Phoebe Waller-Bridge Confirmed 'Fleabag' Won't Return — But There's One Upside

Sorry, Fleabag fans: the devastating Season 2 finale really is the end of the story. The show may have cleaned up at the 2019 Emmys on Sunday night, but after the ceremony, series creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge confirmed Fleabag won't return for Season 3. "To be honest, this just feels like the most beautiful, beautiful way to say goodbye to it, actually," she told reporters after collecting wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, according to E! News. "It does feel like the story is complete. It does feel right. Go out on a high. You can't get higher than this."

This isn't the first time Waller-Bridge has shut down the idea of a third season. At a Television Critics Association event in February, she bluntly declared that she had "decided there absolutely should not be a third," per UK outlet Stylist.

Though there are only 12 episodes of Fleabag in total, it does have a pretty definitive beginning, middle, and end. And as much as fans may want to see more, this is the story that Waller-Bridge wanted to tell and the ending she chose for it.

Don't even try to blame the network, either. They want Fleabag Season 3 as much as fans. During the TCA summer press tour, TVLine reported that Amazon actively wants Waller-Bridge to "reconsider" ending the series where she did. "Nothing would make us happier than to have [Waller-Bridge] bring another season of that show, or anything else she wants to do," said Amazon chief Jennifer Salke. "I mean, I'm forever the optimist, so I remain always hopeful until it's really over. So I'm hoping."

Assuming we don't ever get a third season, at least Fleabag went out with a bang. The comedy category at the Emmys has been dominated by shows like Modern Family and Veep for the better part of a decade. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel surprised Emmy viewers by winning in 2018, and Fleabag winning on Sunday was considered somewhat of an upset too. It also won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy series, and took home awards for both casting and editing at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys.

And just because we've seen the last of Fleabag doesn't mean we've seen the last of Waller-Bridge: Killing Eve, which she created, also received several nominations at the 2019 Emmys, with star Jodie Comer winning for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The show has already been renewed for a third season, which will likely debut in 2020. Plus, Waller-Bridge served as a writer for the new James Bond film No Time to Die, also set for release in 2020, and just received a series order for her new show Run. The HBO comedy was co-created by her Killing Eve collaborator Vicky Jones, and will star Domnail Gleason and Merritt Weaver with Waller-Bridge in a recurring role.

So as sad as it is to say goodbye to Fleabag, Waller-Bridge has plenty of other projects to look forward to.