The Ex List’s EP Reveals ‘The One’

Bless Diane Ruggiero. Despite CBS pulling the plug on The Ex List after just four episodes, and before we got to Kevin Sorbo’s guest turn, the show’s former boss is taking pity on those of us who did watch and revealed who Bella was ultimately supposed to end up with: best friend Augie.

I have to admit, I suspected that would be the ultimate outcome. The two had a subtle chemistry that, while not necessarily romantic or sexually charged right now, held the promise of something growing as Bella continued her quest and Augie started to think seriously about Bella as someone’s potential lifemate. How would this all come about? Here’s what Ruggiero had in mind, as told to Kristin at E!:

“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.”

So that’s how they were going to get around the self-imposed expiration date and extend the series if it went to a second season. What do you think, does it “blow”? I think, given the original plan to set it up in episode 13 then execute it in episode 19, it would’ve worked.

Another tidbit Ruggiero revealed: the series is planning finish production on all 13 episodes that CBS ordered originally. In fact, they’re casting for episode 12 now. Although CBS hasn’t scheduled airtime for those episodes yet, it sounds like the studio wants to have the episodes in the can for an online release and/or DVD set.