The TV death list got me thinking more about television deaths and instead of a list, here are some more meaningful deaths.
How Did I Forget This One???
As someone reminded me, Kanan Jarrus’ death on Rebels deserved to be on the list. After much thought, I decided it should be between Joyce and Opie. His death was such a shock, but the nobility of it made it hurt. You always got the idea that something happens to him and Ezra, I mean, if not then they should have been helping Luke and the gang in the movies, right? But there was that part of me that hoped he and Hera would leave and raise a family together somewhere on the Outer Rim…
Early TV Death Memory
I was a huge fan of Chicago Hope when it came out. The hospital show and ER came out around the same time if I remember correctly, I chose CH. I eventually started watching both, but the first season I only watched CH. Anyways, in season three the hospital’s lawyer is murdered. Alan Birch was played by Peter MacNicol, and if I remember, he left the show to do David E. Kelley’s next show Ally McBeal. I want to say that the lawyer was starting to grow on us as a character and then he is killed.
Modern Family Does Death Well
I think most of you know about my love for Modern Family and I think some of the episodes about death have been absolutely fantastic. The first one that comes to mind is when Phil’s mom passes away. The kids all receive something from her and Alex is confused about her gift. In the end she realizes that her grandmother understood her better than most and was encouraging Alex to step out of her comfort zone. The other death was Phil’s dad. Phil has a conversation with his dad and it ends up being their last. It is funny and sad, something Modern Family does best.
Explosive Death!
The first season finale of Lost had one of my favorite deaths ever. Leslie Arzt explains to everyone how delicate you must treat dynamite because the nitroglycerin is unstable…and then he is the one to explode while handling it. We also get the greatest Hurley line ever “Dude, you’ve got some Artzt on you.”
The Joffrey Award
Sometimes a character is so evil that when they die, we get this overwhelming sense of relief that they are finally gone. Here are a few of my favorites…
-Ramsay Bolton–when he is finally killed, it is beyond satisfying
-Gus Fring–it felt like Walt and Jesse may never get out from under the meth kingpin, but when it does happen…well Walter White does not mess around.
-Vern Schillinger–the white supremacist who made Tobias Beecher’s life a living hell for multiple seasons of Oz, finally gets what he deserved.
-Killgrave–The Purple Man on Jessica Jones can control minds. Like Fring, it just felt there would never be an end to his reign of terror, but then Jessica breaks his neck and the world is much better for it.
-Mags Bennett–when she offers Raylan a glass of moonshine, we all hold our breath for a second because that was how she killed Loretta’s dad earlier in the season. But no, she put the poison in her glass and ends her life, thus ending the feud with the Givens family.
Good Riddance
Sometimes a show has an annoying character and we just want them to die. And on a few occasions, the writers hear our screams and grant us that wish…
-Graem Bauer–Jack’s brother irritated me beyond belief. I wanted Jack to kill him, but in the end, his own father kills him. Bye dickhead! Actually, the show was in such a bad place during the whole Bauer family drama.
-Tara Thornton–I do not know why, but I hated Tara on True Blood. When she died, I rejoiced. When they brought her back, I quit watching the show.
-Bela Talbot–You could see the writer’s thought on this character as soon as she was introduced. She was supposed to be a love interest for the Winchesters, but also as their opposite (not about saving lives, instead making money). It just did not work and ridding the show of an awful character was a wise decision.
-Tara Knowles–I know most people put her death up on their list as sad, but I hated her character. When Gemma kills her, I had this weird guilty feeling. Granted, when Jax shows up and finds her…that makes the death sad. But her being gone? Nah, that made the show better.
Deaths That Broke Another Character
-Gale Boetticher–Jesse shoots Gale, which ends up being the cause of Walter’s downfall. The sad thing was how much of an affect it had on Jess Pinkman.
-Edgar Stiles–the poor guy who was always forced by Chloe to help her and Jack. He died during the nerve gas attack and it took a major toll on Chloe. He was one of those minor characters who we always knew would end up dead, but we grew an attachment to because of his bond with Chloe.
Thanks Obama!
Kal Penn decided to leave House and work for President Obama. The writers had to remove him from the show and they decided to go with a rather dark story. They could have had him move away or get another job. Nope, they had him commit suicide. And it became something of a mystery to crack for House. I feel like this was one of the first television suicides where they dealt with depression as being something people can hide.
Lil’ Sebastian!
