Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Rookie season 7, episode 15.Airing Tuesday, April 22 on ABC, The Rookie season 7, episode 15 sees the return of a beloved character. "A Deadly Secret" is filmed in the style of a true crime documentary, continuing the procedural's long-running tradition. The installment focuses on the disappearance of Abigail, who is initially introduced in season 2, episode 5 as Henry's fiancée. Despite how stable Henry and Abigail's relationship previously appeared, Nolan reveals to the director that they are no longer together.

The episode also features a major step forward for Chenford when the exes realize they've come into with sodium pentothal (commonly known as truth serum). Tim its that he broke up with Lucy because it was the worst way he could punish himself — a lesson ingrained in him by his abusive father. While Lucy has struggled to look past Tim's actions, she its that she's already forgiven him, surprising even herself with the confession.

ScreenRant interviews showrunner Alexi Hawley about Madeleine Coghlan's onscreen return, Lucy's accidental confession to Tim, and the ghostly ending of The Rookie season 7, episode 15.

Hawley Felt That The Henry-Abigail Relationship Had Run Its Course In The Rookie

"She wasn't at the wedding in Episode 100, and it just sort of felt like a little bit of explaining that away."

ScreenRant: You also star in this episode. I spoke with Jon Huertas a while back, who said he actually convinced you to appear onscreen last time.

Alexi Hawley: He did. The true crime documentary is one of my favorite things, but yet it's also really challenging. He was coming to direct that one, and I wasn't really happy with where the script was, partly because it just felt like we'd done it before, even with all the twists and turns.

So he and I landed on this idea that I was there to make one documentary, which then got torpedoed by something happening in real time, and therefore that became what the documentary was about, which I thought was super fun as an idea. And then this year we really wanted to lean into this sort of ghost huntery horror movie vibe, which we hadn't done before and it came together really great.

What made you decide to both bring Abigail back and break up her and Henry?

Alexi Hawley: Ultimately, Madeleine Coghlan, who plays Abigail, is also a writer on the show starting last season. And Maddie is a phenomenally talented actor and writer, and she actually directs as well. She's a triple threat. And so we had been looking for a way to get her back as a character.

She was with us in the early days, and it just felt like, ultimately, the Henry-Abigail relationship had sort of played its course, and she wasn't at the wedding in Episode 100, and it just sort of felt like a little bit of explaining that away. But it was a really fun way to make the true crime episode personal for Nolan and then get to showcase Maddie some more.

What does that ending mean then? Could there be demons in The Rookie?

Alexi Hawley: Yeah, I mean, who knows? The world is a very strange place. I love that we have characters like Celina, and in some ways, Lopez, who believe in good and evil. They believe in that kind of stuff. So that's always fun.

There's More To Chenford's Reconciliation Than Lucy's Forgiveness

"Down the road, there could be some trepidation or fear about, 'What if it's not like it was before?'"

How was interviewing your son [Zander Hawley] for this episode?

Alexi Hawley: That was fun. It all started with the "Daddy Cop," which was Glen Mazzara, who, at the time was a writer-producer for us. He had pitched me this idea of Nolan and Celina pull over a car at a traffic stop in front of a garage band who then starts to mock them in song.

And so I immediately called Zander because he's a really phenomenally talented singer-songwriter and pitched him the thing. And by the next morning, he'd basically written "Daddy Cop," and it was great, and so it all fell into place magically. And then ultimately, because it worked so well, we wanted to bring it back, which we did for the hundredth.

And then I was just trying to figure out, "How do we do this again?" And it occurred to me just the sort of out of context-ness of seeing this character Rodge with the whole, "Come meet the new guy I'm dating," and then it was him, and Nolan's like, "You look familiar." It all just felt super fun. And then to get him in, and he and [Lisseth], who plays Celina, just have great, fun chemistry. It was all a joy.

Tim and Lucy come into with some truth serum, and Lucy its she's already forgiven him. Episodically, when does that scene take place?

Alexi Hawley: It's not real time, but there's a scene, I think it's a few episodes before, where she told him in the car that she hadn't fully forgiven him yet. So I think it's between those two moments is where she really subconsciously made her peace finally with forgiving him.

And so what I loved about that moment is that it was a revelation to her as well. Because of the truth serum, she discovers that she has actually finally forgiven him for everything, which I think was really a moment we've been building towards. I just love that it happened a little bit more like, "Huh."

Since she had that realization, is the sergeant's exam what determines the future of their relationship?

Alexi Hawley: I think that's part of it for sure. I think there is an obstacle that's very real that needs to be addressed. And I also think that, in theory, down the road, there could be some trepidation or fear about, "What if it's not like it was before?" I think it's not quite as easy as, " the sergeant's exam, bam, we're back together again." But I do think, obviously, the story we've been telling this season is that the desire has been proven to be there, but once it's real, what's it going to be if it happens?

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About The Rookie Season 7 On ABC

Created And Executive Produced By Alexi Hawley

John Nolan, once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Now recovering from a gunshot wound and feeling the effects of his age, John and the team welcome two new rookies and continue the hunt for two dangerous escaped prisoners who have very personal vendettas.

Check out our other interviews for The Rookie season 7:

• Alexi Hawley
• Deric Augustine
• Jenna Dewan
• Lisseth Chavez
• Melissa O’Neil
• Shawn Ashmore

The Rookie season 7 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and is available to stream next-day on Hulu.