Canada’s Surrey cop drama Allegiance is back and more intense than ever. Season One saw Constable Sabrina Sohal (Supinder Wraich) work to have her father exonerated after some questionable choices, ending with the revelation that the corruption conspiracy rabbit hole goes much further down than she ever expected.

That Shelf’s Vanya Garraway connected with the actor to talk about season two, the loss of a series character, Sohal’s new promotion, the topical nature of the show, and its place as a prestige Canadian drama. Read on for the full interview:

Vanya Garraway: It’s a wonderful show. It’s exciting to see this high-calibre kind of procedural cop drama, if I may call it that, at this level in Canadian television in particular. I’m pretty proud to see this show.  

Supinder Wraich: Me too. Me too.

VG: Do you feel that way?

SW: Yeah, it kind of surprises. Not surprises me, but it’s always so wonderful when you’re shooting it to see the performances that are happening opposite you, and I really do think that everyone is working at their best, and it is an elevated show in that sense. From the showrunners, the writers, the directors, the producers, and particularly from my standpoint, the acting. Some of the guest stars that we’ve gotten on this show are just magnificent, and you hope that that energy will transfer onto the screen because as an actor, you never know. They always say that theatre is an actor’s medium, and TV and film is always like the director and the editor’s medium, and so you never know how it’s going to get cut.

It’s been a relief and a moment of pride to see how [well] these performances are coming across, because I think at the end of the day when the viewers watch, that’s really one of the elements that they connect to. “Do I believe these human beings?” I think the actors in the show have done a great job of bringing their heart and soul to these characters, so we’re empathetic, we’re involved, we’re invested.

VG: There are some real heavy hitters on this show, and you definitely hold your own against some real veterans. That’s wonderful to see. It likely feels great to be in scenes with actors who are thoughtful about their work, too.

They are some intense storylines here though that can probably affect you outside of the work. How do you protect yourself from elements like racism and misogyny etc. that you might have also dealt with in your real life?

SW: What a great question, Vanya. Thank you so much for considering me and my mental health during all of this.

VG: You’re welcome.

SW: But you’re right, and it’s a double-edged sword as an actor. For the really heavy episodes, Lark, the production company that produces Allegiance, is great because we do have a therapist on set.

VG: Wonderful.

SW: And so that really helps with the process, but the therapist is only good as your ability to approach them and use them. So, I remember having this conversation with my personal therapist because I have experienced some of the things that Sabrina experiences in the show, and I say it’s a double-edged sword because in a way, the acting out of the thing can be therapeutic. So, I was having this conversation with my therapist, and she said, “Well, is it therapeutic because you’re reliving it and sort of processing it in that way? And can I ask, are you really processing it because of the added layer of doing it within the job?”

In the second season, I really had to examine that. So, we did have this episode later on in the season where I was like, “Okay, I need to go talk to the therapist about this because this stuff is heavy, and I cannot let it go, and I’m having trouble leaving it behind.” And it took me about until Episode Eight, if I can be honest, to get there just because the load as the lead on a show is so heavy, that it’s difficult to step aside, to take the time, because I have so little time in between scenes to say, “Oh, I need a moment to myself for my personal mental health and well-being.” In front of all the crew and the cast and everybody.

It feels like a vulnerable position to put yourself in because on set, people know when you use the bathroom. (laughing)

VG: (laughing) Yes, yes.

SW: So say, “Oh, okay, I’m going to go talk to the therapist for a second.” But I think that by the time we got to episode eight, I was like, “No, I need to.” And so when I sat down with her, the thing that we worked out was, and it seems small, but it was actually really big for me when I remembered to keep reminding myself it’s not real, which is again also a difficult thing to do. As an actor I don’t come from method training, but I do come from this sense that the thing that we’re doing is a bit hard to touch, and so I want to keep a lot of it in my mind and my spirit and my soul. So, for me to tell myself it’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real, sometimes I’m afraid of doing that calculation within myself because I’m afraid of losing it.

VG: Yeah, that natural thing, that organic thing.

SW: Yeah, that organic sort of magical thing that is sort of like your secret when you’re performing. So that was one where she was like, “You have to tell yourself it’s not real because even though your mind and stuff is imagining all of these things, your body is experiencing the event like it’s actually happening. So, you’re not necessarily telling your mind and your imagination, you’re telling your body, so it doesn’t continue to carry that trauma inside of it.” And then the second piece was just an action after every sort of heavy scene where it was just like, “I’m just taking it off. I’m taking it off, and I’m putting it over there, and that’s where you live, and I can look at it.” So, it’s a long answer, it’s a complicated question, but thank you for asking it.

VG: Oh, you’re very welcome. I appreciate that answer. I feel like we could talk about it forever, but we don’t have the time! On a related note though, this season’s first two episodes had you dealing with grief because of the death of a main character. What I loved was that the first season really showed us a mutual respect even though you were also kind of adversaries. Do you want to talk about letting go of a character like Luke Tucker (played by Lachlan Quarmby)?

SW: Yeah, it was really hard. It was really hard. It was hard when we got the news. It was hard when we got the scripts. I think that what I’ve sort of tried to do, and I think we all have because we love Lachlan so much, is that you let go of the character, but Lachlan is still close to us. We want Lachlan as close as possible.

It’s hard because that first season of shooting a show, it was just so magical between Toby, Lachlan, Rico, myself, Crystal, Melanie, and just everybody who’s there a lot, right?

VG: Right.

SW: To remove one element of that equation, it was heartbreaking, and it changes the vibe. So, I think one of the things that I had to learn was it’s going to be different every year, and that’s why people come back, and they continue watching the show because they’re not watching the same thing happen episode after episode. I think in order for a show to grow, in order for a character to grow, those changes have to happen. So, this year was different and then Samer Salem came in and then his energy is also so lovely and so warm, but it was different. Season One, we played a lot of tricks, there was a lot of fun on the set.

Season Two was, well, you mentioned that the scripts are heavier. Each one of the writers this year brought with them a specific topic that they wanted to delve into this season, and so it feels like the scripts have that sort of gravitas to them, and that sort of weighted heart behind them. Each of the writers for each script are individually examining something that’s important to them. So, in that sense, even behind the scenes, it was a bit more of a serious season, more content, a bit more grounded, and in some sense it’s just a bit more relaxed.

VG: I think the intensity and settling is coming across. In terms of what you’re saying about the growth of the show and how things must change, it’s exciting to see some your character’s desires come true. She’s been promoted, she’s a detective constable now on probation, but that’s a big leap. Are there things that you desire as an artist that you would like to do in the future? You’re a storyteller, an actor, a writer, but do you want to direct? Do you see yourself in Sabrina, as an ambitious person in the same way?

SW: Yeah, I think so. It’s interesting that, and maybe it’s just the way that I work as an actor, but I do also see the parallels in my own life and in Sabrina’s evolution in that first season. She comes into the police force, she’s very new and feels like she has to prove herself. Parallel, Supinder, who’s never led a series of this size, comes into that role and feels like she has to prove herself.

So, second season, Sabrina gets into serious crimes, this role that she always wanted for herself. To get a second season in this day and age, it’s a big feat, and I think it gave me, as an actor, as an artist, a lot more confidence in terms of seeing the way that the show had been received in season one.

I think that for Sabrina, the elements that I give to her is that she’s got a couple notches under her belt now. She solved a couple of cases; she knows how to do this. So, I was able to bring a similar energy into that character for second season where I was like, “Oh, I, Supinder, also know how to do this. It’s not my first rodeo anymore.” So, in that sense, we are in tandem. Before Allegiance, I wrote and produced a show for CBC Gem called The 410. So, writing and directing is something that I would absolutely love to do. The difficult part about it is I have a two-year-old and so finding the time these days in between is proving a bit more difficult, but we’ll see where that takes us.

VG: Well, if you’re anything like you’re character, you’re a multi-tasker for sure.

Obviously, there’s excellent representation on the show and that’s been brought into even more focus because of changes happening globally, but particularly south of the border. Given the recent dismantling of diversity initiatives specifically, it is excellent to see actual representation of what Canada really looks like. Did you want to speak to that aspect of the show?

SW: Yeah, I think it’s so important, especially with the stuff that’s happening in the United States. It’s heartbreaking because growing up, I didn’t see characters like myself on television, and I know because I’ve heard it from, not just the younger generation, but parents coming up to me and saying, “Do you know how important it is for me to have my daughter see you up there as a woman in power, as a woman leading the show, as a woman of colour?”

And in terms of some of the policies, I don’t know if 5, 10 years ago I would’ve been cast in a show like this because that awareness of equality and equity wasn’t there. I think that we have come a long way, and I do think that it’s sad to see some of those elements that have been put in place for people that haven’t had equal opportunity taken away. It’s devastating.

I’ll add that Allegiance doesn’t have an American distributor, and I really hope we find one so people can see the value of a show like this. I think that some of the things, like Ajeet (Stephen Lobo) being a man that wears his religion in such a prideful way, are so important for this community to see. For me, even building the character of Sabrina, to have a father who wore his turban proudly as she was growing up, and to have witnessed him rising above certain things as she grew, gives her a certain morality, and that those things are only additive, and it’s difficult to watch them being subtracted.

VG: It’s interesting to see how the show deals with the grey areas. With each person that makes choices, it can lead them into a deeper grey area. It seemed like Sabrina started with such a clear line of morality and now, she can kind of navigate some things that are not exactly clear or black and white. I think it’s fascinating how the show has handled discussions about defunding the police, given you’re officers of the law.

SW: I think that the writers have done a great job, particularly our showrunners and Steph and Mark, when I’ve heard them talk about the topic. They created Flashpoint, and one of the things they’ve said is that in 2024 or 2025 you can’t create a show like that anymore because, from their perspective and using their words, I think what they had said was that the characters were presented like heroes.

What we’ve done with this show is tried to present their humanity first. So they vacillate like everybody else does, between good and bad decisions. I’ve heard from members of the police force that have seen the show and what they really appreciate, especially with Sabrina, is her compassion. Because at the end of the day, I think for a lot of the people that serve us, that’s what they try to do, and the rest is the bureaucracy that we get caught up in. And I think we also try to showcase that sometimes the representation of the police force isn’t always reflective of what the individuals inside it believe.

VG: I do think the show demonstrates how things can be done right, and I want to just say how much I appreciate that what you guys are trying to do with the show.

We don’t have that many minutes left, so I wanted to end off on a less serious note and ask you something fun. Our outlet, That Shelf, is named after those singular shelves that house your physical favourites: your albums, books, models, DVDs, etc. Do you have a shelf like that? What’s on that shelf or what would it hold if you had one?

SW: I’m in between housing right now, between my mom’s and Manu’s parents place, but we’re moving into a new place on Friday. I’m trying to think when I had a shelf, what I put on that shelf! Mostly books, I think. I have a couple of awards. I couldn’t tell you where they are right now, but I heard somebody say, and it really stuck with me, in her office, “I always like to put my awards behind me and not on the wall in front of me.” And I always thought when I start to decorate this new place, come Saturday, I think that’s what I’ll do, that whatever I find, I’ll put it behind me and then look forward to all the things I want to do ahead of me.

Note: The above interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The second season of Allegiance premiered in Canada on Wednesday, January 15 and can be streamed for free (along with all first season episodes) on CBC Gem now.