Rick Remender’s ‘Deadly Class’ Finale Secret? Write Like There’s a Season Two

Tonight’s season finale of SYFY‘s Deadly Class left things in a pretty dark place. It was a cliffhanger piled on top of a character death piled on top of some serious danger for basically every likable character on the show. And co-creator/executive producer Rick Remender would not have it any other way. In his eyes, this ending is the version that is most suited to a true adaptation of the comic he co-created with Wes Craig — and writing an ending that could leave viewers feeling anxious was a great way to pay tribute to that comic while showing his faith in what he calls one of the best shows on TV.

Since Remender not only co-created (and wrote) the comics, but also serves as an executive producer and co-showrunner on the TV series, Deadly Class is truer to its comic book source material than just about any comic book show on the air; indeed, during our visit to the set last year, actors and other producers talked reverently about the comics, praising not only Remender and artist Wes Craig, but the colorists (Lee Loughridge and Jordan Boyd) and letterer Rus Wooton. As a follow-up to our earlier interview about tonight’s finale, titled “Sink With California,” we caught up with the writer/producer to talk about the dark turn things took in the final moments of the episode, and why it was the only way he ever considered ending the first season. Spoilers ahead for tonight’s episode of Deadly Class.

In “Sink With California,” the raid on “F–kface Manor” went as well as could be expected: it was not without bloodshed, but by the end of the episode there were no fatalities on the King’s Dominion side. Saya left the battle in a rage after a conflict with Marcus, leaving Billy and Petra inside while Maria and Marcus headed toward the road outside. They were carrying, of course, the head of Chico (Michel Duval), since that’s really what the whole raid was about: Chester had said that he would send the head to El Alma del Diablo, along with a detailed account of who had killed Chico, if Marcus and company did not assent to his demands. So when they rounded the corner to see El Alma del Diablo (David Zayas) and his men, things started to get ugly pretty fast. They got uglier still when Lex (Jack Gillett) rounded that same corner and was immediately shot in the chest. Then — credits. End of Season One. Needless to say, a healthy chunk of Deadly Class Twitter lost their minds.

“I just write it like f–k it. We’re going to get a second season; it’s one of the best shows on television,” Remender said. “I couldn’t believe in it more. It’s too good. If the universe conspires against a second season, then f–k it. All right. So be it. But, all I know is that the show and the people involved in making it, and from the writing to the acting to the crew to the post production to the sound mix, everybody is so passionately invested in it has become such a family who believe and love this show that … and when I see the finale product, I know it’s A-level television, and I’m just very gratified. It’s very good. So, I plotted the story in a way where it was like, well, if we don’t get a second season, then, what am I going to have a nice resolution to season one because I’m betting on failure? I think that the down ending and the way that it all comes together is true to Deadly Class, it’s true to the book. It’s the Empire Strikes Back version of where we could end things, and for me, it’s the most interesting way to end the season. The most true to the tone of the series.”

There is no word yet on a second season of Deadly Class, but when the decision is official, ComicBook.com will have it for you. Check back in about a week…because the show is committed to a panel at WonderCon.