Blindspot Boss Explains [Spoiler]'s Demise, Teases the Fallout From That Huge Episode-Ending Secret 

Warning: The following post contains spoilers for Monday’s episode of

‘s major players. Judging by Monday’s episode, the show’s writers aren’t sentimental about keeping them around.

By the end of this week’s outing, our May Sweeps Scorecard racked up two more entries in the “Fatalities” section — and it wasn’t even the season finale!

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The first casualty of Season 1’s penultimate episode? Bethany Mayfair, who spent the hour investigating the suspicious circumstances that got her ousted from the FBI and brought Sofia back into her life. After piecing together some of the murkier details — for example, the identity of who

killed Tom Carter — Mayfair believed she had gotten to the bottom of her mysterious arrest.

But when Mayfair arrived at an abandoned warehouse, expecting to come face-to-face with Oscar, she instead was met with Jane, who had also gone to the warehouse to tell Oscar their mission was off. Realizing that Jane was somehow involved in the conspiracy against her, Mayfair threatened Jane’s life — but before she could follow through, Oscar killed Mayfair with a bullet to the chest, leaving Jane furious at what he had just done.

But the hour’s most watercooler-worthy moment happened in the very final minutes, when Weller’s dad succumbed to his bad heart. As Bill became less and less lucid with Kurt at his bedside, he tearfully admitted to his son that he

kill Taylor Shaw — then passed away before he could explain further.

creator Martin Gero about Monday’s eventful episode, including why it was the appropriate time to kill off Mayfair, how Weller will cope in the wake of his father’s revelation and the ongoing mystery about who Jane

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TVLINE | You’ve said in our previous conversations that you essentially had all of Season 1 plotted out from the very beginning. So instead of asking

For us, ousting Mayfair from the FBI was always where we were going to go. Very early in the year, we had discussions in the year about what to do with that character after [she left the FBI]. We had a number of scenarios in place that just didn’t feel right, and I was certainly fighting the idea of killing her off. If you get into a situation where you can have Marianne Jean-Baptiste on your TV show, you should keep Marianne Jean-Baptiste on your TV show. [

] But it became really clear to us that that would be the reason we were doing it, and the story [where she dies] made the most sense, emotionally, for Jane and for Weller. The tricky part about this is, we’re not just talking about where we end this season. We’re working on Season 2 right now, and Season 2 started with a long discussion about Season

, because you have to tee up the next season. So, knowing what we wanted to do in Season 2, it just made the most sense that if we were going to kill a lead character, she was the one .

TVLINE | What kind of ripple effect will her death have in the finale?

Mayfair’s death, and Weller’s father’s revelation, completely inform the entire finale. There’s no case [of the week], so to speak. It’s all about fallout.

TVLINE | What will Jane’s dynamic with Oscar be like in next week’s final episode? I can’t imagine they’ll ever go back to the way they were.

It shatters their relationship. Jane wants to bring Oscar to justice. It forces her to make a decision, finally, between the “her” of her past and the “her” of her present, and she chooses the good guys. We’re incredibly proud of what we were able to do in Episode 21, where every side mission that Oscar had given Jane ended up [framing Mayfair]. You realize, “Wow, every B-story in the last few episodes has been leading to this moment.” Hopefully that was a satisfying moment for people. And emotionally, fans might not get the resolution they’re expecting [in the finale], but they are going to get

TVLINE | Let’s talk about what Weller’s dad revealed at the end of the episode. Given how much his relationship with Weller has progressed this season, why upend it with this big secret?

That’s been something we’ve been moving toward since the first few days of planning this season. You’re looking for those end-of-year big twists, and we feel like we’ve laid the groundwork for that. Because [Weller’s dad] is not exactly lucid, that’s something Weller’s going to struggle with in the next episode — trying to figure out if this was true or not, or if his father had just gone crazy. But for us, Taylor Shaw has been a real focal point of this season, and this will hopefully feel like, once and for all, we know what’s true. In fact, every conversation that we’ve written between him and his father — you could go back and rewatch them, and they’re even more satisfying when you know this.

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TVLINE | But the idea that Weller’s dad killed Taylor means Jane

Taylor. Will the finale delve into her true identity at all?

of new information. Like we did in Episode 21, we’re going to tie up a lot of loose ends and answer a lot of questions [in the finale]. And new questions will be asked. It’s a big episode.

fans, what are your thoughts on Mayfair’s demise and Bill’s big secret? Hit the comments with your reactions to Monday’s episode.

Hate the decision to kill office Mayfair…not sure I want to keep watching

I love it. Not only wasn’t she a good boss or person or Federal Agent, but the show established that actions have cone sequences and I LOVE that.

Yeah, I’m out. This show has killed too many lesbians & her death is senseless. MJB is such a great talent; it seems foolish to waste her like this show did.

? This show kills off characters (sort of major and minor) on a weekly basis. Did it bug you when they took out Mr. Corrupt CIA or this litany of others? It would have disengenuos to keep a character based on her demographics.

I’m not, I’m out. One, she was by far the best actress on the show. Two, I’m fed up watch the bury your gays trope and the poor treatment of people of colour. It’s disgusting.

Now see, I think your reaction is a testament to a good story / character development. Mayfair wasn’t a good person. She was part of a conspiracy to use illegal / shady means to carry out their own brand of perceived justice. And a group with same moral compass took her down. Mayfair today was seemingly a better person…and yet she showed she was willing to do what she had to to cover her past actions. In last nights episode she even said at some point that she wasn’t willing to come clean or let info out about their past because she knew it would mean over turned convictions. Now, did that require her death? No, not to most sane people…but Oscar is not one of those. He’s a man on a mission to expose a conspiracy and take done It’s players. He’s also a man that shows he’d do whatever it took to protect Jane and his mission. Viewers dislike the Oscar character because they see him as a shady, vigilante. They react as you do to Mayfair because she’s been built up as a tough, but dedicated member of the good guy team… And yet the whole premises of the show is that she’s just like Oscar…or was and is now fighting to protect that past from exposure.

I think it sucks they killed Mayfair but I’m sure they did it for a reason. What I really want to know if Taylor Shaw is dead then who the hell is Jane really and how come Oscars told her she was Taylor Shaw. Looking forward to the finale it’s gonna be good. I don’t know how Weller or the rest of the team are gonna do when they find out she’s been working against them.

Somehow there are always reasons to kill women, especially women of colour.

Wondering if you said “there is always a reason to kill old, white men” when they took out her CIA counterpart….or if you had comments about all the other bodies wracked up in the show. Mayfair may have been shoot by Oscar but it was her ex-lover…another minority female, that seems to be behind the whole mess. Sll,characters should be treated with an even hand…that means all characters are fair game to be written out.

Problem with that comment is that there are still plenty of old white men on tv. It’s rare enough to have gay women of color on tv, and if one dies, that’s it!

Great episode, can’t wait to see how the story all evolves. Will get to know who Jane really is…..

Interesting how these showrunners always come up with the idea to kill the female characters on these shows. I’m not even going to comment on the fact that she was also a minority actress.

Did anyone complain when they killed Tom Carter? How about Weller’s dad? ENOUGH with pulling the race card. The show revolves around a female, how on Earth can you cry sexism?

And it appears that the whole thing to take down Daylightit the third member of it….. a non-white, non-straight, non-male. :)

Was Patterson’s BF a minority character? Blindspot has killed off a number of “the good guys” already, only one or two were minority character. The others where predominantly white guys. What’s there to complain about? Had Mayfair was the only one killed, yeah, you’d have had a fair point. You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill here otherwise.

I like Mayfair but it’s early enough in the show that I wouldn’t say she’s not expendable. Other than Weller and Jane, the only character who’s loss would seriously hurt things is Patterson. Especially considering she brings pretty much 99% of the levity to the show.

I thought her identity had been confirmed via DNA? And Oscar confirmed it? Am I misremembering that? I’m going to call bullcrap if she actually isn’t Taylor Shaw. A good twist is set up so you can see it coming when you go back and look again, it doesn’t come out of nowhere contradicting everything you’ve been told before. My guess (hope) is he was somehow involved in her disappearance and thus always felt responsible for her fate, whether he thought she was dead or just knew she was gone for good. Close to death and incoherent that guilt he felt from whatever his role was lead to him stating he killed her when that wasn’t literally what happened. Otherwise it’s going to feel like a cheap bait and switch that comes at the expense of logic.

No misremembering, you’re 100% correct. Unless Oscar somehow interfered with the DNA test and lied to Jane, she’s Taylor Shaw.

Yes but she had something in her bones or blood that suggested she was born in Africa? And therefore not Taylor

Actually one test came back confirming she was Taylor Shaw but a different one said she was not. Oscar said she was Taylor but did not produce evidence to confirm it.

I did forget that, but hasn’t she had a few flashes of memories that seem to confirm she’s Taylor? Like the fishing with Kurt and his dad thing? If she’s not Taylor then, what, there’s memory implanting technology? Whoever she is she just happened to have had a disturbingly similar childhood as Taylor? I just can’t see how any explanation isn’t going to be super convoluted if she’s really not Taylor.

I believe that memory was planted by Oscar when he gave her pictures of Taylor’s childhood. She said she remembered to make Weller’s dad happy as he was in hospital dying.

DNA has to be compared to some other DNA for a match to be determined. So the Taylor Shaw sample was switched out with a “Jane Doe” sample. Look at all those people know: access to

stored samples is easily possible. Heck given “Jane” was military there’d be samples already archived, not easy to get to but they recruited her right out of the teams….. people with a lot of access.

They better get rid of Oscar in next week’s season finale. Have a feeling Season 2 is about to take a turn for the worse (moving to Wednesdays @ 8). Also, the show should cast the new head of the FBI now that Mayfair is gone.

I think they will kill him off since the actor is the lead in a new fall show.

I’m sure they have a straight white man lined up to replace MJB.

I thought that Oscar was a fraud, a liar, but when Mayfair old lover came to the warehouse, it set me back to maybe he’s not, and who is Jane again!!!!!, and don’t get me started on daylight🍺🍷

Since you senselessly killed off Mayfair, even though I love all the characters, I don’t believe I will continue watching!

Good, more room for the rest of us watching still.

I wonder if they do polls about favourite characters to least fav characters. A lot of characters I couldn’t stand in some of my favourite shows ended up getting the axe – Tara in Buffy, Carter in Person of Interest, Mayfair in Blindspot, to name a few over the years. It can’t be a coicidence. I’m sure most people found Mayfair to be annoying as well? It was indeed a death that needed to happen

One would think that her Mother (and everyone else) would remember that!

I am very upset that Oscar killed Mayfair. I really loved her, and I am furious, that her ex girlfriend, was in on it. She said she loved her, but that’s not love. I am going to miss Bethany Mayfair so much. I am also devasted, that Bill Weller, told his son, that Jane doe, is not Taylor shaw, because Bill really killed Taylor, when she was a kid. How could he do that? I love Jane doe, that I thought was really Taylor shaw. I am also upset, that Oscar, is going to try and wipe Jane Does memory out, all again. I hope she gets away from him. I hate Oscar. I am very devastated about the whole thing

Now I’m really intrigued. I need to know what will happen to Jane and Kurt.

Still pissed Mayfair was killed…just don’t feel like justice. She died thinking Jane set her up when Jane was also setup. I hate that he played her and on her non memory sigh

What?! I’m not sure the writers know which end is up any more. it is one twist after another, one mystery after another, and instead of coming off as a coherent adventure mystery it feels far more like throwing random things at the wall and seeing what sticks. it isn’t clever it is jarring and confusing and not in a good way. real shame because the first half of the season was so good. I will continue to watch because I really like the cast and half a smidgen of curiosity left to keep in it but Season two needs to be tighter and more coherent or I’m going to say bye bye. Sorry just my opinion.

I’m guessing its now gonna be said just like the other babies they somehow got all sort of samples and made Jane Doe..after all she is bar coded etc.. Now how and where they got the real Taylor sample? From her mother? Father? Sigh I’ve so much questions and again still pissed! Really hate Oscar right now so damn trigger happy..couldn’t shoot her in her leg and answer their questions? Kmt!

Wasn’t the point to take down the people behind daylight. If Mayfair could expose the mission it puts the anti-daylight project in jeopardy. Oscar also has shown he’d go to extremes to protect Jane and, maybe more importantly, the anti-daylight mission. Shooting Mayfair in the leg would have been ridiculously out of character for this guy who clearly has a single focus, distorted sense of right and wrong and emotion based, reactionary decision making process.

Seriously if Jane or Weller doesnt kill Oscar I gonna scream. He mite be the love of her life or the whatever but he is hecticallu dodgy and has ZERO chemistry with Jane. Weller and Jane have more chemistry… Anyhoos… I think I knew Mayfair was gonna die for a while now but I thought it would be one of those ambiguous deaths and she comes back further down the road…

what is with the people who make these shows? fantastic first season and truly hooked but now cannot watch due to excessive camera movement. it is as if they can only afford one camera! maybe they think that it adds to the drama – it just makes us truly ill and as well can causing severe health problems in susceptible people.

and that is before you get to them killing off characters before the show is truly established.

I just love Blindspot. It’s such a great example of what a show can be when the creator and writers have a clear vision from the start and know exactly what they’re doing. So rewarding to watch when one is able to truly trust the show runners. I appreciate it immensely that they’re talking season 3 when laying down season 2. Makes me look confidently into Blindspot’s future.

I was really saddened by Mayfair’s death but as a fan I can understand why it had to happen and that’s all that matters to me. My heart broke into a million pieces for Jane when she kept saying over and over “I didn’t know”. I’ve been saying for a while know that I love Jane Doe gratify but I don’t know if I’d care for Taylor Shaw – or fr the woman she used to be before her mind wipe. Seeing her struggle with her former self and coming to embrace who she is now is really something I’ve been looking forward to seeing.

I’m terrified and excited for what lies ahead with everything that was revealed last night and am hoping that Jane will not lose Kurt when the truth comes to light. So much of their relationship was based on the fact that Kurt was certain that he got Taylor back – and yet he interestingly keeps calling her Jane. He’s such a moral rock and the one person I trust 1000% on the show and I know there will be immense fallout when the truth (or part of it) will come to light. But I wanna believe that what they’ve built so far is strong enough to withstand said fallout.

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