Jeffrey Tambor of Transparent was one of the many prominent figures in showbiz to face accusations of sexual misconduct in the latter half of 2017. Both a former assistant and a co-star came forward to allege that Tambor had treated them inappropriately, and it seemed like Tambor's time as star of Transparent was coming to an end on Amazon. In fact, Tambor released a statement that seemed to indicate that he was choosing to depart the series. Now, it turns out that he may not be leaving Transparent after all. Here's what happened.
Back in November, Jeffrey Tambor stated that because of "the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return to Transparent." Naturally, many interpreted this statement to mean that Tambor did not intend to return to his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning role of Maura Pfefferman. A spokesperson for the actor had a different story on December 6 that states Tambor has not yet given up on the series.
No final decision for next year has been made by either Amazon or Tambor himself. Variety reports that the official explanation now for Tambor's original comment that he doesn't see how he can return to the show actually meant that it's difficult for him to see how he could come back. There's apparently a fine line between not seeing how he can return and definitively not coming back.
It's difficult to predict at this point what will happen. An investigation into the allegations is reportedly still ongoing at Amazon, and there's no telling how long the investigation could last. Some of those accused of misconduct lately have faced immediate suspension and/or firing, while others were the subject of seemingly lengthy investigation. No two cases of alleged misconduct have been alike, and it's possible that Tambor will indeed return to Transparent for another season. We probably shouldn't start planning on him back as Maura, but we shouldn't rule it out either.
Jeffrey Tambor is the star of Transparent, so the show may not be able to continue without him on board, should the final decision lead to his departure. While Netflix's House of Cards was able to find a way to continue without Kevin Spacey, that show was set to end soon anyway, and it has quite a different format. Transparent may not be able to pull off something similar, and it wouldn't be the first show to come to an end after allegations against a star. We'll have to wait and see.
If you're in the mood for some Jeffrey Tambor, you can catch Transparent streaming on Amazon. If you're more in the mood for something else, our fall TV guide and midseason TV premiere schedule can point you in some different directions. Only time will tell if Transparent can survive the sexual misconduct allegations against Jeffrey Tambor; for the shows that haven't survived 2017, take a look at our list of all the TV cancellations of the past year.
