Black-ish is back! The ABC sitcom premieres its eighth and final season Tuesday night.

The show’s return will tackle real world topics including the COVID-19 pandemic, and Marsai Martin, who plays Diane Johnson on the show, was admittedly curious about how the writers would handle it. 

“OK, are we going to be wearing masks? How’s our characters going to react to the pandemic? I had all the questions,” she tells ABC Audio, before adding, “So I am, I guess, speaking for lots of people, shout out to the writers. I am honestly so grateful for our writers because they know how to take these deep situations and these topics that a lot of sitcoms don’t really talk about and make it into something beautiful.”

Another beautiful thing that viewers will get to see is growth from both Martin’s character, Diane, and her twin brother on the show, Jack, played by Miles Brown.

“The viewers kind of like see us growing up,” Brown shares. “I feel like some people who are watching aren’t prepared for that. And I don’t think I was… I don’t think any of us were, to be honest.”

He adds, “I’m excited to see how they watch us mature.”

Season eight of Black-ish consists of just 13 episodes, about half of previous seasons, however that didn’t make the final days on set any easier. Brown calls the moment “bittersweet,” and Martin recalls there being “lots of tears.”

One thing they both agree on though is being super grateful for being able to experience something beautiful that a lot of people don’t often experience.

Catch the final season of Black-ish when it premieres at 9:30 ET on ABC.