'Mistletoe Murders': Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney talk trust, tension and romance in 'deeper and spicier' Season 2

If you're looking to celebrate the holidays with a touch of mystery, Mistletoe Murders (available on StackTV) will keep the Christmas spirit alive, with a twist. As stars Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney returned for Season 2, there's a lot of tension between Emily Lane (Drew) and Sam Wilner (Mooney).

"First season, Emily and Sam sort of have this slow burn, gradual attraction that builds over the course of the whole season, that culminates in this beautiful moment that then gets immediately shattered," Drew told Yahoo Canada in Toronto. "And the second season really becomes a much deeper story of their relationship, friendship, everything deepening as they're attempting, or trying to, ... avoid one another."

"So even when we're fighting in the second season, it's full of that attraction that's still there. So it's deeper and spicier and even more fun to play."

'There's more at stake'

At the core of the beginning of Season 2 is that the trust between Emily and Sam has been broken, and the question is how that crack in trust between them can be repaired.

"I think the thing that's really interesting about this is, for Sam, this relationship hits on the thing that is most core to him, the thing that he's most protective of, and that's trust," Mooney said. "Who he can trust to let into his life, who he can trust to let into his daughter's life, which I think he has even stricter guidelines for."

"So trying to navigate that, and having that real strong pull of attraction, not just physical attraction, but ... he loves her mind and the way she figures out these crimes, the way she can't stop herself. ... So when there's ... that level of tension, it's always more interesting."

"Peter's journey is so engaging and beautiful. ... He takes such a beautiful journey through navigating all of those different layers and twists and turns," Drew added. "It's a much deeper story for you this season than last season, ... because there's more at stake."

"In Season 1, the audience is just getting to know these characters, but also, these characters are just getting to know each other. They've just met each other. They haven't become as entwined in each other's lives as they are by Season 2."

One of the most exciting elements of Mistletoe Murders is discovering Emily's past, which is shrouded in mystery and secrets, and that happens to be one of Drew's favourite parts of portraying her character.

"[In Season 2] we get to track her backstory over the course of many years. We kind of span quite a bit of time. And my favourite flashbacks are in [episodes] five and six, where I embody a completely different vibe in every kind of way," Drew said. "And I didn't really realize how much fun it was going to be to play it until I was in hair and makeup wardrobe, and I found myself walking differently and reacting to things differently. ... The energy shifted completely."

"So getting to dip my toe into all of that world and getting to do it with the aid of hair, makeup, wardrobe, set, all of that stuff, it was so much fun."

Christmas spirit meets murder mystery

Mistletoe Murders is also able to occupy the space where crime and mystery lovers can intersect with those who love holiday stories and romances. Even Drew's children, who are 10 and 13, love the show.

"My kids are obsessed with the show. They love it so much, they beg for the next episode," Drew said. "My son guesses the killer all the way through, and gets all giddy."

"I think what's interesting about both the romantic genre and the mystery genre is that they both serve a very similar story, which is that you go from a place that's messy, you take a journey, and there's resolution at the end, and it feels safe. ... You turn our show on. You know at the end of ... every two-episode block, you're going to figure out who the killer is."

"The show walks a really fine line of being something that is satisfying for people that come and love those Christmas movies just as they are. ... We are a town out of any of those movies, it just happens that a murder comes along, and it just so happens that our female lead has to bit of a sticky backstory," Mooney added. "And it just so happens that these things keep getting in the way of it being a quicker, tidier resolution than we might otherwise have."

"So I love that we're in that same world, but just adding something a little bit different that hasn't quite been seen yet."

'The Canadians are so kind, and loving and wonderful'

Bringing us into the setting of this idyllic Christmas town is actually Toronto, with the show's second season filmed in the Spring in the Canadian city.

"It's been so much fun filming this year. We have the most incredible crew. We have the most incredible guest stars come through, incredible directors," Mooney said. "It's so great filming in and around Toronto, especially when we filmed Season 2 in the Spring, as opposed to the height of Summer."

"And I love this city too. There are incredible restaurants. I stayed in the same building by The Well both years," Drew said. "I would go to Sweat and Tonic for my hot yoga. I love my Farm Boy, LCBO. The Canadians are so kind, and loving and wonderful."