Saldaña described the workload as overwhelming: she is first on the call sheet, arriving first and leaving last, and prepares for months before other cast members begin their prep work. "I'm number one on the call sheet. I am first one in, last one out," she explained to People. "I am prepping months before anybody ever is able to prep. So it's already a lot of work for me."
For Saldaña, the role matters because Sheridan created a character not defined by gender. She praised Sheridan for understanding her as an actress, noting he knows she is "honest," "tough as nails," and "vocal and opinionated." Despite the grueling demands, she expressed gratitude for their three-season partnership, saying Sheridan recognizes her reliability.
Season 3 concluded with Joe McNamara's CIA career becoming intensely personal, putting her family and marriage under pressure while she became a target. Saldaña told Entertainment Weekly before the season aired that she had doubted whether she could manage the role's demands. "It was very demanding, I'm not gonna lie," she said. "I didn't even know if I was gonna be able to pull it off."
Saldaña also expressed uncertainty about the show's future. "I don't know if we're able to go to a Season 4," she told People. Paramount+ has not yet greenlit the series for a fourth season as of her interview.