SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Transplant Season 4, Episode 10, “Never Too Late to Start Again.”

The four-season journey of Transplant has come to an end, giving NBC viewers plenty to think about. They watched Bash close the York Memorial chapter of his life and other major changes happen around the hospital for his now-former colleagues. And unlike many series finales, these big developments were in the cards from the start.

Series creator Joseph Kay always planned for the series to run four seasons, and he spoke to TVBrittanyF.com about finally reaching the finish line. He discussed his favorite accomplishments from Transplant Season 4 and how difficult it was saying goodbye to these characters. Plus, is there any possibility that fans could see Bash again someday?

Brittany Frederick: You’ve spoken before about how Transplant Season 4 was designed to be the last season. From a purely emotional standpoint, what was it like to actually get to Season 4 and know it was the end?

Joseph Kay: Bittersweet! Even though we only air for a few short months each season, you have the characters in your head essentially all of the time, and to access the story you’re constantly trying to see things through their eyes. I’ll miss that. Making Transplant has been a dream — a wonderful collaboration with all these passionate and committed artists, and a story relevant to the world we’re living in today. It’s been a privilege.

How would you describe writing that final episode? Was it difficult?

Emotional! [It was] hard saying goodbye. But that said, knowing we had played our most shocking cards over the prior two episodes, I wanted the finale to keep the audience fueled by the hope and calm that appears after the storm. So it was cathartic too.

One of the great things about Transplant was the constant character growth. Everyone changed significantly season over season, and the same could be said for the actors. Is there any storyline that you were particularly proud of in Season 4?

I’d have to say my favorite arc is the way Bashir’s story comes full circle by exploring his struggle to re-qualify as a doctor after first coming to Canada, and taking him right up to Day One of our series. The night we [met] him in our pilot—as this damaged hero—we knew he had a history, and it was very fulfilling for us how the final season sheds light on what he was carrying.

But speaking of Bash’s story, fans will forever remember the decision to have Mags pass away earlier in the season. Why did you make that choice, instead of giving Bash and Mags their happy ending?

For two main reasons. First, Mags went into her transplant with eyes wide open, meaning she knew the risk was existential. We think it underscores her bravery and belief in herself to not shy away from the consequences as storytellers.

The second reason is we needed Bash to react to a present-tense personal crisis, to allow us to prove as the series ends that he’s started to develop the tools he needs to allow himself to be happy. And that’s all he’s doing in the final shot of the series—both facing the grief of his loss head-on, and accessing a flicker of hope that he’d so long denied himself.

The silver lining of that was that it enabled you to bring back John Hannah as Bash’s mentor Bishop. What was it like to have John back on set, and to have a new opportunity for Bishop, in revisiting his relationship with Claire?

[It was] Wonderful to see John and write for Bishop again. Only one person in the world has the weight to tell Bash that what happened to Mags isn’t his fault—and for Bash to believe it. And it meant a great deal to me to circle back to the Bishop/Claire romance in a way that felt organic to both of their arcs.

Transplant is rare in that you worked with many of the same cast and crew over the entire run of the show. Is there anything you want to say about them as things wind down, or any parting words that you have for the fans?

We did have largely the same crew over the years, and they are a great bunch. We made the show in Montreal—which is a glorious place to shoot, by the way— and the crews you find there are artists of the highest caliber. The contributors I would love to single out though are the editors; I’m not sure people realize how much editors shape the narrative of a piece of work. They are truly like writers.

To the fans, I’d say thanks so much for sticking with us! And tell your friends!

The way that Transplant ends feels like the story could come around again. We know Bash is going on to something new, and work at York Memorial will continue on. Have you thought about a sequel or a spinoff at all, just to see what the future holds for everyone?

We have considered what a spinoff could look like! Nothing set in stone now, but perhaps one day it will materialize.

All four seasons of Transplant are now streaming on Peacock. Photo Credit: Sphere Media/CTV, courtesy of NBC.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.