Warning: Spoilers for Legacies season 4.
Legacies star Kaylee Bryant has announced her exit from the show after four seasons of playing Josie Saltzman. Premiering on The CW in October 2018, Legacies is the latest spinoff of The Vampire Diaries after The Originals. It follows Hope Mikaelson, the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall, who descends from some of the most powerful supernatural beings and follows her as she attends the Salvatore School for the Young and the Gifted. It’s there that Hope’s initially reluctant relationship with Josie Saltzman (Bryant) comes into focus.
Josie was first introduced in The Vampire Diaries as one of the twin daughters of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Laughlin. Over the course of Legacies, viewers have witnessed both the character’s triumph in her abilities and her protective relationship with twin sister Lizzie. They’ve also seen her romantic relationships with characters like Finch, Landon, and Penelope, with many fans arguing that Josie’s matter-of-fact pansexuality is a positive step for representation. In a recent storyline, as well, Josie went dark in a homage that called to mind Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But now, after playing the character since the start of the TVD spinoff, Bryant is exiting the supernatural drama.
According to TVLine, Bryant has made her last appearance as a series regular in season 4, episode 9. In a statement, the actress thanked The CW and Warner Bros. TV for giving her the opportunity to join the universe of Vampire Diaries. She also thanked fans, discussing how the depiction of Josie helped others feel more comfortable in their sexuality. In a statement of their own, executive producers Julie Plec and Brett Matthews hinted that Josie could return as a guest star.“Legacies will always be open to her,” they said in part.
Fans of the supernatural drama will note that the show has been planting the seeds of Josie’s departure. The character had already been trying to distance herself from the Salvatore School, even enrolling at Mystic Falls High and moving in with her Uncle Damon and Aunt Elena. Though she’d return to the school eventually, hints of her exit remained. Josie finally purchased a ticket out of town, believing she needed to get away from what she deemed a toxic environment. This meant that fans of Legacies also saw an emotional farewell between Josie and Finch.
On the positive side, for those hoping Bryant makes a return, Legacies has featured guest appearances by familiar faces such as Kai, Matt, Jeremy, and, recently, Rebekah. It serves as evidence of the fact that the writers often work to welcome back popular characters into the fold if there’s a satisfying to pull it off, and perhaps in the future, that will include Josie as well. Given the character’s deep ties to the Salvatore School, it’s hard to imagine she’ll stay away for too long.
Source: TVLine