Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead for The Rookie, Season 7, Episode 9.

With “The Kiss,” The Rookie officially wraps up its two-part midseason premiere for Season 7, and boy was that a ride. From the sudden wildfires that hit Los Angeles to the plot twist that left James (Arjay Smith) shot and in fatal condition, there was a lot to take in. In Season 7, Episode 9, we watch the police investigate James’ shooting while his and Nyla Harper’s (Mekia Cox) bonds are tested when it’s revealed that he and Kylie (Maria Zhang) shared a kiss in the last episode.

Although Harper and James ultimately come out stronger than before, the emotional episodes offered a look into just how intense and dramatic The Rookie could be. We spoke with Nathan Fillion about the premiere episodes and John Nolan’s final scenes with Harper, as well as the conflicts the Mid-Wilshire division might face in the coming episodes.

Nathan Fillion Breaks Down the Wildfire Episode and Life Imitating Art

The midseason premiere of The Rookie kicked off with a message noting that the episodes had been shot before the actual recent wildfires devastated Los Angeles, and oftentimes “Wildfire” felt like it hit a little too close to home. From the shots of raging flames to the scenes of people fleeing from their homes, these moments highlight the potential scope of a disaster like this. When talking to Fillion about filming those scenes, he notes, “The thing is, we planned and filmed those episodes long before the actual wildfires really happened in Los Angeles. It’s a little bit of life imitating art there, tragically.”

While the real-life wildfires were undoubtedly horrific and tragic, Fillion praises the production for being able to create these sequences on screen in a safe environment. “For us, it’s an adventure. It’s watching incredible artists create this idea that there’s real danger going on, and it’s very visceral and amazing.”

Fillion Talks About Nolan’s Final Scene With Harper in ‘The Rookie’ Season 7, Episode 9

In “The Kiss,” Nolan struggles for much of the episode with what to do about the fact that he saw James kiss Kylie — but also misses the fact that James pushed her away. The kiss leads to issues with Harper, who then immediately becomes a suspect while investigating James’ shooter. By the end of the episode, when everything is resolved, Nolan and Harper share a very close moment where they not only have a heart-to-heart, but Nolan offers some comfort to Harper after the shock of James almost dying.

When talking to Fillion about this final scene, the actor had nothing but praise for Cox’s performance. “She’s just so incredibly good at her job. She works very hard, but she makes it look incredibly easy, which I really appreciate.” He also points out that the scene is indicative of how far Nyla Harper’s character has come. “She was really closed off, a very angry character in the very beginning,” Fillion says. “What a lovely job Mekia has done performing this very believable arc where she is finally in a safe place, finally in a happy place, and, you know, she’s an almost an entirely different person.”

Fillion also praises the fact that, because the show is a long-running one, it means that these longer narrative arcs can stretch out over time. “They have been through so much together, and we as an audience get to witness that. This evolution of their relationship, which started so very antagonistically, and now you can see that these people are a family with integrity.”

Will John Nolan Be Training Seth in ‘The Rookie’ and Uncovering His Mistakes?

Now that Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) has graduated from being a rookie, would John Nolan help train the new officers, Miles (Deric Augustine) and Seth (Patrick Keleher)? “Yeah, that’s John Nolan’s new track now, he is trying to shape and educate the younger generation,” Fillion says. However, with one rookie recently making a major mistake, will Nolan be dealing with it hands-on?

In the previous episode, “Wildfire,” we see Seth getting a call warning the police about an area with wildfires. Because he forgot about it, Bradford (Eric Winter) and Chen (Melissa O’Neil) got caught in the flames and nearly died. “I don’t wanna spoil too much, but I mean, clearly there are some issues that need to be resolved there,” Fillion confesses. Adding cryptically that, “Clearly he’s getting himself into a little bit of trouble. He’s digging himself into a hole. How deep do you dig before you can’t get out anymore? And can you use the shovel as a bit of a ladder?”

Are Malvado, Oscar, and Monica Coming Back Later in ‘The Rookie’ Season 7?

With the wildfire contained and James surviving his bullet wounds, we now look ahead to the season. Early in Season 7, Bailey (Jenna Dewan) and Nolan confront the big Malvado (Jimmy Gonzales) problem. But after killing Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee), he disappears into the wind. The problem is that Malvado only knew where Jason was because Bailey informed him, which ended up creating some tension and conflict between Bailey and John.

“We are going to see that come back and there’s going to have to be some kind of resolution,” Fillion says about Malvado. “That is a dark cloud hanging over both John and Bailey right now, and I’m excited to have for them to have some resolution.”

While Bailey and John did argue about what Bailey did, ultimately it brought the two of them closer as she disclosed her reasoning and the trauma she felt from her past with Jason out in the wild. “It’s nice when they can come together and educate each other as to what’s really bothering them and where it is they’re really having trouble,” Fillion explains.

However, Jason was not the only escapee from Season 6. Both Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) and Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) are set to return this season. Fillion commented that what he enjoyed most about being on a long-running show like The Rookie “is introducing characters that are problematic for our main cast, and then being able to bring them back to continue to be a problem.”

He continues, saying, “We’re going to have Bridget [Regan] come back and Matt [Glave] come back as both Monica and Oscar. Two people who have been thorns in the sides of these police officers for some time now, especially Oscar, boy, he’s been a real rat.”

We know from previous seasons that Nolan had a bond with Oscar, and oftentimes Oscar would only speak to him. Fillion points out that while the character has had humorous moments, you just “cannot turn your back on Oscar” for one major reason. “He’s as charming and harmless as he sometimes seems. That is a truly evil human,” he says, adding ominously, “You can’t let your guard down with this guy. I think that’s part of his danger is, he comes off not very dangerous, but turn your back at your own peril.”

The Rookie Season 7 still has another nine episodes until the finale. In the meantime, the series airs on ABC every Tuesday and is available to stream on Hulu the next day in the U.S.