Actor Kristin Lehman has spent the past four years helping establish the police drama Motive as one of the country’s most popular programs. Despite consistently garnering well over a million viewers per episode, surprisingly the show got the axe from CTV. 

But the final season of the long-standing police drama premiered late last month, and with nine Canadian Screen Award nominations to its credit, the show is looking to go out on top.

Do not despair dear fans, there is still a 13-episode season to devour that got underway on March 22. The show is also premiering south of the border, on USA Network, beginning April 1.

The show is unique in its attempt to concentrate on the motives behind the murders as opposed to the grisly details favoured by the CSI generation. Viewers not only find out who’s the victim at the beginning of the story, they also discover the murderer. Through flashbacks, the motivation behind the killing is uncovered.

In suitable final season fashion, according to CTV publicity types, “each member of the homicide team faces pivotal choices about their future, as they set on a course of deciding what they want their legacies to be.”

“There are themes of change, coping and adjustment,” says Lehman of the upcoming season. “There are new characters, great guest stars, and it’s really our most mature and vital season yet.”

The show’s longtime fans  — for which Lehman is quite appreciative — have a full season still to come before they have to say goodbye to Lehman’s character, detective Angie Flynn, along with detective Oscar Vega, who actually made staff sergeant for the new season.

“I’m happy the fans have connected to the show,” she says.  “They’re all loyal and really connect with us.”

Despite the show’s strong viewership and four seasons on CTV, Lehman does sound like an actress who wanted to do more.

“I don’t think four seasons is an eternity. To be accurate, successful shows such as ours traditionally make it to five seasons and beyond,” she explains.

“I think our success has been a clever premise, beautiful storytelling, excellent performances and willing network executives.  To be frank, without the network behind you, you have nothing.”

Lehman has already said goodbye to the show and the crew that has been with her since the show first premiered in 2013, as Motive wrapped up filming months ago.

“I enjoyed champagne, bourbon, tearful hugs and good conversation with my dearly beloved colleagues on the bullpen set, on the grips truck and then on the camera truck,” she says.

The new and final season includes four guest stars: such as the star of cult classic film Napoleon Dynamite, Jon Heder; Will Sasso; and Tommy Flanagan.

“All of our new characters were a joy to work with,” Lehman says.

Lehman and her husband keep a home in Toronto where their son was born. She was born and raised in Vancouver, the city in which Motive was shot.

“I started telling stories first as a ballet dancer and then as a 10-year-old, later as a teen and then professionally as an adult,” she says. “It was a way to express the vast complications of one’s inner life.”

In addition to acting, Lehman is also an accomplished dancer, training for several years at the Royal Academy of Dance. Her first role was in the TV series The Commish, back in 1995, coincidentally another offbeat police procedural with a bit more of a comedic edge.

Before landing the lead role on Motive, Lehman also starred in AMC drama The Killing from 2011 to 2012. When she signed on for Motive’s first season, Lehman got to work researching her role, which included a trip to the Vancouver Police Department.

“Louis, Brendan and I [Motive’s co-stars] had a really honest and open meeting with a male and female detective team from the Vancouver Police Department,” she says.“Their relationship and bullpen politics were what we really wanted to know about. Our show didn’t touch on accurate crime fighting or real-life scenarios — so what was most helpful to us was the reasons, the personal lives and motivations.”

As fans of the show are enjoying the final season, Lehman is thankful for the relationships.

“This show is such a wonderful triumph because the cast and crew who gathered together to make it year after year were absolutely excellent personally and professionally,” says Lehman.

“They were so skilled, so kind and really supported one another — it was a rare blessing.”

The final season of Motive airs on CTV Tuesdays at 10 p.m. and online.