All good things must come to end, and that includes our favorite television shows.

While last night's episode of Penny Dreadful had a shocking ending, what most viewers didn't realize at the time was that the episode was also the series finale. So, as of last night, Penny Dreadful is no more.

Please note that the following contains spoilers for this week's episode of Penny Dreadful.

Last night's episode finally saw Vanessa's troubles come to an end, but at the terrible cost of her life. However, this isn't Game of Thrones: the series won't carry on now that the show's main character is gone.

Penny Dreadful creator John Logan and Showtime president David Nevins confirmed with TV Line that Vanessa's death signifies not just the end of her life, but also the end of Penny Dreadful as a whole. That means that viewers won't see a fourth season of the Showtime series.

Both Logan and Nevins confirmed that this was the plan all along, because the show was ultimately about Vanessa's struggle between good and evil.

"I always knew this was not going to be a six- or seven-year show, but it was working really well for us," Nevins said. "It was getting richer and deeper with each season. But when John came in to lay out season three, he said, 'I think I have to end the season with the death of Vanessa Ives.'"

This comes as a surprise to viewers, because Showtime never promoted that the third season would actually serve as the last, and that's also why the last two episodes didn't feature Vanessa as much as those seen previously in the season.

"It's akin to the decision of not announcing [season three as the final season]," Logan said. "I believe in the coup de théâtre. I believe audiences want to be surprised. They want to have their breath taken away."

Perhaps it isn't the end that fans wanted, but it fits in line with the dark character of the series: in Penny Dreadful, evil often won out over good, but even then, the lines between the two seem blurred. This finality will affect fans on an emotional level.

"I think they'll be emotional," Nevins said. "And maybe even devastated. But I hope, when they get past that, they're going to feel satisfied. I think John has done a brilliant job of creating closure. Nobody can say he didn't end the story on his terms."