Why Did Mags Leave ‘Transplant’? Laurence Leboeuf Calls Exit “Heartbreaking” but “Lovely”

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 4, Episode 8 of Transplant.

Fans of Transplant were stunned when Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc’s story took a tragic turn in Season 3 and Season 4. The character, played by Laurence Leboeuf, has been central to the medical drama since its start, making her departure even more emotional. Many viewers found themselves asking why did Mags leave Transplant? The answer to the question is a combination of in-story tragedy and deliberate creative choices from the show’s team.

In the final episodes leading up to her exit, Mags collapses from septic shock after ignoring her own symptoms to focus on a patient. She’s rushed to the hospital in critical condition. According to NBC Insider, these scenes were designed to be tense and heartbreaking, with her colleagues realizing how vulnerable and human even the best doctors can be.

While Mags’s illness was the in-universe reason for her exit, the decision to write her off had a larger purpose. Creator Joseph Kay explained they didn’t want the show to only explore Bashir Hamed’s past trauma as a Syrian refugee but also test him in the present.

Joseph told TV Insider the team wanted viewers to see Bash lose something meaningful in the present, “How can we really know that Bashir is going to walk away from this period of his life a little bit better than if we see him lose something in the present and face something in the present that really shakes his foundation?”

Joseph explained this loss grounds Bash’s growth in reality and gives the show “a grounded bit of hope, not a fairytale bit of hope.”

This choice was meant to deepen Bash’s journey, forcing him to cope with losing someone close and demonstrating his strength in the face of grief.

For her part, Laurence embraced the challenging storyline. In an interview with Give Me My Remote TV, she kicked things off by admitting her immediate response to her character’s exit: “I loved it.” Laurence acknowledged that the decision to kill her character was a bold move that defied audience expectations for a tidy and happy ending.

She described the departure as “heartbreaking” but appreciated that it offered something different — a “curveball” that forced viewers out of their comfort zone. For her, playing Mags's final scenes was an opportunity to show a more raw, human side of the character.

She explained there was a “mood” on set while filming those last moments and described a “special energy” as everyone invested in making her goodbye meaningful. Laurence called the experience “lovely,” even though it was tough emotionally, appreciating how carefully the show handled the farewell.

Laurence also discussed in her interview how important it was that Mags had a final scene with her best friend, June. She called that moment “precious,” noting that it allowed Mags to know she was loved and to reassure her friend before passing.

She shared that the direction for those hospital scenes included imagining a growing “waterfall” sound that only Mags could hear — a metaphor for slipping into her own world, knowing something terrible was happening. Laurence said she thought the idea was “beautiful” and she really enjoyed bringing the vision to life as her character’s final scene played out.

Mags’s death wasn’t about shock value for the sake of drama. It was built to test Bash in the present, deepen his arc, and show viewers that even the most skilled, selfless doctors aren’t invincible. In the end, Laurence was proud to give fans something they wouldn’t see coming, even if it hurt.