Ever," teases Feds showrunner Terence Paul Winter.
The Rookieuniverse is ready for its go at a beloved web connection television tradition the crossover episode.
EW has your exclusive first look at the episodes, via photos and a clip.
Niecy Nash and Nathan Fillion on ‘The Rookie: Feds’.Raymond Liu/ABC
There’s also some outstanding questions from their fall finales.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You both ended your seasons on cliffhangers of sorts.
Will this crossover give us any immediate updates on either of those situations?
Nathan Fillion and Niecy Nash on ‘The Rookie: Feds’.Raymond Liu/ABC
ALEXI HAWLEY (The Rookieshowrunner):In terms of updates, yes.
On both fronts actually.
How stressed or worried should we be about these folks?
Frankie R. Faison, Nathan Fillion, and Niecy Nash on ‘The Rookie: Feds’.Raymond Liu/ABC
WINTER:I don’t know.
Like I said before, I’m very concerned about Garza.
He’s one of our favorite characters.
Things are not looking good, but fingers crossed things are going to work out for him.
You guys have found ways to weave characters from both shows across the series all season.
Can you tell me how this crossover event might differ from those pop-ups that we’ve had all fall?
HAWLEY:Well, this at heart a case crossover.
WINTER:And our favorite feds get the assist from our favorite former rookie at the LAPD.
Often, we see people onThe Rookiesaying, “I want to be a detective.
I want to be a T.O.”
Is anybody going to get a desire to be a fed at some point?
HAWLEY:Oh, fromRookie?
I don’t know.
We haven’t really talked about that.
It’s a completely different mindset being a fed versus a patrol officer or detective.
But it does happen, so I don’t know.
We haven’t really gone down that road.
WINTER:But it’s a good idea.
Alexi, you really drew things out with Chenford for us.
So, are fans going to be happy?
No relationship is all sunshine and roses, but will we at least get something satisfying there?
HAWLEY:Ultimately it was important to get there in an organic way.
He was her superior and her training officer for several years on the show.
The 13 months of her rookie year were two and a half seasons of our show.
We couldn’t just jump right into it.
Audiences like romance; that’s what they want more than anything.
But we’ve got to a place now where we have to keep going forward with it.
That would be really mean to the audience.
WINTER:There’s no shipping yet onFedsthat’s taken me off guard.
But just like onThe Rookie, we like to let these things organically happen.
We get surprised with the journey of our characters, how they take shape as they go.
That wasn’t an original game plan that Alexi had moving forward, but it happened organically.
So, we’ll see what happens.
HAWLEY:Romance has been baked a little bit more into the DNA ofFeds.
You hire actors, and if they have real chemistry, you lean into it.
I do think that we’ve been a little more overt in our romantic storytelling.
What can we expect from that storyline?
WINTER:The realities are when trying to date someone in the workplace, it can be very complicated.
Ultimately that’s a challenge for any relationship.
So, very early on we established how Simone likes to think John could be into her.
Since he’ll be joining their team for a little bit, will she be flirting with him?
Should Bailey be on alert?
HAWLEY:I mean, Simone flirts with everybody, so yeah.
WINTER:Simone’s very respectful of people’s relationships and especially of John and of Bailey.
There’s not going to be any issues.
She is who she is.
Nolan has been doing a lot of contracting work lately.
HAWLEY:Well, he’s got to make those mortgage payments on that house.
With that view, no kidding.
HAWLEY:To be fair, it was a foreclosed, condemned house.
It had its own arc, which I thought was great.
Is her converted garage going to get its own story arc as well?
I’ll say that.
As they team up here, is he going to share any wisdom with her?
WINTER:Yes, absolutely.
It’s okay to be where you are right now and to keep pushing forward.
This is someone who’s at the LAPD.
This is my friend who’s been in this similar circumstance.
They have a very special relationship, and it’s nice to touch base with them again.
We’re going to do it again later in the season as well.
Because that relationship is gold, seeing those two together.
We saw him really be there for his rookie at the end of the fall half of the season.
Nolan would be the first to tell you that he has not lived Simone’s experience.
His advice is never prescriptive.
It’s just trying to offer up what he’s been through in case it’s helpful to her.
You mentioned this case crosses over between the two shows.
Can you tease a bit more about it and what they’re going to be investigating here?
Is that going to continue to be an issue?
HAWLEY:I think there is, but it’s partly because of Garza’s unit.
Garza comes in, and he just wants the best answer.
That helps smooth that relationship, the respect both ways from those two teams.
WINTER:He always has a point of view and he’s not afraid to ask tough questions.
Nolan has a little bit of a special place in Cutty’s heart, as well as Simone’s.
This is the first time the shows are airing the same night, back to back.
Is this a one-off or a new thing?
HAWLEY:ABC is moving us to Tuesdays at 8 p.m., and thenFedscomes right after.
That’s a seismic vote of confidence from ABC, building a night around us.
It’s a seamless two hours.
It’s really special how it comes together.
If you had to tease the crossover in three words, what would they be?
What’s the third one?
It’s always a good word.
My three words would be Best.
