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Wendie Malick and Lea Thompson play former enemies Gus and Nancy, who now live together, in The Chicken Sisters season 2
Both actors share hints at what’s to come in the new season, including love interests for both characters
The Chicken Sisters season 2 premieres Sunday, Aug. 10 on Hallmark Channel
Enemies-to-lovers stories are everywhere, but enemies-to-roomies? Well, those can be a bit harder to find — and a whole lot funnier.
In the new season of Hallmark Channel’s The Chicken Sisters, formerly feuding fried chicken restaurant mavens Gus (Wendie Malick) and Nancy (Lea Thompson) haven’t just buried the hatchet — they’re living together.
“We really are The Odd Couple,” Malick, 74, tells PEOPLE, referring to the classic 1968 comedy starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon (which is based on a 1965 play by Neil Simon). “We were at odds for 40 years, and now, suddenly, we’re roommates. We have something to teach each other. It’s one of those wonderful things where opposites can really attract and then actually learn from each other.”
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Pop culture’s original ‘Odd Couple,’ Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
“Nancy was so persistent, and Gus was in a point in her life where she really did need a friend and some support,” Malick explains of her character, who has M.S. and burned down her house after struggling with a hoarding problem at the end of season 1. “Sometimes I think you have to hit bottom before you realize that you need help. And she did hit bottom.”
After only sharing a few scenes in season 1 — including an unforgettable mud fight — both actors are enjoying getting to work together more.
“It was really fun. They’re like weird besties that live together,” Thompson, 64, tells PEOPLE. “It’s so rare to see stories about women being friends — especially older women being friends — and really needing each other and lifting each other up. And the science is out there: It’s really important for women to have women friends, for [physical] health, for mental health, for longevity.”
“I love the relationship,” Malick adds. “They get each other.”
Craig Minielly/Hallmark Media
Lea Thompson, Wendie Malick, Caitlin Howden, Genevieve Angelson, Schuyler Fisk, Ektor Rivera and Samer Salem on The Chicken Sisters
For both women, the new season — which takes place months after the events of the first season, which saw their chicken restaurants competing on a reality show — will be filled with big changes… and romance.
“I love that Gus and Nancy both have love interests,” Thompson says. “It’s really a lovely journey that Nancy goes on, because she really is like an old-fashioned ’50s housewife when you first see her. Even though her husband has passed away, she’s still stuck in this place where she doesn’t think about herself at all. And that’s no bueno.”
As for Gus’s suitor, “He’s a good kisser,” Malick teases. “I just love it when they have women my age who’ve still got it going on.”
Craig Minielly/Hallmark Media
Wendie Malick in The Chicken Sisters season 2
Another big change: After rocking a long, gray braid, Gus has a whole new hairdo.
“I did love that braid,” Malick says. “They decided she needs to have a new look this year, so apparently Nancy talked me into chopping it off, so I have a sort of gray bob now.”
Malick continues: “I think as time goes by, you will see a lot of incremental changes in Gus. She’s starting a new chapter in her life, and she’s getting braver about trying new things. There will be some very interesting shifts and a lot of growth. It’s that idea that we are all works in progress, and it’s never too late to learn new stuff.”
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The Chicken Sisters premieres Sunday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel and streams the next day on Hallmark+.
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