Spoilers for Final Destination: Bloodlines are below.
Summary
Final Destination: Bloodlinesis one of Tony Todd’s final roles, and thehorrorfranchise gave him a beautiful send-off. Todd was a noted actor, often dubbed an icon in the horror genre, with over 250 credits to his name. Most know the actor as the titularCandyman, capturing the attention of many with the film’s image of his face covered in live bees. It’s a role Todd would return to several times, which helped cement him in the genre, along with his appearances inWishmaster,Night of the Living Dead(1990),Hatchet, and theFinal Destinationfilms.
Todd appeared in several notable projects over the course of his career, includingThe X-Files,Smallville, andStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. He even appeared in numerous big-budget films, likeThe RockandThe Crow. Sadly, Todd passed away in November 2024 after a battle with stomach cancer. However, the actor never stopped working, with several projects still being released after his death, including theIndiana Jones and the Great Circlevideo game and the newfranchise entryFinal Destination: Bloodlines.
Tony Todd’s William Bludworth In TheFinal DestinationFilms, Explained
Todd’s character, William Bludworth, was an integral part of theFinal Destinationfranchise. He appeared in the first film, offering exposition to the teen characters who got off a plane following one of them having a premonition about its crash, which ultimately happened minutes later. As death comes for them one by one, they struggle to understand what is happening, finding help through Bludworth. He explains that they messed with death’s design, putting the unseen reaper on the path to claim the lives of those that got away.
Todd returned forFinal Destination 2, helping Ali Larter’s returning Clear Rivers and a new cast of death-defying individuals who find themselves being picked off after surviving a major accident. The actor lent his voice to the third film and didn’t appear in the fourth installment. Todd returned forFinal Destination 5, which saw him slide into his ominous exposition role, helping define death’s plans again.
Throughout theFinal Destinationfilms, Todd brought his iconic horror roots to the franchise, helping to give them the intimidating and often frightening performance that Bludworth needed to ascend beyond exposition scenes to a memorable horror movie harbinger of doom. He proved that his acting skills could elevate a character that may have been forgotten in another actor’s hands.
William Bludworth’s Importance ToFinal Destination: Bloodlines
Final Destination: Bloodlinesgave Bludworthhis best story yet. While the film follows Stefani, who is plagued by nightmares that see her grandmother surviving a disaster at a Space Needle-inspired building, it also serves to flesh out Bludworth’s story. As usual in theFinal Destinationmovies, the characters getting picked off one by one need some help, and Bludworth is there to provide it. However, beyond delivering the required information,Bloodlinesgives Bludworth a backstory for the first time.
The opening disaster scene ofFinal Destination: Bloodlinesshows the character Iris attempting to survive. During the carnage, she stops to rescue a young boy named JB. The scene sees them eventually perish, falling to their deaths from the high tower. However, as the movie informs viewers, Iris thwarts the disaster, saving numerous lives, including young JB.
It is revealed that JB was Bludworth, or William John Bludworth, as a young boy. He and Iris stayed in touch over the years, revealing how he always knew so much about death’s design and how it could be beaten. WhiletheFinal Destinationfilmshave merely shown Bludworth acting as an ominous figure, it turns out that he survived a disaster himself, and death has always seen him as a loose end.
HowFinal Destination: BloodlinesHonors Tony Todd
Final Destination: Bloodlinesis dedicated to the late Tony Todd, but his role in the film does more to honor his memory. Giving Bludworth a backstory proved an excellent move for the film narratively. It allowed the franchise to flesh out Todd’s character, making him one of the series' most essential characters in his final outing. However, the best moment of Todd’s role inBloodlinesis his speech to the characters who need help.
Todd delivers the usual rules of the situation for the characters, but the movie also finds him in the days following Iris' death, which means Bludworth could soon die. Stefani and her family find him in the hospital morgue, looking set for retirement with his things boxed up, which is when he imparts life wisdom beyond the usual ominous fare.Todd tells the charactersto stop fearing death, to embrace life, and live to the fullest. He then wishes them “good luck” as he departs.
Bludworth’s final message to the characters ofBloodlinesworks for the film, but it carries even more weight following Todd’s passing. His speech in the movie almost feels like the actor was imparting final words of wisdom to all his fans around the world, letting them know that despite his career involving such horrific characters, he knew that the key to life and happiness is in the light, not worrying about the end everyone is destined to meet. WhileFinal Destinations: Bloodlinesmay be one of Tony Todd’s final roles, it also honored him with a beautiful send-off for the fans who have enjoyed watching him.
