‘A Million Little Things’ Bosses Go Deep Into Series Finale & Answer Burning Questions
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the A Million Little Things series finale.]
A Million Little Things says goodbye to one from their friend group and looks ahead in the finale.
The series ends with an assisted suicide, with Maggie (Allison Miller) ultimately the one by the dying Gary’s (James Roday Rodriguez) side when the time comes. Then it jumps forward 15 years to show the friend group happy, together, and expanding, and fittingly ends on a Bruins game, with Gary and Maggie’s son Javi in attendance with Theo, Danny, and Tyrell.
Creator DJ Nash (who co-wrote the finale with Rodriguez) and showrunner Terrence Coli answer our burning questions about the series.
DJ, talk about writing the finale with James.
DJ Nash: Incredible. Gary is a combo platter between me and him, so it seemed fitting. So much of this last season was just beautiful gifts, whether it was getting Christopher Lloyd to come to Vancouver or having the opportunity to see Christina [Moses] and Romany [Malco] direct. James had been pushing for me to direct since almost the beginning, and I said, “OK, but then we need to write one together.” … James said, “I only want to write it with you if it turns out exactly the way you want.” I was like, “That’s exactly what I want, too, so this’ll be great.”
I had been thinking of most of the story, and then with TC and the writers’ help, by the time I pitched it to James, it was pretty much figured out. He added these moves, little chiropractor tweaks that brought it to a whole other level — specifically, the last line of our series, “Have a beautiful life.” He has such a brilliant mind, and our series and certainly this episode are better for it.
Terrence Coli: James is so connected to the character of Gary, and always on this show, our actors have been great about respecting the lines that are on the page, but he would always do that, then throw in even better lines at the end of takes, ad-libs that were just so brilliant and so perfect for the moment. In Episode 12, we had that incredible scene with Gary and his doctor saying goodbye. [It] was supposed to end on, “it means the world.” It was all James to go, “I’m not going to pay for parking.” It made the moment. It lightened a scene that was pretty heavy and hard to take.
Nash: He came to me when the pilot script called for Gary to have his shirt off when we meet him, and he said, “Can we wait for a future episode?” which ended up being this “I love you” to Maggie. He said that Letterman sweater could have Jon’s DNA on it, but then you find out that it’s Dave’s DNA, and I was like, “Oh my God, that’s so brilliant.” He’s been pitching a story. We just haven’t given him credit ’til now.
ABC/Darko Sikman
Were any significant scenes cut?
Nash: No. Act 6 was for the fans, a chance for [them] to know, “You’re going to be OK because they’re going to be OK.” There are times when you wish this story had a different ending. In writing it, we kind of showed too much. There was a scene with Regina and Rome dancing. There was a scene with Eddie [David Giuntoli] and Delilah [Stephanie Szostak] in the elevator fooling around. Act 6 was really about Javi and the audience’s perspective to see that life is OK.
How did you come up with Gary’s ending?
Nash: I knew from the beginning that I wanted to start the series with a suicide that shouldn’t have happened and end with an assisted suicide that would be the humane thing to happen. I wanted to tell a series about two friends, Rome and Gary, who both have diseases, one of whom was able to beat his and one who succumbed to it. Either the first or second day, I said to the writers, “This is where our series goes.”
Coli: You pitched it to me when I showed up [for] Season 3 — “I’m going to let you in on the secret” — almost exactly as it turned out in the final episode with the moves with the guys and then Maggie stepping in and making the decision to be the one to help. It was immediately apparent to me that it was the right way to go. We hoped that we would have five seasons, but we had a plan where we could do it at the end of Season 4 if we had to.
Nash: I know some people may be angry with the ending, and as our consultant pointed out, anger is one of the stages of grief. I think that you are feeling what you’re supposed to feel, which is, this isn’t fair.
Maggie is dating after the time jump but is not in a relationship.
Nash: There was talk of, do we bring the hockey player back? Do we bring the British guy back? It felt important that Maggie was not moving on but moving forward. It’s 15 years later, and it’s not even clear whether this is the first date she’s ever had. We talked [with] Allison about the backstory that she’d probably been on a few dates, but nothing too serious. Out of respect for her relationship with Gary, we didn’t want to have it be a guy from her past there. But at the same time, it was important to see that she, too, is moving forward and deserves the happiness that Gary would want her to have.
You had great moments with Gary and the friend group, but there wasn’t one with Gary and Katherine (Grace Park). Why not?
Nash: It’s about where each person was in this story. Katherine’s most important role was to give Eddie the courage to do this impossible thing. We didn’t want to do an episode where everyone came around the bed and just said goodbye. It was really about Katherine being the strong one, as she always is, to give the rest of the group the courage and opportunity to do what they needed to do: to be there for Eddie, to host the party.
Coli: We also knew where we were going in [Episode] 13, and we made sure that Katherine and Gary had a scene together in 12 that was pretty poignant, where we understood that Gary was really relying on Katherine to make sure that Maggie was going to be taken care of legally, particularly at that moment where they weren’t married. When we were writing that, we knew, “This is going to be probably some of their last screen time together.”
ABC/Darko Sikman
After the time jump, was that Katherine and Greta’s kid?
Nash: Yeah. There’s a lot of stuff where we had more dialogue to hit it on the head, but in looking at the first cut, I felt like Episode 12 is so brilliant, and one of the reasons it’s so effective is that it doesn’t have to carry a lot of exposition because we all know what the story is. So taking a lesson from [that], the “for good” sequence is so powerful that I didn’t want the episode to fizzle out. Less is more. If you catch it, you catch it. If you don’t, you don’t.
Talk about not only returning to Eddie and Delilah but doing so as you did, considering what that did to the friend group.
Coli: That was a tough call. We knew there was a lot of water under that bridge, and nobody carried that more than Delilah and Eddie. As we told [the] story very carefully, from Eddie’s perspective, then from Katherine’s, where she finally met someone from her past who she is a perfect match for and we really see her come to a new level of happiness through her relationship with Greta, we realized that maybe there was a chance for Eddie and Delilah to try again if we could make it work, so we set our sights on it.
It’s one of my favorite stories in the fifth season, this idea that Eddie’s a different guy now. People can change. He’s evidence of that. And even though we weren’t able to have Stephanie on the show as much as we may have liked for Covid reasons, Delilah’s been doing a lot of self-work, dealing with her own grief in France, and doing some real healing for herself. We felt like there was an opportunity there to see what it would be like to put them back in a situation where now maybe the timing is right, and their emotional health was right for each other in a way that it wasn’t the first time around on any level.
Nash: I understand where people might look at what Eddie and Delilah did and say, “I could never forgive that.” That’s why I love the story of Eddie forgiving the woman who put him in a wheelchair. That moment when he explained that to Delilah, I directed that episode, and I said to Stephanie, “That’s the moment that you fall back in love with him. That’s the moment where you go like, ‘That’s not the guy I knew before. That is a different man.'” … I feel like all of the emotional alimony had been paid.
Were there any characters you wanted to bring back this season but didn’t or couldn’t?
Nash: I wanted PJ [Chandler Riggs] to come back, but there was never a way that I could do that that felt earned. Rome already has Tyrell in his life. Every time we thought of a story, it felt like “that hands off to someone else better.”
Regina and Rome’s arcs this season showed what makes their relationship so great — how they support each other.
Coli: Rome and Regina are such an aspirational couple, and watching them has been one of the most interesting arcs in the series. Rome, obviously, was in a very dark place in the first episode. But part of that was he wasn’t confiding in Regina what was really going on in his life. There’s some line in the pilot about how sometimes certain plants need a little more watering or something. Do you remember that line, DJ?
Nash: I think that’s actually in Episode 2 about every relationship; there’s a gardener, and there’s a flower. When we find Rome in the pilot, he’s definitely being the gardener to Regina’s flower. Now it’s changed hands.
Coli: It went back and forth. That’s what I love about it. By the end of the series, Rome is taking a break from his teaching and making commercials to go, “It’s your turn to be in the sun again. I’m healthy now. Thanks a lot to the help of my friends and the strength of this marriage; I can lift you up a little bit to reach the goals that you are trying to achieve.”
Nash: This is another [part] that James added to the finale. I’ve made a couple good producing moves in my time on the show. Probably one of the best is having James write it because he was so invested. He [said], “Someone needs to object to euthanasia. I think it should be Stephanie. It’s got to be Delilah.” I was like, “We can’t have it be Delilah because she’s barely holding onto us liking the things she’s doing.” Then it was like, “Should it be Katherine?” “No, because Katherine’s the one who’s going to talk to [Eddie].” Then I was like, “Regina, with her very strong from the pilot religious roots. If she objects, we have this moment where Rome can say, ‘That’s why I didn’t tell you.'” It’s out of love that he didn’t want to burden her with — All he wanted to do was say, “I don’t know how to do this and I need to lean on you.”
It’s why he goes to his dad’s because he knows he can’t. … Lou Beatty, the humanity he brought. Those last scenes, obviously, there’s a lot of emotion with what’s going on with Gary, but when Rome hears his dad say, “Don’t forget to take your pills,” after his dad mocked antidepressants, [it] was such an incredible arc.
DJ, that was you at the game at the end, right?
Nash: It was. James felt very strongly that it’d be me. I only realized why later: When I was in the scene, he got to direct me, and he was brutal. He got five seasons of notes that I gave him back on me. I’m sitting there with 150 extras. I got the four boys in the stands mocking me. It was payback time, and it was really fun for him.
Conversation34 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
R
The dog at the end. That’s when I lost my mind.
13
-
G
Now that’s how you do a series finale!
12
-
R
Absolutely thought the same thing!!! So so well done and thought out. Even though excruciatingly sad it showed hope and strength and love and friendship!!! One of the best finale's I've truly ever seen!!❤️💔 I'll really miss this show!!!
16
-
-
R
Even though I was an emotional wreck through the entire episode it was a beautiful ending to a great show. Gary was my guy since the beginning and the only reason I kept watching through not so good episodes over the years. I was already crying before he passed away but seeing Colin with tears did it for me. Bravo AMLT.
12
-
G
It was a beautiful show and I am so sad that it is over. I was fearful of watching the ending last night and then when Colin cried out, I lost it.
11
-
-
O
This was one of my favorite shows and I am really going to miss it
LOVED GARY FROM DAY ONE!. It was a good ending especially including Colin grieving too. Lots of laughs a d tears which made it very real. Thanks for a great show, showing true friendship. Kudos to the entire cast!
5
-
C
I don't get this at all: Nash: He came to me when the pilot script called for Gary to have his shirt off when we meet him, and he said, “Can we wait for a future episode?” which ended up being this “I love you” to Maggie. He said that Letterman sweater could have Jon’s DNA on it, but then you find out that it’s Dave’s DNA, and I was like, “Oh my God, that’s so brilliant.” He’s been pitching a story. We just haven’t given him credit ’til now."
What is he (Nash) talking about?
5
-
P
He was talking about all of James’s contributions to the story, prior to even being given credit to it.
1
-
-
B
One questions and one observation: 1) was an older Charlotte in the last scene?
2) in reality I believe Hospice would have come in an administered “comfort meds” ie: morphine
That said, LOVED the ending. So glad the writers gave us the 16 years ahead jump. We needed that after a gut wrenching last two episodes. We needed to know that everyone winds up okay. Sigh of relief �
, through the tears . Though I found myself breaking down cry 😭 sobbing several times today just thinking about, ugh. It’s so very real and relatable. Hits close to home. Happy and sad tears all at the same time.
4
-
R
I, too, thought about the hospice thing. Guess it was less dramatic.
-
O
Gary didn't want to get to that point where he was laying there comatose in a bed. He even said it. He wanted to go out on his own terms. Everybody thinks the hospice comes in and starts administering morphine and it's over within a few hours. That's not the case. I work for a hospice and just a few weeks ago we had a lady that was on the government regiment and it took her two weeks to die. Whats so humane about that?
1
-
-
G
I’m sorry but I’m still so pissed off that another network wouldn’t pick it up. ABC picks up 911 from Fox yet cancels this show. Every show I love gets the boot. NBC cancels New Amsterdam. And was it 2 seasons ago that Rebel was on ABC? They canceled that also. But yet they keep some of the most stupidest shows I’ve ever seen and despise them. I’m sorry I’m venting as I just don’t get it. 😢
4
-
O
This wasn't canceled. It ended. Big difference. This was the plan from day one from the writers. Awesome story writers! Great characters! Gary, Rome, Katherine, Regina, Sophie, Eddie, even Theo became a mature young teenager, Danny, oh almost forgot loveable Maggie and of course Collin with the 😢.
Beautiful and sad at the same time!
7
-
R
Do your research. Not cancelled.
2
-
-
P
best show from beginging to end.
4
-
O
Fabulous acting watched it every week and I’m going to miss it
3
-
O
This episode needs to be nominated for an Emmy !!! It was so well acted , had he sad , in tears , then smiling at the end because of the beautiful friendships … best friends who had issues but always we irked through them and ALWAYS still loved and supported one another . Well done
2
-
O
I cried, it was a good ending because the show couldn't go on without Gary. I'll miss them all, they became my friends too.❤
2
-
O
But the message was just the opposite. Life did go on without him.
-
-
O
A beautiful ending to a beautiful series
2
-
R
Was there any meaning with the guy at the hockey game that helps Javi retrieve something he dropped?
1
-
C
Right! Agree 100 percent!
1
-
C
I loved it!! Loved everything! It couldn’t have ended better! The fast forward was even better, this was it!
1
-
R
Hey, could you have done a better job on the link title? Went to text it to a friend & it mentions Gary dying IN the link. SMH
1
-
R
I was sobbing at the end. Sorry, but I wish it had been Delilah instead of Gary. I was really ticked that they brought her back- couldn't stand the character and didn't miss her absence. She was such a self-centered character.
2 1
-
P
I am so disappointed at the way this show ended. Assisted Suicide is not legal in the US. Life is so difficult and tv should be less heavy in my opinion. It makes no sense to me that Gary had to die this way. It was rushed, his acting has always been incredible though this episode was not realistic at all. This is one of the worst finale’s I have ever seen.
2 1
-
O
No it's not legal That's why they had to go through a guy illegally to get the drugs. I think it shows the desperation that people will go to in these situations. If you think this doesn't happen you're very wrong. Just most people choose to end up with a gun. This is a lot less messy. I work for hospice and we have people beg us to help them end it.
2
-
-
A
Still think the emotional power was greater in last week’s episode. This one had to tie up all the loose ends which took away from the grief. I felt like we were being rushed through the grieving process just to give the show a tidy ending. Same thing happened in This is Us. The last episode felt like they were trying to manufacture the grief that grew naturally in the previous episode.
1
-
P
Omg . I lived for this show, and cried my eyes out at the end. I wanted it to go on forever, but it was perfect.
-
O
I think it was inappropriate to have Gary die of assisted suicide. As a previous health care worker, I fully understand the patient that has an end stage disease. But in the United Stares that is illegal. There could have been a better way to handle this situation!
3 3
-
O
I found myself wondering what legal consequences there were for Maggie.
-
O
for all of them! sorry was ridiculous, unfortunately doesn't work like that
-
-
O
I agree you can't just go ahead and do that!! utter nonsense
-
O
Gary wanted to go out on his own terms. He would have found a way to do it. Would you have rather him blow his head off? I'm a hospice nurse and I have people beg us to end it all the time. And comfort medication makes the whole process a little more tolerable but it's still terrible to watch somebody waste away and lay there comatose for no reason at all. It's not a quick ending in many cases. I think this shows the desperation that people feel and the lengths that they will go to. As far as consequences for Maggie he was on hospice. They're not going to do an autopsy. There won't be a toxicology. So why would there be consequences?
3
-