up with the motorcycle club and brought them back. So she’s been there since the inception. That’s just part of her history.

How much did you help shape Gemma?
The part that I had a hand in was her physicality. I decided to put those big blond streaks in my hair. I thought she’s a woman who would wear a lot of makeup. She dresses … it was written that she’s a very sexy woman. I think she’s always led with her sexuality. She’s a woman in a very strong man’s world. It’s not a demure world, for sure.

Gemma’s a hot mama.
Yes. She’s a hot mama.

Does Gemma see herself as a mother first or a wife first?
I think as a wife first. But I think that having been there since the inception of the club, she’s always envisioned herself as the mother of these boys.

Just as Gemma is one of the best female characters on TV, her relationship with Clay is also one of the most interesting. It’s nice to see a married couple who isn’t twentysomething, but is still portrayed as very sexual, who basically love each other and aren’t sniping at each other all the time. Did you have chemistry with Ron Perlman right off the bat?
We actually did. We read together and there was a real sort of bond there. And I think Kurt’s intention for that couple is to not show ‘The Bickersons.’ His intention for them is to show that these people like being married to each other. These are people who have fun together. Sex is still good. We’re not gonna have the middle-age crisis of, they’re only together because they have to be. And I think that’s an interesting depiction, too. I mean, in season two, you’re going to see some strains on that relationship based on some of the goings-on, but it’s not for lack of love.

Gemma’s relationship with Tara is another of the show’s most interesting relationships. Do you think they begrudgingly like and respect each other?
I would say, from Gemma’s point of view, she realizes at the end of season one, in that finale when Tara kisses Jax at the funeral, that Tara is going to stick around. And Gemma’s no dummy. The last thing she wants to do is alienate her son. She sees the benefit of having a nurse around for Abel … you know, she quickly goes through the checklist … ‘OK, I see how I can make this work. Better to embrace the situation than to alienate everybody.’ So she makes that adjustment, and then through the goings-on of season two, you do see a very vulnerable Gemma, and Tara steps up and basically takes care of her in a way. So you kind of see that go on, and you see … you know, Gemma is a woman with a big heart, as far as I’m concerned. She’s all about loyalty and family and bonding, and for her to see some of those qualities coming out in Tara makes her feel safe around Tara.

Do you think she sees Tara as being a lot like her?
In some ways. And I think she’s also grooming her a little bit. Tara’s journey is a really interesting one, too, in that she comes from this world, too, but decided to leave. Tara kind of set out on her own, got herself educated, became a doctor, and to have this pull to come back to this world, what does that mean? So, I’m sure Gemma, in her own way, is testing her. It’s like, ‘Look, if you’re going to do this, if you really want to be in this environment, this is the deal. This is what you’re gonna have to do.’ Kind of ‘The Education of Tara.’

Because Gemma has relationships with almost everyone on the show, and her relationship with all of these people is different from what Clay’s is, or what Jax’s is, for instance, with Chief Unser, I think of her as really the center of this whole world … she, in a lot of ways, keeps things going smoothly even when those around her don’t know she’s doing it. What do you think about that?
I think that what she is is the matriarch to sort of the lost boys. If you look at the motorcycle culture as a bunch of displaced souls, in a weird way, who have bonded to form this union … you know, they all need a mom. (Laughing). And in that sense, I think that’s what she provides. She is the … you know, it’s all very sort of tribal. That’s how I sort of look at it. The guys are out doing the hunting and gathering, and the women are keeping the home fires burning. But who’s to say what’s most important, really?

What’s it like on the set as one of the few regular female cast members? Does the on-camera guy bonding continue off camera?
Oh yeah, they’re wild. Not only on the set, but out on the town. They have bonded like a real group of guys. Last week, they all got motorcycles – Harley-Davidson gave them motorcycles, sort of a promotional thing – and they all took off together and spent the day together. They are bonded. And to be around them is really fun.

Do you ride motorcycles now?
I don’t. I will go on the back. But I have three children, so my safety is most important to me.

The show does a great job of mixing the intense drama with comedic moments, especially with the dialogue, and so many of them come from Gemma. Is that harder, that dark comedy, to pull off than a straight sitcom situation?
I don’t really think of it as hard. It’s not like set-up/joke. So really, the dialogue comes out of the character and the circumstance, so you’re not looking for the laugh. And I think that it doesn’t really strike me as difficult, it’s just different.

Do you enjoy those little moments, those little interjections of humor?
You know, I have to tell you, I don’t even know when they’re going to be funny. To me, it’s (Gemma’s) point of view, just how she is. When we were at the premiere, and when Gemma says the line in the premiere, ‘I don’t want to turn him into a little vegan (p-word),’ and there was this big laugh. But when I said it, when we were filming it, I didn’t realize that that was funny. Do you know what I mean?

You were just in the moment of being the character …
Yeah. And she just has a point of view.

You’ve lived with this character, in this world, for more than a year now … are you getting good at anticipating where Kurt is taking the storyline?
Oh no, I’m totally shocked all the time. Wait until you see the season two finale. We just got the script today … it’s like, ‘Huh? What?’ You don’t always see things coming. You kind of think you know, but then something different happens.

So you’re still filming season two?
Yep, we have one more to go. We’re about to start shooting the finale.

Do you and your husband ever disagree about Gemma?
Not so much. You know, I just think he’s amazing. What he writes … amazing. I mean, I’ve had some questions, like in the beginning, about her relationship with Tara, and what am I doing, and he always has a great answer. He’s thought out all these things. So it’s never been, ‘I don’t think (Gemma) would do that,’ it’s more like ‘Why would she do that?’

You’re a musician, have recorded, still do live performances, and the show makes such great use of music … “John the Revelator,” in the first season finale, for instance, was so powerful. Do you have a hand in selecting the music?
Well, I helped hire the great music supervisor we have.

So, yes …
(Laughing) Well, he’s a collaborator of mine, who produced my last record, and he’s just amazing. Bob Thiele, he’s the music supervisor. And Kurt has a lot of input into the music as well. They kind of work together on that, but no, I actually don’t.

Is this the best role you’ve ever had? Or your favorite role?
Hmm, well … it’s my favorite role for today (laughing). You know, because I love doing comedy, too. I loved being on Married … with Children. That was fantastic. And I’ve played a lot of parts that I’ve really enjoyed. But this is really stretching me in ways that I really wanted to be stretched. I really wanted to be challenged. I had never done an episodic, dramatic show before, where you have a storyline that carries out for 13 episodes. So you’re having to clock where you are. In any given episode, you need to know where you were three episodes ago. It’s a big arc. And you kind of don’t know where you’re going until you get there. So that’s an interesting process. It’s really been fantastic, and I’m having a great time with it.

And you are heading back to work soon, or maybe already are at work, on the new Futurama episodes for Comedy Central?
Oh yes, we started. We’ve already done three episodes so far. It went right into production. We’ve done just the voices so far, I should say. Then they go to the animators. So I’m not sure how long it all takes, but we’re definitely up and running.

Obviously, there’s always been a big fan base for the show, but were you surprised at all at how loyal those fans have remained, to the point where there’s going to be this whole season of new episodes?
Haha, well, I’m never surprised with Futurama anymore, because we’ve ended it so many times. But it really is a tribute to the fanbase, because they’re the ones who keep it alive. So no, I wasn’t totally surprised, because we’ve never really said goodbye to each other.

And would you be happy if Futurama continues on after this new batch of episodes?
Oh yes, absolutely. I love doing that show.

Given the Futurama “reunion,” any chance of a Married … with Children reunion?
I don’t know … we had a little reunion of sorts when David (Faustino) did his Web series (Starved), which was really wrong (laughing). We did all kind of get together for that. And every once in a while someone mentions doing a reunion, and then nothing ever happens. I’m sure we’d all be open to it, but time is moving on. They better get on it fast.

And what about a return to Lost? We think we know that Helen, John Locke’s girlfriend, is dead, but that could change with whatever is still to be revealed in the show’s final season.
Well, I’m holding out hope. I don’t know anything specifically. But you know, with Lost, they call you at the last minute if you’re going to be on the show, so I wonder about that, too. I love Lost. My son and I, my 13-year-old, and I, are just addicted to it. So yes, I’m holding out hope that Helen will be resurrected.

Are you a big TV fan in general? What else do you watch besides Lost?
I watch … I love Nurse Jackie. I like Hung. And I’ve watched Weeds the whole time. Mary-Louise Parker is great. I don’t watch a lot of mainstream, network TV, though I have been watching The Big Bang Theory, and that’s really funny. You know, Kaley (Cuoco) is on it, and I was on 8 Simple Rules with her, so I do like to watch that.

You mentioned Nurse Jackie and Weeds, and those kinds of shows, along with Sons of Anarchy, are really where the great roles are for actresses these days …
Oh, definitely. Thank God for cable. And not just for women, but ‘women of a certain age.’ It’s just awesome.

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