The second season finale of Murder in a Small Town left fans buzzing with its unexpected cliffhanger, centered around a surprising marriage proposal. What direction will the series take following this dramatic twist?

In the episode that aired on Tuesday, December 2, viewers watched as Karl, portrayed by Rossif Sutherland, prepared to ask Cassandra, played by Kristin Kreuk, an important question. Their conversation began with Karl suggesting they move in together, while Cassandra expressed concerns about the effort needed to sustain their relationship.

Taking a bold step forward, Karl proposed marriage to Cassandra. However, the episode concluded without revealing her response. In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly, Sutherland, 47, dissected the finale, offering insights into whether the couple is ready to progress their romance.

“I absolutely believe they’re prepared for this,” Sutherland stated. “I’m not privy to the writers’ complete plans, but with this proposal, it’s clear Karl desires to marry her. Yet, there’s an underlying sense of urgency and fear, almost as if he’s pleading, ‘Please don’t leave.'”

As Murder in a Small Town gears up for its third season, fans are eager to know if the entire cast will return. Based on L.R. Wright’s novels, the series chronicles the adventures of police chief Karl, played by Rossif Sutherland, as he, alongside his partner Cassandra, embarks on thrilling investigations.

The actor teased Karl’s state of mind at the moment.

“He did just experience the possibility of losing her. She was in harm’s way after having solved this mystery — this crime that Karl had asked Cassandra to stay away from because he thought that she could be in harm’s way,” he noted. “And to be confronted with losing her was so devastating that went that way beyond their disagreements. We may bicker but ultimately he wants to tell the story of his life with her.”

Based on novels written by L.R. Wright, Murder in a Small Town follows a police chief named Karl who — along with the help of others, including his girlfriend, Cassandra — investigates mysterious killings.

“At the end of season 1, they were really, really in love. They were willing to try and I think Carl had already made up his mind. But it was Cassandra and she came around,” Sutherland recalled. “At the end of season 2, there’s been a lot of bickering, a lot of disagreeing but all the while they’re talking. So that’s healthy.”

He continued: “It’s very much the conclusion that this is not going to be some fantasy love story. But this is very real and this is a reality that Karl wants and they’re going to live together. As they’ve been tiptoeing around each other, now they’ll forego all the politeness of you know your space or my space. Now the family really, truly begins.”

Looking ahead at season 3, Sutherland teased which obstacle Karl and Cassandra will face in the future.

2025 is a big year for TV — but which shows do we definitely know are coming back for more seasons? Apple TV+ surprised viewers by renewing Bad Monkey after the ending left the show’s future unclear. Based on the novel of the same name by Carl Hiaasen, Bad Monkey follows former police detective Andrew […]

“The obstacle is the truth about their past. Then in order to be truly intimate, the secrets need to be out. Secrets exist sometimes to protect others but I think that Cassandra is going to teach Karl — and she has been teaching him — what it means to be truly in love,” he shared with Us. “They’re discovering this together. But it’s about the opportunity to be there for the other person and for that to happen, then everything needs to be out. So there’s Karl, he has a past he’s never really talked about — and certainly not in depth. There’s the figure of his father — who’s been looming — but we have yet to meet him. We’ve yet to understand what’s gone on.”

Sutherland was excited to see where the story could go from here.

“They’re the themes of the people that we love, growing older and loss. Ultimately, it’s the stuff of life. The whole goal of this show is — and hopefully we do more of this — it represents the extremes of life,” he added. “Karl and Cassandra and the people in their lives, they’re faced with choices. They obviously don’t go to the extremes of somebody committing a crime but those crimes have themes. Those themes are explored within their own lives. So it’s all intertwined. That’s the goal. But it’s funny to play a character where I actually miss him. I root for him.”

Murder in a Small Town is currently streaming on Hulu.