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Weird20 Shocking TV Deaths That We Will Never Get Over
By Paige Gawley
@paigegawley
and Claire Spellberg
@c_spellberg
Published
Nov. 8, 2017, 8:00 p.m. ET
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Join us in mourning the television characters that we just can't forget about.
Photos: Everett Collection, HBO; Photo Illustration: Dillen Phelps
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Ned Stark on Game Of Thrones (2001)
When Robert dies and Joffrey takes the throne Ned speaks out against Joffrey being king. Ned is incarcerated and taken to the steps of the Great Sept of Balor. With Arya and Sansa watching, and with Joffrey smirking, Ned is beheaded in front of a large crowd. This marked the first time a major character was killed off of the show and it certainly set a precedent for future episodes. [Where to stream Game of Thrones]
When Robert dies and Joffrey takes the throne Ned speaks out against Joffrey being king. Ned is incarcerated and taken to the steps of the Great Sept of Balor. With Arya and Sansa watching, and with Joffrey smirking, Ned is beheaded in front of a large crowd. This marked the first time a major character was killed off of the show and it certainly set a precedent for future episodes. [Where to stream Game of Thrones]
Photo: HBO
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Zoe Barnes on House of Cards (2014)
Fans of the British version of House of Cards might have seen Zoe’s murder coming, but nothing can prepare you for how violently abrasive Frank Underwood’s final push feels.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Fans of the British version of House of Cards might have seen Zoe’s murder coming, but nothing can prepare you for how violently abrasive Frank Underwood’s final push feels.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: Netflix
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Susan Ross on Seinfeld (1996)
Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg) may have suffered the most ridiculous death on this list. After getting engaged to George Costanza, Susan spends much of her time mailing invitations to their guests. Unfortunately for Susan (but fortunately for George, who felt trapped in the relationship), the cheap glue on the envelopes was toxic, and she licked and sealed so many invitations that she overdosed and died. Poor Susan: marrying George probably would've been bad enough.
[Stream Seinfeld on Hulu]
Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg) may have suffered the most ridiculous death on this list. After getting engaged to George Costanza, Susan spends much of her time mailing invitations to their guests. Unfortunately for Susan (but fortunately for George, who felt trapped in the relationship), the cheap glue on the envelopes was toxic, and she licked and sealed so many invitations that she overdosed and died. Poor Susan: marrying George probably would've been bad enough.
[Stream Seinfeld on Hulu]
Hulu
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Dan Conner on Roseanne (1996)
Dan Conner's (John Goodman) death is one of the most unusual deaths in TV history. In the Season 8 episode "The Wedding," Dan has a heart attack at his daughter Darlene's wedding. Luckily, Dan survives and continues to go about his daily life with his wife Roseanne and their children. However, in the series finale, it's revealed that Roseanne altered the events of the final season, and Dan did in fact die from his heart attack at the wedding. Viewers were shocked at the revelation, and many refused to believe that this is how the beloved show would really end. As it turns out, these fans were right: it was recently announced that the Roseanne crew is getting together for a revival that will ignore Dan's death altogether.
[Stream Roseanne on Prime Video]
Dan Conner's (John Goodman) death is one of the most unusual deaths in TV history. In the Season 8 episode "The Wedding," Dan has a heart attack at his daughter Darlene's wedding. Luckily, Dan survives and continues to go about his daily life with his wife Roseanne and their children. However, in the series finale, it's revealed that Roseanne altered the events of the final season, and Dan did in fact die from his heart attack at the wedding. Viewers were shocked at the revelation, and many refused to believe that this is how the beloved show would really end. As it turns out, these fans were right: it was recently announced that the Roseanne crew is getting together for a revival that will ignore Dan's death altogether.
[Stream Roseanne on Prime Video]
Amazon
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Maude Flanders on The Simpsons (2000)
The Simpsons has never shied away from bleak content, but in 2000, our hearts broke when the animated comedy killed off Maude Flanders (voiced by Maggie Roswell), wife of the Simpsons' too-friendly neighbor Ned Flanders. The Simpsons and the Flanders attend a stock car race, where Homer spends the entire time trying to catch a t-shirt that cheerleaders are firing into the crowd. Just as Homer attracts the cheerleaders' attention, he bends down to pick up a bobby pin, and Maude, carrying a tray of hot dogs, is hit with a barrage of t-shirts soaring through the air. The t-shirts are moving so fast that they knock Maude back over the edge of the bleachers and she falls to her death on the parking lot below. RIP Maude Flanders.
[Where to Stream The Simpsons]
The Simpsons has never shied away from bleak content, but in 2000, our hearts broke when the animated comedy killed off Maude Flanders (voiced by Maggie Roswell), wife of the Simpsons' too-friendly neighbor Ned Flanders. The Simpsons and the Flanders attend a stock car race, where Homer spends the entire time trying to catch a t-shirt that cheerleaders are firing into the crowd. Just as Homer attracts the cheerleaders' attention, he bends down to pick up a bobby pin, and Maude, carrying a tray of hot dogs, is hit with a barrage of t-shirts soaring through the air. The t-shirts are moving so fast that they knock Maude back over the edge of the bleachers and she falls to her death on the parking lot below. RIP Maude Flanders.
[Where to Stream The Simpsons]
YouTube
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Adriana La Cerva on The Sopranos (2004)
As soon as Adriana (Drea de Matteo) started cooperating with the FBI in Season 4 of The Sopranos, we knew things weren't going to end well for her. At the end of Season 5, Adriana attempts to convince her fiancée Christopher that they should tell the feds what they know and join the Witness Protection Program. Christopher leaves, saying he has to think about it, and rats out Adriana to Tony and Silvio. Of course, once the bosses know about Adriana's betrayal, they have no choice but to drive her out to the woods and execute her. In a unique Sopranos move, the camera tilted up right as Silvio aimed his gun at Adriana, preventing us from seeing (but not hearing) her murder.
[Stream The Sopranos on HBO]
As soon as Adriana (Drea de Matteo) started cooperating with the FBI in Season 4 of The Sopranos, we knew things weren't going to end well for her. At the end of Season 5, Adriana attempts to convince her fiancée Christopher that they should tell the feds what they know and join the Witness Protection Program. Christopher leaves, saying he has to think about it, and rats out Adriana to Tony and Silvio. Of course, once the bosses know about Adriana's betrayal, they have no choice but to drive her out to the woods and execute her. In a unique Sopranos move, the camera tilted up right as Silvio aimed his gun at Adriana, preventing us from seeing (but not hearing) her murder.
[Stream The Sopranos on HBO]
HBO
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Omar on The Wire (2008)
Let’s be real: most fans of The Wire thought Omar was going to die. Well, there’s a high probability that he would die, at least. What no one saw coming was how exceptionally mundane his death would wind out to be.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Let’s be real: most fans of The Wire thought Omar was going to die. Well, there’s a high probability that he would die, at least. What no one saw coming was how exceptionally mundane his death would wind out to be.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: HBO
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Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002)
Tara's (Amber Benson) death was so shocking because it was a complete accident. As Tara and her girlfriend Willow reconcile, Buffy and Xander talk in the backyard. Suddenly, Warren, an enemy of the Scooby Gang, appears with a gun and fires two shots: one at Buffy, and another into the air as he's running away. Unfortunately, the second bullet flies through Willow's window and strikes Tara in the back, fatally piercing her heart. While Tara's death helped Willow to develop and hone her powers, Buffy fans weren't happy that Willow's growth came at the expense of a favorite, and culturally significant, character.
[Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu]
Tara's (Amber Benson) death was so shocking because it was a complete accident. As Tara and her girlfriend Willow reconcile, Buffy and Xander talk in the backyard. Suddenly, Warren, an enemy of the Scooby Gang, appears with a gun and fires two shots: one at Buffy, and another into the air as he's running away. Unfortunately, the second bullet flies through Willow's window and strikes Tara in the back, fatally piercing her heart. While Tara's death helped Willow to develop and hone her powers, Buffy fans weren't happy that Willow's growth came at the expense of a favorite, and culturally significant, character.
[Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu]
Hulu
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Wallace on The Wire (2002)
There were a lot of memorable deaths on The Wire, but few were as heartbreaking as the death of Wallace (Michael B. Jordan), a young drug dealer in D'Angelo Barksdale's crew. In Season 1, Wallace is picked up by the police and trades his freedom for information about a murder. The police send Wallace to live with his grandmother, but he soon gets bored of the country life and returns to the drug game in Baltimore, and it's not long before the higher-ups learn about Wallace's cooperation with the cops. Stringer Bell assigns Wallace's best friends to kill him, and the resulting stand-off is one of the most emotional moments in The Wire history.
[Stream The Wire on HBO]
There were a lot of memorable deaths on The Wire, but few were as heartbreaking as the death of Wallace (Michael B. Jordan), a young drug dealer in D'Angelo Barksdale's crew. In Season 1, Wallace is picked up by the police and trades his freedom for information about a murder. The police send Wallace to live with his grandmother, but he soon gets bored of the country life and returns to the drug game in Baltimore, and it's not long before the higher-ups learn about Wallace's cooperation with the cops. Stringer Bell assigns Wallace's best friends to kill him, and the resulting stand-off is one of the most emotional moments in The Wire history.
[Stream The Wire on HBO]
HBO
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Lane Pryce on Mad Men (2012)
After spending three seasons with the affable Lane Pryce (Jared Harris), his suicide at the end of Season 5 came as a total shock to viewers. Earlier in the episode, Don learns that Lane embezzled his Christmas bonus from the company, and Don fires him, giving Lane the weekend to "think of an elegant exit." When Lane arrives home, he unsuccessfully attempts to take his life by poisoning himself with carbon monoxide, but the car doesn't start. He then goes to his office at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, where he hangs himself. On Monday, his coworkers find his body, leaving each feeling uniquely responsible for his death.
[Stream Mad Men on Netflix]
After spending three seasons with the affable Lane Pryce (Jared Harris), his suicide at the end of Season 5 came as a total shock to viewers. Earlier in the episode, Don learns that Lane embezzled his Christmas bonus from the company, and Don fires him, giving Lane the weekend to "think of an elegant exit." When Lane arrives home, he unsuccessfully attempts to take his life by poisoning himself with carbon monoxide, but the car doesn't start. He then goes to his office at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, where he hangs himself. On Monday, his coworkers find his body, leaving each feeling uniquely responsible for his death.
[Stream Mad Men on Netflix]
Netflix
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Michael Cordero, Jr. on Jane the Virgin (2017)
Michael (Brett Dier) has a rough go of it on Jane the Virgin. At the end of Season 2, he's shot for getting too close to discovering the truth about Sin Rostro, a drug lord. Michael survives and recovers throughout Season 3, and he prepares for a new career as a attorney alongside his wife Jane. However, immediately after taking the LSAT, Michael collapses and dies from a heart condition that developed as a result of the original shooting. For fans hoping that Jane and Michael would get their happy ending, Michael's death was a huge loss.
[Stream Jane the Virgin on Netflix]
Michael (Brett Dier) has a rough go of it on Jane the Virgin. At the end of Season 2, he's shot for getting too close to discovering the truth about Sin Rostro, a drug lord. Michael survives and recovers throughout Season 3, and he prepares for a new career as a attorney alongside his wife Jane. However, immediately after taking the LSAT, Michael collapses and dies from a heart condition that developed as a result of the original shooting. For fans hoping that Jane and Michael would get their happy ending, Michael's death was a huge loss.
[Stream Jane the Virgin on Netflix]
Netflix
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Marissa Cooper on The O.C. (2006)
Right after the gang graduates high school Ryan drives Marissa to the airport so that she can go spend the summer with her dad. On the way, the horrible Volchok runs Marissa and Ryan off of the road and causes their car to flip. Though Marissa was never my favorite character, watching her die in the middle of the street in Ryan's arms was sob inducing. [Where to stream The O.C.]
Right after the gang graduates high school Ryan drives Marissa to the airport so that she can go spend the summer with her dad. On the way, the horrible Volchok runs Marissa and Ryan off of the road and causes their car to flip. Though Marissa was never my favorite character, watching her die in the middle of the street in Ryan's arms was sob inducing. [Where to stream The O.C.]
Photo: Fox
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Lt. Col. Henry Braymore Blake on M*A*S*H* (1975)
The cast’s stunned reaction to learning about Blake’s off-screen death was spurred by the fact that the writers kept the plot twist a secret from everyone but Alan Alda.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
The cast’s stunned reaction to learning about Blake’s off-screen death was spurred by the fact that the writers kept the plot twist a secret from everyone but Alan Alda.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Teri Bauer on 24 (2002)
Heroes lose their loved ones all the time in action thrillers, but 24 fans were stunned by Teri Bauer’s death because it made all that Jack had gone through seem all the more pointless.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Heroes lose their loved ones all the time in action thrillers, but 24 fans were stunned by Teri Bauer’s death because it made all that Jack had gone through seem all the more pointless.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: Fox
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Will Gardner on The Good Wife (2014)
How do I put this? People just don’t die on The Good Wife! This isn’t a show about spies or soldiers or mythical knights. It’s about lawyers in Chicago. So, when Will Gardner died out of nowhere, it wasn’t just a brutal character death, it was a reminder that in the world of TV, no one is ever really, truly safe.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
How do I put this? People just don’t die on The Good Wife! This isn’t a show about spies or soldiers or mythical knights. It’s about lawyers in Chicago. So, when Will Gardner died out of nowhere, it wasn’t just a brutal character death, it was a reminder that in the world of TV, no one is ever really, truly safe.
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: CBS
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Derek Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy (2015)
The core love story at the heart of Grey’s Anatomy came to a shocking end this spring when the show killed off “McDreamy.” Grey’s Anatomy fans were used to loss, but this one hurt because it was teased out. Most people thought he was going to pull through
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
The core love story at the heart of Grey’s Anatomy came to a shocking end this spring when the show killed off “McDreamy.” Grey’s Anatomy fans were used to loss, but this one hurt because it was teased out. Most people thought he was going to pull through
[Stream The Death Scene Here]
Photo: ABC
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Clay Appuzzo on I'm Dying Up Here (2017)
Clay (Sebastian Stan) wasn't around for very long, but boy did his death make an impression. In the first episode of I'm Dying Up Here, the stand-up comedian makes it big by scoring an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. After celebrating at his hotel, Clay walks down the street and is suddenly hit by a bus. Yup, the beautiful Sebastian Stan was killed off in the first 20 minutes of this Showtime pilot, leaving his comedian friends (and viewers) wondering what the hell just happened.
[Stream I'm Dying Up Here on Showtime]
Clay (Sebastian Stan) wasn't around for very long, but boy did his death make an impression. In the first episode of I'm Dying Up Here, the stand-up comedian makes it big by scoring an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. After celebrating at his hotel, Clay walks down the street and is suddenly hit by a bus. Yup, the beautiful Sebastian Stan was killed off in the first 20 minutes of this Showtime pilot, leaving his comedian friends (and viewers) wondering what the hell just happened.
[Stream I'm Dying Up Here on Showtime]
Showtime
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Ruby on The Deuce (2017)
The first season of David Simon and George Pelecanos' series about the illicit activities of 1970s New York ends quite literally with a bang. After spending all season with Ruby (Pernell Walker), a prostitute, she dies suddenly in the season finale. An argument with a john quickly turns violent, and when Ruby insists that he call her by her real name, not Thunder Things, he unceremoniously pushes her out an open window, causing Ruby to fall to her death.
[Stream The Deuce on HBO]
The first season of David Simon and George Pelecanos' series about the illicit activities of 1970s New York ends quite literally with a bang. After spending all season with Ruby (Pernell Walker), a prostitute, she dies suddenly in the season finale. An argument with a john quickly turns violent, and when Ruby insists that he call her by her real name, not Thunder Things, he unceremoniously pushes her out an open window, causing Ruby to fall to her death.
[Stream The Deuce on HBO]
HBO
