‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit’ Boss Explains Nikki’s Death & Teases More Shocking Turns

Alert: Missing Persons Unit just delivered its most shocking episode yet.

The Fox drama killed off its female lead, Nikki (Dania Ramirez), in the April 1 episode. Mob boss Charlie McGannon (Ian Tracey) had her kidnapped, then killed her, because she was going to meet with the FBI about all his bad deeds over the years. But what he didn’t know is that Nikki had evidence to ensure that he’d be arrested. Ramirez’s last episode was the Season 3 premiere, the episode that aired one week prior to this one.

Below, executive producer and showrunner Carla Kettner, via email, explains the decision to kill off Nikki and teases what’s ahead.

What went into the decision to write out Dania and kill off Nikki and in the way that you did?

Carla Kettner: The biggest factor was our commitment to keeping the show fresh and surprising. We had kind of played out the love triangle dynamic between Nikki, Jason [Scott Caan], and Mike [Ryan Broussard], which was such a great part of Seasons 1 and 2. So the question became: What circumstance would most challenge our MPU team? Losing the person they all most depended on — Nikki — was the answer. We had planted the seeds very early on with our exploration of Nikki’s relationship with Irish mob boss Charlie McGannon. Making Charlie responsible for Nikki’s ultimate death, and having Nikki still get him in the end, was the best way to honor Nikki’s heroism.

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How are we going to see this affecting the team, specifically Jason, Mike, and Kemi (Adeola Role), going forward? How are they handling their grief? 

We wanted their grief process to feel real, which means that it echoes all the way through Season 3, culminating in another shocking turn at the end of the season. Same as in real life, each of our core three handle the death differently and in ways that feel authentic. Mike tries to bury himself in work, avoiding his pain, which of course doesn’t work. Jason, who doesn’t run from anything, deals with the grief head on, and that gives us a whole new window into his character. Kemi, the spiritual heart of MPU, tries to help the boys through her pain, but then in a great scene with Helen [Diana Bang] really comes apart. Most important, the shared grief brings the team closer together.

Who’s going to be leading the team now? How much of a role will Bill Houston (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) play in that capacity? A temporary or permanent one?

Just like Nikki’s death upended our personal dynamics, it also throws a massive wrench into leadership of MPU. Mike gets the chance to take over the Captain’s chair. Bill Houston steps in temporarily because he has a soft spot for MPU. And finally Megalyn Echikunwoke (Lieutenant Bennett) tries to fill the seat and learns that this team may be amazing at what they do, but holy crap, they’re a handful. As for who ultimately takes over — stay tuned for Season 4!

Alert: Missing Persons Unit, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Fox