'Teen Wolf' post-mortem: [spoiler] talks about leaving the show

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t seen this week’s episode of Teen Wolf, we ask that you avert your eyes. As promised in the promos, the show said goodbye to a major character in this week’s penultimate episode. So do not continue reading if you don’t want to know who it was.

Here are some words we thought we’d never hear ourselves say: Rest in peace, Allison Argent.

After three seasons of adventures, the bow and arrow-wielding badass signed off for good in Monday night’s episode after a terrifying encounter with an Oni left her with a fatal sword wound. On the ground after having saved Isaac and co., she bled out while being held lovingly by Scott, or, as she called him while dying, “my first love.”

If you’re still crying from the scene, you’re not alone. And also in mourning is Crystal Reed herself, who says it was a tough decision to pack up her bow and arrow. “I can not be more grateful for what the show has given me,” she says. “It’s given me such a platform to be a role model, to be seen, to be heard, and, actually, from the beginning, I’ve grown into a woman from the show — from beginning to end — and I think that was the biggest motivating factor for me to leave. I feel that there’s nothing more that I can give to this character.”

Reed speaks more about choosing to leave what she lauds as a “brilliant” show.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why?!?! Wait, let me start over. Deciding to leave the show was obviously a tough call to make. Tell me how you decided it was time.

CRYSTAL REED: I love the art. And I felt like, creatively, there were things I wanted to do differently, and I wanted to explore other avenues of film and TV. I wanted to jump into different characters. You know, I’m 29. So I think the age difference was something I wanted to change as well because she’s 17. I love the show so much. So I went to Jeff and talked about it and he said, “We’ll write you a great ending.”

When was this conversation?

We were a couple of episodes into [season 3], and I spoke with my team and expressed that I wanted to do different things and explore different avenues and tell different stories. And they were completely supportive of me and said I should talk to [creator] Jeff [Davis]. It was such a nerve-wrackng day but he’s such a great guy and person. It’s not always that people will always let you leave the show. So I’m really, really grateful for that.

What is it like to say goodbye?

It was really difficult. The last week was really hard because I have spent so much time with these people and with the crew and with the cast. I didn’t expect for it to be as difficult as it was. I remember driving to do a scene, we were supposed to shoot in Long Beach, and I was crying the entire way and I remember calling Jeff and saying, “I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I can let her go.” And he said, “It’s going to be great” and said the most beautiful things to me. Still, it was really difficult. It’s so hard for me to say goodbye to her. I really love her.

Tell me about filming your last scene.

Well, I haven’t seen it yet, so I don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes you film things, and it turns out very differently…usually for the better. So I don’t know what it’s going to look like… But the moment was really hard for me because we as people will never be able to act a death scene properly because we will never go through it and if we do, then we’re dead. [Laughs] So the actual physical act of it was hard; I did a lot of research on how she would be actually dying in this circumstance, so I had to bear that in mind. So, as she was dying and she had her last breath, I was saying my lines and I kept saying, “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” And I remember one of the producers came over and said, “Please don’t say that because she loves Isaac.” [But] I do feel like Allison still loves Scott. And I think in that moment, she said she loves him because that’s still there. So it was hard for me to hold back those feelings because as an actor, I feel like that’s still there. So I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but it was interesting for me as an actor because I so strongly felt the urge to say it to him even though she wasn’t supposed to. So that was interesting.

Love isn’t just romantic.

Yeah. i agree.

Looking back, what are your favorite memories of playing the character?

There’s this one really great scene that I had with Tyler; it was during season 2 and it was this forgettable, tiny, couple of minutes scene in an ice rink. It’s just a simple scene, but it’s so honest. I remember that day in particular being really connected to Tyler [Posey]. It’s just my quintessential Scott and Allison scene.

Who are you going to miss most from set?

I think the people I’m going to miss the most — because I’m still going to see the cast out everywhere — is the crew. They have such a dear place in my heart and have been on the frontlines with me when Allison has been through death and tragedy and breakups and happy moments. So they’ve just been there with me for every moment of that. I’m really going to miss them.

So, fans are going to be devastated. What would you like to say to them?

I just have to say that Allison– it’s so hard for me to let go of her. And I went into, like, a week of mourning because a part of me left with a part of her. She’ll always be there with me. I’m so proud of her. I don’t think I would have been so upset that she died if she wasn’t so special to me. But she really was. It’s so sad. I don’t know what to say. I definitely feel it too. I feel it.

What’s next for you?

I don’t know. I am experiencing my first pilot season, which is nervewracking and crazy. And I am just being really particular about the things I want to do next because I want to make sure that it speaks to me and I feel creative and I can tell a great story. And that’s it. I have no plan. I might go to stage. I might to film. I might do theater. It’s really up in the air.

For more from Reed, creator Jeff Davis and star Tyler Posey, pick up this week’s issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, on stands Friday.