15 Most Unnecessary TV Character Deaths – TVLine

Television can be cruel. For all the amazing stories and jaw-dropping cliffhangers that leave viewers aghast, far too many shows devastate viewers by killing off a beloved character.Sometimes, those heartbreaking losses elevate a series, pushing the story into bold new territory or forcing the remaining cast to deal with the emotional fallout. Other times, a death feels like it serves no purpose at all.Unfortunately, this happens quite a bit.

Countless examples exist of a television show offing a character for inexplicable reasons. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes turmoil, cheap shock value, or simply because the writers needed to push another character in a bold new direction, television history is marred by pointless deaths that often left the series in shambles.

These deaths aren’t necessarily bad, but in many cases, their narrative goals could have been achieved in better ways.Whether the result of production drama or questionable creative decisions, these are the 15 most unnecessary TV character deaths ever.

Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) enjoyed quite the character arc from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to “Angel.” Beginning as a shallow mean girl, she gradually evolved into one of the franchise’s greatest heroes, only to turn into a possessed villain … and then back to her old self … uh, for one brief episode.

That’s right. After enduring so much pain and suffering, Cordelia finally returns in “You’re Welcome,” does some stuff, and then dies off-screen. She never awakens from a coma and only returned to guide Angel on a better path. What a waste for a truly great character.

Sure, Cordelia gives Angel (David Boreanaz) the push he needs, but it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have found his way eventually. More importantly, her death doesn’t fundamentally alter “Angel.” The series rolls on almost exactly as it would have if Cordelia had simply remained in her coma. The whole episode comes across like the writers hastily tying up a loose end.

Of course, it’s impossible to ignore the behind-the-scenes controversy involving Joss Whedon. We’ll let you be the judge on whether that had any bearing on her death.

Poor Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg). For years, she dealt with George Costanza (Jason Alexander) and his cynical friends on “Seinfeld,” even swearing off men and dating women at one point. In a cruel twist of fate, the show has no further use for her and kills her off via envelope poisoning.

Yes, it’s a darkly funny comedy beat, but it also feels a tad too cruel and pointless, even for “Seinfeld,” particularly in the way George reacts to her death. It’s also just downright lazy.

Look, we get it. Single George is more interesting than married George, and a wedding probably would’ve never worked. Surely there was a better way to write Susan off the show. Was death really her only option?

As it turns out, the answer is probably no. Over the years, Jason Alexander has admitted that the “Seinfeld” cast struggled to find comedic chemistry with Heidi Swedberg. If that’s all true, then Susan’s death feels even more like the writers getting rid of a problem in the laziest way imaginable.

It’s tricky to call Lucy Knight’s (Kellie Martin) death on “ER” unnecessary because it definitely left an emotional mark on the series. The problem is, viewers spent two seasons watching the character evolve from an overly eager med student into a much more capable, self-assured physician. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she’s attacked by a patient experiencing a mental health crisis and killed off.

Lucy’s death makes her journey kind of meaningless. What was the point of watching her grow and evolve if the plan was to toss her aside like a day-old surgical mask? Well, as it turns out, showrunner John Wells wanted to send John Carter (Noah Wyle) down the path toward drug addiction,needed a catalyst, and settled on Lucy.

Ouch.

In other words, Lucy died out of mere convenience. Nothing more. The writers envisioned a dream scenario for Carter and didn’t want to waste time establishing a more plausible scenario to meet their goal. That’s really lame.We could think of a thousand different ways Carter could have become a drug addict without sacrificing Lucy. Then again, this is the show that dropped a helicopter on Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) — twice! Maybe we expected too much.

On paper, the death of Rita Morgan (Julie Benz) on “Dexter” probably looked absolutely sensational. A shocking twist that would stir the pot, so to speak, and end Season 4 on a memorable note.

Too bad no one stopped to consider how Rita’s death would affect the rest of the series. Rita, you see, served as the beating heart of “Dexter” and the person who anchored its titular serial killer to humanity. Through her, viewers watched Dexter (Michael C. Hall) struggle with everyday issues like fatherhood and being a husband. Without Rita, both the character and the show lost an important piece of their soul, leaving a void the remaining seasons never successfully filled.

Sure, the finale accomplished its goal of giving audiences something to talk about for a while. Unfortunately, the series spent the next four seasons proving that Rita was far more valuable to Dexter alive than dead. Without her, he was just another serial killer.

If Rita’s death negatively altered a great show in exchange for a cheap twist, Maude Flanders (Maggie Roswell), the kindly wife of Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) on “The Simpsons,” did the opposite: Her death accomplished almost nothing. Aside from rendering Ned a widower and sending him on a few dating side quests, the world of Springfield quickly returned to normal.

Think about this: did anyone miss Maude? She died way back in Season 11 and has rarely been mentioned since. Aside from a handful of episodes centered on Ned’s grief, it’s almost as if she never existed.

One second she’s there, and the next she’s gone. Not only that, she goes out on a joke, which undermines the tragedy. It’s just an abrupt exit driven by behind-the-scenes turmoil involving thevoice actress Maggie Roswell. For a character who had been part of “The Simpsons” since the very beginning, you would think the writers would give Maude a more meaningful sendoff.

Sometimes a show simply doesn’t want to evolve. Such is the case with “Veronica Mars,” which kills fan favorite Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) during the Season 4 revival to ensure our plucky detective, Veronica (Kristen Bell), returns to her roots as the lonely noir heroine she had always been.

Needless to say, fans weren’t happy. Showrunner Rob Thomas insists that Logan’s death was necessary to get the series back on track. Whether he’s right is up for debate. “Veronica Mars” likely wouldn’t work with our plucky detective solving cases alongside her beau — or maybe it would.

We’ll likely never know since a) Logan is dead, and b) there are currently no plans for “Veronica Mars” Season 5. Meaning, Veronica’s (and by default, the fans’) final moments in the series are spent watching Logan die in a car bombing. That probably doesn’t entice a lot of rewatch parties.

Hindsight is 20/20, but knowing that a fifth season may never materialize, maybe Thomas should have let Veronica ride off into the sunset on a more positive note.

Did Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) need to die?

It’s a fair question to ask about the beloved “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” character, who gets hit by a random stray bullet in Season 6 and dies in the arms of her lover, Willow (Alyson Hannigan). Tara’s death kicks off the famed Dark Willow arc … but honestly, there were other ways for that storyline to come about.

Who needs carefully orchestrated pathos when a stray bullet can do the same job in a quarter of the time? It feels cheap and ridiculous to kill the show’s kindest character just as she was developing into something truly special. But, like Lucy in “ER,” the writers wanted the Dark Willow arc and needed a sacrificial lamb to make that storyline happen, even though Willow’s descent into darkness had already been steadily building throughout the season.

Also, Tara’s death doesn’t really break any new ground. By this point, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” had already proven no one was safe. Killing another beloved character no longer felt shocking. And so, Tara’s death is merely another entry in a long line of tragedies, with only one goal: to push Willow closer to the Dark Side.

Few deaths are more contrived than that of Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) in “Game of Thrones.” The beloved character meets her end when the story suddenly needs one last reason for Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) to go bonkers. So, yes, technically, her death serves a purpose, but, like almost everything in Season 8, it feels more contrived than heartbreaking and simply not necessary.

By that point, Daenerys had lost one of her dragons, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was giving her the cold shoulder, Cersei (Lena Headey) refused to surrender, and many of her followers questioned her claim to the throne.Oh, and she probably needed more coffee from Starbucks.

Missandei could have survived, and nothing about the final few episodes would have changed — well, except Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) might have smiled a little more. In fact, keeping her alive probably would’ve made for a stronger story. Watching Missandei grapple with Daenerys burning King’s Landing to the ground would’ve been far more compelling than using her as one last cheap shot to subvert expectations.

For all its merits, “24” occasionally punched itself in the face harder than Jack Bauer ever punched a terrorist. The most egregious and completely unwarranted example is the death of Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth) in the opening minutes of Season 5.

For three seasons, Michelle made all the right moves, surviving shootouts, explosions, car chases, and mole hunts alongside Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and company to become one of the show’s most dependable characters. Then, in the span of a few minutes, all that carefully crafted development goes up in smoke for an extra dose of pointless shock value. Her death didn’t even need to happen!

In the very same episode, franchise stalwart David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) is assassinated — a traumatic enough event on its own to grab viewers’ attention. Killing Michelle immediately afterward feels excessive, especially since she never gets the opportunity to play a meaningful role in the season.

Worse, Michelle’s death largely exists to give Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) a reason to spiral in the seasons that follow. Like Lucy Knight in “ER,” she becomes another beloved character discarded so someone else can have a more compelling storyline. Groan.

It’s weird how “The Walking Dead” worked so hard to manufacture drama when it already featured …checks notes… zombies. Season 3 alone boasts an absurd body count, specifically among the main cast, making the death of Andrea Harrison (Laurie Holden) in the finale feel more redundant than devastating.

From a narrative standpoint, Andrea’s death meant viewers never got to see her full evolution from stubborn follower to capable leader. Original showrunner Frank Darabont reportedly envisioned a much longer future for the character that hewed closer to her comic book counterpart, but his departure ushered in a new creative direction.

Imagine the possibilities!

Had Darabont remained at the helm, there’s a good chance Andrea would’ve evolved into something closer to her comic book counterpart. Instead, “The Walking Dead” kills her before she ever gets the chance to redeem herself or become the character she was meant to be. Sure, plenty of fans were probably relieved to see one of the show’s most annoying characters bite the dust, but come on … alive, Andrea could have added a lot more to the series. In death, she offers nothing.

In “Downton Abbey,” the relatively tidy foundations of the Crawley family collapse when affable Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) wrecks his car following the birth of his son at the end of the Season 3 Christmas episode. After several years of will-they/won’t-they, our boy finally tied the knot with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), giving the show a central couple that fans couldn’t wait to rally behind.

Unfortunately, Stevens decided to move on from the series, forcing the writers into a difficult position. Like so many deaths on this list, they responded by pulling the rug out from under viewers, abruptly killing off one of the show’s best characters.

Did the series ever fully recover from his death? Eh, that’s up to you to decide. Suffice it to say, Matthew’ssudden car accident (on a perfectly sunny day, on an empty road, no less) rings hollow. The story suddenly took an enormous step backward, resetting characters like Mary (Michelle Dockery) just as she had evolved into a better version of herself.

“Downton Abbey” was never afraid to kill pivotal characters, but none felt as abrupt, pointless, or downright cruel as Matthew’s demise.

Ugh, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) is arguably the worst offender on this list. For over a decade, fans of “Grey’s Anatomy” invested in the romance and eventual marriage of Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), a relationship that served as the emotional backbone of the series.

Eventually, Patrick Dempsey grew tired of the grueling production schedule, and according to former producers interviewed for Lynette Rice’s book “How to Save a Life,” his behavior on set became so tiresome that creator Shonda Rhimes decided he had to go. As a result, Derek was promptly written off the show in one of the most hackneyed ways imaginable — medical incompetence.

Surely there was a better way for the character to exit the series. He and Meredith could have divorced, or he could have moved to Washington, D.C., leaving the door open for an eventual return. Actors leave television shows all the time; that doesn’t mean their characters have to die. Heck, Sandra Oh’s character simply transferred to another hospital!

Derek’s death certainly had a profound impact on “Grey’s Anatomy,” particularly Meredith. But after 11 seasons, one of television’s most iconic surgeons deserved a more fitting sendoff than becoming the victim of a ridiculous series of unfortunate events simply to pile more trauma onto poor Meredith.

Commander Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) from “The 100” dies in a similar manner to Tara from the entry above. She finally consummates her love with Clarke (Eliza Taylor), only to be accidentally shot moments later. It’s terrible, heartbreaking, and … acomplete betrayal of the character.

For years, fans watched Lexa grow into a strong and capable leader while patiently waiting for her relationship with Clarke to blossom. Finally, after so much buildup, the series pulls the rug out from under everyone, closing the book on Lexa’s journey … largely because actress Alycia Debnam-Carey was leaving for “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Once again, we’re left asking why death was the only option. If Lexa had to leave the show, why not find a more fulfilling way for her to leave? Did her death need to be so … dumb?

“Shocking” deaths are nothing more than manipulative shortcuts. When done right, you get the Red Wedding in “Game of Thrones.” When done poorly, we get to watch a pivotal character catch a stray bullet to the chest. Guess which one lingers in the pop-culture zeitgeist?

Jimmy Smits’ exit from “NYPD Blue” is a bit trickier because his character, Bobby Simone, actually receives a fitting farewell. Granted, his heart infection appears out of nowhere, but he gets to say goodbye to his friends and the character more or less gets a proper farewell.

Still, we’d argue his death simply wasn’t necessary.

As with Derek Shepherd earlier, Bobby’s farewell could have easily gone in a much happier direction: retirement, a transfer to another precinct, or a fresh start elsewhere with Diane Russell (Kim Delaney). The emotional impact likely would’ve remained largely the same while leaving the door open for one of television’s best detectives to return someday. Why do beloved characters always have to meet the Grim Reaper every time an actor decides to move on?

Doug Ross (George Clooney) from “ER” offers the perfect counterexample. He simply leaves County General, allowing audiences to imagine the rest of his story while giving the series an opportunity to revisit him years later. Bobby Simone deserved that same chance instead of meeting an early grave simply to squeeze a few tears from the audience.

Our last entry also stems from behind-the-scenes turmoil. In the television series “Cheers,” Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas) enjoys a recurring role as the loud-mouthed husband of Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman). He only appears in nine episodes but certainly leaves an impression after every visit to the bar … and then he dies off-screen.

No, really. In the Season 8 episode “Death Takes a Holiday on Ice,” we learn that Eddie was killed in a freak accident involving a Zamboni. Uh … okay. “Cheers” was no stranger to outrageous humor, but this one felt especially bizarre.

As it turns out, Jay Thomas made jokes about Rhea Perlman that reportedly upset the cast and crew, prompting the writers to write Eddie out of the show and, in the process, bringing Carla’s marriage to an abrupt end.

Now for the fundamental question: did Eddie really need to die? If Perlman no longer wanted to work with Thomas, there were plenty of other solutions. Keep Eddie offscreen. Have the couple separate. Recast the role. Anything. Flattening him with a Zamboni ruins Carla’s story arc. We understand why the writers did it, but we wish they would have chosen a different (or at least more plausible) path.