Duck under the police tape at your own risk.]
Not cool, Lieutenant Hawkins.
Not cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool at all.
Credit: FOX
Just how not very well, you ask?
what-now?season sendoff yet.
Still reeling from that feeling of getting framed for stealing?
Then it went to black in one version.
One version we were going to shoot, but didnt shoot, was him waking up in jail.
I was afraid that was confusing, that youd be like, Wait, was he dreaming?
I didnt want anyone to think that he was dreaming.
And then also, Cool, cool, cool, was perfect.
Things obviously arent cool, though.
This ending is a rather bleak game-changer.
Jake and Rosa got checkmated hard at every move by Lt. Hawkins.
But at the end of the day, it just felt like the only way to go.
What were the challenges and concerns with putting together this ending?
At the end of last seasons finale, Jake and Holt (Andre Braugher) went into witness protection.
I can tell you there will not be a yank.
There will be not somebody running down the aisle of the courthouse saying, He was innocent!
or cutting to him on parole and an appeal happening.
We want to do the juiciest, funniest end result of the conviction.
But I think we have some fun ways to deal with that.
At least for a few episodes.
What did Andy and Stephanie say when you pitched them the finale?They were into it.
They thought it was really cool.
They loved doing stories together, so they were really into the Rosa-Jakeness of it.
They liked how dark it was, and it felt like something they could sink their teeth into.
Its all schedules and how the story plays out.
I think we would need to have her back to play out the end of the arc.
Will we peek more into Ginas home life next season?
And is Ryan Phillippe returning next season as the professional snowboarder/father of her baby?
I think hes super-talented.
Were all huge fans of his.
I think thats just schedule-dependent.
And yes, well definitely see more into Ginas life.
Although Andre insisted on doing the class for an additional 90 minutes.
The renewal came down to the wire, though, during upfronts week.
How many more seasons do you realistically see the show doing?
How many more would youliketo do?I think we can do six or seven seasons.
I would love to do that.
I really feel like the fourth season in a lot of ways was our strongest season.
I could see a few more seasons, if we were so lucky.
In the original writing of it, it was sort of accidental that he was snorting the cocaine.
Whats next for Amy (Melissa Fumero), now that shes passed the sergeant exam?
What else can you tease about season 5?This is hard because it really is Day 1.
I already know there are going to be some big moves between the characters.
I can tell you its going to be the best Halloween weve ever had.
And more flashbacks than ever before to Hitchcock and Scullys drug-induced stupor of the 80s.
I want Jake to go with Terry to Japan to shake down some Yakuza.
But Ive been told that that is unrealistic, budget-wise.
