“It’s set in small-town northern Alaska,” Petersen says, setting the stage for Ghost Wars’ setting. “We’ve got water on one side; we’ve got terrain that you just can’t walk through on another; and then we have this one bridge that connects us. And when an earthquake hits Port Moore, there’s an event… and after this event happens, the veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead is pulled back.” Having seen her as Liber8 terrorist Jasmine Garza on Continuum, fans may be used to Petersen’s tough image, but Val has another key aspect in common with the actor. “This is the first time I’ve gotten to play an out character, a fully lesbian character on a TV series, and they do it so well and so nonchalantly,” explains Petersen. “It’s not a big deal, and it’s not what the story’s about. I’m just a human being just like anyone else, and that normalcy is so important for us to keep seeing on screens.” Val even has a domestic life and a mayoral first lady to round out the normalcy, at least until the earthquake hits Port Moore. “I’m married in the show!” Petersen effuses. “My wife is played by Kristin Lehman, who you guys probably know from Motive, and we have two lovely children in the show who are creepy as all hell.” Petersen is a big fan of horror herself, so she was anxious to work on Ghost Wars for reasons beyond working with Barry again. “I love the horror genre because it gets my blood pumping!” Petersen admits. “You’re on the edge of your seat the whole time, anticipating, anticipating, waiting for that scare moment, and when it finally happens, if the filmmakers are doing it right, they don’t disappoint you, and they keep taking you to the next level.” Ghost Wars exploits that anticipation to the fullest, according to Petersen. “New scripts were coming out, and we’re like, ‘There’s no way they can top what they did last episode!’” says Petersen. “And sure enough, we’d be at the cast read-through, and they did it again and again. Every episode, the tension goes up, so it’s really going to be an exciting ride for viewers who enjoy that kind of thing.” That something extreme happens tonight as Ghost Wars airs its pilot episode entitled “Death’s Door” at 10pm after Van Helsing’s season 2 premiere. For the full audio of this interview, subscribe to our Sci Fi Fidelity podcast or simply listen below! Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Soundcloud Follow Luvia Petersen’s directorial debut @dogbitemovie on Twitter. She is @Luvia_Petersen.
