There was a collective clutching of pearls from fans when it was announced last month that the hit OWN Network megachurch drama “Greenleaf” was coming to an end after five seasons.
On Monday, the cast, along with creator and executive producer Craig Wright discussed the wonderful journey that the show has been for them as they gear up for the premiere of the final season premiere next Tuesday, June 23.
Merle Dandridge, Keith David, Lamann Rucker, Lynne Whitfield and Deborah Joy Winans gave off the energy of an authentic family as they laughed, joked and dug deep for the spiritual connections that have come from their work together with Wright on the show.
“My biggest concern is for my son and my youngest daughter,” David said, speaking of the characters with the same protectiveness and care he probably uses when discussing his own children.
“I can’t help, but will she be able to grasp fully the path that God is making for her without her getting in her own way?” David asked.
And as far as his “son” Jacob, David says that Bishop Greenleaf is looking forward to him coming into his own.
“I want to see him fulfill his own destiny – the one that he discovers for himself, not one that has been imposed upon him or wished upon him by his mama or to please his daddy,” David said. “Life is forcing him to look at himself in a different way.”
Although it was announced that elements of the story would continue by way of a spinoff, the final chapter is as much a milestone for the cast as it is for fans.
Dandridge and Whitfield are on the edge of their seats as well waiting to see what happens – particularly with the family patriarch.
“I think I’m most interested in seeing Bishop’s storyline and it’s just so interesting, saddening and poignant. Losing your position. Losing your place, losing your status,” Whitfield said. “To see the arc of his energy – I’m really interested to see how Bishop continues to deal with his journey and how he manifests his purpose to this family and to his congregation,” Whitfield said.
Dandridge agrees.
“I was moved by forgiveness he exhibited last season,” Dandridge said. “His world has completely erupted and to see someone at that point in their life – when they have established so much – to have that fortitude courage to move forward and change and ride the wave and see what happens is amazing. It shows that God can do a whole new thing, and he’s following that faithfully.”
The world is wondering how the show will end, but Wright says that the answers presented themselves from the very beginning.
“If you look back on the pilot, you see the seeds of where it inevitably had to go,” Wright said. “It’s really not so much about making decisions – the decisions were made in the pilot if you look closely enough. It’s more about having the courage to ignore everything that has come before and just get to the end. Drive it forward and put everybody where you always knew they belonged.
For a variety of reasons, people “including people inside Wright’s own head” have wrestled with how the chapter ends for “Greenleaf.”
“It’s about trying to get everyone where you knew they had to go and trying to see that clearly,” Wright said. “It’s less about planning and decision making and more about releasing control and allowing things to unfold.”
Keeping the faith
As a juicy drama framed around a Memphis megachurch, members of the cast feel that revealing the flawed humans behind church leadership has opened the door to strengthen their faith.
Whitfield says that the show will give viewers who are willing to take the journey, new insight on how they view man and how they view God.
“Man is so fragile, so lovable and so manipulative and so complex and so undependable,” Whitfield said. “Each of these characters have had the opportunity to be that.”
But as each character deals with their respective mess, drawing closer to God is the common denominator.
“Hopefully the show has them [viewers] looking at a leadership of a church less and looking at a personal relationship with God more,” Whitfield said. “Man is man. And when everything gets really tough, this family always goes back to the source of their strength – which is God.”
Winans hopped in to say that she totally agrees with “mama” that the show has – even with its mess and its salaciousness – encouraged a personal relationship with God, whoever one is and wherever they might be in life.
“Particularly in the black community there has been this feeling where you had to come to God in a certain way for him to accept you,” Winans said. “I think that this show has shown people that you can come as you are – we are all from the top to the bottom, dealing with things. We are all human. We all fail. We all make mistakes and we still look to God for our own understanding and pursue him, regardless of what others think. I am grateful that people say, ‘I can come to God as I am,’ because look at Charity’s (Winans’ character) mess.”
The final season of “Greenleaf” premieres at 8 p.m. CST on Tuesday, June 23 on the OWN Network. For more information, visit http://www.oprah.com/app/own-tv.html.
