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What To Know

The Neighborhood series finale saw the Johnson family move away, two weddings, and revealed that both couples were expecting children, marking a major transition for the characters.
Sheaun McKinney reflected on Malcolm’s unexpected journey to marriage and fatherhood, and expressed openness to a potential spinoff centered on Malcolm and Mercedes.
McKinney shared gratitude for the show’s eight-season run, highlighted the close-knit cast, and discussed his excitement for future creative projects.

Welcome to a whole new chapter for the Johnsons and Butlers on The Neighborhood. After the tear-jerking finale, Sheaun McKinney, who plays Malcolm Butler, talked about his character’s ending and what he thinks his future would be. Plus, will fans ever get a spinoff? Warning: This post contains spoilers about the May 11 series finale of The Neighborhood. 

After Dave Johnson (Max Greenfield) decided to take an important job in Michigan. The Johnsons packed up, to Grover’s (Hank Greenspan) dismay, and decided to leave the Butlers and their Pasadena neighborhood, which Dave, Gemma (Beth Behrs), and Grover had called home for eight years.

But first, they had two weddings to worry about. When Malcolm and Marty (Marcel Spears) decided to share their wedding day, instead of Malcolm and Mercedes (Amber Stevens West) having a televised event, Tina Butler (Tichina Arnold) had to pivot all of her plans.

Marty and Courtney (Skye Townsend) and Malcolm and Mercedes got married in their childhood home, with Malcolm and Mercedes having a bigger wedding later. The couples found out that both women were pregnant in the penultimate episode. This would be the second child for Marty and Courtney and the first for Malcolm and Mercedes.

While Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) tried to tell the cook how to grill, Grover was concocting a plan on how he could stay in California. He decided he wanted to stay with the Butlers. Calvin told him he couldn’t do that, but the teenager decided to move in.

When the wedding was over, the Johnsons said goodbye. Grover went with them, despite not wanting to leave his girlfriend or friends. Even though Calvin acted like he wasn’t going to miss Dave, they all shed tears at the end of the episode. Even he said he wasn’t ready to meet the new neighbors.

McKinney talked about the Johnsons’ moving, how the Butlers coped, spinoffs, and more.

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TV Insider: What was the last day of filming on set like? How do you feel about The Neighborhood coming to an end?

McKinney: While we were shooting it on set, it’s just kind of like high school. Remember your last day of high school, senior year, when it started to hit you as it came closer, and you were like, “Oh, wow. I’m done with this place, and I might not see all of these people as much anymore?” It kind of felt like that. In between seasons, we have a natural, long hiatus, so we haven’t been away from each other for that long yet, so I think it hasn’t really hit us that, “Oh, we’re not going back to set yet,” but, obviously, some sadness there, around it being over, but you’re also in this industry. It’s a part of the industry.

I knew Beth was going to cry first, and I was right. I thought that Tichina would be next, but it was Marcel. Marcel broke. He might try to deny this, but he did, and it was interesting. It was just kind of like you’re trying to take it all in, but you’re also trying to be present and perform. So it was a lot of emotions flying around that last day, but more than anything, I always say, I’m just grateful and humbled by the fact that we’ve been on for eight seasons. You don’t come by that now with sitcoms lasting that long.

Were you surprised when you found out the Johnsons were moving? 

Not really. I think maybe initially, but then it was like, “Okay, I guess this makes some sense.” We have amazing writers on our show, an amazing writing team. So, I guess I was a little bit surprised.

What do you think life will be like for the Butlers now that the Johnsons have moved away?

I think they will stay in constant contact, especially Gemma and our mother, Tina. I think they’ll stay in constant contact. I think Dave and Calvin will also. I think Dave will try to call Calvin once a week, and I think at some point, maybe they venture back or they take trips to see each other, but they stay in each other’s lives.

Coming into the series, did you ever picture Malcolm married to a reality TV star and being a dad? 

No, *laughs* That was very much of a discovery, because a lot of things happened kind of fast, and when you’re in something for that long, as a individual artist, who is wanting to see this character developed and grow, and then when it starts to happen, and it’s just rapid fire happening, and it’s like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, okay, okay,” so I never thought that would be the trajectory, but sometimes, unexpected things are great and a blessing, and it brought us Amber, who is phenomenal. And the great thing was her being able to play a character that made Malcolm come out of his shell a little bit, which is great.

What do you think of a Trophy Diva of Brentwood spinoff with you and Amber Stevens West?

Yeah, that would be fun. It would be funny to watch. If you want to take a shot at writing it or pitching it, go ahead, go forward with it. That would be hilarious to do. I do think the structure that they put in with my self and Amber, our storyline, and Marcel and Skye and their storyline would make for a great TV show. So if the powers that be wanted to do something like that, or if you want to take a shot at writing that, go right ahead.

The spinoff with you and Marty got canceled. Any hope for that to be revived?

I think what you just talked about would be the only way to do something like that. That’s not my call. But again, I think the structure that they put in place now, and that’s no disrespect or shade to the angle they tried to go with the other storyline, because we had some incredible, incredible artists and actors that were a part of that. But a lot of stuff just happened, so fast that it really didn’t have the time to give it a full swing, either way. So I don’t know. That’s up to the powers that be, or to the public to put enough pressure on CBS to demand a spin-off.

How do you think Malcolm will adjust to being in the limelight and on a reality show?

That’s a good question, and it’s an ongoing thing. As an actor, as an artist, sometimes you don’t realize that you are in the quote, unquote, limelight, or you don’t realize what comes with that and what that means. So a lot of the time it means, in public, you kind of have to be a little guarded and understand that you can’t react the way everybody reacts, because a simple thing, somebody could just do this to you, and that’s it. You’re in some sort of trouble. They’re like, “I saw you flick off that dog,” and then you’re in trouble with the dog people. You’re like, “I was being chased,” but you can’t react the way that everybody else gets to react. So I think Malcolm would have to adjust to that. I think he finds himself to be a very righteous individual and a justified individual. So I think recognizing that you have to tame the way you react to things.

I talked to Hank Greenspan a few weeks ago, and he said that the finale script was rewritten after you all got input on it. How different were the stories? 

I think for all of us, it changed. And let me tell you something that speaks to what a good and great environment and a family we have on the show. That doesn’t happen on a lot of sets, and it speaks to Mike [Schiff] and Bill [Martin], our show runners, who came in in later seasons. They came in and recognized that we had a family that was already built, and they came into this project, and they could have easily have just been like “We wrote it. This is it, and we’ll make small adjustments,” but they wanted to make sure that each one of us individually were happy, because it was a final episode for the entire show, not just a season.

So, it’s a testament to what a unit and what a family The Neighborhood is and was from top to bottom. But a lot of our storylines changed or just got more in-depth, for each person to kind of have closure, and I think that’s what you know you’re searching for at the end of any journey or relationship.

This wasn’t your first role, but it was the one that catapulted your career. Did you learn anything from the veteran sitcom actors?

I think I learned from everybody. Hank started this show when he was my God, not even up to my knee cap, but that kid has so much natural talent. I think from being around him, you learn to keep it as simple as a child’s imagination as an artist, as an actor in particular, keep it that simple.

From Beth, I watch her comedically. She’s brilliant. Women, unfortunately, you’d be very hard-pressed to find women who don’t show up, because they have to. Black people and women in general are going to have to show up and be excellent every single time, and watching Beth, how she approaches playing a mother on the show, but also still being able to be comedic and go lockstep with Tichina was really, really cool. Watching her professionally, having coming off another show, and into a show was something to watch and learn from.

Tichina, I always say, I don’t think the world understands how great Tichina Arnold is, and she can make anything work. You can write something, not saying our writers did, but you can write something that’s not great, and she will make it great. She is phenomenal. She’s a phenomenal artist, and she’s a better person. She’s a much better person.

Max Greenfield will intentionally try to break you, make you break character at any moment, but he’s so naturally funny. He’s also, at least to me, a tad bit cerebral, where I’m watching him execute something. It was cool to watch that.

Marcel is going to be my brother for life. I’ll probably see him later on today, and he’s one of the most gifted artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around and working with. He provided me with a space of security and being a freedom to play and trust. You can just let him improv, let him do whatever he’s going to do, and he’s going to make your scene 20 times better.

Cedric is an icon and a legend, and his brilliance, I got to watch him as an actor. I got to watch him as a producer. I got to watch him as an executive producer on the show in all capacities and watch how he handled everything. He’s masterful in his craft, but he also crafted the storyline of our family and our show.

Skye and Amber, both of whom came on later, watching what that must be like to come into a show later and stand your ground and create memorable characters. Skye Townsend is one of the funniest actors and funniest artists you’ll meet, and Amber has a grace about her in the way that she can say something that’s supposed to be something you would think would be mean, but it comes across a certain way. And I’m like, that’s a gift to be able to do that with some of these lines. She has a charm about her that disarms you. Which is what I think makes her and Malcolm work.

What are you going to miss the most about The Neighborhood? 

I think just going to be around those people every day. That’s it. Eight years of that. At some point, you’re kind of just hanging out with your friends. When your work doesn’t feel like work, you know you’re in a good place, so I’ll miss that the most. Just going to hang out with my friends.

What’s next for you?

A couple of auditions just came in. I’m writing and creating. When I finish these interviews, I have to jump on a call with my friends. We’re pitching some ideas. I think I’m most excited about being able to work with my friends, like I just said about what The Neighborhood became, being able to create something like that created a yearning in me to want to do that with my friends that I have in this industry, and tell our own stories and do our own work.

Other auditions are going to come, but I’m excited to tell my own stories. Being on The Neighborhood for this long taught me that you can do it. If anybody’s listening to this and you want to be an actor, you’re in the industry, it’s not impossible. You can do it right and tell your own stories. Don’t wait on anybody else to tell you what you are or what you should be, write, create. Tell your own stories.

Thank you to everyone who’s watched our show and continues to watch our show and will continue to watch our show, Truly, truly, truly. Thank you. Without your support, there wouldn’t be The Neighborhood. So thank you, guys, so much.

The Neighborhood, streaming, Paramount+