Comments (70)

1. Leo’s death on The West Wing was sad because John Spencer had actually died. That really bummed me out. The funeral scene was very nicely shot and showed a lot of minor characters mourning Leo/John. I’m sure Coach’s death on Cheers was a sad episode, but I’m blanking right now on what actually happened in that one.

   posted by James on 4-7-2009 at 2:12 pm

2. Susan’s death on Seinfeld was so unlike anything you would ever see in real life (both the cause of death and everyone’s reaction) but fit perfectly with the series.

   posted by Anna on 4-7-2009 at 2:16 pm

3. Dr. Green on ER. His death (by cancer) was drawn out over a season, if I remember correctly, but his last episode – with the letter that was pinned to the bulletin flapping in the bursts of air that came in the door. I don’t remember a lot of things from ER, because I stopped watching about 8 years ago, but that…that stuck.

   posted by Maggie on 4-7-2009 at 2:18 pm

4. I agree with Anna. Susan’s death on Seinfeld was classic. As for suicides, a recent one that stands out in my mind was John Locke’s “suicide” on Lost. The deaths on Lost in general have been pretty shocking: Boone, Shannon, and Mr. Eko to name a few. The most shocking deaths on Lost though were definitely Charlie’s death and Ana Lucia and Libby’s murder by Michael.

   posted by Andrew on 4-7-2009 at 2:24 pm

5. Mark me down for Dr. Greene as well. I never watched another ER episode after that.

   posted by Bev on 4-7-2009 at 2:26 pm

6. I don’t watch the show very much, and I don’t even remember the woman’s name, but on NCIS when the one agent died right at the end of the episode. That was crazy.

   Greg Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) from ER… it was the beginning of the end… where we saw all the characters go away episode by episode. but this one was really tragic and you thought he was going to make it and then WHAM.

   Lt. Col Henry Blake from MASH- I wasn’t even born when this first aired, but I just remember my parents recalling that episode. They cried talking about it.

   posted by Katy on 4-7-2009 at 2:29 pm

7. I think Col Henry Blake’s death on MASH was memorable.

   posted by Diana on 4-7-2009 at 2:31 pm

8. Definitely Dr. Greene from ER was a death that kind of shook any serious fan of the show – even though you knew it was coming, it stuck with you. On the flipside and staying with ER is Dr. Romano’s death – anyone else remember how bizarre that was?

   posted by Daph on 4-7-2009 at 2:36 pm

9. I’m with Maggie and Bev, I did not watch another episode of ER after Dr. Greene died.

   posted by Melanie on 4-7-2009 at 2:40 pm

10. Jenny Calendar from Buffy’s death stayed with me

    posted by Darbi on 4-7-2009 at 2:40 pm

11. In the final episode of “Johnny Sokko & his Flying Robot”, the robot averts nuclear disaster by ignoring Johnny’s commands and flying an atom bomb into the sun. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but as a kid it had me BAWLING.

    posted by TBV on 4-7-2009 at 2:56 pm

12. @ Daph—- Yeah I remember the helicopter falling on him.

    It sucked when Dr. Pratt died.

    posted by Jen on 4-7-2009 at 3:03 pm

13. RE Katy:

    I think the character you are thinking about was Kate. Jen (Lauren Holly) was also killed later in the series, she was the Director. As far as I know, and I love that show so I watch all the repeats I can on USA, those are on the only two agents/staff of NCIS to die.

    RE Jason:

    Congratulations on surviving your move! I might doing the same thing over the summer and am actually very much looking forward to it because it’s a great excuse to go through all my crap and clean house, haah, so I feel cleansed and like it’s a new start, a new chapter, when I settle in a new place.

    posted by Sarah in CA on 4-7-2009 at 3:05 pm

14. More recently – Warrick Brown on CSI.

    It was a very violent death. The same tone set on many episodes but dealt with, obviously, more fervently by the staff.

    posted by Annie on 4-7-2009 at 3:07 pm

15. Both Hank and Dean Venture during the Season 1 finale of the Venture Brothers. That was a hard to believe cliffhanger, made you think they were scrapping the show all together. Even better is when they resolve this Season 2.

    posted by Ed Lu on 4-7-2009 at 3:07 pm

16. RE: Sarah in CA on RE: Katy

    Yes, it was Kate. They were on top of a roof and she got shot in the head I think.

    posted by Katy on 4-7-2009 at 3:10 pm

17. Buffy’s mom Joyce on [i]Buffy[/i]. The episode where her body was discovered was haunting. The characters were used to dealing with supernatural deaths but didn’t know how to deal with a normal death of a loved one. There was also no sountrack music in the entire episode, which makes it even more memorable.

    posted by Jenn on 4-7-2009 at 3:12 pm

18. Charlie on Lost. I still miss him, even though it’s been 3 seasons now!

    posted by Sarah on 4-7-2009 at 3:13 pm

19. Bobby’s death on NYPD Blue was heart-wrenching.

    posted by loripop on 4-7-2009 at 3:13 pm

20. President David Palmer’s death on 24 shocked me. It made for a good plot point, but I was sad we’d never see him on the series again.

    posted by Shelly on 4-7-2009 at 3:21 pm

21. I agree with Dr. Greene on ER. I stopped watching after that. Also what about Scott, David Silver’s friend on 90210?

    posted by Andrea on 4-7-2009 at 3:23 pm

22. @ Jason, what happened to SPOILER ALERT?! I forgive you, you spared most of the details. Although someone else let it slip on Facebook and so now I can put two and two together…

    @Katy & Sarah,

    I was totally bummed out about Kate’s death in NCIS. Mostly because of the suddenness of it. What’s worse was that I watched it from my DVR for the first time a couple of months after it showed…for some reason, so I felt like I missed out on the initial hype and I still had to wait for the season premiere later on that summer. I was pretty depressed for a couple of days. Weird.

    But the director’s death was imminent because they had Gibbs find out about her test results and pills…the way she went out was the surprise, though. But her death was just like her character…on her own terms.

    posted by Kiki on 4-7-2009 at 3:44 pm

23. The first major character suicide on ER was actually Dennis Gant, in the first 2 or 3 seasons. He jumped in front of the El, and came into the ER where Carter, etc. worked on him. Benton was partially blamed for his death, for riding him so hard.

    It was a terrific, if horrifying, episode if I remember correctly.

    posted by jzimm on 4-7-2009 at 4:11 pm

24. The absolute worst for me was Col. Henry Blake. It still chokes me up whenever I see it. Radar’s delivery of the message to the operating room was incredibly poignant.

    posted by Jen on 4-7-2009 at 4:11 pm

25. If we are talking just general deaths, I think Nate’s death on Six Feet Under was quite surprising.

    posted by jzimm on 4-7-2009 at 4:12 pm

26. I thought of another one, but I’m sure no one else will remember this. There was an episode of Growing Pains with Matthew Perry playing Carol Seaver’s boyfriend. They go out to a bar and get into a car accident, landing Sandy (Perry) in the hospital. For most of the episode he appears to be fine, and Carol has learned her lesson about drinking and driving, which seemed to be the logical conclusion to a “special message” 80s sitcom episode. But at the very end the family comes back from the hospital and Mike delivers the news that Sandy has just died. I remember it so vividly, right down to the mood lighting created by having the living room shades drawn, and Mike wearing a burgundy turtleneck to make him look more serious. Carol loses it, which always made me lose it too. Very sad, but very effective episode for a young teen.

    posted by Jen on 4-7-2009 at 4:20 pm

27. Nate on Six Feet Under….good choice.

    “Narm! Narm!”

    posted by Jen on 4-7-2009 at 4:21 pm

28. - Omar.

    posted by Neil on 4-7-2009 at 4:33 pm

29. The actual first character suicide on ER was Nurse Hathaway in the pilot…but they wiped that when the show was picked up. The best part about Dennis Gant’s suicide (played by Omar Epps – full circle) was that they were trying to find him for help so they paged him…it was only when his pager went off on the table that they realized they were working on their own intern. It was an AWESOME twist.

    Joyce’s death on Buffy was absolutely gut-wrenching. As was Sandy’s on Growing Pains. And Jack Bauer’s wife at the end of the first season of 24…another awesome death.

    posted by Tim on 4-7-2009 at 4:34 pm

30. Mr. Hooper, from Sesame Street. He’d died in real life, and it was a very bold move to acknowledge his death and show the characters actually grieving. I wonder if a kids’ show would do that today.

    posted by alle on 4-7-2009 at 4:45 pm

31. Leo on the West Wing; Charlie, Boone, Libby on Lost; Dr. Greene on ER. I’m with the other commenters – I stopped watching ER after he died.

    And please forgive the upcoming asterisks, I don’t want to spoil it if anyone has made it this far without figuring it out:

    I AM however sort of psyched that ***** asked to leave House so he/she could take a job at the White House. Apparently he/she was pretty involved in Obama’s campaign.

    posted by Adrienne on 4-7-2009 at 5:11 pm

32. Col. Henry Blake on M*A*S*H
    Rosalind Shays falling down the elevator shaft on L.A. Law
    Big Pussy, Ralph, and Adriana on The Sopranos
    Maude Flanders on The Simpsons
    Dan on Roseanne

    I watch too much t.v.

    posted by 8rustystaples on 4-7-2009 at 5:32 pm

33. @Daph – Yeah, I watched through Greene’s death, but I quit watching after they dropped the flaming helicopter of doom on Romano, especially after having another helicopter cut his arm off in a separate incident. I didn’t even know that Pratt had died!

    Charlie was the entire reason I started watching Lost and if my husband wasn’t such a fan, I’d probably have stopped watching that when he died…not in outrage over the ridiculousness of his death, as was the case with ER, but because he and Hurley were the bulk of what made me watch that show :D. Now I just want to finally figure out what the hell is going on!

    posted by Fruppi on 4-7-2009 at 5:40 pm

34. I’ll fifteenth Dr. Greene’s death on ER…I still tear up when I hear that lovely ukelele rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

    How about Claude, Kaitlyn Ryan’s douchy protest-everything boyfriend who killed himself on “Degrassi High”?

    posted by Martin on 4-7-2009 at 5:52 pm

35. Martin just reminded me – JT on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” All season there was a school rivalry bubbling over, and JT kept assuring people that everything would be fine, and then he wound up being the ultimate victim. I watched a behind-the-scenes clip and they hadn’t told the other cast members that the character was going to die ahead of time – they found out when they first read through the script.

    posted by Jenn on 4-7-2009 at 6:02 pm

36. I agree with Blake from M.A.S.H. too.

    Pratt was very sad.

    And most recently, not wanting to spoil it for those that TiVo, I’ll just say 4/6′s episode of House.

    posted by Sarah on 4-7-2009 at 6:05 pm

37. Jen,

    I remember that Growing Pains ep… it *was* very sad… doesn’t she say ‘what about his second chance?’ or something to that effect, and even Mike is not his usual obnoxious self as he tries to explain that internal bleeding caused the death.

    posted by Anon Emous on 4-7-2009 at 6:20 pm

38. Locke’s death also shocked me,

    On a related, LOST note : while not FATAL, the shooting of Young Ben also really shocked me as Adult Ben is my favorite character. So much so that I the posted the following to several LOST message boards:

    Oh my god, they shot Benny! You bastards!

    posted by Anon Emous on 4-7-2009 at 6:23 pm

39. Anon-

    “What happened to his second chance??”

    I can’t believe I remember that episode so vividly.

    posted by Jen on 4-7-2009 at 7:23 pm

40. Charlie on Lost
    Cally (murdered by Tory) and Dee (suicide) on Battle Star Galactica
    Daphne (Speedster) on Heroes

    posted by PartiallyDeflected on 4-7-2009 at 7:59 pm

41. I sixteenth Dr. Greene on ER. It was a horribly long painful departure but by the end of the series came full circle. I STILL cry everytime I watch those episodes.

    When I think of deaths on the West Wing I think…Mrs. Landingham. It was terrible, and the President’s (Martin Sheen) whole monologue at God after the funeral was powerful. They could never replace Mrs. Landingham after…

    I second JT on Degrassi. That death was hard, especially since you got to see the character, (and the actor) grow up throughout the series.

    As for Romano’s death on ER, I’ve heard somewhere that Paul McCrane had requested that his death be ironic, or something like that. I remember Archie Morris sitting at admit that entire episode because Romano told him not to move until he came back…not knowing that he was actually underneath the helicopter.

    Gosh, I really miss ER! It’s only been a week!

    posted by Kat on 4-7-2009 at 8:11 pm

42. The death of the Korean baby on the last MASH.

    The Dad on Good Times.

    posted by Be not proud on 4-7-2009 at 9:08 pm

43. Luther Mahoney’s death on Homicide. The network wanted the writers to kill off this villain to give the audience a sense of resolution. On Homicide, they never did anything simply, and Detective Kellerman’s bad kill shocked audiences and allowed LM’s shadow to hang over the squad the entire following season.

    posted by Frank on 4-7-2009 at 9:20 pm

44. Thank you, Kat! Finally somebody remembered Mrs. Landingham from West Wing!

    Leo’s death was also tragic, and I cried a decent amount- but Two Cathedrals is one of the best episodes of West Wing…when Jed is questioning God and– I can’t even think about it!

    Same with Dr. Greene. Every time I hear that ukulele version of Over the Rainbow I completely lose it. And then when Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) is cleaning out Dr. Greene’s locker and places his own stethoscope in the box with Dr. Greene’s things and puts Dr. Greene’s stethoscope around his neck- I’m tearing up right now!

    And I know it’s a children’s show- but I was a child when it happened- when the Greek grandfather (Papuli?) died on Full House. Everyone was so happy to see him and Michelle was going to bring him to show and tell to teach her class a dance, but he dies and then Uncle Jesse goes instead and surprises her– melts my cold little heart right away.

    And last, but DEFINITELY not least, on NewsRadio when Bill McNeal dies- the episode is heartbreaking because you can see the real pain in everyone’s face and can almost tell that they’re truly struggling- but it still manages to be so funny. And of course the whole thing was compounded by the tragic murder of the genius that was Phil Hartman.

    I need a cookie now.

    posted by Jo on 4-7-2009 at 9:22 pm

45. Luther Mahoney.

    sECOND oMAR

    posted by Frank on 4-7-2009 at 9:24 pm

46. Man, so many TV deaths…

    The first one was Peter MacNicol’s character on Chicago Hope. It was sudden, and in the days before spoilers and show previews.

    I was also a big fan of NYPD Blue – lots of surprise deaths there. Jimmy Smits’ character wasn’t a surprise, but man they drew out his death scene! A whole episode! Dennis Franz lost his son and his wife to shocking deaths.

    On The West Wing, the character Dolores Landingham died in a sudden car wreck.

    Scrubs did a great episode for when Brandon Frasier’s character died. Very Sixth Sense-like.

    And finally, when News Radio recognized the death of Phil Hartman.
    =(

    posted by Dawn on 4-7-2009 at 9:33 pm

47. Let us mourn the passing of the following, gathered from Entertainment Weekly’s ’25 Unforgettable TV Exits’”

    ADRIANA LA CERVA (Sopranos, though it was Ralph Cifaretto’s whacking which got to me more)

    MRS. HUFNAGEL (St Elsewhere, crushed in her mechanical hospital bed)

    posted by Anon Emous on 4-7-2009 at 10:07 pm

48. Gary on thirtysomething. That one just came out of nowhere.

    posted by Camille on 4-7-2009 at 10:38 pm

49. Oooh, agree with Gary on Thirtysomething and many others already mentioned.

    But I also have to mention Francie on Alias. I still remember my loud gasp of surprise when the camera panned to her with a bullet between the eyes!

    posted by Jen M on 4-7-2009 at 11:42 pm

50. Dr.Green on ER – that was just so sad. It was beautifully handled, nuanced and shot.

    Leo on the West Wing – My favorite character on my favorite show ever. Just heartbreaking.

    I’ll have to put a vote in for Adrianna too – I really didn’t see that one coming.

    posted by Fashionista on 4-8-2009 at 12:47 am

51. I loved how many mutts you had on the mutt quiz, in fact, I thought there should have been more.

    posted by Jill Harness on 4-8-2009 at 1:58 am

52. Lemonhead on the Shield. I actually cried. That’s how solid the writing was.

    Also Stringer Bell on the Wire. That one still haunts me to this day. Again, sign of fabulous writers.

    posted by Jen on 4-8-2009 at 6:58 am

53. Chuckles the Clown.

    posted by JB on 4-8-2009 at 8:43 am

54. While we’re on the topic of the Sopranos – were any of the previously mentioned deaths as powerful as when Tony killed Christopher after the car crash? I think my jaw was hanging open for the rest of the episode.

    posted by Bert on 4-8-2009 at 9:42 am

55. I agree with Jill… more mutts! Everybody knows what a St. Bernard looks like, but what about a St.Bernard/Mastiff/rottweiler mix?

    posted by TBV on 4-8-2009 at 9:45 am

56. I thought Cutthroat B@$%’s death on House last year was really rough, over 2 episodes and poor Wilson! I loved the song they played in the end of that episode. It’s by Bon Iver, who I went to school (elementary and HS) with.

    posted by Emily on 4-8-2009 at 9:51 am

57. Jen M – oh, yeah, Francie! That was a great twist.

    posted by Jenn on 4-8-2009 at 10:13 am

58. Niobi on the last episode of the first season of “Rome.” What a brute you are!

    posted by Leslie on 4-8-2009 at 10:51 am

59. I thought of another one…Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street. The way they handled the actor’s death was brilliant. I get choked up just thinking about Big Bird not understanding what it means to die.

    posted by Jen on 4-8-2009 at 11:30 am

60. Mine have all been posted, but I wanted to give them another shout out anyway…

    Col. Blake from M*A*S*H. That was supposed to be a happy ending! It was wonderful and you were thrilled for him and then, in the last 20 seconds of the show! It was as heartbreaking as it was a reality of war.

    Thank you Jo!
    You mentioned the Full House episode. I always just wanted to reach out and hug Michelle.

    On the family sitcom thread, Home Improvement, the episode when Jill’s father died and she was beating herself up because she had told him not to come visit.

    posted by Hastings on 4-8-2009 at 1:05 pm

61. What about the Sarge on Hill Street Blues – I forget his name – but he always told the officers “And remember – be careful out there!” at the end of the role call. They sprinkled his ashes on the street and after all his fellow policemen had gone home, the street sweeper came along.

    posted by James L. Stefon on 4-8-2009 at 1:16 pm

62. Donna’s murder on Sons of Anarchy. You knew it was coming the whole episode but it was still so tragic. I cried my eyes out! (one good thing came out of it – the actress is now on 24!)

    posted by Katherine on 4-8-2009 at 2:12 pm

63. I know that it was later “undone”. But on Lost, in the episode where you find out that Jin is dead (the one where it’s the future and Sun is having the baby) I Bawled my eyes out! It was so poignant. And at that point we didn’t even know what had happened to him. Sun standing at his grave with their daughter….::sniff:: When we find out that Jin didn’t die after all I had to pause my TiVo to do a little happy dance.

    I watched ER for a while after Dr. Greene died, but it wasn’t the same.

    I can’t even watch the episode where Col. Blake dies. I get that broken up about it.

    posted by Jen on 4-8-2009 at 3:16 pm

64. Dangit, I forgot all about Niobi on Rome until now. That was exceptionally harsh, of course they were just all getting together again. Dangit man. And now I forget how, she fell off of something right?

    posted by Erin on 4-8-2009 at 4:18 pm

65. Oh yeah, and Mr. Hooper on Seasame Street.

    mangier scots

    posted by Erin on 4-8-2009 at 4:20 pm

66. Love the post on facebook option!

    posted by Miss Priss on 4-8-2009 at 4:28 pm

67. I have got to agree that Joyce’s death on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ was heart-wrenching. It was an absolutely brilliant episode, and continues to be brilliant each time I re-watch it.

    posted by JavaLuv on 4-8-2009 at 4:57 pm

68. What about Denny on Grey’s Anatomy? Katherine Heigl’s reaction had me bawling!

    Kate’s death on NCIS made me mad, I do remember. The network teased us with a preview the week before, and I remember having an extensive conversation with my dad about it, stressing over which
    agent it was going to be. I didn’t want any of them to go!

    And I 75th Dr. Greene. That rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” still gives me goosebumps to this day.

    Last but not least, what about Bobby’s death on Third Watch? That was a tear jerker!

    posted by Cassie on 4-8-2009 at 11:17 pm

69. I’ve got to put it out there: John Ritter. Brilliant comedic actor, undiagnosed heart condition. The show he was on, “8 Simple Rules…” did a two episode arc about his (character’s) sudden collapse. The first time I saw it, when the mother Kate reads his last article to the children….I teared up, and that’s corny 2000s sitcom writing.

    posted by Richard on 4-9-2009 at 12:31 am

70. I cried when Leo died. Both times I’ve seen it. Probably will the next one, too. And teary about Mrs Landingham, and sniffy about Admiral Fitzwallace…

    West Wing. What an amazing show.

    posted by Abby Spice on 4-10-2009 at 9:51 am

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