Do No Harm Offers a Modern Twist on Jekyll and Hyde
Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale will be pulling double duty this winter on NBC's Do No Harm.
Pasquale plays Dr. Jason Cole, a highly respected neurosurgeon tormented by his dark side. In this case, his dark side is his alternate personality Ian Price, a devious and wild sociopath hell-bent on destroying the lives of others. Yes, it's the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but with its modern-day setting, it's more like "House meets Dexter," executive producer David Schulner told reporters Sunday at NBC's winter TV previews.
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"It's a high-concept premise in a very grounded world, and that's what we're going for," he continued, noting that why Jason has two personalities isn't as important as the journey of Jason finding a way to rid Ian for good. "Get to know our characters, fall in love with our world. Then, as the season gets to a climax, and Jason gets closer and closer to finding that drug that will kill Ian, then we're going to peel that onion more."
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Of course, Jason isn't the only one who wants to be the personality in control. Schulner says Jason and Ian will be locked in a cat-and-mouse game throughout the season. "Ian is a little bit like a cat," he says. "If the cat wants to play with that mouse, he doesn't want to kill it because what fun would that be? So Ian is going to do a lot of stuff to Jason... There's a true danger to him and he's truly menacing and that's why Jason's character needs to get rid of him. [But] Jason is just as smart as Ian and is sometimes two steps ahead of Ian."
By the season's end, their battle of wits will come to a head as viewers will discover how Jason may be able to separate himself in a way Schulner says is both "medically grounded and will completely blow your mind." "By the end of the season, you're going to learn almost everything and then next season we'll start with a completely different dynamic."
Will you be sticking around to find out about the Jekyll and Hyde-like dynamic?