Still reeling from Fringe‘s cruel twist at the end of the last episode? See a video in which the cast members react to the loss and try to explain why it was necessary.

In the featurette video “Gone,” the cast reflect on the tragic loss of Etta, who was killed off at the end of the last episode of Fringe. John Noble (Walter) describes how tragic it was to see the Bishop family, which had only been allowed such a brief reunion, to be shattered again by this, and Georgina Haig (Etta) adds how it’s so sad to see the family come together only to have it all taken away.

Jasika Nicole (Astrid) also weighs in, saying that it is the “most unfair thing in the world” for Peter and Olivia to go through this, having a baby only to have her taken away. As for what we can expect, Joshua Jackson (Peter) says, “I can imagine that it sort of shuts Olivia down emotionally, and Anna Torv (Olivia) agrees. “Olivia is a slow burn,” she says, “then finally, finally, finally going okay, I’m gonna accept and love this, to Etta then dying, I think would just be the straw that breaks her back. And I think that would just send her, I don’t know which way it’s gonna send her.” Peter, on the other hand, doesn’t have the emotional capability to process her death, Jackson reckons. So we can expect to see him go “Man on fire” style.

But ultimately, Nicole says, it’s probably a necessary part of the story, and Noble predicts that the grief will drive the characters in different ways.

Georgina Haig has also commented on the unexpected death in an interview with TV Line, reflecting on Etta’s final moments. She says, “She never felt really loved until she reunited with [her parents]. And that’s what makes her death peaceful in a way. […] Before she dies, there’s a moment of peace, almost like a relaxation, as she’s thinking about how she has finally been loved – and she doesn’t care that Windmark can see that, so she lets her guard down.”

She also strongly hints that her character will not, contrary to what fans have been hoping for, make a surprise reappearance. “I was like, ‘Joel [Wyman, showrunner], how about instead of her dying, she just falls unconscious and is locked into a cupboard, and they find her later…?’ I didn’t want to die, because it was so awesome being on the show.”

Do you understand why Etta’s death had to happen, or are you upset that the writers probably ruined Peter and Olivia’s chance to have a happy ending?