'Penny Dreadful' season 4 renewal news 2016: Showtime exec kills speculations of series renewal or spin-off once and for all

The abrupt ending of "Penny Dreadful" season 3 left fans reeling more so since there was no prior announcement that it was going to be the series' final episode, too. Months after the end of the series, fans are still hoping the tides will change and bring with it a fourth season, or at the very least, a spin-off series.

To recall, "Penny Dreadful" season 3 ended bluntly with the death of lead character Vanessa Ives (Eva Green). Seeing the words "The End" after the closing credits shocked fans and viewers of the show who were left wondering what will happen to some of the characters introduced in season 3. In particular, Catriona Hartdegen's (Perdita Weeks) arc was left hanging, she whom many deemed as a worthy successor of the dead Vanessa.

Because there was no prior indication that the series was ending, fans hope the show will continue on the strength of Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), Ethan (Josh Hartnett), and Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway). Even with Vanessa gone, a new storyline could be written to continue the adventures of the aforementioned.

Nevertheless, series creator and writer John Logan was adamant in his pronouncement that the series will end with Vanessa's death. In fact, Showtime's CEO, David Nevins, revealed during the Television Critics Association press tour in August that he tried to talk Logan into continuing the show.

"I was trying to keep open the possibility of going beyond, but as we were going into that final season, it became clear that the combination of that character and John as a writer were the heart of the show, so it seemed like it was going to be foolhardy to continue going," Nevins explained.

However, it seems Logan plotted Vanessa's death from the get-go, and continuing the story without her will make the series lose its authenticity.

Moreover, while several online petitions have been started in the hopes of getting another network to pick up "Penny Dreadful" season 4, it looks like the time is really up for the series. As far as Logan or Showtime is concerned, the show has ended, and it's time to move on from it.