The LAPD is going to have its hands full in the Monday, May 4, Season 8 finale of The Rookie. Not only are they dealing with transporting international crime boss Heath Everett (Jeffrey Vincent Parise), but Tim (Eric Winter) also has to contend with figuring out when to propose to Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) before she finds out since everyone knows.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley has been enjoying playing with the “fun” of Chenford’s journey in these recent episodes, he tells TV Insider.
“A lot of the fun when I’m not breaking people’s hearts with breaking them up has been the dating and then them moving in together and all that kind of stuff. So, it felt like the ring was just, it deserved its own story really. And obviously over [Episodes] 16 and 17, you went on a journey with that ring. First, it was the horrible family heirloom,” he notes.
In the Season 9 finale, “it’s safe to say that it’s not going to be a simple A to B journey with that ring,” Hawley warns, pointing to the worry of Lucy finding out, being “the comedic fun. Everybody knows, which is why ultimately everybody’s pushing Tim. ‘You got to go. If you want us to be a surprise, you got to do it.’”
Then there’s the matter of Everett, just the latest thorn in their side when it comes to villains (after bidding adieu to Bridget Regan‘s Monica, who died in the penultimate episode). As the preview reveals, something goes wrong while transferring him to the courthouse.
“Ultimately, the LAPD is trying their best to protect against all possibilities, but when you’re talking about a villain who is a billionaire, where’s the end? I mean, with enough money, you can pay people to do anything,” says Hawley. “That was the fun of [it]. With a man with infinite resources who knows that he’s just going to spend the rest of his life in prison, willing to do anything, how does the LAPD protect against that?”
The showrunner is very “careful” about teasing how the finale will end to set up Season 9. All he’ll say is, with a laugh, “It is a very powerful ending that will make you feel all the feels.”
So, what are your predictions for the finale? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Rookie, Season 8 Finale, Monday, May 4, 10/9c, ABC