If there’s been one surprising thing in Sheriff Country Season 1, it’s how much we’ve enjoyed the character of Nathan Boone, played by Matt Lauria. He started out as more of an antagonist to Mickey (Morena Baccarin) and has transformed into a true partner, a real friend, and, for some people, perhaps the possibility of something more.
But Boone has also turned out to be a really interesting character in his own right. Someone who is always trying to do the right thing, someone who cares about Edgewater, and about Mickey and Cassidy. And yes, someone who projects confidence and strength, but can sometimes also show us vulnerability. That’s the kind of character we can invest in. It’s certainly the kind of character we want to see more of.
In preparation for the show’s Season 1 finale, we talked to Matt Lauria about what we can expect to see as Sheriff Country closes out the season, what his relationship with Mickey could turn into, and what he wants to see going forward.
MORE: Need a refresher of the last episode? Read our review for Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 19 “Compromised.”
How are you feeling going into the season finale?
I cannot wait for these bombshells to get dropped. I can’t wait. And like Boone [as a character]? Not feeling so great. Boone’s in a tough spot heading into the finale.
You know, look, if it was just a normal day in the neighborhood, I would be thrilled. I would be really enthusiastic about everybody getting to see the sort of bookend of all these characters journeys in Season 1 because the writers did such a great job of giving everybody really dynamic arcs.
So any ho-hum, like normal finale would have been exciting for people to see. But oh man, like, it doesn’t go out with a bow. It goes out in a mess on the floor. It’s bananas.
Looking back, what are you most proud of when it comes to your character?
I can say what’s the most inspiring to me about Boone over the course of the season is how willing he has been to admit when he’s wrong, how willing he’s been to embrace and attempt to new perspectives, to go from less of like a hard line black and white approach to the community and to law enforcement. Which really came out, it was born out of necessity, where Boone was like, look, if we don’t follow protocol, and we let things slide, people die. And that was Boone’s lived experience in Oakland.
But then coming here, learning and seeing examples of taking a more human approach in a way that… they know this communities, and there’s such, you know, they have such history with this community and adding that context into the conversation. And so Boone has learned a lot from that as like, as I think embraced, especially going back to trying to convince Nora to come up and live in Edgewater.
I think Boone is really in the community and deciding to stay. So I’m inspired by and proud of Boone’s willingness to in the face of disappointment, take it on the chin with Mickey, you know, when there’s been, you know, hard circumstances. He does the right thing. But Nora’s like, he was never gonna break up with Nora. He was gonna see it through to the end, because that’s the right thing to do. Like, not dip out to be there, to make to be accountable to make good on your obligations.
There’s a lot about Boone that inspires me.
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Talking about Mickey, it’s a relationship that a lot of fans are invested in, whether it’s romantic or not. There’s a trust there that grounds them. For you, what’s your favorite aspect of their relationship?
You know, I think what a gift in this world to have somebody who you know is your ride or die. And after what Mickey and Boone experienced, especially as partners for years, but, you know, especially in the siege episodes, where we were facing death imminently. And just going, hey, it’s me, it’s you. Let’s do this. And not question one another for a moment and just know.
Ever since that episode, Mickey and Boone have had even more of like a shorthand, you know what I mean? Where it’s just, we’re just even more lockstep, even more kind of like unified rhythmically in terms. So I think with Mickey and Boone, I think the best part of it is the ride or die bond and the humor.
You know, just this person, how many times over the season did Mickey go, hey, I know you. Like, you’re not telling me something or, you know, vice versa. There’s real intimacy there. It’s a very special bond that they have. They’re close. Like she said, they’re family, you know?
The season has explored a different side of Boone, having to face his fears after a panic attack. How has it been like to explore that vulnerable and human side of the character?
That was a wonderful challenge. That was a real gift. That was a really wonderful gift from the writers to explore that.
You know, Boone has been humbled and humbled and humbled again, this season. And I don’t think that Boone was like a cocky, conceited, egotistical guy ever. But yeah, I think I really admire Boone’s time and time again in the season to like, end up in an embarrassing or bad situation and go, you know, hey, Bode, like, didn’t want anybody to see my underbelly like that. But you did. And like, here we go. Let’s, let’s be in it together.
And the same thing with Mickey, you know. Flat out rejection and just go, all right, moving on. You just got to take it on the chin and keep going.
Since we’re called Fangirlish, what’s something you love to fangirl about? Or that you’re currently fangirling over?
I would say the thing that like, professionally, I’ve been the most obsessed with recently has been Morena Baccarin’s directorial debut.
So myself and herself and two of our cohorts have produced a short film that Morena directed and that I got to star in alongside of the amazing Amanda Arcuri. And so that has been taking up like, so much, like all of my creative energy for the last like, I don’t know, two months.
Sheriff Country airs Fridays on CBS.
