The answer to the question “How did Ty die on Heartland?” is simple: Ty dying happened the same way on Heartland that it does everywhere else. Someone got a bunch of white t-shirts, some rubber bands, and a couple of Rubbermaid containers full of fabric dye. They probably also used spray bottles to get extra psychedelic patterns.

With that grand slam of a bit out of the way, it gives us no pleasure to report that Ty Borden, the dreamboat from Canada’s longest-running soap opera played by Graham Wardle ever since the show’s first season, has met his terrible end. Not with a bang, but with a jarring collapse during the 14th season premiere did his exceptional run on the program come to a conclusion.

Ty Borden’s dramatic final bow comes courtesy of a gunshot, albeit one that took its time to get the job done. At the end of season 13 of Heartland, a beloved Canadian pop culture staple and favorite of streaming service subscribers who’ve just run out of Yellowstone episodes, the lovable son of a gun was shot by a poacher. He survived the experience, but deeper damage resulted, and unbeknownst to the Borden family, a nefarious case of deep vein thrombosis developed.

As a result, during the first episode of season 14, a blood clot broke loose in Ty’s circulatory system, taking the Canadian boy next door’s life. As for the “why” of Ty’s death, it sounds an awful lot like actor Graham Wardle just wanted to try something else after spending twice as long on Heartland as most Great Danes spend alive. “I have spent a few years now contemplating and trying to figure out how to honor myself and make this transition and honor the show,” he told fans in a farewell video posted to YouTube.

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