EXCLUSIVE: Siobhán McSweeney on why shooting Extraordinary season 2 was 'the best craic ever'

Mary (Siobhán McSweeney), Jen (Máiréad Tyers) and Kash (Bilal Hasna) in Extraordinary season 2.
(Image credit: Disney Plus)

NOTE: This article contains spoilers for Extraordinary season 2

"I'm a huge fan of the show. I don't say that all the time, and I'm a really bad liar". That's how Siobhán McSweeney wrapped up our chat about the second season of the hilarious Disney Plus and Hulu comedy series, Extraordinary

Season 2 picks up right where the first left us: Jen (Máiréad Tyers) is off to the Discovery Clinic to try and unlock her power with her new coach, George (Julian Barrett), and one of the things he encourages her to explore is her relationship with her mother, Mary (Siobhán McSweeney).

Mary's first scene of the season comes when she arrives to check in on Jen after she phoned out of the blue. There, she's roped in to help Jen and Kash (Bilal Hasna) carry out an impromptu exorcism to banish the ghost of a forgotten Hollywood starlet that's taken over their flatmate, Carrie (Sofia Oxenham).

It's a sequence that sums up Siobhán's on-set experience. Filming Extraordinary, to her, 'feels like a treat each time'. Of this first scene in particular, she said: "That was the first scene that I filmed in the season, and we just went straight for it. It was the best craic ever. And that's exactly what I mean; how do I get away with it? I get all the best stuff! I get to go in, do outrageous things, and leave again."

McSweeney has also said in various places that she has 'the funniest scripts since Derry Girls', and we asked whether that's still the case; her answer was pretty definitive. 

"Yes. I can say that honestly. I think that season two is funnier than season one, which is really rude of Emma, frankly. I used to say this to [Derry Girls creator] Lisa McGee all the time as well. I was like, 'You're packing too many gags in, do less, get more bang for your buck.' 

"Emma is the exact same, there's gag upon gag upon gag. The writing is just brilliant. Very, very funny. Extraordinary was definitely the funniest script I've read since Derry Girls, I still maintain that. And it's getting better". If that's not a reason to get the new season watched, what is?

Extraordinary season 2 is now streaming on Disney Plus and on Hulu.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin was a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produced a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. Now he works for our sister site Tom's Guide in the same role.

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.