We lost a hero on last night’s Teen Wolf, but the actor behind the character explains why it had to happen. Major spoilers ahead.
Let’s just get it out of the way now: Allison Argent is dead.
Crystal Reed, the actor behind the bow and arrow-wielding heroine, has decided to part ways with the show. It’s all on good terms, she says, and was a result of wanting to go in a different direction with her career. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Reed explains why she decided it was time to end Allison’s arc.
“I felt like, creatively, there were things I wanted to do differently, and I wanted to explore other avenues of film and TV. I wanted to jump into different characters,” Reed says. She brings up her age (a 29-year-old portraying a 17-year-old) as one of the reasons she felt it was time to move on.
The decision was apparently made during the filming of the first few episodes of season 3, which aired last summer. Reed spoke with Executive Producer Jeff Davis, who said they would write her a “great ending.” The ending was indeed great, with Allison fighting the oni and trying to protect her friends. And although it was enough to save Isaac’s life, it wasn’t enough to save her own.
Reed says she did her research going into the death scene, and that the last day was tough. She’s adamant she’ll still see her friends from set out and about, but says she’ll particularly miss the crew, who work so hard on Teen Wolf.
Fans are obviously upset about the departure of such an important character, but Reed says she’s been mourning Allison’s death as well. “It’s so hard for me to let go of her. And I went into, like, a week of mourning because a part of me left with a part of her. She’ll always be there with me. I’m so proud of her. I don’t think I would have been so upset that she died if she wasn’t so special to me. But she really was. It’s so sad. I don’t know what to say. I definitely feel it too. I feel it.”
Although this is the end of Allison, Crystal Reed is just beginning what will surely be an incredible career. “I am just being really particular about the things I want to do next because I want to make sure that it speaks to me and I feel creative and I can tell a great story,” Reed says. “And that’s it. I have no plan. I might go to stage. I might do film. I might do theater. It’s really up in the air.”
You can read the entire interview with Crystal Reed on EW.