With two of the largest franchises on planet Earth under her belt, anything starring Cobie Smulders is worth the excitement. Known internationally as Marvel’s Maria Hill and How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Scherbatsky, Smulders now takes on the lead role of Val in the smash anthology series, Accused. Co-starring alongside her is Vella Lovell — known for her memorable roles in My Crazy Ex–Girlfriend, The Big Sick, and Fox’s Joel McHale-led sitcom, Animal Control — who makes a welcome dramatic turn as Val’s lawyer.

Inspired by the British series of the same name, Accused is an anthology series premiering to critical acclaim on Fox. Each episode begins in the courtroom without knowing the accused, their crime, or how they ended up in that inauspicious seat. Accused then dives deep into the defendant’s point of view, bringing the audience along on their harrowing, all too human tale.

Collider’s own Tania Hussain had the privilege of sitting down with Smulders and Lovell to dive deep into Val’s Story on Accused. With the episode centering on Val’s harrowing journey through trauma and survival, the heart of this particular episode unfolds with a powerful twist: Dina Shihabi’s character, Jordan, appears to be in a position to judge Val because she struggles with substance abuse following a tumultuous divorce. However, it’s revealed that Jordan is enduring a similar abusive relationship with Val’s ex (Eric Johnson), shifting the narrative into one of unexpected solidarity and shared resilience. Together, Smulders and Lovell discussed the wonderfully human story coursing through the episode, along with its surprising twists — and the divine importance of honest Canadian poutine on set.

Val’s Story in ‘Accused’ Is Very Human

“It’s a really wonderful showcase of this relationship between these two women.”

Image via FOX

I’m so happy to chat with you guys today. I watched this episode last night, and I was so in awe of it. It’s one of those really empowering episodes that we don’t really get enough of on TV. Since the series has highlighted how one impulsive decision can change lives, how would you say that theme resonates with you both as actors when preparing for this particular episode?

SMULDERS: I think what the show does so well is put a character, a person you would relate to, in an extraordinary circumstance. You’re watching the show and you’re like, how did that happen to that person? It feels all very human to me. Whereas, it could just be about the law, and we’re going to be in the courtroom, and we’re going to manipulate the jury here.

They do such a great job at humanizing the law, humanizing crimes. In the case of our story, it’s really a woman who is just trying to survive, right? Trying to get through a very, dark, traumatic, traumatizing experience and be the best mother that she can be for her son. That’s also [Dina Shihabi], who plays Jordan’s story as well. They’re both of these women who are just trying to get through their days, trying to love this boy, and provide the most positive environment for him. It’s a really wonderful showcase of this relationship between these two women. And thankfully, Vella comes in and really saves the day at the end of this episode.

This episode, it was a real Power Women team. We had Miley Malloy directing and it was wonderful to explore these relationships between the women, between that the darkness of being in an abusive relationship. It was really important for all of us to portray that as realistically and as real as it possibly could be. The whole Accused team allowed us to play with the levels and hopefully we presented something that was very grounded. That was entertaining to watch and luckily kind of worked out in the end, we can say. For these two women and for this beautiful little boy.

Vella, what about you? Anything to add, you know, for your own experience to that?

VELLA LOVELL: As always, Cobie says it really well and then I’m like, “Yep.” no. Yeah. To kind of say what Cobie said, but less great, I feel like what the show does– and then our episode also echoes– is always changing what you think on first impression. If this is going out after the episode, the reveal of Dina’s character going through the exact same thing, when you think she is in this totally different situation, and maybe looks down on Val or has an opinion. You realize, oh, no, she’s going through the same thing. It’s just a real gut punch of humanity on all these different levels, and I think makes you– as the audience or the viewer think– what other judgments are you making when you have no idea what someone’s going through?

Cobie Smulders on Depicting PTSD in ‘Accused’

Image via FOX

That twist was something I did not expect. It was such an interesting conversation to have though — with the conclusion too, how it wraps up. What was your reaction when you read that script? Because, were you maybe also thinking that it doesn’t usually go that way for women, especially in the courtroom? They are treated in that patriarchal sense where men can get away with it, but women can’t.

SMULDERS: I think in any sort of situation where you’re trying to prove abuse, it’s so hard. Also, it’s so emotional and it’s so difficult. It’s so difficult to speak to when you go through something like that. What I love that we’re showcasing in this episode is we’re showing what women have to do to survive. We’re showing the ways that Val is medicating herself through the abuse. We’re showing her after where she’s in treatment to treat her PTSD, to treat the ramifications of abuse. And we see the character of Jordan sort of manipulating her own, trying to mentally manipulate herself to believe what is real and what isn’t real.

I think that this show is — when we get to the law of it because, again, with abuse, it’s so hard to have evidential proof. It is so “he said/ she said.” In this case, I think it’s about appealing to humanity. It’s clear who the bad guy is here. So it’s just like, let’s not look at the events, let’s not look at the decisions that were made in the moment. Let’s look at what is the right thing to do.

Vella Lovell Researched the Greats for Her Role as a Lawyer

Image via FOX

Vella, I want to ask you a question because I noticed — I felt like it was a very different role for you. I know that you’re really comfortable in comedy and stuff, [but] this was something that I feel like was so different. You were seamless and flawless, giving a great performance as a public defender, but a lot of times they have such limited resources. How did you prepare to portray the complexities of Mara’s role within the justice system?

LOVELL: I shouldn’t say this, but I watched a lot of legal dramas. I thought instead of preparing to actually try and act like I could learn the law in two or three weeks, I just studied a lot of lawyer performances. On a technical level, I got a lot of good ’90s movies in. Like Richard Gere in Primal Fear, and then Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. Presumed Innocent had just come out, so I watched that. Just off of what Cobie said, ultimately the strength of this episode is in the human moments. So for me, it was about: as a public defender, you’re not always representing people who are innocent. Your job is just to defend them. So just to make the decision that I believe Cobie and that there’s an instinct.

It was very easy because Cobie is so open and the channel was so open with her acting, so I was like, “Great, I believe you.” In terms of playing a public defender, for me, it was like: oh, she’s on board, she trusts her, there’s something about her that she believes in her innocence and can fight for her. And she trusts her along the way, even in the courtroom scene, it comes from Val, it comes from her instincts. So it really is a case of my character believing her all the way till the very end. Even that double jeopardy scene with Sean Doyle is almost another mini-case of a man, the “he said, she said.” It’s these women saying, “No, we’re right. We did our research, and I think that I don’t think you want to go up against us.” And it is a hopeful ending. But again, it’s human, it’s humanity. It’s believing what she said and advocating for her.

Cobie Smulders Describes the Emotional Arc of the Show

“In order to be good, you have to step out of yourself.”

Image via FOX

There was a scene between Val and Jordan that actually made me tear up because it is a very emotional, powerful scene with two women having the same experience. Then we know from the conversation between Val and Marta that women have to protect themselves in a way that won’t get them killed. I thought that was so profound, but also very sad. Because that’s our instinct, we just have to do these things. But, a lot of times we’re also not kind to each other. We’re not kind to ourselves. What do you think the relationship between the women in this episode says about the struggles women face navigating abusive relationships or dangerous relationships, for that matter?

SMULDERS: There’s also another thing at play, there’s this little boy, right? It would be an easier choice for Val to break off from this relationship or go deep into substance abuse. And she sort of rallies herself to become more responsible, to become a healthy person because she has this son to care for. In terms of the relationship between these women, I think at the beginning it’s very contemptuous between Val and Jordan. Val sees Jordan as — not the enemy — but someone who she hasn’t chosen to help raise her son. She’s like, “This is not a relationship I would like for my son to have with this other woman.” So it is this sort of competitive energy.

At the beginning, Val is very looked down upon because of her history of substance abuse. The arc of the show is really the relationship between these women. Making the choice to step out of yourself, out of your detective instinct, and to see the situation from another perspective. To have some empathy, I think is the word I’m looking for. To have some empathy towards someone who is going through the exact same thing you went through. The only one in that courtroom who understands what Jordan is going through is Val, and that is why she also knows to call her out on it. Then it’s like, where do you go from there? Where do you go from this, from this relationship? You have to risk it again.

I think all three of these women are inherently good people. And to be good, you have to step out of yourself. Not maybe do the thing that’s right for you, but do the thing that is the good thing. Both of these women are victims, and I think that they understand what that feeling is, the ramifications of that situation, and are trying to survive that. These two women have the same experience, the same journey, and luckily– in this portrayal of something like this happening– it has the best possible result.

The “Really Special Team” Behind Val’s Story

“We were so lucky that all those things came into place.”

Image via FOX

For both of you, I’m wondering what has been the most rewarding — or even challenging — part of such a character-driven, emotionally intense project? I don’t know how long it took you guys to shoot this, but I feel like it was done so well. I kind of wanted more. Also, I will say, I love that you guys have amazing chemistry. It felt like Thelma and Louise — I wanted to see you guys just get out, break out, and go do another chapter or something. What was so fun about working on this project and having it be such an intense one, too?

SMULDERS: I’m gonna let you go first, Vella, because I feel like I talk too much.

LOVELL: Oh, I think you — like, “take it away!” No, I was just going to say, the people. It was such a joy. Usually, when you guest star, you’re in and out. You are trying not to disrupt or maybe make a friend and quietly slip into the night. So it’s such a pleasure, because of the anthology nature of it, that we just got to create. We’re the show for these two weeks, that connective tissue. And then, Dina is actually an old friend. We’ve known each other for 14 years, I think. It was really, really cool to reconnect with her.

Then to meet Cobie and Miley, who are these amazing powerhouse women and learn from them. There is an “egoless-ness” — that’s not a word — but there is a lack of ego in the creation process. It was really collaborative and that was such a gift, especially working on a subject matter. I think everyone wanted to do it justice, treat it with respect, and also really dive into these characters, and find the human moments. It was a really, really special team. One of those special little gems.

SMULDERS: There’s like a hyperfocus that comes with doing something like this. If you’re doing this and you were shooting this for eight episodes, you kind of have an eyeball on the next one. Then you’re reading scripts for coming. You’re able to just go, this is our story. How can we best tell it? Who were the best people to gather? We were so lucky that all those things came into place. I will also say one of the big takeaways is poutine, which we had.