Under the Dome EP Talks 'Satisfying' End, Hypothetical Season 4 Plan 

There seems to be an unspoken rule in the TV industry these days: A show isn’t

cancelled until another network or streaming service fails to resurrect it.

would not be returning for Season 4, executive producer Neal Baer had no desire to shop the CBS series to another platform.

“I’m very happy with this ending. I feel very satisfied,” Baer tells TVLine. “We made it so there

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Thursday’s series finale found the dome around Chester’s Mill finally coming down, though it wasn’t exactly a celebratory time for the residents. Sam and Junior — who were both brainwashed beyond repair — were killed before the hour was through (the latter at the hands of his own father). Kinship leader Dawn, who was initially presumed dead, resurfaced one year after the dome’s disappearance to get her hands on a new and dangerous egg. But if you’re a Barbie/Julia fan, there’s no need to worry: They’re engaged!

‘s final hour, Stephen King’s involvement with the series and the only possible storyline that a fourth season would bring.

TVLINE | You said before Season 3 started that all of our questions about the dome would be answered. Were you approaching this finale as though it would be your last episode?

Yes and no, in the sense that we didn’t know if there would be a fourth season. We wanted to have a satisfying conclusion that made the audience feel like they had been on this journey and there was an end to it. In a way, we gave ourselves an ending that really ended the show. We put Barbie and Julia together, they’re going to get married. Big Jim’s a congressman. Junior — who was so disturbed by the end — is gone. Sam, who was so filled with guilt, is gone. There’s hope for Joe, because we know that Norrie is indefatigable and will save him. Yes, there’s an egg that remains that Dawn has seen, but we can feel confident that our team of Barbie, Julia and Big Jim, along with Norrie, will come to the rescue yet again. We have this very satisfying ending with all of our characters.

TVLINE | Were there any other ideas in the writers’ room that involved bigger cliffhangers, or different scenarios in which, say, Junior didn’t die?

We didn’t really [come up with any]. When we talked to the network about it, we wanted it to be fulfilling, and these were the ideas that we pitched to the network that they really liked. We really played out the dome, you know? Every kind of terrible environmental problem or catastrophe affected them. What more was there to do? We had to give answers this year. We played the first year as, “How can we deal with this? How are we going to get along as people?” The second year we played, “Is the dome good or bad?” and faith versus science. And this last year, we played the individual versus the group and the evil within. Is there hope of getting out, and how are we going to do it? And we gave viewers the clues at the very beginning of this season as to how they were going to get out — the eight notes. We started whistling those notes early on in the season, and that was the key to answering how the dome would come down. We did an incredible amount of planning, if you look over the whole season and see how it all comes together.

TVLINE | Given the cliffhanger in Thursday’s finale, what would a possible Season 4 have looked like?

They would have gone someplace else, and the dome would come down over another place. [

] But then it would be like, “Then what?” Would we do the same thing again? It would have been a real challenge. I went on this incredibly interesting adventure that was a parable for sustainability in our world, and now, it’s up to us to live the real life and do something about it.

TVLINE | The show was initially adapted from Stephen King’s novel, and he wrote the Season 2 premiere last year. How much involvement has he had in this final season?

He’s always been a wonderful voice of reflection, talking to us whenever we have questions. He’s always been supportive with the fans in saying, “It’s not a rendition of the book, it’s its own thing, but it has a lot of elements from the book.” He’s always just been a real supportive force.

TVLINE | With three seasons under your belt, were there any storylines you didn’t have time to explore that you wish you’d had time for?

The only thing I wish we could have done is bring back everybody in avatar form — Angie, Linda, Dodee, Reverend Coggins. My other desire — but it’s so difficult to do in TV, because there’s so many different characters — was to bring back [Norrie’s mom] Alice, like we did in Season 2, where we brought Dodee or Angie back. I would have loved to have a whole avatar scene where they’re all just haunting Big Jim. [

fans, what did you think of Thursday’s series finale? Grade the episode via our poll below, then hit the comments to back up your choice!

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How can anyone watch this and say it gave closure? you can tell it was meant as a season finale and not a series. it didn’t answer much.

It gave closure in the respect that the series didn’t end with us wondering if they will ever get out from “Under The Dome.” Not closure as in us wondering what will happen next.

They definitely left it too open imo for it to be considered closure.

After season one, which was supposedly a mini-series, didn’t answer any questions, I stopped watching. Doesn’t seem I missed out on much.

You missed out on everything! Season 2 and 3 were great must watch before you judge it

Was this closure? This was a big game of CHICKEN that the people who make UNDER THE DOME are playing with CBS. This is what they’re saying: “When SCORPION, MADAM SECRETARY or CSI:CYBER goes BUST next season(probably CYBER) or too many new shows go BUST this winter, We have UNDER THE DOME; WAR(or Season Four) all laid out and ready to go. How stupid can you be not to jump on it?” OR, they are saying to another Network “We have the idea for a Fourth season of UNDER THE DOME all set up. Call us ASAP to discuss.” I have one question? How the hell can Junior still be alive? He was stabbed twice.

they cast Marg Helgenberger the show was bound to be canned.

I want more under the dome how can that be the series ending? To me was a perfect season finalie

I loved it. I understand the ending and I appreciate what they were able to give us. There was closure. Their were still some possibilities to explore. But isn’t that the mark of any great show. To never end it but to end it with you asking well did this happen or did they go here. It let’s the imagination soar. Personally I say bravo. Huge Stephen King fan. Loved the show. Loved the actors. And I thank all that were a part of the show. It really gave me something to look forward to each week. Thanks.

Well I can say for a fact that the finale lived up to, and even surpassed, the average episode quality. But that’s like saying Andre is better than Totts–neither is Moet et Chandon or even Korbel. But they can provide some needed refreshment when there is a dearth of other choices available. Beyond that, about all I can say is that it’s done, and I stuck with it through it all. But I kind of wish I’d hopped off THIS train a season or 2 ago!

I said it before Marg Helgenberger gets many shows cancelled post CSI. Be it a freshman show like intelligence or a show with a few seasons under its belt like dome.

By definition the word “many” means a lot and 2 is not a large number. Not only that but how is she the one that “gets” them cancelled? Can we really attribute low ratings solely to her as opposed to the various other factors that provide a lack of interest?

“The Dome”…fabulous show. Disappointed in the fact there won’t be a 4th season :\'( Ratings claim there was a viewer drop-off as the season’s continued. Iv’e never missed an episode and I found a building progression of intrigue, drama and twists & turns within the show. Especially this last season! I rate it as “mind blowing!”

Please make a forth season oh my gosh I will cry if this is for real the end.

WTF thats not a satisfying ending at all ive watch this show since it started and CBS owes the fan’s a better ending. I would have been fine with season three being the end of Under the Dome if there had been a better ending. I mean come on I can think of plenty of ideas for season four that dont envole another dome coming down and what about Joe wtf man him and Norie pluse Barbe and Julia was my favorite part of the show its bull man they

I agree with you Hope they make another season love that show and there’s plenty of ways they can write season 4 without a dome

I’m disappointed there’s not gonna be a season 4 and so on they left it open and very sad to see it end after only 3 seasons my husband and is fave show :( please make another season cbs!!!!!

I thought the finale brought resolution to the plots built from seasons 1-3. It also left the door open with Dawn and Joe being alive, and the discovery of the egg, but that’s a new series of events that we won’t get to see. Like the article states, we can only assume that Barbie and the gang would have found a way to prevail. Fun show, I would have enjoyed a 4th season.

I am really disappointed that it is cancelled too. Leave it to CBS to not only cancel a great show, but to not even give a proper ending to it for all of us who love the show and have watched it since the beginning. So many unanswered questions, like why even bother to have the kinship say that they are preparing for something that is coming if you aren’t even going to give any idea what that something is. This was the only prime time show besides Hawaii Five-O and Extant that I watch on CBS, and given all the things I just mentioned, I’m not very likely to watch any more

I didn’t think the ending was awful. I do look forward to an Under the Dome movie in the future that follows the book storyline.

i liked it ,and wish cbs would bring it back next summer as a 4 hour mini series beyond the dome

I thought it was awful. And the effects were bad B movie effects at best. I wanted more closure. I am glad the dome came down but this entire season was just off for me. I’m glad the EP is happy with it because as a fan, I am not at all.

Let this be a lesson to you: This would have fared very well as a limited series with one season only. Then you had to stretch it out to squeeze more money and air time out of it and turned it into a twisted and ugly piece of crud. And now everybody is just laughing at you, happy that its over.

did I miss something? what was the actual purpose of the dome?

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