Candace Cameron Bure didn't want 'Fuller House' to end after 5 seasons, but she strived to make D.J.'s happy ending feel earned

• Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for the final episodes of "Fuller House."
• Candace Cameron Bure spoke with Insider about the show's final nine episodes that are now streaming on Netflix.
• Cameron Bure is happy with how the show ended, but wished the viewers were able to see more of Stephanie raising her daughter.
• They originally thought the show would go on for six seasons.
• Cameron Bure and the other lead actress' weighed in on story lines and insisted the fictional men they were marrying didn't come across as simply stupid.
• The only thing she took from set was a mug with the letter "D" on it. She asked for some of D.J.'s special costumes, but didn't get them.

Candace Cameron Bure considered canceling all of her "Fuller House" interviews on Monday.

The actress, who reprised her role as D.J. Tanner on the Netflix spinoff, debated whether or not she should discuss the series' final episodes in the midst of the protests taking place nationwide. The show returned to the streaming service Tuesday.

"It just doesn't seem important, you know, with everything that's going on," Cameron Bure told Insider via phone.

Yes, and no.

For those who grew up watching the original ABC series, "Full House," or who tuned into the spinoff, the back half of season five feels unexpectedly relevant. While the series can feel overly sentimental at times, the show's positive outlook and pertinent life lessons on unity, self-identity, and blended families may be a great comfort right now during quarantine as many returned to, excuse the pun, fuller houses.

"I just hadn't even thought about maybe what the show would actually mean to people, especially [with] what we're going through right now," said Cameron Bure, considering the effect the series may have now. "I hope it gives them a sense of relief and maybe even normalcy and just a sense that there's good and hope in the world [and] just takes them away from all the stuff that's going on right now."

"Everything's important, but it's hard when it's all we're watching and consuming," she added. "Sometimes we just need that 30 minutes or one hour of relief to take our minds off of it and refocus and concentrate on joy."

The series' final episodes follow D.J. Tanner-Fuller, her sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and their best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), as the She-Wolf pack plan the perfect triple wedding. They all live together under the Tanner roof, raising their respective families as a unit.

Cameron Bure knew since season four that D.J. would eventually wind up with her high school sweetheart, Steve Hale (Scott Weinger). The actress thought they would have one more season to see it all through. It was one disappointment among many other moments she was proud of throughout the show's run. Cameron Bure recalled fighting for certain storylines along with Barber and Sweetin and made sure their fictional fiancés weren't written as "stupid, men" who had no clue.

And while the Olsen twins didn't return for the finale (that was never in the cards), some of the original show's cast made cameos on the finale. Cameron Bure, herself, played a role in landing one of the finale's special guests.

Cameron Bure knew that D.J. and Steve would get together in season four. She had conversations on making sure the men on the show were more fleshed out as equals to the smart, loving women.

Acuna: I was worried heading into these last nine episodes that Steve and D.J. still may not make it to the alter. And I didn't know if we would still go back and forth between #TeamSteve and #TeamMatt, but I was really happy that the show took the time to concentrate on what made Steve and D.J. so right for one another. Are you happy that D.J. and Steve finally got their happy ending?

Cameron Bure: I am. It was so important for us to show the audience why they were right for each other because there wasn't much we ever knew about Steve other than he wrestled in high school and he loves sandwiches. [laughter] And so it was a conversation that I had with the writers through the whole season. I was like, "We don't want these women who are all smart, intelligent, loving women to be marrying these men that all either seem dumb or just out of their minds at times." So that was something that all of us ladies had a big voice about. And so I'm glad we got to showcase all the reasons why D.J. loves Steve because he's more than just [someone] eating sandwiches. He's goofy, but intelligent and loves her so, so much, which I just think is so sweet. And they're two corn balls together, but they love one another.

Cameron Bure (continued): I'm so happy we got to showcase that and then bring it to the end. We would never not have them reach the altar. This is "Fuller House." We would never do that to the audience. And we really all loved the triple wedding and thought it was really beautiful and hope that the audience is as happy with it as we were. We just didn't want it to be over the top and corny. It's what we do on the show, but we wanted all that stuff to be done leading up to the wedding and then wanted the wedding itself to be really grounded and beautiful.

Acuna: You said that you started filming this back in November. When did you know that Steve and D.J. were going to wind up together? Did you kind of always know that was the ending?

Cameron Bure: Yes, I did. I knew in season four that they were going to be together and that was going to be the goal and the highlight of season five. We just didn't know how they were going to put that together throughout the arc of this season. But I knew from the start that that's what we were going to build up to by the end of the season.

They all thought 'Fuller House' would have had one more season. Cameron Bure would have liked to see more of Stephanie's baby, Dani, who isn't featured much on the final episodes.

Acuna: Was the expectation for the series to always be five seasons, or was there a hope for it to continue on longer? Not many Netflix series even make it to five seasons nowadays.

Cameron Bure: Right. Well, the thought or the intent behind all of us was that it was going to go six seasons. And I mean, we were thrilled that we had five. I know there was some disappointment though that we didn't have the sixth season, but there are other network reasons, we aren't privy to that information, as to why they made that decision one season early.

Acuna: Is there any storyline that didn't get covered that you would have liked to see come to fruition on sixth season?

Cameron Bure: Well, I think there are still so many stories that could be told in the Fuller house, especially with all of them being married, and then [with them] still living under the same roof together. I think there's so much more, but the fact that we didn't highlight Dani, Stephanie's baby, very much in season five, to me that was a bit disappointing. We understand why they didn't, but that was something that I would have wanted to see in season six, her truly raising a baby. And then we find out she's pregnant again at the end. And I would have liked to have seen a lot more storylines with the kids and particularly the babies because I think that's something that was so special in "Full House" because you actually saw the stages and growth from an infant into a toddler.

Acuna: I did notice that there wasn't as much of little Dani because I was keeping notes as I went through all of the episodes twice. As someone who came from the original "Full House," I enjoyed seeing some more of the emphasis put on the older gang in these last nine episodes. It felt like the show was growing and maturing with me and with those viewers, if that makes sense.

The show isn't all fanfare. It also covers tough topics like Stephanie's infertility. Cameron Bure's favorite teaching moments included touching on her son Max's perfectionism.

Acuna: I know that the show can be light and breezy to get through, but it does also navigate some tough topics and that's always been something that I've loved about this show. As much as you can be team Steve or team Matt, it wasn't just a half-hour sitcom, it also reflected on real-life situations. And I didn't anticipate the show touching upon infertility. And there's some a pretty heavy moment with Max in these nine episodes where he's trying to change his identity to fit in. Is there a favorite moment or lesson that the show has taught that you were happy the show shined a light on?

Cameron Bure: I loved what they did with Max's storyline. You mentioned several great moments. And even with Jackson and Ramona and them even competing within school and working hard, but at the end of the day, having love and grace for one another. You saw so many things with Max's character, whether it was being a perfectionist and there was a moment, [where] they touched on his perfectionism. And there was this great moment with Max and DJ and Danny to her dad where they were realized that they were the same person and trying to explain it to him. It's just those life lessons that we all need to learn from.

I loved that they did talk about his identity and being true to himself. There was a great moment in the last season with Ramona's character. There's this great moment in the back room of that sandwich eating contest when she touches on feminism. She's like, "I don't know how to deal with this because I'm told to be one thing and beautiful and pretty and smart, but yet I can down a plate of sandwiches and beat a 300-pound man in an eating contest, but that doesn't look very pretty and isn't feminine." And Stephanie is encouraging her and saying, "You know what? You need to not care what other people think and be true to you. And if someone doesn't like it, it's OK." So those are all wonderful moments in the show. The fourth season was hard because there was a change in that leadership, but I really feel like [our season five writers] nailed a lot of it and they got it. They got it right in season five.

Why so many exes showed up to the 'Fuller House' triple wedding

Acuna: I want to talk about the finale a bit because there were some cameos in there that I was surprised to see. Gail Edwards makes a brief return as Vicky, Kimmy's old boyfriend was there. Everyone had exes at the wedding, which I found interesting because that's usually taboo at weddings.

Cameron Bure: Mhm. And that's a great thing. Everyone's friends in the Fuller house and I love it. And it's true. Even [Steve's ex] C.J. was there and [her daughter] Rose and [D.J.'s ex] Viper was there. And you're right, they were all exes, but I think that is a message within our show that we can still all be friends and things might not have worked out the way that we intended them to originally, but everyone gets along and everyone supports each other. And that in itself is such a positive message when it's not the normal message.

They never tried getting the Olsen twins for the finale. Cameron Bure asked Joey McIntyre if he'd return to officiate the triple wedding.

Acuna: I didn't think that it would happen, but did you guys try getting the Olsens to come for the wedding in the finale? Because it seems kind of sad that Michelle wouldn't be there to support her sisters. I thought one of them may surprise us by officiating the wedding.

Cameron Bure: No. We didn't try. It was made very clear to us early on that they did not want to be a part of the show, so that ended.

Acuna: Well, you had Joey McIntyre officiate the wedding, and I know you guys had waited years to get the New Kids On The Block on Full House, and then they finally made their appearance on the second season of Fuller House. Was it difficult to get him to return for the finale to officiate this triple wedding? It was even funnier after the newlywed episode that you guys did, because Fernando just looked absolutely traumatized.

Cameron Bure: [laughter] I know. Oh, we thought it was so great. Well, I had a little hand in getting Joey McIntyre. I sat with our showrunners and we talked about who we wanted to officiate the wedding and we wanted a fun surprise guest. And I said, "Well, if you're going to ask me or Andrea, I know hands down, we'd love it to be Joey McIntyre." So they said, "Oh, we think that'd be hysterical." So I said, "Let me call him." And I just called Joey, and I said, "Do you want to be a part of this? Do you want to be in our series finale?" And he was like, "I would never pass up the opportunity. I'll be there." And it was as easy as that. So we got our first choice. And he was super funny. I loved it. And so they did build that up with the show beforehand to build him up being the minister and the tension with Fernando. That was like the little, it infused the comedy in that portion of the wedding, because we didn't want any big stunts during the wedding.

You can read more on how some of the original "Full House" cast returned for the series finale here.

They considered bringing Kimmy Gibbler's parents onto the show, but it would have been tough to introduce two major characters in such a short span of time

Acuna: I also liked the extra meaning behind having Joey walk Kimmy down the aisle. That was another one of those unexpected happy moments in the series. Was there any thought to casting and having Kimmy's parents in the finale at the wedding? It felt strange to not have them there, or to think that they cared so little for their children that they wouldn't be there to support them. But I liked how Joey and Kimmy bonded over that moment.

Cameron Bure: Yeah. It was something that they thought about and because we knew it was the last season, I think it was hard for the writers to introduce what would have been two very significant characters to introduce the Gibbler parents. And if they wanted to do that, it should have been probably in an earlier season or two for it to make sense. But because they would be so significant, I think they thought it would detract from the wedding. And that's why they really set it up in a previous episode when Joey is throwing the engagement party that the parents don't show up. It's actually quite sad, but it gives you that beautiful moment when Joey tells Kimmy that he would love to walk her down the aisle.

So then when we get to the wedding day, you see the reason and I think that was the problem that they were trying to solve. How do you, because I think if you bring the Gibbler parents on, those characters are so extravagant and they're so big and bold that it's almost like there wasn't room. And we already have so many cast members on our show. That's another part of it. It's very hard to serve such big characters that would actually need their own storylines when you already have so many others to service.

Their time on the spinoff allowed Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber to write, direct, and produce. As mothers, they fought for particular storylines.

Acuna: Is there a moment or something that you're most proud of from these five seasons or from these last nine?

Cameron Bure: I am just so proud that we were one of the very first shows to come back as a reboot and how successful it was and that's all thanks to the fans. I know that. We've just had such a dedicated audience for more than 30 years and I can't tell you how grateful I am to everyone who has loved the show and it's just become a part of their own family and a place in their lives, whether it's nostalgia or it genuinely helped them through whatever they were going through. But that in itself means the world to me. And I feel so blessed to have been a part of that and be able to come back and do that for five seasons.

The other big thing, as far as the show in general, I'm so proud of the way the three of us women have grown on the show, Andrea, Jodie and I, not just as actresses on the show, but we all got to expand our career. So I directed, Jodi directed, Andrea wrote a script and hers is in these final nine episodes, the script that she wrote. I also became a producer on the show the last few seasons. And in that sense, it's been tremendous to support one another and see the growth over the five years.

Cameron Bure (continued): As far as the show, I mean, I love every moment. It's always hard to pick out particular experiences that mean the most because I genuinely loved going to work every day. I love the people that I work with and I loved being collaborative. I was so very invested in the show and always will be. But from our day one table reading to our Friday night tape night in front of a live audience, it was always about, "How do I help make the show the best it can possibly be? How do we make it funnier? Or how do we make the fans love it? And what more can we do?" I fought every day for what I thought could be better. And that's just the passion that I have for it. I respect it.

Acuna: Is there something specifically you fought for that you were really happy you were able to get on the show? Was there something specifically where you were like, "This should be handled with this sort of care"?

Cameron Bure: Yes, there were a lot of them and that's not to take away anything from our producers and writers, but, especially as a mother, there were a lot of those storylines in the heart that we really fought for. And while they were there on paper, because of the type of show that we are, we fought to really make the words count more than what we were always given, and to have those heartfelt moments.

This could be the only lesson that a child is watching that's actually teaching something because they might not be in a home where the parents are protecting them or genuinely have their best interest at heart. So these may be the lessons that they're learning about how other people deal with situations in the world, and maybe not the example that their family is showing. And so I took that to heart for every episode and would always fight for the words. I would fight for the heartfelt moments. And again, not that they didn't want to give them, but sometimes they just weren't to the extent that I felt they needed to be. And I usually won the battle at the end of the day. [laughter]

The other big one, which I had mentioned before, was not to make the men on our show stupid. And that was a hard one. I didn't win all those battles, but we saw glimpses of why we love these men. Sometimes they would choose the comedy over some of the realism of the show, but we were like, "These are smart ladies. They're not going to marry stupid men, so let's not make them that way. Let's not make them dumb like they have no clue, otherwise they would never be with them."

She took her mug from the show, but wished she was allowed to keep some of her costumes

Acuna: Since the show was ending, did you take anything from set any of the prompts or something to remember the show?

Cameron Bure: I only took the coffee mug that had the initial "D" on it that we would drink our coffee from in the kitchen for almost every episode. And I'm a little bummed out because that's all I took. [Laughter] We were told that we couldn't take anything and I'm such a rule follower so I didn't. I had asked for some of my special costumes that I wore on the show, but I didn't get them. So it's funny. I literally have a coffee mug and that's it.

Cameron Bure would love to see 'The Fresh Prince' get a revival

Acuna: You had mentioned that this was one of the first shows to really come back among all of these revivals and reboots. Now we have "The Conners." There was a "Lizzie McGuire" reboot in the works. What do you think of seeing all of these other revivals now? Are there any other series you'd like to see revisited?

Cameron Bure: Oh, I think the revivals are great. I've enjoyed watching them. I would love to see "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" come back.

Is there a Hallmark Channel movie in the works called 'Saving Thanksgiving'? Not yet.

Acuna: There were a few fun fourth-wall-breaking nods to your involvement with the Hallmark Channel throughout the last few episodes, especially. And my favorite was when D.J. came up with the idea for the Hallmark movie. Did those happen organically as fun Easter eggs? Should we plan on seeing a film called "Saving Thanksgiving" in the future?

Cameron Bure: Yeah. I don't have that film in the works, but it might be fun to do that. Those were just our writers making up some pretty funny lines. And I love when they break the fourth wall and do that. So I love those nods to the Hallmark Channel and being the Queen of Christmas. And there's also that really good nod to Michelle not being there too that Kimmy says in the second to last episode.

Acuna: Yeah. You guys always look out at the viewer during those moments. For that one, I was like, "Oh, I don't know if there's some kind of tension going on here in this moment, or..."

Cameron Bure: [Laughter] There's no tension. We're just funny. We all just get a great laugh out of it.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Read the original article on Insider