Wait, Is [Spoiler] *Really* Dead on 'Blindspot'?

*Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the series Blindspot.*

The team of FBI fugitives in Blindspot are set to face some serious challenges in the upcoming episode titled “Brass Tacks." Along with the tight situation that they’re in with Madeline Burke (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) closely on their heels, the team has to reckon with the fact that one of their most beloved members may be dead. 

Fans were devastated by the latest developments in the series, which led to the apparent death of Agent William Patterson (Ashley Johnson). As the head of the FBI’s Forensic Science Unit, Patterson was a fan favorite, popular for her intelligence, commitment to the job, and ability to remain cool under pressure. 

Through the many twists and turns that the series has taken since Jane Doe was found in a duffel bag in Times Square, audiences have come to expect that a main character or two will get killed off the show every so often, but this loss really stings. 

So, did Patterson really die and if so, what happened?

In case you weren’t there for it, Season 4 ended with Jane (Jaimie Alexander), Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) and the rest of the team at the FBI being accused of perpetrating Project Helios, when in fact the scheme was actually being orchestrated by Madeline Burke, the current CEO of HCI Global, and the season’s main antagonist. 

While the team was on the run from Madeline, they came upon a remote cabin that they thought they could use as a safe hideaway from the authorities. As a precautionary measure, Reade (Rob Brown) and Patterson tried to lay a trap in the cabin by rigging one of the rooms with fireworks so that it would explode.

However, as the two of them were setting the timer, the cabin came under fire from a drone strike that Madeline had ordered. In the midst of the disorder, Patterson ended up taking cover in the room of fireworks and got stuck there after the failsafe door automatically locked.

Audiences joined a sobbing Rich (Ennis Esmer) in the devastating moment where Patterson said her last apologies and goodbyes from behind the locked door. 

The show seemed to make it pretty clear that Patterson died in the huge cabin explosion, but hopeful fans are still speculating that Patterson might be alive and just faked her death. 

The theory that supports this claim is that in the same episode, when Rich asked Patterson whether she had another plan, Patterson responded that she always had a “Plan B.” A lot of fans are hoping that Patterson managed to use that Plan B in time to save herself from the explosion.

Another theory that supports the possibility of Patterson’s escape is that, early on in the episode, the team also became aware of a network of underground tunnels below the cabin. Again, optimistic audiences are wondering whether escaping through these tunnels was the “Plan B” that Patterson was referring to. 

“Brass Tacks” is sure to reveal the truth about Patterson and shed light on the fate of the rest of the team. 

For all the answers, watch Blindspot, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.