Nicola Walker's Unforgotten exit explained as fans say Cassie's death was 'so bold and yet so right'
Sinéad Keenan continues her role as detective Jess James in the new series of ITV's Unforgotten, her second season after stepping in due to the dramatic departure of Nicola Walker's beloved character DCI Cassie Stuart.
The climax of the fourth series saw Cassie involved in a perilous car accident, with hopes for her recovery being slim. The brain trauma she endured was severe, leading to the heart-rending reveal that she would not regain consciousness.
Following Cassie's poignant farewell from the show, co-star Sanjeev Bhaskar, who plays Sunny Khan, paid homage at her headstone.
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Walker, having been integral to the show for six years, shared with Radio Times that her departure was carefully considered alongside series creator Chris Lang, stating: "From the very beginning, we talked about Cassie’s story being finite; Chris was always putting her through a story arc that would damage her emotionally. The buzzword was that she was an empath, and the problem with being an empath is that eventually, you break.
"I felt that to have her keep coming back would make her seem like a superhero. So it was very much a joint and long-planned decision."
She did confess to feeling remorseful about Cassie's exit, stating: "But on reflection – we all feel the same – if we’d known COVID was coming, we would have given people a less depressing storyline.
"I feel guilty because, when it came out, I thought, ‘Crikey, we could have given them something more cheerful. The last thing they need is to be made to feel really sad about this brilliant cop.’"
She also wanted to clarify rumours that she had been asked to leave: "I’m not on social media, but when the final episode went out, I almost wanted to join Twitter to tell everyone that I didn’t walk away from the show, nor did they ask me to leave.
"It was simply that Chris and I thought it was a fantastic, impactful story."
Fans took to Reddit to share their thoughts, with some labelling the ending as rushed. Chirstopoher0us expressed their frustration, stating: "I had to find somewhere to say that her death is so incredibly stupid and pointless and disconnected from the story.
"It's cheap sadness and drama with none of it earned. What a dumb thing to do. Have her pension denied and she walks away anyway and has to relate to her career and choice with that. "
They continued: "There's a lot of ways outside the main crime to end her story for us in some earned way. 'Oh no totally random car accident, main character now dead!' is maddeningly stupid from otherwise good writers."
On the other hand, mikeskiuk found the episode deeply moving, saying: "That last episode genuinely upset me and stayed with me for days. Amazing TV. "
GizmoGeodog chimed in: "When I realised what was coming I was shocked. So bold & yet so right. "
Dzitya simply summed up their feelings: "I actually cried."
Unforgotten will be airing on ITV on February 9 at 9pm.
