'Quantico' season 2 spoilers: FLOTUS beheaded in S2 premiere, showrunner confirms

In what may be the show's most shocking death scene yet, the fictional first lady of the United States was beheaded on national television in the first episode of "Quantico" season 2.

In the season 2 premiere, a terrorist group called the Citizens' Liberation Front attacked a gathering of world leaders and demanded that pardons be given for global perpetrators of security crimes. In the last few moments of the episode, the fictional President of the United States handed out the first pardon but the terrorists then revealed the next step in their plan: beheading the first lady as the world watches. But just as the machete came down on the FLOTUS' head, the screen cut to black, sparing viewers from the worst part.

"The first lady was beheaded on national television," "Quantico" showrunner Josh Safran told The Hollywood Reporter, confirming the brutal act. "On this show, when somebody's dead they're dead, because in the real world, when people die they are dead," he added.

Safran previously revealed that the sophomore season of ABC's terrorism thriller/drama will be taking on a more sober and mature tone, reflecting the real-life state of the terrorist threat around the globe.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this month, he said, "Season 2 deals with issues of morality, about the lines you can and cannot cross. That has made the show more mature, more introspective."

According to the "Quantico" boss, he is resetting the series and removing many of its unnecessary subplots in hopes of returning it to its roots — that of a suspenseful and intelligent thriller.

Indeed, the season 2 premiere episode of "Quantico" appears to have set the tone for a more serious new chapter.

Speaking with THR, "Quantico" star Priyanka Chopra spoke about what the next few episodes will reveal about the characters, saying, "At some point, you will see the past and future merge, and you'll understand everything that happened and why people are the way they are in the future."

"Everything makes sense," she said, adding that the more viewers watch the series, the more coherent things will become.

"Quantico" season 2 airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.