It was only a few short hours ago we learned that HBO’s Silicon Valley would return for Season 5, but Pied Piper will apparently be missing some key components. T.J. Miller has agreed to a mutual exit from the Mike Judge comedy, and won’t return for Season 5.

According to Vulture, rumors of Miller’s departure had been swirling for weeks, though HBO would only confirm the comedian’s upcoming exit once the Season 5 renewal was announced. No explicit reason was given for the surprise cut, though HBO offered:

The producers of Silicon Valley and T.J. Miller have mutually agreed that T.J. will not return for season 5. In Erlich Bachman, T.J. has brought to life an unforgettable character, and while his presence on the show will be missed, we appreciate his contribution and look forward to future collaborations.

One of those collaborations will see Miller granted his own standup special, Meticulously Ridiculous, currently set to bow on June 17. From the sounds of it, Miller may be concentrating on other projects, or perhaps had more focused issues with Silicon Valley than with HBO overall.

It’s certainly difficult to picture Silicon Valley without Miller’s Erlich Bachman, so how might Season 5 fill the void in 2018? Watch the latest promo below, as well as the stand-up trailer, and stay tuned.

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