Among the many shows ending or canceled in 2024 is the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola. The series, starring Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku as the titular characters, premiered in 2019. Now, the series finale is set to air on May 6, and Gardell wants it to be like fellow CBS sitcom Mike & Molly.
Before portraying Bob Wheeler, Gardell portrayed the titular Officer Mike Biggs for six seasons on Mike & Molly. That series ended with Mike and Molly adopting a baby and reflecting on their life and the events that brought them to that happy moment. It was very satisfying. Now, with Bob Hearts Abishola wrapping up and even jumping ahead seven years, Gardell told TV Insider how he would want the series to end, and it makes complete sense:
It’s like Matt [Ross, executive producer] and Gina [Yashere, executive producer, who plays Kemi] said, ‘You never stop learning. You never stop growing.’ So you can’t just write an episode where you go, ‘And this is how it ends!’ But I do think that there needs to be a satisfying ending like there was in Mike & Molly – they finally had the baby. So I’m sure we’re headed there with this one, too.
One can only hope that a series finale satisfying, but there have been some bad finales in the past. However, the good thing is CBS gave the show one final season instead of just straight canceling it last year, meaning the network cared about giving Bob Hearts Abishola a proper ending. With the finale doing a bit of a time jump, it’s hard to tell how things will go, but since Gardell has experience with satisfying endings, hopefully, Bob Hearts Abishola will add to that.
Even though the hope for a satisfying ending is high, I was nervous because of the confusing final season premiere. After Bob Hearts Abishola had major cuts to its cast in the series, the premiere didn’t explain why most characters would be seen less, as the sitcom previously had 13 series regulars instead of just two. Due to the dual Hollywood strikes that caused shortened seasons for most shows, it’s likely that this one didn’t have time to explain. However, it has been disappointing that most characters haven’t gotten as much screen time for the final season, and it’s unclear if the finale will make up for it.
It's hard to tell how the series finale of Bob Hearts Abishola will go, especially since there are so many more stories to tell. There aren’t too many details for the episode “Find Your Bench,” but per CBS, the synopsis reads, “Seven years from now, a lot has changed for Bob, Abishola and their friends and family as they reflect on how far they’ve come and consider what’s most important to them as they head into the future.”
At the very least, it sounds like it will conclude many stories for the characters and perhaps even leave some doors open. Whatever happens, it’s likely the finale will be bittersweet, and fans will just have to tune in on Monday, May 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS on the 2024 TV schedule to see how Bob Hearts Abishola wraps up.
