Showtime Cancels ‘The Borgias': No Movie Wrap-Up, But How Would It Have Ended?

About a month ago, we heard the news that Showtime's papal drama 'The Borgias' might not make it to a fourth season, as series creator and showrunner Neil Jordan had instead thought to wrap up the series with a two-hour movie at Showtime's discretion. Instead, the network has opted to make the upcoming June 16 finale the series' last, with no additional episodes or movie to follow.

Deadline first broke the news, as Jordan realized from series star Jeremy Irons that the drama had too little story left to tell over a fourth season, in spite of the original vision to match 'The Tudors'' four-year duration. ”As a compromise, I proposed to finish the arc of all the characters with a two-hour movie,” Jordan said, noting that Showtime approved the script to be written. “When they looked at what it could cost, it was just too expensive.”

Showtime Entertainment President David Nevins explained his reluctance to market a potential 'Borgias' movie given the structure and production on the series, chiming in, "now we have a nice upward build towards the finale. We have a nice ending, a good climax, and I didn’t want to muck it up with an afterthought.” Even so, fans of the series needn't feel unresolved by the June 16 conclusion, as Jordan went as far as to lay out his entire vision for 'The Borgias' ultimate end.

“I wanted a totally biblical ending, for the Pope to burn in hell,” said Jordan. The two-hour finale would have seen the Pope dying without anyone willing to hear his confession, before the only agreeable participant would ultimately reveal, “I’m sorry, it’s too late, you’re already dead and burning in hell." Jordan added, “This satisfies all moral feelings about the Pope."

Well, what say you? Are you sad 'The Borgias' will conclude the series on June 16, with no movie wrap-up from Showtime thereafter? How would you have liked to see the saga end?