What can fans expect from the big ending to Bones? Recently, showrunners Michael Peterson and Jonathan Collier spoke to Entertainment Weekly and TVInsider about the upcoming final season of the FOX TV series.

The long-running crime drama stars Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Eric Millegan, Tamara Taylor, Michaela Conlin, John Francis Daley, Patricia Belcher, and David Greenman.

Speaking to EW, Peterson described the entire final season as a “rollercoaster”:

This is going to feel more like a rollercoaster season. I know I keep using that analogy, but it really does. It moves very, very quickly, especially by the time we get to the two-part finale at the end. It’s a ride, so we’re going to have deaths, and yes I did have an “s” at the end of “deaths.” We’re going to have a wonderful wedding, and we’re going to have a climax that really puts everybody in jeopardy.”

In the interview with TVInsider, Peterson said fans can expect an “emotional” series finale:

We don’t go out with a whimper. [Laughs] It is a deserving ending; it is a big ending to the show. But more than just in terms of scale, it’s emotional. There’s a huge resolution. It’s going to be just emotionally taut. You will be worried for your characters. But I think it will be resolved in a way that’s respectful. I do compare the show to a roller coaster: you do go through ups and downs, but you’ll land safely on the other end.”

The 12th and final season of Bones begins tonight, January 3rd, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

What do you think? Are you a Bones fan? What do you hope happens in the final season?