Why did Nicola Walker leave Unforgotten, Cassie before season 5?

Why did Nicola Walker leave Unforgotten? Heading into the season 5 premiere tonight on PBS, we understand why this question may be out there. Cassie’s death at the end of the season 4 finale was one of the most emotional moments of the entire series, and of course it has led to a wide range of discussions, as well, online.

So why did it happen? Well, there isn’t really that much in the way of controversy out there. Walker did not ask to depart the series, and nor did the writers force her out. Rather, it seems as though the exit was more of a joint decision between both her and also the show’s creator in Chris Lang.

In speaking on this subject in the past to the Radio Times, here is what the actress had to say:

“I’ve worked with [Unforgotten creator] Chris Lang more than any other writer and we are friends. 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.

“But on reflection – we all feel the same – if we’d known [the global health crisis] 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.’”

Unfortunately, this is just the way that things go sometimes within the TV world, as characters do die and sometimes, the way in which it happens is really sad. It is important, though, for viewers to know that there are stakes, just as they should know that just about anything can happen at any given moment.

In the wake of Walker’s exit, we are not in a new era of Unforgotten with Jessica James (pictured above) joining Sunny to investigate new cold cases. The series may not be exactly the same as it was, but it may still prove entertaining when the dust settles.

Related – Be sure to get some more information on Unforgotten and the Jessica James character now

Are you still sad that Nicole Walker is not on Unforgotten season 5?

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(Photo: PBS.)