Explosive secrets and adolescent angst burn brightly in the new series City on Fire, which drops Friday on Apple TV+.

The show centers around the mysterious shooting of Chase Sui Wonders’ Samantha, a complicated NYU student with many secrets of her own.

“You think, ‘Oh, she’s this confident, cool, downtown New York girl. But under the surface, there’s a fire raging,” Wonders tells ABC Audio. “That’s my favorite kind of character to play. It’s like, ‘What are you concealing underneath the mask, and how are you presenting versus the inner turmoil?’”

Wyatt Oleff’s Charlie – or, as Sam affectionately calls him, Charles – is “sort of home for her,” Wonders says. “What she finds is that Charles takes care of her as much as she takes care of him.”

This dynamic is not necessarily romantic, however. “It’s that type of situation where it’s like the love is almost right. It’s almost perfect for her,” Wonders says. “That’s why it’s so tragic.”

Nico Tortorella’s William, an artist who discovers many unforeseen connections to Sam, becomes obsessed with solving her mystery.

“The case of Sam in so many ways is an extension of what William is going through,” Tortorella says. “He starts to discover himself along the way and to discover his past.”

Along for the journey is William’s boyfriend, Mercer, played by Xavier Clyde in his first-ever TV role.

Tortorella acknowledges they’ve had many on-screen relationships over the years, but emphasized “the love, and heart, and dedication” Clyde put into establishing their dynamic together.

“I needed it,” Tortorella says. “It reminded me why I do what I do and why I love to do what I do and how special of a job this is that we get to bring these characters to life.”

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