There are massive spoilers ahead for last night’s third season finale of Penny Dreadful! You’ve been warned!

Penny Dreadful season three came to a shocking conclusion with the death of one of the leading characters…and it’s a death that is going to stick! Because series creator John Logan and Showtime have jointly announced that the season finale of Penny Dreadful was also the final episode of the show. There will be no fourth season.

Assuming you’re still reading beyond the spoiler warning, the dead character was none other than Eva Green‘s Vanessa Ives. In the finale, she essentially sacrificed herself to save humanity and her own soul. During an exit interview with Entertainment Weekly, Showtime President David Nevins revealed that he originally opposed wrapping up the series after Vanessa’s demise. “John [Logan] came in and said, ‘This needs to be the end of Vanessa Ives. I know exactly how I want to end it. And when Vanessa Ives, when that character, is done, I think the show is done,'” related Nevins. “Eventually he persuaded me that…this was the right rhythm and the right box and the right ending. I told him, ‘You have to promise me that you’re going to make an incredibly satisfying ending.’ And I think he really has.”

Nevins and Logan went on to explain why they decided to keep the end of the series a secret, and why they didn’t feel obligated to keep the show running for years and years. Penny Dreadful could have easily continued with a renewed focus on Ethan and Sir Malcolm, but the show would have been hard pressed to fill the void left behind by Vanessa. It certainly feels like there were more stories to be told, but if this is really the ending that Logan wanted then it’s good that he stopped the show on his own terms. However you may feel about that ending, it definitely offered closure to the series’ major story arc.

How do you feel about the abrupt end of Penny Dreadful? Unleash your inner demons in the comment section below!

 Featured Image: Showtime