The Split season 3 spoilers ahead.
The Split season 3 premiere's tragic twist was necessary for the story to move forward, according to writer Abi Morgan.
Riding his bike out on the road, Rudi Dharmalingam's character James Cutler got hit by a car during the opening episode's final minutes, before tragically passing away in hospital.
This came after he and wife Rose (played by Fiona Button) debated whether they should go ahead with adopting a child, as Rudi was keen to kick on with life as opposed to sitting around waiting for something to happen.
Related: The Split star Annabel Scholey teases more chaotic season 3
"I mean, it was so hard actually because Rudi's such a wonderful actor. In fact, I really loved the chemistry between the two of them," Morgan told the Daily Express of her decision to kill him off.
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"You know I've had some really quite major life changes over the last three or four years and they've been the sweetener to life, and they've made me really realise that life is short and not a rehearsal."
The Suffragette writer went on to further explain: "To kill a much-loved character, it's always hard but I felt in a way, the arc of his journey, one of the last things he says is, 'I don't want to miss life, Rose.'
"I thought if that's what the audience is left with, then what an amazing gift to have left everybody. So I guess that was the point.
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"But then the other thing is, it's a drama and I've got to f**k it up a bit. You don't want to watch three couples when it's all okay."
Following the sadness of the series three premiere, there will also be some lighter moments to follow in The Split's final series, including plenty of guest star appearances and a "very funny" cameo from a This Morning star.
The Split series 1-3 are available to stream over on BBC iPlayer in the UK. Viewers in the US can watch past episodes on Sundance Now, where series 3 will also air.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
