Carrie told Entertainment Weekly, "It was supposed to be just a couple of episodes — but then he turned into the main villain. So I thought of Hawaii as the place that stole my husband. Of course, nobody can stay mad at Hawaii, so I thought, 'I've got to figure out how I can spend more time out there.' I used to joke, 'Wouldn't it be hilarious if I played your mom in a flashback?' Michael shared that joke [with] the producers, and the next week, there was a phone call to my agents: 'Can Carrie play Michael's mother in a flashback [on a season 3 episode]?' We were howling. We thought, 'This is insane and a little freaky, but the fans are gonna love it.' Sure enough, I've gotten many Oedipal jokes, jokes [like], 'I've always mothered him, but now I get to really do it on television.' I got to go out in the jungle and simulate giving birth to my husband. Not many people get to say that."