Hollywood Writers Kick Off Strike by Calling for Reason: ‘Even They Know That We’re Right’

“We’re going to do this because our guild is strong enough to do it. The ask is level-headed,” says “Station Eleven” and “Maniac” creator Patrick Somerville

Patrick Somerville Ashley Nicole Black Phillip Iscove wga strike
Patrick Somerville, Ashley Nicole Black and Phillip Iscove (Getty Images)

Patrick Somerville, creator of the HBO series “Station Eleven” and the Netflix show “Maniac,” was among a slew of Hollywood writers to weigh in late Monday after the Writers Guild of America went on strike, saying the union’s negotiating points firmly lined up with reason — and the studios knew it.

“We’re going to do this because our guild is strong enough to do it,” said Somerville, who had changed his Twitter ID to “Strikerick Somverville” in an apparent writerly flourish. “The ask is level-headed, and even they know that we’re right. Collective action is the one place they can’t win.”

The WGA said Monday night it was going on strike at the stroke of midnight ET after negotiations with the studios failed in the last day before the expiration of their collective bargaining agreement. And it was apparent in the online reaction from many WGA members.

Ashley Nicole Black, an Emmy Award-winning writer on “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” was emotional, reflecting fear for the future while expressing a confidence in the move to strike.

Philip Iscove, creator of Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow,” offered a more detailed take on a likely sticking point in the negotiations.

See other reactions below.

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