‘SurrealEstate’ Director on Susan’s House Shocker & Being Inspired by Horror Movies

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for SurrealEstate Season 2 Episode 4 “I Put a Spell On You.”]

Susan (Sarah Levy) chose the wrong day to take time off from the office on SurrealEstate. And while we knew something was going to be up with her new house, what happens definitely is a surprise.

Ever since Luke (Tim Rozon) returned to work after taking time away himself to deal with the loss of his powers, he and Susan, who took control while he was gone, have been clashing. After running through things that need to be done, she finishes off her message to him with, “I’m dealing with some personal business, so I’m not sure when I’ll be back in the office, but seeing as nothing ever changes at the perfect Roman Agency, I’m sure you have everything well in hand. Toodles.” She acknowledges the “toodles” was a bit much, but as her smart home device tells her, “it was a nice touch — cordial yet dismissive,” before asking if she’d like some tea.

By the end of the episode, however, the house was keeping her from attending an event she’d planned. “I’ve enjoyed having you here these past few days,” the house’s system told her. “We’ve bonded.” And no matter how much Susan tried to issue orders — “Unlock the door” and “Shut down security system” — it refused to listen. Rather, the walls closed in on her as she protested, “House, let me out!” and swallowed her up.

“It was really fun building those and practicing with Sarah and finding ways to watch the house gobble her up. I was always really excited about the scene where Susan is consumed by the house because I’ve always loved the ghost walls from movies like Nightmare on Elm Street. I really love those crazy rubber possessed walls from horror movies, and I’ve always wanted to work with them,” director Danishka Esterhazy tells TV Insider. “We had so much fun planning that and I wanted it to be really spooky and it was a lot of fun to shoot.”

She enjoyed working with Levy. “She’s a really nuanced actor, and the house becomes a kind of foil for Susan,” the director explains. “It’s a symbol of Susan’s aspirations and maybe an element of Susan’s romantic side, and it exposes some of Susan’s loneliness. And Sarah has these beautiful moments in that house where she’s alone, but she’s showing us so much of what her character is going through.”

The storyline is also set in the perfect location for the storyline. “It’s a beautiful house architecturally. It’s up on this very high hill that overlooks the ocean and the city, and it’s like a modern gothic home in a lot of ways because it’s so isolated and has such an interesting landscape and view,” says Esterhazy.

Considering Susan just took time off work, who will be the first to realize something’s wrong? “It’s so complex. I think Zooey [Savannah Basley] is going to be the one who’s going to figure it out first,” the director previews. “They’ve built this bond and this friendship, and Zooey’s genuinely really concerned about how Susan’s feeling with Luke’s return and how Susan isn’t being valued and respected and she feels a loyalty to Susan. So I think she’ll investigate it and figure it out.”

Let’s just hope that happens ASAP!

SurrealEstate, Wednesdays, 10/9c, Syfy