May Sweeps Preview And Finale Spoilers

BLINDSPOT

PRE-FINALE: The home stretch of Season 3, according to series creator Martin Gero, delivers "payoff after payoff after payoff" for viewers, all of which will bring Roman's standoff with the FBI to a dramatic climax. Even though Roman has technically chosen a life with Blake and Crawford, "he's still created this entire plan to take them down that involves the FBI team," Gero teases. "He's suddenly at odds with the fact that these tattoos he's created are going to dismantle and go after the people that he loves." Even worse for Roman? His declining health, which will become a major plot point in the season's final installments. Hints Gero: "He's definitely not well."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 18): Gero confirms the Season 3 closer will take place in South Africa, a place that holds great significance for two major characters. "Any frequent viewer will realize how important South Africa is for the show, and how important it is to Jane and Roman particularly," he says. Though he couldn't reveal what brings the team abroad, Gero promises "there won't be a lot of loose threads here at the end of the season."

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

PRE-FINALE: In the April 29 episode, Charles plans an elaborate scavenger hunt for Jake's bachelor party. Meanwhile, Amy's bachelorette festivities are nearly wrecked by the discovery that she once slept with a member of the wedding band, played by Workaholics' Blake Anderson. The countdown to the Peraltiago wedding resumes on May 13, when "there's a month's worth of planning to do in a week, and a big case comes up" that forces Amy and Diaz to go off in pursuit of a criminal that's long evaded capture, according to co-creator Dan Goor. As a result, Terry steps up to help Jake do all the wedding planning. "It's a fun story [that] flips the expected gender dynamic." This leads directly into...

SEASON FINALE (MAY 20): "One of the best episodes we've ever done," Goor says. And while he maintains that it's not intended to be a series finale, he promises that, "in the unlikely event that it does serve [as our final episode]," fans will be satisfied. Jake and Amy's big day has arrived, and the couple must "use police work" to overcome ""a hitch in the wedding." Meanwhile, Rosa meets Alicia, a potential romantic interest played by Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez. "They meet by chance... and Rosa's not looking for love. The question is, once she meets [her], will she be able to avoid it?"

CHICAGO FIRE

PRE-FINALE: When Renée (guest star Sarah Shahi) returns to seek out her ex's fire expertise, Severide channels Jerry Maguire and "bonds" with her four-and-a-half-year-old son, executive producer Derek Haas previews. Elsewhere, teen Bria resurfaces in Dawson's life "in a bit of a crisis," causing the paramedic to go into "maternal instinct mode." Meanwhile, Brett and Cruz, who gets a "really good, juicy storyline" involving his high school sweetheart, work together on the Slamigan.

SEASON FINALE (MAY 10): Unlike last season's fiery "who lives and who dies?" cliffhanger, this year's two-hour closer is more about "emotional haymakers coming at you, one after the other," Haas describes. For starters, "Dawson realizes she wants to try again for having a child. So she and Casey contemplate their future and the future of their family." On a different romance front, Renée causes complications for Severide and Stella, who's "definitely looking at [Renée] with suspicion." The competition between Boden and Chief Grissom for the position of fire commissioner also plays "a big part" in the finale.

CHICAGO MED

PRE-FINALE: Despite their recent relationship break, Will and Natalie "wind up reconnecting," executive producer Andrew Schneider reveals. Meanwhile, the flirtation between Connor and Ava is far from over. "There's longing on both their parts, but a lot of resistance on both their parts," the EP says. Connor also has to contend with "a very emotional" incident involving a patient, EP Diane Frolov adds. As for April and Ethan, his sister Emily starts to "become the problem in their relationship," per Schneider.

SEASON FINALE (MAY 15): "We set up this separation surgery on these conjoined twins, and that's a lot of the last episode," Schneider previews. But that's not all that's in store: There's "a big surprise with Will and Natalie," Frolov shares, as well as a cliffhanger in regards to April and Ethan's romance. Plus, the storyline between Dr. Charles, Sarah and her father comes to a climax, while Goodwin struggles with the board about finances at the hospital.

CHICAGO P.D.

PRE-FINALE: "The focus is paying off the Woods/Voight conflict," executive producer Rick Eid previews. "That complicated situation becomes even more complicated," with the Intelligence unit also getting involved in the battle. "This storyline begins to weigh on the team," Eid shares. "People take certain sides. There's certain dilemmas that will present themselves that certain members of the team will feel differently about." Meanwhile, a separate plotline finds Atwater and Halstead going undercover with two different groups to keep powerful guns that can cut through Kevlar vests off the street.

SEASON FINALE (MAY 9): "There are some pretty powerful and big events that take place," Eid teases. The EP also promises that the triangle between Voight, Woods and Olinsky is "resolved" in the "very intense and emotional" episode – but not without some disputes. "[Ruzek] has a very distinct point of view about the way certain things should go, and he gets into some conflicts with another member of the team over a complicated issue."

SUPERGIRL

PRE-FINALE: In "Of Two Minds" (airing April 30), Kara and Imra clash over how to deal with the third Worldkiller aka Pestilence, Alex flirts with death, and Lena's efforts to cure Sam raise big questions — and in the episode "Trinity" (May 7), lead to explosive reveals. Because in addition to her work with Sam, "Lena is harboring some other secrets that Supergirl is not happy about, [and] that is the catalyst for a major rift," says showrunner Jessica Queller.

In "Shelter From the Storm" (May 14), Supergirl, Alex, Sam's mom and Lena all take action when Reign locks in on a new target, while Mon-El wrestles with a difficult decision. Then closing out sweeps is "The Fanatical" (May 21), in which the heroes realize that there is a specific item that can help them in their quest to defeat the Worldkillers. In seeking out said solution, "There are some fascinating and fun road stops," Chris Wood teases, adding: "Some seeds that were planted earlier in the year come back into play, which is great."

SEASON FINALE AIRS JUNE 18

THE 100

MAY SWEEPS: Clarke may be at her lowest point when Season 5 begins — as executive producer Jason Rothenberg explains, "We essentially break her down brick by brick" — but her motherly relationship with fellow Nightblood Madi changes everything. "Her priorities have totally shifted. She now has a clan of one." Speaking of relational shifts, those who went to space have undergone a few changes over the years, including a full-blown friendship between Raven and Murphy. "Time heals, or should heal, most wounds. By the end of Season 4, an unspoken forgiveness had been given, so the progression of their friendship continued over the course of the time jump." Additionally, the make-shift space family has helped one another grow; "Echo taught them how to fight, Raven taught Emori how to be an engineer, everyone expanded their knowledge and used those years wisely — except for Murphy." On the ground, Octavia reluctantly embraces her leadership responsibilities. "Ultimately, once things take a turn for the worse, she's the only one who can do it." As we head into Season 5, Rothenberg reminds us, "We're not dealing with people who are inherently good or bad. They're just people doing what it takes to survive. That's why allegiances can shift."

SEASON FINALE AIRS MID-JULY

THE ORIGINALS

PRE-FINALE: The hunt for Hayley will bring Klaus and Hope closer together, for better or worse, "pushing him to be open and honest with her, and to finally be present as a father," executive producer Julie Plec says. This latest family crisis, which already hindered Rebekah and Marcel's engagement, will also take a toll on Freya and Keelin. "They'll have to fight to keep their relationship strong." But no Mikaelson will struggle greater than Elijah, now happily living out a new life in France. "The central question of the middle of the season is: Should we just leave Elijah alone? Is it more cruel to pull him out of his alternate reality, or should he be reminded of the power of 'always and forever' so that he can be the hero again?"

SERIES FINALE (DATE TBD): "It's as much of a conclusion as I would want as a fan of this series," Plec teases. "You get a sense of whether each character is going to find happiness, peace, their true calling, or even just how they're going to live their lives tomorrow. You will be satisfied, if not happy, with the way each character's journey comes ends."

SUPERNATURAL

Despite his reluctance, Gabriel eventually joins the fight to save Mary and Jack, executive producer Robert Singer says. But when Dean and Sam reunite with their mom, they find that "she, in an odd way, has found a home [in apocalypse world] where she can be a pure fighter. It causes a little bit of tension between her and the boys." Speaking of family reunions, Lucifer will at last come face-to-face with his son. "He's very tricky [in] the way he finally has this meeting with Jack, who is a little confused about it," Singer describes. "It causes a certain amount of consternation for both of them." 

Plus, for the first time, star Jensen Ackles will play a character who is not Dean Winchester. The mystery persona is someone viewers have seen before, "many years ago," Singer hints, while EP Andrew Dabb predicts that fans will be both "happy and terrified" after the reveal. As for the more soldier-like Cas, "things are going to get bad enough at the end of the season that Sam and Dean are going to want that warrior mentality on their side," his portrayer Misha Collins shares.

SEASON FINALE AIRS MAY 17

THE MIDDLE

PRE-FINALE: In the May 1 episode, Brick and Cindy attend prom. It's not only a big moment for the youngest Heck child, but also for Mike and Frankie, who have a discussion about "what it's like to be dealing with Brick at this point in his life... and how much they need to continue to worry about him," according to co-creator Eileen Heisler. The following week marks the annual Mother's Day outing, where "Frankie's inevitable disappointment... rears its ugly head again." Then, as we head into the final three episodes, "there's some potential life changes coming for Axl, and some issues between Frankie and Mike." It's an arc "about their marriage as it relates to their children."

SERIES FINALE (MAY 22): The hour-long sendoff, titled "Heck of a Ride," is "grander in nature than a typical half-hour episode," and finds the family "in a car for awhile." It in some ways mirrors the 2009 pilot, while giving longtime fans "a sense" of where Axl, Brick and Sue wind up beyond where we leave them. 

HAWAII FIVE-0

PRE-FINALE: In the April 27 episode, Jerry dabbles in field work by going undercover at a mental health facility (shades of Hurley?), only to have the gig become "more dangerous than he thought it would be," says showrunner Peter M. Lenkov. Following that, "Danny gets to show off his fighting skills, but in a very fun, unique way that only Danny can pull off," while the May 11 episode is inspired by an idea from series star Alex O'Loughlin. "Junior gets recalled back into the SEALs for a mission, and when he learns what it's about" — rescuing Joe White (returning guest star Terry O'Quinn) — "he in turn recruits McGarrett." Add in flashbacks to one of Steve and Joe's past missions and you get "a big action story that has a lot of heart."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 18): Having left more than a few bodies in its wake, Adam's storyline "plays all the way to the end of the seson, and is really a part of our cliffhanger," says Lenkov, while the finale's main drama involves no less than a Russian sub pulling up to Waikiki Beach! "It's about a sailor who got out and is on the island for revenge purposes — and we're hunting him down."

MACGYVER

PRE-FINALE:  In "UFO + Area 51" (airing April 27), Mac and Riley are called upon to examine a mysterious object that crash-landed in the Nevada desert — which as you can imagine leaves Jack, a "believer," champing at the bit to get involved. "That's the fun of the episode, that they get to go there and he doesn't," says showrunner Peter M. Lenkov (though we have a hunch that Jack will find a way). On the less-fun side of things, Riley uncovers "another piece of the puzzle" that is Mac's father, which steers us directly into....

SEASON FINALE (MAY 4): "The information that Riley shares with Mac is literally the first scene of the finale," says Lenkov. And as it is processed, Mac has cause "to question some of the people he works with, and question some truths" — to the point that he just might turn in his Swiss Army knife. Tate Donovan (Damages) guest-stars as Oversight, a man who has history with Matty, Reign Edwards returns as Leanna, and Billy Baldwin's Elwood shows up to grill Riley's secret beau — bounty hunter Billy Colton.

LUCIFER

PRE-FINALE: "Lucifer missed his window," co-showrunner Joe Henderson says of Chloe's engagement to Pierce. "So the last three episodes are the fallout of that — Lucifer wondering why Chloe made that decision, but also exploring why Chloe herself made that decision." Kicking things off on April 30 is a "sequel" to both Season 2's "Ladies Night Out" (in the form of Chloe's bachelorette party, thrown by Ella) and "Douchifer" episodes (as Luci teams with Dan on a case). Then on May 7, Amenadiel and Charlotte are very much "on the anti-Pierce train," says co-showrunner Ildy Modrovich, "trying to get Lucifer and Chloe back together" – as a means to pass God's test and get into Heaven, respectively. Maze, however, is committed to helping Pierce, and Dr. Linda takes issue with her estranged friend's agenda. "Honestly, the biggest part of the end of the season is resolving the Linda-Maze story, which will finally come to a head," says Henderson.

SEASON FINALE (MAY 14): "This is the biggest cliffhanger we've had," Henderson avows. "It's bigger than Mom, it's bigger than the wings... and it affects more than Lucifer." Putting a (gulp) finer point on it: "Not all of our characters are getting out alive."

RIVERDALE

PRE-FINALE: The Black Hood killer is back with a vengeance, and "the remainder of this season will be about finding out who the real Black Hood is," executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa reveals. With a murderer on the loose, we'll see Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica putting aside their differences and "coming together to face their biggest threat yet," he hints. But that's not all: We'll also see a new rift forming between Archie and Veronica's dad Hiram — "tensions will rise now that [Archie] is back on Fred's side" — and "the civil war that's been brewing in the town of Riverdale" between Northsiders and Southsiders "will crescendo in these final few episodes."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 16): The EP won't elaborate on star KJ Apa's hint that the Season 2 finale is "a tragedy... for one person in particular," but he does confirm that we'll learn the identity of the Black Hood by season's end. Plus, he promises that the finale will set up "a bunch of new plots and mysteries" for the upcoming third season. So get ready to spend your summer trading theories over milkshakes, Riverdale fans. 

EMPIRE

PRE-FINALE: With that pesky heart attack in her rearview mirror, Cookie returns to work at Empire, although much of her focus remains on reuniting her ailing prison pal Poundcake with her estranged daughter — a mission that forces her to confront her troubled relationship with her MIA mother (guest star Alfre Woodard). And don't assume the seemingly immortal matriarch is out of the woods, health-wise. According to exec producer Brett Mahoney, Cookie's continued recovery "will hinge on her willingness to make lifestyle changes." Speaking of strained familial relationships, Andre's pivotal role in shielding Empire from Eddie's takeover gambit leads Lucious to reevaluate the hardline stance he's taken against his son. Eddie, meanwhile, may have one last trick up his sleeve. As Mahoney reveals, Anika "comes back into play... on Team Eddie."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 23): The Season 4 closer finds the "Lyons coming together like never before to stake a claim on what's theirs in the face of an onslaught from Eddie," teases Mahoney, who says the ending may go down as the series' "most emotional cliffhanger yet." 

ONCE UPON A TIME

PRE-FINALE: In "Flower Child" (airing April 27), "You find out all of Eloise's backstory," shares Rose Reynolds, who plays Alice/Tilly. "You find out why she is the way she is and why she wants more than to rule the world. It's really good." Then on May 4, Jared Gilmore returns as Younger Henry, as many loose ends are tied up and a new threat is unleashed. "A lot of things we've been building through the season reach a boiling point," says co-creator Adam Horowitz, "but a surprise at the end of the episode spins us into the finale — a challenge that arises from within."

SERIES FINALE (MAY 11 & 18): Airing across two nights and boasting returns by Jennifer Morrison, Ginny Goodwin, Josh Dallas and others, "We hopefully hit on all the greatest hits of the show," says Horowitz. Leading lady Lana Parrilla meanwhile testifies that the finale is "beautiful," both because of its callbacks and the closure it offers. "I really think the fans will love how we close out the series." As did the cast. "Ginny was literally crying," shares Parrilla, "even when the camera wasn't on her!"

GREY'S ANATOMY

PRE-FINALE: As previously reported, Geena Davis reprises her role as Dr. Nicole Herman and promptly presents an "exciting opportunity" to Jessica Capshaw's departing Arizona, who also finds herself navigating a school-related rough patch with daughter Sofia. Curiously, ABC has offered little in the way of clues regarding Sarah Drew's exit as April, although the network did tease that one of Grey Sloan's own is "seriously injured" in the penultimate May 10 hour. But Shonda Rhimes wouldn't dare kill off April after we specifically asked her not to, right?

SEASON FINALE (MAY 17): The stress from the past year forces Bailey to re-evaluate some of her decisions in the Krista Vernoff-penned, Debbie Allen-directed Season 14 closer, an episode leading lady Ellen Pompeo previously described as "not easy." Camilla Luddington, meanwhile, dropped a far less cryptic social-media tease, declaring that the finale features "a few" of her favorite "Jolex" moments.

THE FLASH

PRE-FINALE: Team Flash thus far has "come up short trying to stop The Thinker," notes EP Todd Helbing. "But after losing Ralph, they will do whatever they can to stop him." That includes enlisting Gypsy (on May 1), the villainous Amunet (May 8) and Arrow's Diggle (May 15) to lend a hand. Also during this stretch, a despondent Harry gets a pep talk from The Council of Harrisons (aka "an emo version of The Council of Wells"), while Caitlin will endeavor to reclaim her chill. "At the end of the season, everybody will sort of understand what happened to Killer Frost," says Helbing, "and if there is a possibility to get her back."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 22): Echoing this season's theme, the finale's "We Are the Flash" title means "Barry doesn't have to carry the burden of this challenge on his own. It's really a group effort." As for the showdown itself — which Helbing describes as "Inception-like" — "The way they attack The Thinker is totally different from anything we've seen before in a finale." Oh, and remember the Speed Force-fluent waitress first spied at the WestAllen wedding, and multiple times since? "Everyone will get an answer to who exactly The Mystery Girl is, and how she plays into not only this season but next season."

ROSEANNE

PRE-FINALE: The Conners' extremely full house becomes slightly less congested when Roseanne sends Beverly to live with (gulp!) Jackie. Dan, meanwhile, discovers a troubling secret Roseanne's been keeping with regard to her bum knee, and a Wi-Fi crisis forces Rosie to befriend her Muslim neighbors. 

SEASON FINALE (MAY 22): A major storm hits Lanford, but Mother Nature's wrath may be a blessing in disguise for Roseanne and Dan. Things also may be looking up for rudderless Darlene, who experiences an epiphany related to her first love — writing. 

ARROW 

PRE-FINALE: In "Shifting Alliances" (airing April 26), Oliver turns to an old friend to help battle Diaz, while Quentin learns something shocking about Earth-Two's Laurel. Then as the pressure mounts for Oliver in "Docket #11-19-41-73," former cast member Colin Donnell gets "something to chew on" (per Stephen Amell) with his latest encore. And in "The Ties That Bind," when Diaz targets not only Team Arrow but their loved ones, Oliver struggles with Felicity's opportunity to stop Diaz for good, by putting herself in danger. 

SEASON FINALE (MAY 17):  Here's all we know about the episode titled "Life Sentence": Legends of Tomorrow's Caity Lotz puts in an appearance as Sara Lance; Stephen Amell needed to repeat wardrobe that Oliver specifically wore in Season 1, Episode 5; and the way it sets up Season 7 involves a twist, "more so than anything we've ever done... that we can never undo," Amell has said.

NCIS

PRE-FINALE: NCIS says hello to sweeps with a pair of episodes (airing May 1 and 8) that say good-bye to Abby, played by original cast member Pauley Perrette. "For Abby's farewell, it was not only important that we pay tribute to this wonderful character, but that we give her a very special departure," showrunners Frank Cardea and George Schenck said via email. "Not only are there heartfelt and nostalgic moments, we have a very special reveal for the fans." Then on May 15, Gibbs is attending the funeral of a Navy Commander and fellow boat-building enthusiast when he learns the "deceased" is in fact alive, hiding in a 1950s-era bomb shelter. "Someone wants him dead, and Gibbs and his team are on the case," the EPs preview.

SEASON FINALE (MAY 22): In "an adrenaline-charged episode," a piece of Sloane's past winds up pitting the NCIS team against an international terrorist. As such, "We will definitely end the season with a cliffhanger," the showrunners promise.

THE BLACKLIST

PRE-FINALE: With Ian Garvey now dead, Liz and Red will be on very different pages as to what comes next: Liz wants to find out why Garvey killed Tom, while Red still wants his bag o' bones. "Reddington got what he wanted but not what he needed," series creator Jon Bokenkamp says of Garvey's death. "Part of this truth died with [Garvey]... and a standoff is developing between Red and Liz." Adding to Red's anxiety, of course, will be the continued presence of daughter Jennifer — and the potential return of her mother. "After [Garvey's death], the question on Reddington's mind is Naomi Hyland," Bokenkamp reveals. "That storyline is reignited."

SEASON FINALE (MAY 16): According to Bokenkamp, the Season 5 closer will be "a big push forward in our storytelling" that finally reveals why Red has pursued these bones so doggedly. "We are going to find out the truth that is in this duffel bag and the identity of these bones," he says. "The question is: Will Liz find out? And if she does, what will she do with that information?"