It's like the show never wanted Tom and Rachel together
I mean right as he chose her he ended up killed and now the shows been canceled so there's no possible chance of him returning.
shareI think it was to show that not everyone could return. The show implied that there for a lot of the returned, it had to do with unfinished business (like Caleb) or to right a wrong (like the factory guy that Margaret's father burned) or to give their loved ones closure (like Fred). Rachel needed to return to give birth to her unborn child, but then also it he returned would disappear if they had no reason to stay. Even though Tom died, Rachel still had a reason to live for her baby.
shareTom had a reason to live too. For his new baby...his first and for Rachel. There are other reasons also. I think Tom would have eventually came back unless the actor was a pain in the butt and they did not want him anymore. I think Tom dying made Rachel more easy to prey on and added more suspense to the show. For example Fred's Mom was more easily able to convince her to disappear.
...............ZING!