Christopher Plummer finished filming the second season of Departure before his death. The versatile, iconic actor passed away this past February at the age of 91. Plummer began his career in theatre before becoming famous in The Sound of Music for his performance as Captain Georg von Trapp in 1965. For the rest of his career, Plummer would balance his roles on stage and on screen, being in films such as, Waterloo, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Knives Out, and All The Money In The World. Plummer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners in 2012.
Departure was Plummer's most recent project where he played Howard Lawson, senior manager of the fictional Transport Safety and Investigations Bureau. The British-Canadian suspense drama stars Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) and centers around the investigation regarding the mysterious disappearance of a passenger aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean. The series premiered in July 2019 and was in production for its second season back in September 2020. With Plummer's passing, fans were wondering how his character would be handled on the show and whether he completed filming.
According to TVLine, Plummer had indeed completed shooting the second season of the show before passing away. The series is currently in the midst of scheduling a premiere date on the Canadian broadcasting network, Global, as well as the UK network, Universal TV, before being available to stream on Peacock. It is reported that Plummer filmed scenes of the second season from his residence in Connecticut due to the pandemic and travel restrictions as the show was shot in Toronto.
It is uncertain what will happen to Plummer's character on the drama. Howard Lawson was the mentor to Panjabi's Kendra Malley on the show and it is likely that the show completed filming before Plummer's death, which means that his character may not get a proper sendoff by the season finale. It may very well be, similar to other character departures due to the actor's passing, that Lawson's departure may happen offscreen if Departure is renewed for a third season.
Regardless of what happens with Departure, Plummer has given fans more than seven decades of work and has influenced many people in and out of the entertainment industry. His projects have spanned every genre and type and is a tribute to his ability and talent as an actor. Since his passing was unexpected, it is nice to know that in one of his final projects, he was able to complete all of his scenes in the second season.
Source: TVLine