I hate TV character deaths. I’ve interviewed and read interviews with plenty of TV showrunners and it’s always the same. Deaths happen because they have to mean something. They have to have dramatic impact, they have to hurt, and they make for great TV.
My inner response to those claims are always the same. Bulls***! I watch TV for escapism, not realism. If I wanted tragic deaths, I just have to watch the 6:00 news. However, the network programing monkeys still think there’s value in killing off characters, especially when writing teams just don’t know what to do with the characters and/or actors anymore and this little thing called budget crops up before renewal announcements every season, not to mention they need to close the season with a bang. Time for a spectacular death!
Here’s a list of a few characters from current shows that for me have left a painful void in their shows. With the fall TV season right around the corner, this fangirl clings to fantasies that we’ll see them back in some capacity, from returning as series regulars to occasional flashback episodes. I’ve grown too fond of these characters and I’m not ready to move on.
Please note that I’m not acknowledging any spoilers here, so if you’ve heard that one or more of these characters are going to appear (and/or return) in some capacity in the upcoming season, please keep it to yourself. I also love surprises! The network gurus at least have that right about me.
I hate TV character deaths. I’ve interviewed and read interviews with plenty of TV showrunners and it’s always the same. Deaths happen because they have to mean something. They have to have dramatic impact, they have to hurt, and they make for great TV.
My inner response to those claims are always the same. Bulls***! I watch TV for escapism, not realism. If I wanted tragic deaths, I just have to watch the 6:00 news. However, the network programing monkeys still think there’s value in killing off characters, especially when writing teams just don’t know what to do with the characters and/or actors anymore and this little thing called budget crops up before renewal announcements every season, not to mention they need to close the season with a bang. Time for a spectacular death!
Here’s a list of a few characters from current shows that for me have left a painful void in their shows. With the fall TV season right around the corner, this fangirl clings to fantasies that we’ll see them back in some capacity, from returning as series regulars to occasional flashback episodes. I’ve grown too fond of these characters and I’m not ready to move on.
Please note that I’m not acknowledging any spoilers here, so if you’ve heard that one or more of these characters are going to appear (and/or return) in some capacity in the upcoming season, please keep it to yourself. I also love surprises! The network gurus at least have that right about me.
Alaric Saltzman – The Vampire Diaries
The fact that Alaric was killed off is still inexplicable to me. He was the perfect sidekick! A vampire hunter who became best friends and an ally with one of the two lead vampires. He was Tonto, Watson, Robin and Chewbacca all rolled into one! He was someone who was useful and needed.
Sure, he was a guardian that really didn’t do too much, um, guardianing. He was a dude with a ring that kept bringing him back to life, no matter how many times he died. Heck, his own best friend would just kill him when the mood suited him. Yeah, returning from the dead so many times came with a nasty bout of homicidal insanity, but don’t we all have our demons?
I know Damon Salvatore is a vampire, and just about everyone around him dies, with the exception of his own vampire brother. It seems to be the mantra of this show. But, but, he had a best friend!!! They were absolutely awesome together! They kicked ass together! They openly drank in the classroom together! Alaric didn’t have to die. He may have some tragically failed romances, but bromances are important too. Damon and Alaric were epic.
Alaric also added something to the mix that took this teen drama to a new level. A damaged responsible adult. Er, semi responsible anyway, since he was a high school history teacher who would chaperone teen parties in which his underage students were openly consuming alcohol, something that would get any normal guy fired. But the mere idea of a vampire hunter befriending a vampire? Delicious! It worked so well and shouldn’t have ended so abruptly, rather than be transferred haphazardly to Jeremy and Elena, brother vampire hunter and sister vampire.
Yes, Alaric came back in one of those “lifting the veil” ghost stories they love to do, and he and Damon were back to business as usual. Except the veil went back up and Alaric was gone. We only got two episodes! I need more. They brought Jeremy back (and trust me I’m very happy about that) but why not Alaric?? Matt Davis’ other show failed. He’s available! While the premise of bringing back someone like Alaric from the dead seem ludicrous for most shows, it’s just another day at the office for The Vampire Diaries. Come on Caroline Dries, make it happen!
Favorite quotes:
(To Jeremy) You know that your old teacher had a jackass file? No joke. It’s, uh, typed on a label. It has all the troublemakers in it. But really, it’s just an opus to you.
(Damon and Alaric meet in a bar)
Damon: Behold the teacher. Don’t you have some papers to grade?
Alaric:It’s, uh, more fun with a buzz.
Damon: Well, most things in life are. Sober’s… depressing.
Yeah, Elijah’s one scary dude. But with nice hair.
Damon: Andie wants me to pick her up.
Alaric: Your fake, compelled girlfriend wants you to be a chivalrous boyfriend?
Damon: Well, it’s a complicated dynamic. Hold the fort down, will you?
Alaric: You mean the fort full of my drunk history students?
Damon: Drink more. It’ll feel less weird.
Damon: Look, if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can’t you cut me a little slack, Ric?
Alaric: I shouldn’t have to get over it. I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
Damon: Well! Sometimes… I do things I don’t have to do.
Alaric: You’re going to recycle that same crap ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?
Damon: Yeah. Well… I didn’t mean it with him.
I agree with almost all of these. I never watched Breaking Bad, or The Simpsons (hangs head in shame), but all the shows I do watch I agree with. Frankly, I would have preferred Alaric to come back over Jeremy. Killing Bobby was a HUGE mistake. I always thought they should have had him in a coma, on life support so he could come back if needed, but still be off the table for season seven. Well, they didn’t ask me, so…
Ianto Jones – Torchwood
This is my first time posting. I don’t know if this death will count because I don’t know if there will be more seasons of Torchwood or not, but here goes….
Torchwood is about a team of people, but Ianto was the real heart of the team. He was funny, caring, witty, and extremely loyal.
Many spoilers follow.
I realize some people may say that his death did serve a purpose in that it caused Jack to be so broken that he was able to kill his own grandson in the next ep, but for me, Ianto’s death was sad and meaningless. It was a death simply because Torchwood is a dark show, and no one is safe. I do like dark shows. However, only when something is accomplished by that person’s death. Even Tosh and Owen had a hero’s death because they were helping save Cardiff, and possibly the world, when they died.
I digress, but Ianto simply died; there was no greater meaning. I mean some would say he died in the name of duty, but for me, there was no purpose to his death.
I’m getting sad just writing this, but I’ve been a lurker for a while, so it makes me happy finally posting.
As, a final note, I agree with what’s been said previously, and I enjoyed the article.
Welcome first time poster! I always get excited when a lurker posts for the first time. I’m happy you took the time to post here!
Honestly, Torchwood is on my list of shows I must see. To show you how behind the eight ball I am, I’m still in the 2005 season of Dr. Who. Never seen it before. So Torchwood will happen eventually. Thank God for Netflix.
You didn’t spoil anything for me, but I do get the lingering pain of a character death from shows past. I was always bitter about Charlie, Sun and Jin on Lost and Jonathan Kent on Smallville. It affects the way you go back and rewatch shows, no?
Thanks for posting and I hope to see more from you in the future.
I don’t watch all of these shows but I enjoyed the article. The loss of Bobby from SPN and Alaric from TVD were two of the ones that stung. Especially Bobby, he was one of my favorite characters of all time. I found Damon and Alaric very charismatic together and I hope they can bring him back in some form. I love seeing Bobby every time he reappears but I am always torn between that and thinking they should just leave it be!
I always hate it when a character gets killed off when contract negotiations break down with an actor. It seems so mean spirited to me. Not only do you get no raise but we will kill you off so you can’t return ingrate!! I don’t think that happened with these two actors mind, you just that it does happen sometimes.
comma s/b after ‘you’ in last sentence! Sheesh.