The following story contains major spoilers about Thursday’s The Blacklist — proceed at your own peril.

Suddenly, NBC’s Tom-centric Blacklist spinoff is making a lot more sense.

In Thursday’s episode, Ryan Eggold’s Tom was horrified to learn that Liz (aka his almost-bride, played by Megan Boone) died following the birth of their daughter. The tragedy leaves Tom a widower and a single father. It also intensifies the rivalry between him and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Solomon, the baddie indirectly responsible for Liz’s death and — not so coincidentally — the primary antagonist in the aforementioned spinoff.

Meanwhile, the apparent death of Boone’s Liz comes as the actress herself prepares to give birth to her first child, likely leading viewers to wonder whether the character’s demise is merely a ruse to accommodate her real-life maternity leave. This wouldn’t be the first time James Spader’s Red faked her death as a protective measure (see: this season’s fifth episode, “Arioch Cain.”)

NBC declined to comment on Boone’s involvement with the series moving forward, but Eggold released an exclusive statement to TVLine: “I was as shocked as I think the fans are! I have loved working with Megan, especially as we explored the complicated dynamic in Liz and Tom’s relationship. I’m incredibly curious to see how this deep cut affects Tom’s understanding of the world and what this means for the future of their daughter.”

What do you think, Blacklist fans? Do you think Liz’s death is an elaborate fake-out? Or do you think the heroine is actually a goner? Weigh in below!