Contrary to various rumours and theories sweeping the Internet, the producers of Fox’s Fringe have confirmed that the events seen in the final episode of the third season did happen to the characters: the two worlds were brought together, and as a result Peter Bishop disappeared from both.

“What we are trying to do from a conceptual standpoint is have the audience understand that it happened and you know it did happen,” Joel Wyman told The Hollywood Reporter. “We watched it and there has been a catastrophe and it needs to be righted. It will either right itself properly or it will go in a very negative way. Now you have to understand what those repercussions are going to mean… Peter sacrificed himself. He was a selfless hero. There are sacrifices; a sacrifice wouldn’t be hard if it was easy.”

Wyman and Jeff Pinkner described the series as “the quintessential kidnapping story”, although Wyman noted that it’s “not about a kidnapping but about crossing universes. We get to tell the love triangle with two people who are the same person.”

Pinkner said that the fourth season would use Peter’s story “to explore a lot of the basic rules of the show, which are choices and connection.”

Fringe returns in the US on September 23.