Exclusive

Ex List Boss Reveals "The One" for Bella

The show was canceled, but the fate of Bella Bloom is revealed right here!

By Kristin Dos Santos Nov 14, 2008 5:57 PMTags
Ex ListSonja Flemming/CBS

It was one of the most promising new series of the season, but after CBS X-d out show runner Diane Ruggiero and then X-d The Ex List from their Friday night lineup, this fun, girly dramedy starring Elizabeth Reaser became just another sad TV tale...and a source of frustration to fans who wanted answers.

"How would it have ended?" "Will we ever find out who was The One for Bella?"

Many of you fans have written in to beg for some kind of resolution, and, well, guess what I just scored? The exclusive answer from Ruggiero herself, plus inside scoop on whether we'll ever see more episodes...

Cliff Lipson/CBS

The answer is: Augie (Adam Rothenberg)!

It seems best friends can make the best lovers.

And according to Diane (who is currently working with Rob Thomas on the new Cupid for ABC), the key to the psychic's prophecy was that Bella has to get married in a year or she will never marry, but she doesn't have to get married to The One. Tricky, tricky! That is also the key to how the series would have lasted more than one season. 

Here's what Diane tells me of her Ex List vision:

"My plan was to end the first season with Bella getting married. Marina (the psychic) told her that she already dated The One and that if she didn't marry within the year she'd never marry. She never said she had to marry The One within the year.

"Soooo, my plan was to have Bella hook up with an old college ex around episode 13. In the past, he had just started dating someone when he met Bella. He fell for Bella and dumped his girlfriend, only to have his relationship with Bella last for like a day. Now she meets up with him again. They hit it off like crazy. One problem, he's engaged. The episode ends with Bella not wanting to wreck his engagement. She's worried that she's letting the prophecy cloud her judgment and she doesn't want to ruin someone else's potential happiness. Anyway, long freakin' story short—episode 19 he comes back. He had ended the engagement anyway and is available.

"Bella, in the meantime, has entered a new phase in her relationship with Elliott. He's her new best friend. And she's had a huge fight with Augie and their friendship is on the rocks. The clock is ticking. She tells College Ex about the prophecy. He says they should get married. They head to Vegas. Elliott rushes to Vegas to stop them. He's too late. Right after they tie the knot College Ex is telling a stranger at the casino the story of how he met Bella. He mentions that they were both dating someone else. Bella is confused. She was single when she met him—we flash back to a college party—Bella and Augie enter. She sees someone she used to date and doesn't want to appear to be at the party alone. She tells Augie that he is her boyfriend for the night. 

"Basically, Bella gets married then moments later realizes that Augie is the one. That was the season one plan.

"Hope you don't think it blows." 

What say you? Comment below!

By the way, as of last week The Ex List (sans Ruggiero) was actively casting for episode 12 (only four eps were ever aired). I inquired about that, and I'm told, "The studio is finishing production." Now, I'm also told CBS has no airdates planned for future episodes, but it sounds like there might be episodes in the can for a future release online or on DVD.

In the meantime, Ruggiero has rejoined forces with her old Veronica Mars buddy Rob Thomas to work on his new Cupid for ABC.