At the time of his passing, Ricky Jay was working on what would be his final TV role. He previously appeared on the ABC series, Flashforward, among others. The legendary magician was set to recur on the third season of Amazon's con artist dramedy, Sneaky Pete. He had not completed work on the role before his death.
In the wake of his death, the question has loomed as to how the series would handle it. Ricky Jay's character will be written out, according to THR. A decision on how that will be done has not been reached. Per the report, Sneaky Pete's writers are currently working on making adjustments to "the creative."
It is a plan that should keep Rick Jay's character on the show. Albeit, with a modified outcome and potentially, presence. The secrecy surrounding how Sneaky Pete will handle Jay's exit story falls in line with how the role was being handled before his death.
One of the few details known about Ricky Jay's character was his name -- T.H. Vignetti. That he was set to recur was one of the others, which was a sign that his role should have been significant throughout the third season. Thankfully, fans should get to see what Jay and his character brought to the show. His casting was an act of utter brilliance.
To say that Ricky Jay is a perfect fit for Sneaky Pete would still be the understatement of the year. Sneaky Pete is all about illusion as both of its seasons have led to one heck of a final reveal. Like any great magic trick, the sleight of hand tends to happen right in front of your eyes.
For those unaware, Sneaky Pete follows Giovanni Ribisi's Marius, a lifelong con artist. His latest deception is taking on the identity of his cellmate: the eponymous, Pete, all in an effort to lay low for a while. Of course, he ends up needing that identity a little longer than originally planned.
One would hope that Ricky Jay's T.H. Vignetti was going show up as a former ally or enemy of Marius'. The famous magician has the off-screen credentials to have more than made a convincing friend or foil to Marius. With Jay's involvement, it would seem that Sneaky Pete's third season was set to engage in its illusionary foundation fully.
The report did not mention how far into filming Ricky Jay got. Production on Season 3 was already underway as recently as October 31, per TVLine. So, when can you expect to see Ricky Jay on Sneaky Pete? No official release date has been announced yet.
The first two seasons of Sneaky Pete debuted in two consecutive springs. If Season 3 follows that pattern, fans could theoretically see Ricky Jay in his final TV role as soon as the spring of 2019. In the meantime, many new shows will be bowing this fall and throughout the midseason on the streamer.
