Eric Winter shared at Comic-Con that the production team shot a contingency finale for season eight given doubts about whether the show would be picked up. The precautionary measure came because the cast had wrapped production without knowing if they would return, so they prepared a different conclusion than the one audiences eventually saw—which features a marriage proposal followed by an abduction.

Fortunately for fans, ABC greenlighted the series for a ninth instalment this past April, confirming its status as one of the network's strongest-performing shows in the adult 18-49 demographic. The alternate version has remained under wraps to avoid spoiling viewers invested in the central characters' storyline, with production targeting an early 2027 start for the next season.