Emmy Rossum says Furious killer leaves viewers in a moral bind
Emmy Rossum tells Variety her Hulu thriller Furious probes trauma, rage and a killer targeting Epstein-like predators.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Emmy Rossum's Furious puts her in grim territory on Hulu: an FBI agent chasing a female serial killer whose victims are wealthy, powerful predators in New York City, described in Variety as Jeffrey Epstein-like figures.
Rossum told Variety the eight-episode crime thriller is built around an uncomfortable pull for viewers. The killer, played by Lola Petticrew, makes “very questionable moves,” Rossum said, while the show sits in a zone where audiences may resist rooting for her and still understand the rage behind her actions.
The first three episodes of the series are available to stream on Hulu. Rossum stars as Alice Black, a new FBI agent, alongside Scoot McNairy, Jake Lacey and Quincy Tyler Bernstine. Elizabeth Meriwether, whose credits include “Dying for Sex” and “The Dropout,” is the creator and showrunner.
What is Emmy Rossum's Furious about?
“Furious” follows Alice Black as she investigates murders tied to a female serial killer targeting men with money and influence. Rossum told Variety the show is less focused on spectacle than on survivors of violence and the ways trauma changes a person.
Rossum said the idea for the series began after she watched “Black Widow,” the 1987 film starring Debra Winger as a federal agent tracking a woman who kills husbands for their money. She brought the concept to Hulu, and Meriwether developed the series from there.
The actress said the show’s title reaches back to Greek mythology. The Furies, she explained to Variety, are three female goddesses, Alecto, Megaera and Tisiphone, linked to vengeance.
A personal memory shaped one scene
Rossum also told Variety that one small detail in “Furious” came from a rare and painful family moment during her years on “Shameless.” She said she was working on the Showtime series on her birthday when her estranged father called to say his mother, whom Rossum had never met, was nearing death.
Rossum said she flew to Oklahoma on a Saturday, met her grandmother for the first and only time, then returned to Los Angeles for work on Monday. Her grandmother died days later. Rossum said she was grateful to be included in the obituary because she had not previously been named as part of that side of the family.
That meeting later fed into a scene in “Furious” in which Alice visits the dying mother of her abusive ex-boyfriend, played by Lacey. Rossum said the actress playing the mother had polish on the tops and undersides of her nails, a specific choice inspired by her grandmother.
Rossum said filming the scene was intense. She told Variety she requested rolling takes and, after repeated runs, felt she lost track of herself in the moment. Director Karina Evans and cast members then gathered around her and helped her come back from the scene emotionally, Rossum said.
How the show handles Alice's trauma
As Alice pursues the killer, “Furious” also shows her struggling with memories of violence from her former relationship. Rossum told Variety that Alice avoids bathing for days because showers trigger memories connected to her ex-boyfriend’s abuse.
The character also uses dating apps to find men who will physically fight with her before sex. Rossum said she worked with a psychologist to understand the emotions and fear she brought to those scenes.
Rossum told Variety that the series reflects anger over systems that failed survivors and denied them justice. In her view, “Furious” centers women carrying trauma while still letting them be messy, dangerous and compelling to watch.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.