Throughout this season we’ve seen Amy Sykes take on a more active role in the Major Crimes team, and Giovanni notes that it’s the writers that have helped to craft what she sees as a very accurate portrayal of Sykes growth as an officer. “[The writers] always start the season with the big idea board where they slap ideas up for the year, and want to see what sticks and how we grow as characters and them having a plan for her. I think it’s been a great real-life progression for how she’s come into the squad, and the skills she has and the work she’s fallen into.”

In the final five episodes of the season, those new skills are put to the test when Sykes is given a tip that brings her face to face with a disgraced former officer, whose involvement in one of the LAPD’s most notorious cases seems to connect with a set of gruesome murders the team is investigating. This series of events sets in motion an internal conflict for Sykes on how she must proceed as the investigation progresses.

Giovanni notes that Sykes’ background in the US Military and serving in Afghanistan that gives her a unique world view as an officer for the LAPD, and also how she as an actress approaches her character. “Certainly how she handles her weapons, and how she’s always ten steps ahead from where the case is, comes from her background. And a lot of times there may be some bloody gut wrenching moments where a lot of people would look away and they are not used to it, but what James [Duff] and I have discussed is that she’s seen a lot. She’s seen someone next to her die, she’s held someone while they died, she’s seen the aftermath of those events.”

For her part, despite playing such a strong and capable officer, Giovanni herself does not feel quite as unaffected by those difficult scenes.  “There’s not a lot of shock for it to her, where if I saw that I would wince. Even when I know it’s fake guts, I wince, but she has no problem with any of it.”

Despite her military training, when Sykes first appeared on the series, her quick wit and go get ‘em attitude seemed to come on a little strong for the rest of the team, especially  Lieutenant Provenza (G.W. Bailey), who often found her enthusiasm and eagerness to please to be too much to handle.  Giovanni recalls that in first season on the show, art imitated life in terms of her relationship with her co-star. “Much of our relationships (between the actors) is written the way our life is. G.W. did find me a wonderful pain in the ass when I first got here, and now we have a much different relationship.”

Through the last four seasons, audience members and Provenza himself have grown to both respect and admire Sykes’ work ethic and unique skill-set, and that has carried over into their off-screen friendship as well. “You know, he’s always been a mentor to me since I got here, and we have that really great dynamic and me being a willing student most of the time. But we love each other. She elaborates that her relationships with other cast members are held in the same high regard. “I grew up with two older brothers, so with the boys in the cast it really feels like that, like having your brothers around. And what’s written of us having each others back and being a real squad is written because that’s how we really are.”

While we see quite a bit of Sykes at work, one aspect of her character that hasn’t been explored yet is her home life and background with her family. Giovanni laughs. “I don’t know anything about that happening yet, but I would love it. If you know, can you tell me?”

“I think right now, in this five episode arc we’re doing, Sykes is handling so much from this case, she’s been given a lot of responsibility to find the truth at whatever cost. So right now the reason her [her personal life] has  been on the back burner was to set up these last five episodes for her, and show that she’s earned her opinions. I would love to explore her home life. Everyone else has these heated relationships and I’m like, well, I wouldn’t mind! Fingers crossed!”

Sykes has had a relationship with fellow officer Cooper (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) that Giovanni confirms is still ongoing. Yet fans will just have to wait until season five, premiering this summer, to get any further glimpses at that part of Sykes’ life as she has her hands full with the case in the final five episodes of this season.

“[Sykes and Cooper] are still together, our relationship is just not in the forefront of Sykes character in this timeline of the show, but I think they’ve worked out where they are in their relationship.” Giovanni also notes that Sykes and Cooper are probably a good example for their fellow LAPD officers who have just begun to wade through the challenge that is balancing work and personal relationships. “There are a lot of new relationships going on right now, whereas Sykes is established, and things with her and Cooper are going well.”

As for Kearran Giovanni, her work-life balance is a little less complicated and now that she’s wrapped up filming for season four, she can get back her other full-time jobs as both a mom and wife.  “We have a very brief hiatus, so I plan to just enjoy being home with my kids and husband, and if something comes along that can squeeze into that six weeks that’s in town and with my family, I’ll do it, but otherwise I’m looking forward to family time, and then coming back to work in a few months for season five!”

Major Crimes returns on Monday, February 8th at 9pm/8c on TNT.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Very cool. What can we look forward to in the upcoming winter episodes?

Tony Denison: We’re on track to try to straighten out the situation with Phillip Stroh and protect Rusty. There’s a beginning of more conversations between Flynn and (Sharon) Raydor. But beyond that, I’m apparently sworn to secrecy. I’m not kidding. They sent me a release saying that there are certain things I couldn’t talk about in specificity (laughs).

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I totally believe you (laughs). Flynn made some subtle overtures to Sharon in earlier episodes, so it appeared that relationship might be explored in the future.

Tony Denison: What I understand is that more relationships between us all will be more of the focus on the show next year while we’re in the middle of solving crimes. Again, I don’t know what it means. I just know that’s the language G.W. was talking to me about. I know one year we had Lt. Tao’s family. Maybe we do an episode where we travel home with him again. Maybe Flynn’s kids will show up … his married daughter may show up or his ex-wife. I really don’t know, but I imagine that’s some of the stuff they’ll consider doing.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Graham Patrick Martin (who plays Rusty Beck) is a fine young actor.

Tony Denison: Yes he is a very talented boy.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): How has Graham blended in with the rest of the cast?

Tony Denison: He’s just great. He fits right in. I think Graham is about 21, and it’s almost like how we treat the character. We all treat him like we’re his uncles and stuff like that. He’s a super good kid, and he’s super talented. When he’s in a scene, he smacks the ball out of the park.

Graham brings as much as he can bring to whatever scene he’s in, and it’s good because he’s interwoven in and out of the story. When the plot sort of turns the attention to him, he’s ready to bang at it real hard.

Read the full interview here