TCA: Most of ‘Wilfred’ Cliffhanger To Be Answered in Season 2 Opener

Is Wilfred (Jason Gann) real? Was Ryan (Elijah Wood) successful in his suicide attempt? If the dog who appears as a human in a costume does exist, will he remember Ryan? What consequences will Ryan pay for ruining his sister’s marriage?

The freshman season finale of Wilfred set up a number of cliffhangers, most of which will be answered when the dark comedy returns to FX in June, showrunner David Zuckerman told reporters Sunday at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.

“Ninety-five percent of the cliffhanger is resolved in the premiere,” he told reporters. “That’s not to say there aren’t new questions asked, but we’ll definitely address the cliffhanger in the premiere.”

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After going above and beyond to get Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann) her job back after she accidentally ate a brownie laced with pot, Wilfred was hit by a car and wound up at the vet and didn’t recognize Ryan when he woke up.

Afterward, Ryan questions if Wilfred appeared to him at all, setting up an existential crisis of epic proportions that was made worse when he returned home to find the door to the basement where Wilfred would spend much of his time lead to only a closet.

While the cast was tight-lipped on spoilers — Gann called himself a “story Grinch” –Zuckerman said the sophomore season would continue to “explore Ryan’s journey toward enlightenment, with Wilfred tripping him up along the way.”

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Writers are currently breaking stories, with Zuckerman, Gann and Wood all hoping to see the return of Mary Steenburgen as Ryan’s nutty mother — whose cat, Mittens, appears to her as a woman (Rhea Perlman) in a cat suit, similar to how Ryan sees Wilfred.

“We do explore her relationship with ryan and their unique shared traits in sort of a fun arena,” Zuckerman said.

Also among the cast’s wish-list to return: Dwight Yoakam’s Bruce, who also “sees” Wilfred and appeared to test Ryan’s faith in Wilfred.

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Zuckerman and Gann also teased a guest star “event” they’ve got their fingers crossed for in the June premiere and the potential for a podcast as a partner to episodes, allowing the cast and creators to provide hints along the way.

And for the curious, Gann — who created the Australian series and subsequent short film on which the FX series is based — isn’t waiting for his phone to ring when nominations for the Golden Collar Awards are announced. “I’d be pretty pissed off if I had a dog in a dog awards show and he lost out to a dude in a dog suit,” he joked.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit