'The Buccaneers' Creators Finally Address Season 2's Worst Plot Twist: "Oh My God No"

The creators of The Buccaneers have finally commented on the most shocking and controversial moment of the second season – the murder of Richard Marable.

In an interview with Deadline, writer Katherine Jakeways and executive producer Beth Willis admitted that they hesitated for a long time before ultimately deciding it was the right step.

What Happened to Richard?

In the sixth episode, viewers witnessed Richard's tragic death – he was shot by his brother, James Seadown.

Richard and Honoria went to James to take his and Jinny's child, but everything went wrong. Upon discovering that Honoria had taken the child, James first wanted to kill himself but instead shot Richard, who was trying to stop him.

'The Buccaneers' Creators Resisted the Idea of Killing Off Richard

Fans were outraged by this moment, considering it senseless cruelty rather than a well-thought-out plot decision.

Jakeways admitted that the team resisted the idea of killing Richard for a long time:

“We resisted, we were like 'We can't kill Dick, we can't kill Dick, but the more we resisted it, and the more we realized how heartbroken we were about it, the more we realized that was probably the right choice.”

She said that other resolutions to the conflict between James, Jinny, and Richard were considered, such as Seadown's death, but the creators thought this outcome was too predictable.

Richard Didn't Deserve Such a Tragic Fate

Richard was one of the few mature, multifaceted characters on the show. Viewers rooted for him because of his attempts to mend his relationship with his family, his internal conflicts, and his genuine concern for Conchita.

Jakeways added:

“For that reason, really, because you just go, "Oh my god no." Because he's so great, and he's so lovely, and he and Conchita are such a good match.”

In turn, Beth Willis promised that the tragedy would reveal new facets of Conchita's character:

“She copes with that grief, and she's a single mum, and she's a businesswoman, and she's looking after his family, her family, her friends, they're all living with her.”

'The Buccaneers' Fans Are Outraged With Richard's Death

Despite the creators' explanations, many viewers are still angry. Some think Richard's death is a cheap shocking trick, while others think the series has lost all logic. Redditor Oksorbet8188 wrote:

“There legit was no reason. The reason was everyone loved him so they were like let's do this so there is no one left to like in this show.”

Some believe that, although the creators thought James' death would be predictable, it was Richard's murder that seemed like a clichéd plot device. Reddit user Particular_Teach_669 added:

“Conchita does not need to go through this! Conchita does not need to be single mom… it feels so… stereotypical to make Conchita the single mom and not Jinny??”

There is one thing that is clear: the creators clearly did not expect how much Richard's death would hurt the fans.