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May Sweeps Preview and Finale Spoilers
THE 100
PRE-FINALE: As we approach the CW drama’s May 19 season finale, Clarke & Co.’s mission to stop the growing A.I. threat will lead to all-out war against Alie and her army. Meanwhile, Kane reaches his breaking point, Murphy takes extreme measures to ensure his own survival and Octavia continues to make sense of Lincoln’s death. (Bonus scoop: the April 28 episode, “Join or Die,” introduces a new group of grounders… in an unexpected location.)
ARROW
PRE-FINALE: Damien Darhk will “come out swinging” in the wake of offing Laurel Lance and dealing Team Arrow that morale-crushing blow, says showrunner Wendy Mericle. As for the Big Bad’s endgame, Mericle points fans to Episode 409 as well as the bible’s book of Genesis for “some pretty good clues” about what he’s got cooking. Meanwhile, Diggle deals with his guilt over Laurel’s death while Thea “grapples” with her destiny as Speedy (as well as faces off against an old foe). Amid all that drama, can Oliver & Co. possibly rebound from their loss and rise to stop Darhk? “It becomes a question of: How does Oliver defeat his magic?” says Mericle. “And that really won’t be answered until the finale.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 25): Akin to Season 2’s Deathstroke showdown, a “huge” location shoot in part involving “a big intersection in downtown Vancouver” was needed to do this deadly denouement justice. And deadly it will be. “It’s a pretty grim one, I’m sad to say. We have a huge number of potential fatalities,” Mericle reports on the season ender. “And you’ll definitely get a hint about where the team is headed for Season 5.”
BLINDSPOT
PRE-FINALE: The return of Mayfair’s onetime lover Sophia — who was believed to be dead — will make things particularly difficult for the FBI assistant director. According to series creator Martin Gero, “The fact that Sophia lied to her about her disappearance and faked her suicide… it’s pretty heartbreaking. She’s worried for her own life, worried for Sophia again, but also just so hurt.” May sweeps also will bring up conflict for Oscar, who starts to struggle with “whether he can put the mission ahead of Jane. We start to get a sense of the life they had before this, and therefore the reason why they both made the sacrifice to do this.” (That said, Jane will still be drawn to Weller, and since their connection is “a lot less complicated” than hers with Oscar, Gero promises “a lot of good moments” for Jane/Weller fans.)
SEASON FINALE (MAY 23): Besides teeing up new storylines, the season ender will “feel like the end in some places,” Gero says. It will also fill us in on “a big piece of what Orion is,” which will “start to calibrate your compass as to what that must mean for Jane.”
BONES
PRE-FINALE: The show’s new serial killer arc launches in the April 28 episode and features a “complex” Big Bad who may or may not be someone already familiar to viewers, teases co-showrunner Michael Peterson, who adds, “There’s an insanity to this person that’s different from our previous killers.” As the series heads deeper into May, look for a standalone hour inspired by the 1993 Clint Eastwood thriller In the Line of Fire (see photo). “It involves the death of a Secret Service agent and Booth gets called in [to assist],” explains Peterson. “There are huge stakes and it’s a great action episode for David.” The outing also features a “pivotal” development with regard to paralyzed Hodgins’ recovery, the EP teases.
SEASON FINALE (JULY 21*): The David Boreanaz directed episode will close out the aforementioned serial killer storyline. “It’s going to be as big a climax as we’ve ever done,” Peterson declares. Any big deaths? “You never know… ”
* tentative date
CASTLE
PRE-FINALE: On May 2, it’s “Much Ado About Murder” when in “a bit of ripped-from-the-headlines” storyline, a mediocre Hollywood actor headlining a Broadway play turns up dead; Jewel Staite (Firefly) plays the frustrated director and Castle’s mom Martha is featured heavily, says co-showrunner Alexi Hawley. On May 9, there is “Hell to Pay” when an escaped mental patient pops up in Rick’s P.I. office “on a dark, stormy night” and then ends up dead, “and we’ve got to figure out what he was up to,” says the EP.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 16): “It’s all hands on deck” as LokSat is finally unmasked and that season-long arc is wrapped up in an hour that features “a lot of twists and turns, danger and emotional stakes,” says Hawley. “We really tried to leave it all on the field.” Especially since, barring cancellation, Season 9 will move on without leading lady Stana Katic. Foreseeing such a scenario, the showrunners crafted a finale that ends “in a dynamic way that leaves open the possibility that maybe the show won’t come back in the same form.”
CHICAGO FIRE
PRE-FINALE: Dawson considers taking in a young, neglected foster child after a call, which will have “ramifications” for her and boyfriend Casey, executive producer Matt Olmstead previews. “He’s faced with the idea of, how deep does this go with her? How long does she plan on taking care of a kid?” Complicating things even further for the couple is Lauren Stamile’s political consultant, who takes an interest in Casey’s potential as a candidate – and his “murky, undefined relationship” status. Elsewhere, Otis “sticks his head in the sand” about his medical issue, which could affect “what he’d be able to do as a firefighter going forward.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 17): “One of our cliffhangers/complications is Jimmy holding Boden responsible for the injury to his brother” during an earlier episode, Olmstead reveals. Meanwhile, Stella’s ex becomes “increasingly unhinged” in his belief that she left him because of Severide. As for Dawson and Casey’s confusing romantic standing, “by the end of the season, we’ll have a little clarification, certainly, on where they’re at,” the EP promises.
CHICAGO MED
PRE-FINALE: Dr. Halstead’s lawsuit may have been dropped, but “he has new problems,” executive producer Andrew Schneider previews. Given his powerful new enemy on the hiring committee, the question becomes: “Is he going to be able to return to Chicago Med?” At least things are looking up for him on the romantic front with Dr. Manning… sort of? “He once again becomes hopeful. There’s a sign, but he misinterprets it, you might say,” EP Diane Frolov shares with a laugh. Speaking of love, someone new will catch Dr. Rhodes’ eye and April’s “relationship will deepen,” but “a surprise” later on “could have profound effects” on the couple, Schneider says.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 17): “At these teaching institutions, people graduate and they move on to other positions,” Frolov explains. “Everybody makes a transition at the end of the year.” As such, grad Dr. Reese will be “in crisis” about her specialty as a new med student (Jeff Hephner reprising his Chicago Fire role) enters the rotation. Also on tap: new positions for Rhodes and Choi and a career surprise for Halstead. Elsewhere, Rhodes’ mentor, Dr. Downey, “has a major crisis,” Frolov adds.
CHICAGO P.D.
PRE-FINALE: Not only is Lindsay and Halstead’s relationship “very solid,” but they might also be cohabitating! “He's looking at places to buy, and she finds herself actively dissuading him,” executive producer Matt Olmstead previews. “Is the real reason because she doesn't want him to find a place? Does she want him to move in with her?” The May 11 episode, which serves as the backdoor pilot for spinoff Chicago Justice, features “a very sensitive case involving Burgess,” who finds herself in a bind that requires the help of the State's Attorney's office. In the midst of the investigation, “It comes out that perhaps [she has] relationship with Roman that preceded this event, and [her ex] Ruzek hears it for the first time from somebody else,” Olmstead reveals.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 25): When his son gets shot, “it unleashes an old version of Voight,” Olmstead describes. The rest of the team “have to either get out of the way or try and help him out, but also not let him go too far, and he's not hearing from anybody. So it's a somewhat crazed Voight in the finale.”
CRIMINAL MINDS
SEASON FINALE (MAY 4): As Antonia Slade (played by returning guest star Frances Fisher) forewarned, a “Storm” is coming — as in the title of the Season 11 finale, in which Hotch is apprehended by a SWAT team and suspected of conspiracy, leading the team to deduce that a larger plot is on the horizon. “It’s a very team-centric episode, because 'stuff’ is hitting the fan and we’re at the center of it,” says showrunner Erica Messer. “And we’re doing a [finale] cliffhanger of sorts, which we haven't done in forever. It’s not a ‘bomb goes off/who survives?’ cliffhanger, but, ‘Oh my god, we thought we won,’ and by the end it’s, ‘Oh no, we’re just getting started.’ It’s a really fun, fresh way to launch into Season 12.”
ELEMENTARY
PRE-FINALE: Having just been eyed by Sherlock and Joan for the murder of one of his employees. Papa Holmes has his own quest: identifying the person who organized an attempt on his life several years ago. “As we get into the last two episodes of the season, this individual is revealed and he has ties to an organization that will be familiar to anyone who’s been watching the show from the beginning,” Doherty teases, adding that the “very formidable foe” has been waiting for the P.I.s to catch up. “He’s had awareness of them for quite some time.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 8): “It’s war,” Doherty declares. “Morland has been craving justice for some time, but the closer he has gotten, the less careful he’s been. He’s taken more chances. You do that enough, there will be retaliation.” Despite the dangerous battle, the season ender is “more close-ended” than last year’s finale, the EP adds. (Watch a promo.)
EMPIRE
PRE-FINALE: Keep an eye on perky/pesky reporter Harper Scott (Annie Ilonzeh) and her “ulterior motives,” warns executive producer Sanaa Hamri. “Cookie can sniff out Harper out a mile away — even if she doesn’t exactly know what her next step is,” she adds. “Lucious can, too, but he enjoys seeing Cookie be jealous and possessive.” Harper won’t be the only woman causing trouble for the Lyon patriarch: Lucious’ not-as-dead-as-we-thought mother will pay a visit to Club Leviticus (see photo) in what appears to be a mic-drop moment for Andre (who just made peace with his father at what he thought was his Grandma’s grave.)
SEASON FINALE (MAY 18): Lucious and Jamal will also “grow further apart than ever” as they go head-to-head in campaigning for an ASA Award, previews Hamri, who directed the season-ender. But then, “a very shocking thing happens, and it will change everything. It’s twisted, delicious and thrilling. We’re going to find out a lot of things — but not what people are expecting.” Will someone die? “Well, in the world of Empire, people drop like flies,” Hamri says with a chuckle. “I don’t want to say any more than that, but when I was directing the finale, I couldn’t believe what I was doing.”
THE FLASH
PRE-FINALE: Now that Zoom has Barry’s speed, “In these last five episodes, the pieces start to fall together and you see exactly what his endgame is,” says co-showrunner Aaron Helbing. “There’s definitely a method to his madness.” For Barry, “It’s going to take some adjusting” to life in the slower lane, co-showrunner Todd Helbing says, though the question of somehow reacquiring his speed “is certainly brought up.” Elsewhere, Wally has “a different reaction” than others have had to Barry’s secret, while Cisco is “hit pretty hard” to discover that his brother is the Earth-Two villain Rupture — though the reveal brings him and Dante closer together over here.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 24): “Last year’s [finale] was chock full of emotion and spectacle, and we tried to raise the bar,” says Todd. “Grant [Gustin] posted about how insanely emotional the finale is, and emotion really is driving it. But the vastness of the showdown is pretty epic.” On a lighter note, “By the end of the season, there might be a grand gesture” from Barry-loving Iris, Aaron hints, while as for the Man in the Iron Mask reveal, “You will not see it coming,” Todd asserts.
GOTHAM
PRE-FINALE: As Gordon's investigation into the Waynes' murder and the reveal of Hugo Strange's insidious agenda unfold, "We're going to see how they are one and the same story," says exec producer John Stephens. And though one may be quick to surmise that Wayne Enterprises simply founded Indian Hill, "The mystery goes deeper than that," he warns. Elsewhere, as Bruce prepares to meet "the man behind the man" who offed his folks, Cat "comes back strong," Mr. Freeze winds up in "an epic battle with another supervillain" and, yes, "you will see Fish Mooney," Stephens teases of Jada Pinkett Smith’s encore.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 23): "You have to watch the last scene," in which "the nature of the city of Gotham will change," Stephens previews. "It's a development that is in line with all the other story we've been telling, but one piece that we've kept hidden." Also, as Season 2 comes to a close: Two lives are left in limbo.
GREY'S ANATOMY
PRE-FINALE: Tensions between Meredith and Amelia ramp back up (and once again Derek is the root cause), Jo and Alex get clarification on their relationship status, Callie and Arizona’s custody impasse comes to a head and — in the biggest twist of all — Jackson and April stop fighting and start acting civil to each other. Also, someone’s gonna die.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 19): “It’s a really emotional episode,” teases Kelly McCreary. “It’s all about matters of the heart, and the culmination of a lot of challenges that we’ve seen in the major relationships, [especially] April and Jackson, Callie and Arizona, and Owen and Amelia.”
GRIMM
PRE-FINALE: As Portland’s mayoral race winds down, expect things to go very well for Renard yet not so great for Nick, thanks to Adalind making a decision she feels is necessary to protect her children. Even worse, Det. Burkhardt kind of understands her motivation. “He’s presented with certain circumstances, which he has to be careful how he reacts to, because his son’s life could be at stake,” EP James Kouf says. Meanwhile, Renard and Ad’s not-so-little-anymore daughter complicates matters by returning to town. “Diana’s a little girl with a lot of power who’s learning how to yield it, and she hasn’t had a great moral compass yet,” Kouf previews. Add in the return of Hank’s lady Zuri (and her shady affiliations), Wu’s werewolf-like condition and more mystery surrounding the magic stick, and “There are going to be some big issues to deal with,” he adds.
SEASON FINALE: (MAY 20) The Black Claw offensive comes to a head in the two-hour season ender, which Kouf describes as “non-stop action” and which — true to the series’ tradition — ends on a cliffhanger.
HAWAII FIVE-0
PRE-FINALE: On April 29, the team hunts down a vigilante whose mission is to “out” law-abiding people harboring secrets, says showrunner Peter M. Lenkov, while Kono tries to “regain her faith and trust in her husband” after the events of April 22. Also: Max, Kamekona and Flippa have “a Gilligan’s Island adventure” after a booze cruise test-run results in a shipwreck. Next up is an episode involving a murder victim’s young daughter that “has repercussions for Chin Ho that play into our finale, and into next season as well.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 13): In the first hour, Five-0 finally nabs Gabriel “and then ironically they have to protect him from people that want to kill him, as they move from building to building trying to make their way out of Chinatown,” says Lenkov. The second hour offers “real emotional stakes” when McGarrett is wounded during an undercover op “and it’s up to Danny to save his best friend and partner” — including by flying a plane for the first time!
JANE THE VIRGIN
PRE-FINALE: “There’s a series of events that start to complicate” the Jane/Michael/Rafael situation, executive producer Jennie Urman previews. “[Raf] can see his opening. The question is, will he take it?” Meanwhile, his half-brother Derek’s potential involvement in the Mutter conspiracy “will become more and more clear” as the crime story gets tied up. Elsewhere, Petra’s recently discovered twin will “really complicate” her life. As for the potentially dangerous situation Michael has found himself in, the reveal of who’s snapping photos of him (and why) has “immediate ramifications” for his future with Jane. Should we be worried about the detective’s fate? “It’s a telenovela, so it’s a very precarious world to live in,” the EP hedges.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 16): In true Jane fashion, expect “at least four” major cliffhangers as the titular heroine’s nuptials take center stage. And yes, “there is a wedding,” Urman confirms — but it’s the not the bride who’s got the jitters. “This is [Rogelio’s] big day. He’s more nervous about the wedding than Jane is at the beginning of the finale,” the EP shares. As for the love triangle, “It is resolved – as much as matters of the heart are resolved in telenovelas.”
DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
PRE-FINALE: Having had to “play defense" in recent weeks against the Hunters and the Pilgrim, the Legends will target the immortal Vandal Savage anew — and in the only way possible. "All that's really left for them to do is attack him at the height of his power," in the year 2166, says showrunner Phil Klemmer. On top of that, Rip & Co. will "have to reckon with the Time Masters," though Klemmer hints at "another shoe to drop" in that contentious relationship, saying: "Maybe the Time Masters aren't as unsullied as they made themselves out to be in the pilot…."
SEASON FINALE (MAY 19): As the season closes, Klemmer says, "We will have to check in on" the world the Legends left behind in 2016 and meet a mystery hero (Suits’ Patrick J. Adams) who presents "a fork in the road" — as well as "glimpse of the show to come, which is going to be a lot different" in Season 2. One clue to the interloper's identity: he wears a cape….
NCIS
PRE-FINALE: Sweeps opens in style, as NCIS becomes the first film production to shoot inside the White House, when First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Gibbs and a Marine’s wife. “It was a dream for many of us,” says show boss Gary Glasberg. “She was fantastic.” Then leading up to the season finale, Sarah Clarke (24) and Duane Henry debut as FBI and MI-6 agents who assist with the Jacob Scott manhunt. And somewhere amid all of that, an NCIS colleague is left fighting for his/her life in ICU, “continuing the build towards Tony’s departure.” Oh yeah, that….
SEASON FINALE (MAY 17): As the Jacob Scott arc wraps up, the primary focus turns to giving Michael Weatherly’s DiNozzo a proper send-off. “We're going to give people the fun and the drive of NCIS,” says Glasberg, “but we also really wanted to make sure that we got the emotional moments as well. It’s really about the resonance of Tony's departure.” (Get details here; but no Ziva, folks.)
NEW GIRL
PRE-FINALE: Viewers who loved Megan Fox’s early-season arc are in luck: Reagan will be back, but she and Nick may not be able to pick up their romance where it left off. Even though “Nick has been harboring some long-distance feelings,” according to executive producer Brett Baer, “there has been some growth for Nick and Jess” by the time Reagan reenters the picture, which happens “at a particularly important moment” for the pseudo-love triangle. Also occurring in the home stretch of Season 5: potential romance for Winston and Aly, father-son bonding for Schmidt and his dad, played once again by Peter Gallagher (“One of the sweeter elements of the last few episodes,” Baer teases) and the return of the drinking game True American — this time with a White House-related twist.
SEASON FINALE (May 10): Having tried his hand at a Cece wedding once before, Baer says he and his fellow EPs “knew we had to be surprising and different” with her and Schmidt’s season-ending nuptials — and they’ll live up to that expectation. “We came up with some fun ways of turning the episode upside-down and giving the audience a fun ride.”
ONCE UPON A TIME
PRE-FINALE: With Emma ever “emotional” about the situation she put loved ones in, the May 1 episode flashes back to “a time in her life we haven't visited since the pilot,” meaning her days as a bail bondsperson, says co-creator Eddy Kitsis. Alas, despite having stormed the Underworld with a very specific plan to save Hook, “what Emma is going to have to face to get him back is very different than what she thought,” says co-creator Adam Horowitz. Elsewhere as the Underworld arc comes to a close: Rumple explores both leverage and a loophole to nix Hades’ contract; Regina and Robin “team up to take someone down” on May 8; Henry’s power as the Author “plays a huge part” in the proceedings; we meet Hades’ brother Zeus; and a current coupling “maybe” won’t last the season.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 15): In addition to tying up loose ends (including “What happened to the Camelot people?”), the two-hour season ender (airing at 7/6c) introduces Sam Witwer (Smallville) and Hank Harris (Popular) in a storyline that tees up “something new for Season 6,” including “ominous threats that are different from ones we've experience before,” Horowitz says.
THE ORIGINALS
PRE-FINALE: While two of New Orleans’ hottest couples (Klaus/Cami and Hayley/Elijah) continue to figure themselves out amidst new obstacles — experiencing both “closure” and “the prospect of more to come” — executive producer Michael Narducci warns that Davina’s relationship with “ticking time-bomb” Kol will prove the most catastrophic. “We’re going to see that bomb go off,” he says. “Remember, Kol is a very bad guy.” But the storyline Narducci calls the most “satisfying” involves the show’s protagonists finally taking a stand against the ancestors. In addition to this fight turning Vincent into “the character we’ve always wanted him to be,” Narducci teases that it will also lead to some mind-boggling alliances: “If I told you the roster of characters — not just active cast members, but also guest stars — that will be involved in helping to take down the ancestors, I don’t think you’d believe me.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 20): No promises, but don’t look surprised if Rebekah should rear her beautiful head at any point during the final hour of Season 3. Narducci cryptically speaks of a “tragic circumstance” set to befall the Mikaelsons, the type of event that would make one want to be with one’s family, “regardless of the cost.”
QUANTICO
PRE-FINALE: The May 1 episode, “Drive,” finds the NATs dispatched to different field offices and — shocker! — Ryan and Alex find themselves working a case together. Don’t worry, EP Joshua Safran says: Despite their recent arguments/suspicions, Booth and Parrish “get on the same page pretty quickly” in the Quantico timeline… yet wind up in a one-on-one fight “that’s really incredible” in the present-day story. As the lead-up to the FBI academy’s graduation ceremony continues the next week, the trainees undergo perhaps their hardest test yet. “The FBI saves one specific assignment for last… which is basically discussing the darkest days you have as an agent,” Safran says, adding that the hour takes the characters to “a very dark and emotional place” and “foreshadows the terrorist event that happens in the pilot.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 15): Safran offers this tease for the season-ender: “You will see some familiar faces from earlier in the season,” and those will include “flashbacks for a character that has recently perished.”
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
PRE-FINALE: First thing’s first: When Caroline (finally!) returns to the fold, she’s “going to bring a lot of resentment and a barely contained fury directed exactly at Stefan,” executive producer Julie Plec reveals. Once that‘s out of the way, “We’ll see what it is about her and Alaric that makes them work so well as a couple. She’s enjoyed leaving her supernatural lifestyle behind, but she also knows she’s living on borrowed time this way.” Elsewhere, Damon will try to earn back Bonnie’s friendship, but he’ll soon be the least of her worries. “The rest of the season is a race to save Bonnie, and all of the fallout that comes along with that,” Plec adds. “It puts everyone in grave danger, and not everyone survives it … at least emotionally.”
SEASON FINALE (MAY 13): The heartbreaking final hour includes a modest time jump — don’t worry, it’s not even close to this season’s three-year leap — allowing for the show’s key relationships, romantic and platonic, to achieve a sense of closure. Unfortunately, Plec says, “Just as we get there, we put it in a blender, chew it all up and spit it all out.” (Of. Course.)
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