Shawn Ashmore and Alyssa Diaz on Monica Helping With Elijah’s Accusation (Exclusive)

Wait, did Monica (Bridget Regan) just give Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) the help he needs in his campaign against Vivian (Necar Zadegan) for DA on The Rookie?!

After his opponent’s latest dirty move, he and Angela (Alyssa Diaz) have no choice but to ask his ex for help, and she actually ends up doing more than they expected. TV Insider spoke with Ashmore and Diaz about just that and more. Warning: Spoilers for The Rookie Season 8 Episode 12 ahead!

Vivian’s latest move puts Wesley on the courthouse steps just as Elijah (Brandon Jay McLaren) accuses him of cheating on Angela with Monica the entire time they worked together. Wesley also has to answer for that part of their history during a sit-down interview; he explains that it was the only way to save his pregnant wife. They need Monica to put out a statement denying the affair, and first Angela approaches her, but she wants her ex to be the one to ask her.

And so Wesley meets with Monica and apologizes for cheating on her. At a certain point in their relationship, he became unhappy, he explains, and he should have talked to her about separating. She tells him she does have feelings before leaving him to wait to see if she’ll release a statement. She does, a video one, in which she also notes that Vivian stands the most to gain from the lie.

Elsewhere in the episode, Tim (Eric Winter) realizes he’s bored being stuck behind a desk as watch commander, and Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) points out there’s no reason he can’t make the job his own and be in the field with everyone. Plus, Bailey (Jenna Dewan) realizes that the D.C. job isn’t what she expected and decides to move back home to L.A. and Nolan (Nathan Fillion).

Below, Shawn Ashmore and Alyssa Diaz break down their reactions to what Monica did and share what they’re enjoying about “Wopez” in Season 8.

How do each of your characters feel about having to ask Monica to release that statement, and how those conversations with her went? Because with Angela, it’s kind of like what’s expected, trying to get something out of it. But with Wesley, it feels like there was actually a little bit of real honesty there about how she felt about their relationship.

Shawn Ashmore: I think you nailed it. I mean, I think Monica is such an incredible character, puts and adds such a kind of interesting color to every scene that she’s in, and challenges our characters in different ways. And it was one of my favorite scenes of the episode because in my brain, Monica was walking in to basically negotiate with Wesley. “I want money. I want something.” Or just to play with him. And I think that might’ve been the case except that Wesley takes responsibility for what he did to her. And instead of defending himself, he acknowledges 100% and, not in a way because he’s trying to get something. I think he knows that he cheated on her and hurt her.

She even says, she’s like, “I have feelings.” And he’s like, “I know. We were in love. We were a couple. We dated. We went through life, and we’ve grown apart in almost every single way that you can.” But I think the person that Monica was when Wesley was in love with her, he still sees. And I think when Monica sits down with Wesley, she almost becomes that person in a way. And so that’s why I love that scene. I was like, you can almost see why they cared about each other. And he has earned the response that she gives, which is like, OK, I’m not getting anything out of this — I mean, maybe Monica’s always getting something out of it, but you know what I mean? She does the right thing for Wesley and for Angela in that moment. And I thought that was a really powerful scene and moment for them.

Alyssa Diaz: Oh, I think Angela always has her guard up when it comes to Monica and kind of has her BS radar with her. Definitely, there’s doubt that gets kind of dropped in that Angela has to struggle with. But at the same time, she has to be strong for her husband, for her family, and just take Monica moment by moment and see how it reveals itself as well.

How does Angela feel about deleting those files that Zuzu sent? How tempted was she to use them?

Diaz: I think she was very tempted. I think if she didn’t take an oath in her profession… I think Angela’s definitely more noble than I am. I think I probably would’ve used it. But Angela has a nobility of trusting in karma playing out the way it’s going to play out.

So with election day approaching, how is Wesley doing, especially when it comes to facing off against Vivian with what we’ve known of her, now what we’ve been seeing?

Ashmore: It’s very challenging. I think the stakes are higher than ever for Wesley to try to win this race, and the pressure of what losing it can mean. I think that, really, this is not a position that Wesley really wanted to put his family in, knowing that Angela’s not happy with it, but he feels compelled to do it. So, because he knows her, but now with this proof of her playing extremely dirty, potentially releasing criminals to make the race go in her favor, setting up the meeting with Elijah on the steps, planting that seed. I mean, the cesspool of what she’s capable of doing as the DA becomes more and more evident. Even if Wesley can’t prove it outright, he knows. The suspicion is there for all of them anyway.

So I think the pressure continues to rise that he absolutely needs to win this race. And if he doesn’t, this sort of thing that he’s been fighting for, this institution that he’s been trying to change and rewire from the inside, because Wesley was a defense attorney and was fighting against the system and then realized, “Well, maybe I have to move in to bring the change that I want from within,” so this is why he’s doing it, not because he necessarily wants to, but because he feels he has to. And so that pressure to win and to stop Vivian from being the person that’s in charge is very, very high.

Disney/Mike Taing

Angela and Wesley have been one of the best relationships on TV since pretty much the beginning. We’ve gotten some great moments already this year that highlight their romance. And something I love is that there’s never a question of Elijah’s accusation possibly being true in this episode. What else is coming up for them and what are you both enjoying about where the relationship is this season?

Diaz: I love all the playful scenes that we got this season with their role playing and trying to find fun in their high-pressure jobs and being parents to young children. I also like their conflict with each other as what Wesley wants conflicts with Angela and is going to affect her. But as Shawn was saying, his character wants to do the right thing, he wants to make that change within, and how can Angela stop that because she wants the same thing, in a way that’s why she does what she does. So yeah, it was nice to have the complexity, and I think the playfulness. And also to be, I think this is the first time where Angela in politics and being the good wife, and that’s a different role for her to explore as Wesley navigates this next chapter of his life.

Ashmore: I also think something this season that’s been good for the relationship, and I think we’ve been missing in the past, prior season, is sort of the passion for each other. I feel like in the first couple of seasons, when they first got together, it was like Wesley and Angela were hot and heavy, and that was the part of their romance and of their relationship. But then it’s like you start having kids. And then also, to be honest, the Tim and Lucy relationship sort of took that part of the show. It’s like you can only really focus on — The show is really about our stories, our characters, but also the sort of crime and the stuff that’s happening. And so I really feel like Alexi and the writers have given Wesley and Angela that romantic, sexy part of the relationship back a little bit, which has been fun. I’m like, oh yeah, this couple still has this passion for each other. And it’s kind of nice to have that element of that relationship back. It’s not super hot and heavy, but it’s just, I feel like we’re seeing those moments with them a little more. And I feel like that’s kind of fun to see again in this couple.

Diaz: I agree. And I think it’s been lovely to have such a stretch of time for it to play out organically because I mean, when you’re new parents, it’s all about the kids. And then after a while, you do start to find your way back to each other. And that’s been really lovely to explore, given that we’ve have had eight seasons, which is such a gift.

Ashmore: Yeah.

The Rookie, Mondays, 10/9c, ABC