‘The Neighborhood’s Tichina Arnold Reflects on the Show’s Laughs and Legacy as the CBS Show Enters Final Season (Exclusive)

The Butlers and the Johnsons are bidding The Neighborhood farewell after eight seasons.

After the CBS comedy returned for its eighth and final season Monday, Tichina Arnold opened up to PopCulture.com about the laughs to come as the long-running show prepares to say goodbye.

Arnold, who plays Tina Butler opposite Cedric the Entertainer’s Calvin Butler, teased more funny times ahead for the new empty-nesters, whose sons, Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney) and Marty (Marcel Spears), moved out of the house at the end of last season.

Life is anything but dull for Tina, as the new grandma tries to “insert herself” in Marty and Courtney’s (Skye Townsend) lives while picking up spicy new hobbies like salsa dancing.

“We’re going to just continue the funny,” Arnold said of wrapping up The Neighborhood in Season 8. “We’re going to continue putting out story lines that are relatable, but story lines that kind of push the envelope a little bit and just continue to make you laugh.”

The Butlers also welcome Tracy Morgan as a guest star this season, as the Crutch star introduces the upcoming spinoff of The Neighborhood ahead of its Nov. 3 premiere. “Of course, we were all laughing our heads off,” Arnold recalled of having Morgan on set.

Tina and Calvin will also make an appearance on Crutch during its debut season, and Arnold said she was happy that the world of The Neighborhood will get to have “another lifeline” in the upcoming spinoff.

It’s “bittersweet” saying goodbye to The Neighborhood after so many years, but as Arnold noted, “All good things must come to an end.”

“I’m so grateful,” she told PopCulture. “I’ve been in this industry a long time, and to be able to have finality to a show … I’m very grateful for that. You know, usually with television, it’s like, ‘OK, bye, you’re not coming back.’ But at least we have a chance to make peace with it.”

“We’ve had really, really, really good times, and God has truly had his hands on this show, which is pure testament to why we’re here eight years later,” Arnold continued.

Looking back on the legacy of The Neighborhood, Arnold said she thinks it will be remembered as a show that “bridged gaps.”

“It’s that one show that everybody can watch,” she said. “You could sit down with your kids and watch the show — there’s not many shows like that.” Arnold continued, “Just overall, this show, I think, has bridged a lot of gaps culturally. And hopefully, we’ll see more shows like it.”

The Neighborhood airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.