Top 10 TV Character Deaths that Hurt the Show
The tears we shed for them were not worth it. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 TV Character Deaths That Hurt the Show.
For this list, we're looking at shows that decided to kill off characters and ended up killing some of their own momentum in the process. This doesn't mean these series suddenly became awful, but we couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Obviously, it's impossible to discuss these moments without getting into the specifics, so spoilers will be included.
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#10: Sun & Jin “Lost” (2004-10)
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ABC’s complicated series didn't hesitate to kill off beloved characters, so this one was far from a surprise. Spending eons apart before finally reuniting in Season 6, the couple ended up stuck in the sinking Dharma submarine. As the vessel filled with water, Jin decided to drown alongside his trapped wife, repeating that he will never leave her alone again. Admittedly, this tragic moment did lead well into the series finale, but it killed off two of the only remaining major characters. As the couple was still part of the alternative timeline, this felt like a cheap attempt to tug at our heartstrings. Plus, did Jin forget that he had a daughter waiting for him?
#9: The Mother “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
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Some deaths are so stupid or unnecessary that they retroactively hurt the entire show. Following a rather subpar season, the finale of “How I Met Your Mother” felt more like a slap to the face than a satisfying climax to nine years of content. Ted finally finishes his story about how he met his children's mother before revealing that she died and he wants to date Robin again. Yes, you heard it right – Ted decided to explain in excruciating detail every single woman he dated to his children who had recently LOST their mother. Frankly, that is just not good parenting.
#8: Lexa “The 100” (2014-)
In the first few episodes, this CW post-apocalyptic drama felt like a poor retelling of “Lord of the Flies.” This changed with the introduction of the Grounders, humans that survived the end of the world. They were not only the most entertaining part of the series, but the main characters became considerably more interesting once they started developing relationships with them. The Grounders' Commander, the complex Lexa, was introduced in Season 2 and quickly became one the best characters on the show before being done in by a stray bullet a year later. This unexpected and anticlimactic death zapped the energy from season 3, which took “The 100” a whole year to recover.
#7: Curtis Donovan “Misfits” (2009-13)
This one can’t all be blamed on Curtis, as his departure just ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back. “Misfits” follows five delinquents who end up getting super powers after being struck by lightning. Boosted by a terrific cast and some brilliantly dark writing, viewers quickly became enamored with the gang. Then they started to drop like flies, with Alisha Daniels’ departure being a particular downer (xref). By Season 4, Curtis was the only original character left, surrounded by newbies that were not fun enough to carry the show on their own. The writing remained great, but it was hard to feel invested once the entire gang disappeared.
#6: Jimmy Darmody “Boardwalk Empire” (2010-14)
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An HBO series where a main character is killed off? Why we never heard of such a thing! “Boardwalk Empire” seemed destined to be the new “Sopranos,” before shooting itself in the foot at the end of the second season. Jimmy's death was inevitable, as the wounds left by his time fighting during World War I never really healed, but it still hurt like hell when it finally happened. After failing to take out his mentor in a botched assassination attempt, Nucky got his revenge by blowing Jimmy's brains out. The series subsequently ran for a couple Jimmy-less seasons and was not better for it.
#5: Brian Griffin “Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)
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Viewers do not seem to agree when “Family Guy” lost the plot. Some say that it was around season eight, others believe that everything after its revival sucks, and a few would go as far as to say it was always terrible. By the time Season 12 started, nothing Seth MacFarlane cooked up could possibly surprise us – except, maybe, killing one of the Griffins. So, Brian got hit by a car and went to doggy heaven. The surprisingly poignant episode hit home for anyone who ever lost a pet, but two episodes later, Stewie goes back in time and saves him – making the whole thing pointless and manipulative.
#4: Marissa Cooper “The O.C.” (2003-07)
There is nothing worse than a meaningless death, especially when it comes completely out of nowhere. In its first year, “The O.C.” proved to be a massive hit, but was in decline just two years later. Showing that they were truly out of ideas, the writers decided to spice things up by axing off a main character. Marissa drew the short straw and bowed out after a tragic car accident. Sure, the moment served its purpose. It shocked viewers so much that they forgot to tune in for Season 4.
#3: Maude Flanders “The Simpsons” (1989-)
“Alone Again, Natura-Diddily” is not the worst “Simpsons” episode ever, but it is the one that had arguably the worst impact. Maude Flanders was hardly anyone's favorite character, but she served as an able enough straight woman to the countless insane characters that populate Springfield. Unlike everything that came before it, her death could not be reversed or ignored - it changed “The Simpsons” forever. Ignoring that Homer is at his absolute jerkiest during this episode, her departure ruined Ned's character, as he became a caricature of the person he used to be. He even goes on dates in the same episode Maude dies! Have some class, man.
#2: Rita Morgan “Dexter” (2006-13)
Dexter – the show and character – lost everything when he found Rita lying motionless in their bathtub. During the climax to a season-long storyline, which saw the serial killer in a battle of wits and body parts with John Lithgow's Trinity Killer, Dexter arrived home to find the family life he had worked so hard to build shattered. The episode itself is damn near perfect, but Julie Benz's departure threw the series out of balance. She was the fire to Dexter's ice and together they formed the heart of the show. Despite trying to replace her time and time again, Dexter continued to fall short.
#1: Charlie Harper “Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)
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Someone, please explain to Chuck Lorre the difference between fiction and reality. After a falling out with Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men” lost its leading man and had to bring in a replacement, in the form of Ashton Kutcher's Walden. Despite Kelso's best efforts, Walden and Alan failed to replicate any of the chemistry seen between the two brothers. To be fair, Lorre's decision to spend all of Season 9 pissing on Charlie's character to get back at Sheen certainly did not help. Adding insult to injury, they dragged Charlie back in the series finale to once again kill him off in pathetic fashion.
