Terrible mistakes in killing off a character in a tv show or film

[electr1cgoblin]

I get why they did it, but I always thought that killing off spoilers:

Mr. X on "The X Files" was a poor choice, and certainly the lady that "replaced" his character wasn't nearly as compelling as he was.

end of spoilers Really missed that guy.

[Somecrazyaussie]

To add on to this, I maintain that killing off Rita was a mistake. S4 is when the writers clearly started losing their way.. that season was good purely because of Michael C Hall and John Lithgow and their amazing performances. The writing felt like they were making things up as they went along. And they didn’t know what to do with Rita - one minute they wrote her as a shrew, the next as sweet and loving. So they took the easy way out - kill her off in a shocking way. Then they don’t have to deal with her and her impact on Dexter’s lifestyle anymore, and they get to drum up publicity with the shocking twist. But longterm it didn’t work. There was a lot more interesting things that could have happened if she wasn’t killed. Maybe injured by Trinity, maybe finding out Dexter’s persona, maybe killing Trinity herself in self defense and discovering her own “darkness.” Either way, Dexter balancing family life and fatherhood could have led to more interesting stories than what we ultimately got. Instead we got the Lifetime movie that was the whole Lumen story, the half baked love story with the other female serial I forgot her name, and the awful incestuous story with Deb, along with a parade of forgettable killers..

I think S4 had to have her die. Dexter had pretty much got away without any sort of consequence for 3 series before that. Plus, given the nature of S4, there was no way it was going to end without some sort of consequence. Yes, Dexter triumphed. But it was a hallow victory. Series 5 was the perfect coda. After 4 series of trying to be a functioning serial killer in society, he had finally come to terms with who he was and was at peace with it. I do agree they dragged that show on for 3 series too long after that.

I do wish that Daniel Cerone hadn't bailed on it around series 3. They asked him how he would have ended Dexter and his idea was to have Dexter wake up in the lethal injection chamber and the viewing gallery filled with all the people he had killed watching on as the execution started. With Dexter looking at the camera and smiling as it faded to black. Would have been a awesome way to end it instead of that lumberjack bullshit we got.

[Somecrazyaussie]

LOL.... wasn't Stefano Dimera killed and brought back something like 20 times? seems like the only show to kill characters off and bring them back more often was Kenny on South Park.

Won't be resurrecting this time since the actor is dead. But that whole "A.I. Engram chip" in Steve Johnson's head was absolute rubbish. Someone had watched too much Return Of The Joker with that plot.

[Alan2099]

The lead actress on Sleepy Hollow - can't recall the name of the actress, but her and Ichabod and their chemistry was the heart and soul of the show and it just wasn't the same after.

I don't remember the name of the actress either, but I agree. Without her the show lost a lot of it's spark.

[Güicho]

Captain Lorca from Star Trek Discovery: Total Nerd Rage. By far my favorite character of the show. I loved his military mind and his flaws. He was my favorite captain since Sisko. Absolutely hated what they did to his character at the end. Dropped Discovery and didn't give Season 2 a chance.

So much this. I loved Lorca and he is my favorite Star Trek Captain for being sarcastic yet effective. While the time jump in Disco makes it unlikely I'm hoping that they find a way to bring this universes version of Lorca onto the show just to get him back in some fashion.

This, although the "mistake" after revealing him was (then)writing him into a simple mustache twirling villain. They lost everything about him that made him interesting, that killing him became more a put a badly written character out of their mercy kill.

The one thing that made the show continuing even remotely interesting was the possibility that the flip side character - "this" universe's Lorca is still out there somewhere, fighting his way back from the mirror U.
I'd rather watch that show.
Although as you indicate the setting of next season makes it an unlikely narrative they'll pursue.

[MyriVerse]

Won't be resurrecting this time since the actor is dead. But that whole "A.I. Engram chip" in Steve Johnson's head was absolute rubbish. Someone had watched too much Return Of The Joker with that plot.

Frankly, it's not a huge stretch for Days. John had a chip in his head a while back. Steve also got a bionic eye that could be hacked not too long ago. Back in the 80s, Eugene and Calliope ran off in a time machine. In the 90s, the Devil haunted Marlena.

[regg215]

Abbie Mills- sleepy hollow- Killed my interest in the show
Detective Carter in Person of Interest. Went from a great show to almost unwatchable after that season concluded.

Luke Skywalker in the Last Jedi. More in the way they did it. Luke could die in a movie and it be ok but it was so anticlimatic and just undeserved. Stands out as the worst movie death ever to me.

As many have mentioned Laurel's death in Arrow. Absolutely insulting that her last words were to bless the abomination that was Olicity.

Agent Lasalle in NCIS New Orleans. Made me stop watching the show was so poorly executed.

Lance Sweets on bones- Quality of the show fell off a cliff after that death.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Frankly, it's not a huge stretch for Days. John had a chip in his head a while back. Steve also got a bionic eye that could be hacked not too long ago. Back in the 80s, Eugene and Calliope ran off in a time machine. In the 90s, the Devil haunted Marlena.

I was home from school with the flu for two weeks here in Australia when that possession storyline aired. I thought it was the most whack thing ever. But then, I was watching it through a fever induced haze lol.

[Tofali]

I was home from school with the flu for two weeks here in Australia when that possession storyline aired. I thought it was the most whack thing ever. But then, I was watching it through a fever induced haze lol.

I didn't even have that excuse i was deliberately rushing home from school to watch the Marlena possession story

[Alan2099]

Highlander: Endgame really shouldn't have killed off Conner MacLeod.

[Ruby Quartz Diamond]

I stopped watching How To Get Away With Murder in a huff when they killed off Wes in the middle of the third season.

(But during quarantine I returned to the show on Netflix...and I have to admit it was still quite enjoyable to me without him.)

Me too. Worse is when you find out that he died only because of Laurel's father. spoilers:

But, I forgave Shonda after they brought back Alfred Enoch as Laurel's son in the final scene in the last episode and even had him continue Annalise's legacy. It was a very bittersweet moment.

end of spoilers

Randy in Scream 2. I think everyone involved in that decision realized it was a mistake the second they did it.

A fictional death that still leaves me angry and bitter about it till this day. I resent Gale for that because she was supposed to be the actual victim and the fact that she's still alive and even returning for the upcoming sequel is just rubbing salt in the wound. I read on IMDB that the late Wes Craven was bombarded by hate mail for that decision.

[AnakinFlair]

I didn't even that excuse i was deliberately rushing home from school to watch the Marlena possession story

I used to watch Days with my mom as a kid, along with Santa Barbara and Another World. I have fond memories of the possession angle

[TriggerWarning]

To add on to this, I maintain that killing off Rita was a mistake. S4 is when the writers clearly started losing their way.. that season was good purely because of Michael C Hall and John Lithgow and their amazing performances. The writing felt like they were making things up as they went along. And they didn’t know what to do with Rita - one minute they wrote her as a shrew, the next as sweet and loving. So they took the easy way out - kill her off in a shocking way. Then they don’t have to deal with her and her impact on Dexter’s lifestyle anymore, and they get to drum up publicity with the shocking twist. But longterm it didn’t work. There was a lot more interesting things that could have happened if she wasn’t killed. Maybe injured by Trinity, maybe finding out Dexter’s persona, maybe killing Trinity herself in self defense and discovering her own “darkness.” Either way, Dexter balancing family life and fatherhood could have led to more interesting stories than what we ultimately got. Instead we got the Lifetime movie that was the whole Lumen story, the half baked love story with the other female serial I forgot her name, and the awful incestuous story with Deb, along with a parade of forgettable killers.

As for a movie series, I firmly believe that the Saw series killed off Amanda Young and David Tapp too early. Amanda was a much more interesting and complex character than Hoffman, and the series would’ve benefitted greatly from Amanda as a longterm adversary to both Hoffman and the cops. David Tapp should have stuck around longer too, and been given Rigg’s storyline.

I thought her death was great because it gave Dexter actual consequences.

[Tofali]

I thought her death was great because it gave Dexter actual consequences.

did it really thou? he is a psychopath so i'm kind of confused on how that actual consequence would register to a person like him other than in the capacity of winning or losing a game. is that what you mean?

[Steel Inquisitor]

Highlander: Endgame really shouldn't have killed off Conner MacLeod.

And Highlander 2 is, well...