Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack at the Underbelly Razor DVD Party At East Village Surry Hills. Creative Commons/Eva Rinaldi

It was widely speculated that “Wentworth” would be cancelled following the death of Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack). Although the series’ main character was confirmed to be dead by the show’s producer, fans can keep their peace in knowing that “Wentworth” will be coming back to the small screens for its fifth season.

There is no official word though on whether or not Cormack’s character will be back next season. There are reports that she will appear in a series of flashbacks.

In “Wentworth” season 4, fans can recall that Bea has been stabbed to death by Joan “The Freak” Ferguson (Pamela Rabe). While her lesbian lover loses her life, Allie (Kate Jenkinson) wakes up from coma.

It is expected that “Wentworth” season 3 will see Allie mourning the death of her lover. It’s likely that she will reminisce the time she and Bea have spent together, and so Cormack’s character might still appear in “Wentworth” season 5.

Meanwhile, a Reddit user has come up with a theory, indicating that the next season might go backwards instead of forward, which means Bea will still play a pivotal role. What if Bea Smith wasn't dead (wishful thinking I know) and season 5 started by going back in time rather than forward,” a Redditor said. Several “Wentworth” fans are clearly not losing hope that Bea will still be part of the fifth instalment despite confirmation from the producers that she has met her demise.

“Wentworth” producers have not confirmed the appearance of Bea in the upcoming season, but have confirmed that the show has really killed its main character. Jo Porter, the executive producer of the Australian television series, said it has been an incredibly difficult decision to say farewell to Bea.

“Which is why this storyline has had such a huge impact on us all and we are sure fans will feel the same. This decision was particularly hard as it meant also saying goodbye to Danielle Cormack,” Porter has shared in a statement.

But fans are not the only ones who were shocked by Bea’s demise. Even Jenkinson herself said her reaction was actually the same as the viewers’. “My initial thought was, ‘well, how does this work,'” she told Curve Mag. Just like the fans, she wondered about how the show will continue now that the main character was gone.

The first season of the crime drama TV series originally aired on SoHo in Australia. Official air date for “Wentworth” season 5 is yet to be announced.