“Memory of a Killer ”Kills Off Major Character in Season 1 Finale, Creator Says It Was 'Always' the Plan

The Patrick Dempsey–led series concluded its debut season on April 6

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the season 1 finale of Memory of a Killer.

NEED TO KNOW

• Season 1 of Memory of a Killer concluded on Monday, April 6 and left fans reeling after a major character’s death
• The Patrick Dempsey-led series stars Gina Torres, Michael Imperioli, Odeya Rush and more
• Memory of a Killer is now streaming on Hulu

Memory of a Killer season 1 ended with a major death.

The 10-episode season concluded on Monday, April 6, with Agent Grant (Gina Torres) putting a hit out on Nicky (Michaela McManus) that resulted in her being stabbed to death, a move meant to hurt Angelo (Patrick Dempsey).

While Nicky's death shocked many fans, co-showrunner Aaron Zelman said the creative team was "always planning on" killing off Angelo's love interest. Her tragic fate "was the plan for her from the beginning, but there was a plan to kill her off earlier — as early as episode 8," he told TVLine.

Instead, they opted to keep Nicky around longer because "we felt that she was such an interesting character foil for Angelo, but also a wonderful actor, and we liked the idea of carrying it through to the last episode."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

There was also another consideration: "People enjoy seeing some romance with Patrick. They're so used to seeing him as a romantic lead, and that's for good reason," Zelman noted.

Still, the relationship between them was doomed from the start. "How do you have any kind of genuine connection with someone when this is your life, and this is your job?" Zelman continued. "It was something we wanted to explore a little bit deeper, so we actually extended her until the end."

Dempsey stars as paid assassin Angelo Doyle in the Fox series, which premiered in January. It follows Angelo, a seemingly normal suburban dad who sells photocopiers but actually leads a secret double life as a hired hitman. Things begin to get complicated, though, as his two lives overlap — and as he begins showing signs of early-onset Alzheimer's disease and his memory starts to slip.

The series marks Dempsey's return to network TV after several years, and he told The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn't "get this type of character offered to me very often."

“What was really appealing was the assassin side, and certainly the Alzheimer’s and the dementia side,” Dempsey, 60, said. "I was surprised and intrigued and excited about the opportunity to go and do this.”

The Fox series was a "new opportunity" for him, he said. "I really love the action and the physicality. I like a character where it’s about behavior. I love the action and the driving sequences. I would love to be able to do more of that."

"It forces me at my age to be really smart about my health and to be active and working out and training. That’s a good thing for you going into your 60s anyway," he continued. "That’s the appeal. It gives me that extra motivation to stay working hard and being disciplined, and I really enjoy that side of it."

Memory of a Killer was renewed for season 2 just hours before the season 1 finale aired, Deadline reported. Season 1 of Memory of a Killer is streaming on Hulu.

Read the full article here