Legacies: Did Rafael Die? Peyton Alex Smith's Future Explained

The first few episodes of Legacies season 4 have viewers wondering whether Rafael died last season and if not, what actor Peyton Alex Smith's future on the show might hold. The events of Legacies season 3 were somewhat muddled at times, which is familiar to longtime viewers of the show; of all the series in The Vampire Diaries universe, Legacies is easily the one whose continuity and plotting is the fuzziest. The lack of clarity also wasn't helped by Covid-19 delays necessitating that episodes initially meant to be the end of season 3 have now become the first few episodes of Legacies season 4.

One open question that has been lingering for a number of viewers is what exactly happened to Rafael, played by Peyton Alex Smith. In Legacies season 1, Raf was a main character and integral to the story, but as the series has progressed, the writers have seemed to not know what to do with him, and his storylines became erratic and then negligible, culminating in him being written out of the series for a while. He was brought back briefly in Legacies season 3 but quickly written off again.

Related: Legacies Season 4 Cast & Character Guide

However, the way his story ended was rather confusing in that it really wasn't an ending, leaving plenty of viewers wondering what exactly happened to him. Rafael is both dead but, as with many "deaths" in the Vampire Diaries universe, also technically not dead in Legacies. He was certainly dying, at least until Hope had the idea to trap him in a happy prison world time loop enabling him to live out a great day with his family rather than succumb to his supernatural sickness in the real world. So, even though Rafael hasn't been seen on the show since Legacies season 3, episode 2, "Goodbyes Sure Do Suck," technically, the show can bring him back any time it wishes.

For now, however, it doesn't appear that Raf will be back on Legacies anytime soon. Actor Peyton Alex Smith was cast in March of this year as a main character in the upcoming show All American: Homecoming, a spinoff of the TV series All American. Smith's character, Damons Sims, appeared in an episode of All American season 3 that served as a backdoor pilot for the Homecoming spinoff. In May 2021, it was picked up to series. With Smith now being committed to the filming schedule for All American: Homecoming, and with it and Legacies both being CW shows and potentially on overlapping shooting schedules, it would appear that, even if Smith were to return as Rafael, it would only be in guest spots every so often.

It's not necessarily uncommon for shows to leave the door open for characters to return. And the "anything goes" nature of genre shows means that storylines are also sometimes left open in order to walk them back or make narrative retcons later if need be. But the confusing way Rafael's situation was handled is indicative of a larger issue with Legacies and why it's been so frustrating for audiences. It's one thing to close a chapter of a story but make it clear that it's a "for now" ending and not a "for good" ending. But Legacies has a habit of dropping major storylines after only half-resolving them – Raf's current situation and future are just one example. Legacies season 4 doesn't seem to be growing out of the habit, either. The first two episodes have resurrected the storyline of Josie and Lizzie undergoing the Merge, which was semi-resolved in season 2 but then not mentioned again until the first few episodes of Legacies season 4. Hopefully, things turn around, or Rafael's fate won't be the only thing audiences are left to wonder about.

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Next: Finch's Line In The Legacies Season 4 Premiere Foreshadows Josie's Future