Supernatural Preview: Kim Rhodes on “Don’t You Forget About Me” 

Women rule on tonight’s Supernatural as the Winchesters team up with a trio of returning female characters: Sheriff Jody Mills and the teens she’s raising, Claire and Alex. Last season, Sam and Dean sent Jimmy Novak’s daughter to live with the sheriff and the girl she’s been taking care of since Season 9’s “Alex Annie Alexis Ann.” It’s finally time to get a glimpse of the life they’ve been leading together.

Synopsis for “Don’t You Forget About Me”: Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) drop in on Jody Mills (guest star Kim Rhodes), Claire (guest star Kathryn Newton) and Alex (guest star Katherine Ramdeen) after receiving a panicked phone call from Claire. She believes the recent murders in town are supernatural and wants the boys’ help. However, Sheriff Mills tells Sam and Dean that Claire has been getting into trouble lately as she’s been attacking normal people and accusing them of being monsters.

We recently got on the phone with Kim Rhodes, who plays the always fierce Sheriff Mills. She’s excited about this episode, although she did wish that Briana Buckmaster (Sheriff Donna Hanscum) could have been part of “Don’t You Forget About Me.”

And, also, when we expressed a bit of worry over her character’s fate — after all, we did just lose Rowena — she replied with a little bit of a silence.

“The thing is I only hesitate with a long slightly sad sigh. Because that’s the same state I live in,” explains Rhodes. “Every time [the producers] are like, ‘hey we want to pin you for an episode.’ I’m like, I’m dying this time, right? Am I dying this time? They’re like, we can’t tell you. We need to send you the script. We just want to know if you’re available.”

In a perfect world, this is how the conversation would go instead. Jokes Rhodes: “I just want to be like, I don’t know, are you going to kill me? Then no, I’m not available. Kill somebody else. Sorry!”

Let’s just say we’re hopeful Jody Mills will live to see another episode and even more after that. Here’s what else the actress has to say about tonight’s Supernatural.

TV GOODNESS: Paint a picture of what life has been like for Jody, Claire, and Alex.

KIM RHODES: You know what? It’s Supernatural: Mom. She’s got one girl that she’s been through hell with. So, of course, they’re bonded. They understand each other. They’ve spent a lot of time together. And this girl wants to leave the monsters as far behind her as possible. Then she’s got another girl that she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t really know. She hasn’t really earned the trust of and this girl is out looking for monsters. And so Jody just has her hands full.

TV GOODNESS: Does this dynamic fulfill that void at all — the one created when she lost her family?

KIM: I’m gonna say no. It’s very clear that Jody knows she is not this girl’s mother. Either of them. I think that one of Jody’s strengths is the fact that she knows she’s already suffered the most incredible loss she will ever suffer. It’s dangerous allowing herself to care for other people. And she actually brings that up at one point. Which is like, once you have a family, you have a lot to lose. It’s less like they moved into her son’s bedroom. And more like she’s put an addition to her house. That’s the kind of loss that never is filled. But the fact that she experienced it gives her the strength and empathy to be the person she needs to be now to show up for Alex and Claire. Otherwise, I think she’d be all idealistic and preconceived notions and instead, she’s not trying to turn them into her daughters. She’s trying to turn them into healthy versions of who they are.

TV GOODNESS: That’s a great take. How do Sam and Dean reenter the lives of these women?

KIM: Well, you know. It ain’t me. Let’s just put it that way. Somebody calls to basically get a second opinion on a situation because Jody’s been pretty clear on what the girls’ priority should be. And so somebody calls them in for a second opinion on a situation. And then a body shows up and then we’ve got to deal with stuff.

TV GOODNESS: From the looks of the photos, it gets pretty brutal for the women.

KIM: It’s always brutal for everybody. Yeah, because in this episode, the primary characters are female and they get the s–t kicked out of them. It wouldn’t be the same story if a vampire or a werewolf or a frickin’ demon were like, excuse me, could you come with me, please? I have some candy and a nice warm cup of coffee, just step this way. Oh okay. Yeah, it’s pretty violent. But then again, Sam and Dean get their s–t kicked every episode.

TV GOODNESS: How much fun is that for you?

KIM: Oh my God, it’s so much fun. It’s so much fun. I love the stunts. I love the choreography. I even love going in and looping the fight afterwards. I was in ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and was literally bouncing up and down going (makes some “Ooh Aaah” sounds). They’re like, ‘wow, you bring a lot of the energy to it.’ I love it so much!

TV GOODNESS: I never thought of that, it might be awkward for some actors to do that but it’s cool you totally relish it.

KIM: Oh yeah, it’s fun. I mean, the hard part is not making it sound like sex. To be frank, that honestly is occasionally something I worry about. I’m like unless I really commit to the violence of this situation, it sounds like I’m doing porn voiceover.

TV GOODNESS: Some fans would love for this to be the Supernatural spinoff that takes off — what are your thoughts on that?

KIM: It’s funny cause people are like, hey would you be interested if. That’s like buying a lottery ticket and it turned out you had the winning numbers, would you cash it in. That’s my pipe dream. That’s s–t I fantasize about to send me asleep at night. However, there is no indication from anyone with any ability to make that kind of decision that that will ever happen — with me on it. I don’t know. They might have contracts out for the rest of the girls and that’s it. But no one has ever come to me and said, ‘hey Kim, we’re gonna bank an entire new series on you but we think we’re gonna let you go get another job if you want one.’ They wouldn’t do that. They’d come to me and be like, uh, what’re you doing for the next seven years? Can you sign this paper right here? Thanks. Even the inside voices that I have are usually like, ah, you’ll probably get an episode out of it but that’s not what anyone’s actually thinking of doing. That said, they can change their mind. Numbers speak. So no matter how good an idea it is, if it doesn’t have numbers behind it, they’re not going to listen. And no matter how they might not consider an idea, if the numbers get their attention, they’re going to find a way to make themselves think it was their idea in the first place.

TV GOODNESS: Talk about working with Kathryn and Katherine.

KIM: You know what’s funny is that their personalities — they aren’t their characters by any stretch of the imagination — but their personalities are different. However, they get along together. It was a really great mesh. Kathryn Newton was cracking everyone up. She’s this little butterfly of a person. Her favorite pet is a poodle. And she’s very much like a poodle. Katherine Ramdeen is very focused and very intent and occasionally would be just like, I don’t really understand why everyone’s laughing. And I would have to be like, well, thank God you’re not or nothing would get done. So the balance between them made the set really good for someone like myself where I like to have the freedom to f–k around a little bit. But I also don’t like to be like, oh good, and now, apparently, everyone’s drunk. I want to know that we’re still all focused on the same job. And those two personalities made it work. And yet, at the same time, the other thing they share in common is they’re so good. those two girls. When I went in to do the ADR for it, oh my God. Katherine Ramdeen has a, I want to say a moment, but it’s longer than a moment, it was hard for me to breathe she was so good. And then there’s a moment they have that they share where not a word is spoken and it’s some of the best freakin’ s–t I’ve ever seen. So they are both incredibly talented and CW — if they were thinking — would give both of them contracts for a long time.

TV GOODNESS: I think this is your 10th episode since Season 5 — that’s a bit of a milestone. What do you attribute to Jody’s longevity?

KIM: If I knew, I would feel a lot safer every time I get a script.

TV GOODNESS: What do you remember from your first episode?

KIM: I remember — Jonathan Showalter was our director — it was his first episode as well. And I had to run outside after my son had eaten my husband’s gut. We were actually shooting outside and it was below freezing. And he was like, so, do you think she’d stop and grab a jacket? And I saw everyone in the crew kind of tune into me? And I was like, alright this is a test and I’m not sure how to pass but I’ve got to be honest. No. There’s absolutely no way she’d stop and grab a jacket. He goes, well you’re going to be cold. I said, I don’t give a s–t if I’m cold. There’s no way she’d stop and grab a jacket. We need to commit to this moment. And I think I passed. So there we go. What do I attribute Jody’s longevity to? The fact that I was willing to be cold after my son ate my husband’s guts.

Kim Rhodes guest stars on tonight’s Supernatural. “Don’t You Forget About Me” airs at 9/8c on the CW.