Charlotte Nicdao may be in support of her Mythic Quest character intertwining her personal and professional life to new heights in the Season 4 finale. But Poppy? She is now probably questioning everything.

**Spoilers ahead for the Season 4 finale of Mythic Quest**

Chatting with Decider for the finale episode, Nicdao said that she — although an initial nonbeliever — got on board quickly when it came to Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy kissing. The final moments of Episode 10, “Heaven and Hell,” see a very pregnant Poppy get off her plane and run home to the MQ office, where she and Ian engage in a passionate (and well overdue) kiss. Just before the show cuts to the credits, however, fans watch as the creative geniuses step back from each other and debate what they’ve just done.

“I don’t think either of them think that was a good idea,” Nicdao told Decider of the kiss between their two characters, which came as the characters agreed to continue working together. “And I don’t think either of them thinks that this is about to lead into some beautiful, whirlwind romance. I think both of them know that they, excuse my language, fucked up, and now they’ve got a really big mess to clean up.”

Even so, the actress admits that it was a massive surprise to everyone on board the Apple TV+ comedy that they never saw coming. In fact, it was only because the writers were first thrown a curveball with Nicdao’s real-life pregnancy that Poppy and Ian’s dynamic changed so swiftly.

“It was definitely something that we never — I certainly never thought was going to happen. I know Rob also never thought it was going to happen in the show,” she shared. “I guess something else happened this season that we never thought would happen in the show, which is that I was pregnant. And so, when our amazing writers decided to use that in the show, it kind of built this new dynamic with Poppy and Ian.”

For more of Nicdao’s reaction to Poppy and Ian’s kiss, keep reading for Decider’s full interview.

DECIDER: I need to know, what was your reaction to reading this finale script? 

CHARLOTTE NICDAO: Firstly, I want to tell you about my reaction to watching the finale because my husband and I binged the whole the whole season together when we got screeners and both of us knew that this was going to happen. I mean, obviously I shot it, he helped me learn all my lines. We both knew this was going to happen. And still, when that moment happened, both of us screamed and my baby was asleep in the room, as well. I’m hoping a lot of people have that response. Look, it was definitely something that we never — I certainly never thought was going to happen. I know Rob also never thought it was going to happen in the show. And I guess something else happened this season that we never thought would happen in the show, which is that I was pregnant. And so our amazing writers decided to use that in the show, it kind of built this new dynamic with Poppy and Ian.

And then from what I understand, it just kind of naturally happened as the episodes were being written. I think that what happened was both characters have a lot of hormones going around, and they get a bit confused. And Megan Ganz, our co-creator, called me at the start of the season and was like, “We’re breaking the finale and it just feels like this is the way to end the season. We keep trying to find something else, but these two characters just seem to really need to do this.” And I was like, “No, that’s not — there’s no way.” I mean, I probably reacted how Poppy would react. And then as we got through the season, I was like, “No, this is absolutely what has to happen.” And by the time we got to that final episode, Rob and I were like, “Wow, I can’t believe we’re doing this. But this season can’t end any other way.”

It feels disingenuous to call it a “will they, won’t they?” Because really there hasn’t been any of that. And then this entire season it really has felt like that lead up to “this could be happening.” I remember you saying that you see things through Poppy’s eyes. How do you see her reacting to this?

So what I think is really fun is we actually shot about a page more than what you see in the finale, of the moments right after the kiss happens.  That was honestly partly to inform those moments of reaction that you get from Ian and Poppy right after the kiss. So I actually, as the character, got to live the moments right after. I guess what I’ll say and what I’m sure a lot of people could probably guess, is that I don’t think either of them think that was a good idea. And I don’t think either of them thinks that this is about to lead into some beautiful, whirlwind romance. I think both of them know that they, excuse my language, fucked up, and now they’ve got a really big mess to clean up. 

This isn’t the Elysium that they pulled off for Mythic Quest. What did the other cast members say in reaction to this?

We had it really under wraps. It was very secret. I even remember, like, it’s throughout the season talking with the hair and makeup team and I think a few people started to pick up on like, “These two aren’t going to hook up, are they?” Like, “That’s not what’s going to happen.” And I remember just having to be like, “Well, you know what? I don’t know, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” But I think the whole cast probably had a pretty similar response to the reactions that we had. And even honestly, like half the cast are also in the writers’ room. And I think they all were experiencing what I experienced watching the show.  I never thought that this would be something I would want to see from these two characters. And the closer we get to it, the more that I’m like, “they’ve got to.”

I, as a fan of the show, have been sitting around kind of hoping and kind of wishing, but also feeling like it wouldn’t ever progress to that stage. I remember you said earlier that but you gave them [the writers] the “Hey, I think I’m going to be pregnant, do with that what you will.” They kind of hit you with an Uno reverse card.

Like a “look what we got for you.” And I also think that there’s something so funny about having this kiss play out first between two characters that you would never think were actually going to do it. But also, I was eight months pregnant when we shot that scene, and so just the usual choreography that you have to wrangle with an on-screen kiss. Plus, Rob and I have been working together for so long now, we’re such good friends, so there’s that awkwardness. Plus I had this huge belly. It was — we laughed a lot shooting that scene. 

When you think about it,  are there other moments from the series that stick out to you as “will they, won’t they” teases?

We used to joke about it because it’s no secret to us that we have great chemistry, and I think that that is what makes that’s part of the reason that I think that the show and the characters have worked since day one. Rob and I have great chemistry together, but we’ve never thought of it as romantic chemistry. It’s just like something works between us. But I remember Megan making a joke in Season 1. I think it was in Episode 3. Ian sits down on a couch next to Poppy. Like we’re just literally sitting on a couch next to each other, and they had us in the same shot. And Megan was like, “It doesn’t matter what we do, people are going to see shots like this and want you guys to hook up.” And that was from Season 1. So I feel like it was never an intention that they were going to hook up, I think.

Now, do you have a favorite Poppy and Ian moment from this season? This season has really given us some of the best. 

I honestly, I have to say, it really is that moment, that kiss. I was so nervous after we finished shooting the season because it is such a big swing. And then you, you know, you spend however many months making the show and then you go home and spend a bunch of months waiting for the show to be ready for you to even see. And also, I had a baby in that time, so I was distracted. But I also kept thinking, “Oh my God, did we do the right thing? Is this going to be terrible? Is this going to be awful? Are people going to hate this?” I started to get really nervous. And then when I finally got to watch the show, many months after we finished shooting and I saw that moment. It was so gratifying to be like, “Oh no, this is perfect.” And I think maybe my favorite moment is not the kiss itself. It’s that two seconds of reaction that you get from Ian’s and Poppy right afterward. That’s probably my favorite moment of the season. 

I do want to wrap with something you said at the beginning of Season 4. I know you said you binged all of The Traitors. How do you think you or Poppy would do as a cast member of show?

So, Poppy? Terrible. Because she would be one of those characters that even if she was an innocent, she would she would be she would behave in a way that people would think that she was a Traitor no matter what. She’s getting voted off. I’m telling you, I would smash that. If anyone wants to put me on Traitors. And it’s a mistake to say that you’re good at a game like that because then everyone’s looking at me. But I’m so good that I can say that I’m good at it, and I’m still not getting voted out. 

All four seasons of Mythic Quest are currently streaming on Apple TV+.