After the ending of Professor T Season 3, many fans wonder why Emma Naomi would choose to leave the show.
Emma Naomi has been one of the main cast members of Professor T since the show's first episode, giving fans the chance to connect with her and follow her throughout her journey.
However, Season 3's shocking ending seemingly ended the character's (and actor's) time on Professor T.
[ Here's Why Professor T Is Now In Prison in Season 3 ]
Why Did Emma Naomi Leave Professor T?
Following the Professor T Season 3 finale events, it is safe to assume that Emma Naomi's Lisa Donckers will not be in the show moving forward.
During the final scene of Season 3, Donckers was struck by Leah as she attempted to flee the scene via a vehicle after it was revealed she was the one behind Marianne's death.
Of course, getting hit by a car isn't always fatal, but Leah decided to then run over Donckers once again.
The way the scene was shot and the fact that the credits rolled in silence alluded to Donckers's death, meaning she will no longer be in the show, or at least not in a major role (flashbacks are always possible).
In an interview with Digital Spy, Lisa Donckers actress Emma Naomi and Dan Winters actor Barney White discussed the shocking conclusion of Season 3 and what fans could expect regarding Naomi's role in the show moving forward.
Naomi admitted to knowing "what could happen in Season 4," which alludes that she may not be written out of the show just yet.
To elaborate, actors usually aren't kept completely in the loop of future plot points or plans for additional seasons if their characters aren't involved, so Naomi's knowledge of what could come may indicate that she will return.
However, when White was asked how the events of that scene could play into the future, he teased that it would have a major impact on Dan, specifically saying that "the remnants of that last shot will be present" in Season 4:
"Good question. I think there's no getting away from the kind of impact of a traumatic episode like that, I don't think you just get to turn up for work the next day and everything's jolly, so I think the impact definitely will be there at the beginning of the fourth series. 100 percent, I think the remnants of that last shot will be present."
In a separate interview with WhatToWatch, Naomi was once again asked how Lisa's death could affect Professor T's future.
The actress' response again teased that she may not be finished with the show as she said that she does have knowledge of what will come, such as Lisa's death "[affecting] the characters for seasons to come:"
"What can I say?! The end of season three will affect the characters for seasons to come — I think that's the only thing I can safely say! Our viewers will certainly be shocked by what happens."
However, when speaking to Country & Town House about Professor T Season 3, it is important to realize that she talked about her character and experience in the past tense, indicating that her time on the show is up now that her character is dead:
"'Professor T' was a special experience for me. It was mostly filmed in Belgium and I loved it there, I picked up the language and made lifelong friends. I’ll never forget it."
It is still somewhat unclear whether Emma Naomi left Professor T after the Season 3 finale, but since her character was seemingly killed on-screen, fans have to assume that she will not return for the time being.
How Emma Naomi Could Factor Into Professor T's Future
Emma Naomi may never return to Professor T due to the apparent death of her character in the Season 3 finale. Still, the actress did seem to know a lot about what will happen in the show's future, so there is a possibility that she could return.
Assuming that her character, Lisa Donckers, is dead, Naomi's only way to return would be through a flashback.
Seeing as Dan had just proposed to Lisa in Season 3 and the two were so in love, he will likely be traumatized and emotionally drained in Season 4 and beyond.
It is possible that Naomi could show up in a few flashback scenes between Lisa and Dan that fans never got to see while Lisa was still alive.
It is also possible that Dan is so affected by his fiance's death that he hallucinates her being there with him. This would mean that, in the show, she would only be present in his mind, but on-screen, Naomi would still be there.
Fans will ultimately have to wait for either an official announcement that Naomi will not be brought back or for Season 4 to be released to see if she is a part of it. At the very least, however, her death will leave a lasting impact on the show.
Professor T Season 3 is streaming on the PBS app.
