Even star Patrick Schwarzenegger was a bit surprised by the path his self-assured character takes throughout the eight-episode third season of Mike White’s HBO series. While Saxon may have started the week as the man with all the answers, it’s not long before, instead, he’s desperately searching for them.

But while Wood felt strongly about their ending, her co-star Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played Saxon Ratliff on the show, wanted another major plot twist. To him, he wanted Saxon’s connection and flirtations with Chelsea, albeit not yet a physical one, to stand in the way.