Running Point Creators Admit Jealousy Over Cast Text Chain
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- Mindy Kaling confessed at Deadline's Contenders TV panel that she feels jealous watching Running Point's cast interact on their actor text chain, saying of the performers' world: 'I want to get in on that.'
- Ike Barinholtz said he shares the same jealousy, but Kaling carved out a role for him as cousin Benny — a character who 'walks around with a giant Ziplock bag full of Skittles' — after Barinholtz had imagined a three-episode romantic arc with Kate Hudson.
- Barinholtz described a Season 2 scene in episode 5 where cousin Benny gives Kate Hudson's character a shoulder rub from behind, revealing he poured warm water on his hands before every take to make the touch 'just wet warm hands' — prompting visible discomfort from Hudson.
- Running Point Season 2 became an instant hit, taking the Netflix #1 spot immediately upon release, with all ten episodes currently available to stream.
- EP David Stassen said the show has not yet been renewed for a third season, though the team is 'very hopeful' and already putting together 'big picture ideas.'
- Kaling credited Kate Hudson as the secret to the show's success, calling her 'peak Kate' and praising her recent Oscar-nominated performance in Song Sung Blue as evidence Hudson 'is on a roll.'
Why it matters: Running Point Season 2 took Netflix's #1 spot immediately, but EP David Stassen confirmed a third season hasn't been greenlit — only that they're 'very hopeful.' The creators' personal investment (Kaling and Barinholtz openly jealous of the cast's text chain) and Kate Hudson's awards momentum from Song Sung Blue give them ammunition to lobby for renewal, though nothing is locked in.
