They Deserved Better
Unless you’re strictly binging bubblegum sitcoms, odds are your favorite shows have pulled the rug out from under at least a few beloved characters. Sometimes it’s heartbreaking but fair…other times it feels like the writers sat around plotting, “How can we ruin this person’s life in the most brutal way possible?”
So, grab the popcorn (and maybe some tissues). We’re diving into TV’s best characters who got the absolute worst send-offs—and yep, spoilers are coming.
Andy Bernard, The Office
Andy started out as obnoxious, to say the least, but was shaping up to be a better person after suffering various humiliations—which, hey, for many people is just called “growing up”. But then, in the last two seasons, his character took a dark turn for the worse.
Perhaps in an attempt to bring an edginess to the show that had been missing since the early seasons, he becomes awful again. Angry, irrational, and spoiled. It was a sad end for a character who once showed so much potential.
Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
In the final season of HIMYM, it becomes clear that Barney isn’t quite the obnoxious misogynist playboy that Ted made him out to be—and perhaps, Ted was portraying him that way because he was jealous that Barney got to marry Robin. When you look back on the good things he did throughout the series, it’s clear there was a lot more to Barney than Ted said.
Tracy McConnell, How I Met Your Mother
Speaking of HIMYM, we didn’t get to see a whole lot of this character, who was only seen on screen briefly before a fatal illness took her life. Considering the show spent so many seasons building up to this moment, it felt all too short and truncated.
Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones
As many of us remember, watching Game of Thrones in its original run as the episodes appeared on HBO was a marathon, not a race. Every triumph (patiently waiting for Joffrey to face some consequences for being the worst) was outnumbered by countless brutal losses and worsening conditions for nearly every beloved character. And then, of course, were the sometimes years-long waits between seasons.
But we stuck with it in hopes we’d one day see Daenerys crowned Queen, right? …Right? …right? Those familiar with the lore knew it was coming—but it didn’t make it any easier to watch after the seasons/years we’d put into the show.
HBO, Game of Thrones (2011-19)
Beth Greene, The Walking Dead
Every family on The Walking Dead endures heartbreak, but the Greenes might have drawn the shortest straw of all. Beth’s abduction and grim stint inside Grady Memorial Hospital kept fans hooked through season 5, and just when it seemed like she’d finally escape and make it back to her people—bam. One shot later, she was gone. The twist blindsided viewers and set the tone for the relentless danger that would haunt the group in the seasons to come.
Glenn Rhee, The Walking Dead
Speaking of things Maggie Greene went through, there’s this. Yes, shows have to kill off major, even beloved characters, to up the stakes sometimes—but this one hurt so bad, and was so brutal, that it was the death that many fans cited as the moment they stopped watching the show.
Rory Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
Now—hear me out. There are many factions in the camps of Gilmore fans, with one really pointing out all the instances in which Rory was a spoiled brat, a snob, a ruthless witch, or just a downright villain. And while we’re not totally on board with that, we do agree she had some really horrible moments—but even taking those into account, she didn’t deserve what happened in A Year In The Life.
Yes, Rory had cheated before, and had been a bad girlfriend—but in AYITL, she did it all again, but this time so thoughtlessly, which goes against her character. The pregnancy—which at first, seemed like a cliffhanger for a potential continuation which never arrived—was just the cherry on top.
Lane Kim, Gilmore Girls
Before Rory was saddled with a pregnancy, it was her best friend Lane—cool, fun, talented, and clever Lane, who wanted to leave Stars Hollow but instead ended up stuck at home with a dud of a husband and twins.
Alison Bailey, The Affair
Stuck between a rock and a hard place with everything that had happened so far, the plot of The Affair had to go some place—but to get rid of Alison after she’d finally pulled herself out of the toxic patterns she’d been repeating since her son’s death, and by a new character, no less, was difficult to watch. The fact that he was never brought to justice made her end seem even more senseless.
Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad
Walter White starts out as the overlooked teacher and devoted family man. Jesse Pinkman? Just the burnout dealer with no future. But as the story flips, the “good” guy reveals himself as a monster, while the “bad” guy shows he’s the one with a soul. Sure, it was electric TV—but looking back, it’s tough to stomach how much Jesse went through. Beaten, manipulated, chained to misery…he was basically Breaking Bad’s punching bag.
Eddie Munson, Stranger Things
What can be said about Eddie Munson’s fate that hasn’t already been said? We weren’t even watching Stranger Things when it all went down, but it became absolutely inescapable on the internet. Eddie quickly won fans IRL, and on the show, proved his worth—but none of the other characters really took notice until it was too late. He was supremely likeable, yet treated like a throwaway character.
21 Laps Entertainment, Stranger Things
Michael Rostro, Jane The Virgin
It is really a romantic drama if two characters who are clearly meant to be in love aren’t the victims of bad timing at some point? Well, in true telenovela fashion, in Jane the Virgin the bad timing comes in the form of a character having their memories wiped and losing four years of their life, while their true love moves on and gets together with someone else.
By the time Michael got his memories back, it was too late for him and Jane—but it shouldn’t haven’t been, frankly.
Poppy Productions, Jane the Virgin
Ellie Bishop, NCIS
Sometimes writers spend seasons building up a single character, only for the actor who portrays them to leave the show. Writers are then left with difficult choices over what to do to write off the character—but considering the work they’d put in on Ellie from NCIS, it really sucked for her to end up as a disgraced leaker of documents.
And then, of course, there was the abrupt ending to the relationship she’d developed with Nick.
Donna Noble, Doctor Who
There’s suddenly killing off a character—and then there’s abruptly erasing all the memories of the experiences that made them, and that’s exactly what happened to Donna Noble. She just went back to her old life, without all the confidence and capabilities she’d gained, through all the things she’d been through. All gone.
Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones
After all the chaos they caused, fans were glued to their screens waiting for Cersei and Jaime Lannister’s downfall. Their exit was dramatic, sure, but for many viewers it didn’t quite scratch the itch—Cersei deserved something a little more poetic, maybe courtesy of Arya Stark’s blade.
Even Maisie Williams herself admitted she was bummed Arya didn’t get to take Cersei out. When the actor playing the would-be assassin feels robbed, you know fans weren’t alone.
Raj Koothrappali, The Big Bang Theory
Did they really have to end it with everyone married and living happily ever after and Raj all alone in The Big Bang Theory? He never really got the romance he clearly longed for, and though his character made some strides in development over the course of the series, robbing him of the one thing he really wanted stings.
Chuck Lorre Productions, The Big Bang Theory
Penny Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory
Raj wasn’t the only one who didn’t get what he wanted in TBBT. TV has a big problem with female characters who don’t want children—in that they inevitably get pregnant and have a child which ends up proving their former childless errant ways to have been wrong. And that’s exactly the road that the writers took when it came to Penny, after she’d clearly expressed she didn’t want kids.
Chuck Lorre Productions, The Big Bang Theory
Alex Karev, Grey’s Anatomy
Alex did a lot of work redeeming himself on Grey’s—and though, I guess, it’s nice that he got to end up with a person he truly loved after his character left, the writers didn’t let him do it without leaving behind a broken heart.
Quinn Fabray, Glee
Quinn Fabray suffered a fate that actually kind of works as a microcosm for what happens to every Ryan Murphy show eventually. Murphy tends to hit on a fantastic, compelling formula, but then when it’s time to stick the landing, throws absolutely insane plot points at the wall. It happens in every season of American Horror Story, and it happened to Quinn on Glee.
Case in point: kidnapping her own baby. The way her personality changed. And finally, after the car accident, her character faded into the background.
Sabrina Spellman, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
For anyone who grew up catching endless reruns of the original Sabrina sitcom, the Netflix version’s finale felt like a punch in the gut. Sure, the show tried to spin it as a “happy” ending—Sabrina and Nick together forever—but come on. How happy can it be if she’s, you know…dead? Hard to call it a fairytale ending when the main character can’t even keep living her story.
Archie Comics Publications, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Justin Foley, 13 Reasons Why
Another redemption arc—another horrible end. Not only was Justin’s collapse, diagnosis with AIDS/HIV, and death sudden, it was also a step back for the portrayal of HIV and AIDS on TV. For the disease to progress so rapidly isn’t even scientifically correct, as it takes 8-10 years for HIV to turn into AIDS, and there are multiple modern treatment options.
On top of it, there’s the fact that Justin was the one character portrayed by an openly gay actor, Brandon Flynn. All in all, it was just poorly executed, and there were so many other options for plots to end the show.
July Moon Productions, 13 Reasons Why
Poussey Washington, Orange Is The New Black
Samira Wiley had a star-making turn as Poussey in Orange Is The New Black, and as she prepared to join the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale, writers had to decide what to do with her character. Here’s what should’ve happened: She gets released and lives a normal life. Instead, they killed off her character in what was not only surprising, but also absolutely brutal and upsetting to watch in light of current events.
As with Glenn’s loss in The Walking Dead, the cruel death of Poussey was the turning point that pushed many fans to stop watching OITNB.
Tilted Productions, Orange Is the New Black
Bellamy Blake, The 100
Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin were best friends—which is what made it all the more chilling for fans when Clarke shot Bellamy in season 7 of The 100. After the episode aired, the show’s creator took to social media to explain why it had happened, saying that: “For seven seasons, The 100 has been a show about the dark things that humanity will do to survive and the toll those deeds take on our heroes' souls”.
“We knew Bellamy's death had to go to the heart of what the show was all about: Survival. Who you're willing to protect. And who you're willing to sacrifice”. While it’s definitely a feasible explanation, many fans found the loss hard to swallow.
Dr Robert “Rocket” Romano, ER
ER was a measured, well-written, often true-to-life hospital drama, and in its early seasons, opted for gritty realness over melodrama—until it didn’t. One of those turning points was the episode in which Dr Romano perished. After surviving a brush with a helicopter blade on the roof of the hospital that took his arm, Romano struggled for over a season with his new life and the havoc it wreaked on his career. Of course, in true Romano fashion, he took it out on everyone around him.
It would be one thing to have the character move away. It even would’ve been okay to kill him off. But to have it happen the way it did—with another helicopter crashing down on top of him—was beyond excessive.
Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey
Season 3 of Downton Abbey delivered one of the show’s most gut-wrenching twists, and it was brutal to watch after everything Mary and Matthew had survived together. Fans could have handled a breakup, a long-distance stretch, even some drawn-out angst before a reunion in the final season. But instead, we got that sudden, devastating death—a moment so cruel it left viewers reeling.
Dani, The Haunting Of Bly Manor
As viewers watched Dani’s story unfold on The Haunting of Bly Manor, it soon became clear that yes, the loss of her fiancé was a defining tragedy—but it wasn’t the only thing haunting her (sorry). Leaving everything behind, moving far away, and eventually getting together with Jamie was her chance to really live the life that would make her happy—yet in the end, it was ripped away from her.
Amblin Television, The Haunting of Bly Manor
Dean, Supernatural
Dean Winchester spent a whopping 15 seasons battling evil, dying multiple times in the process—but ultimately, the thing that takes him out for the last time isn’t God or Lucifer. It’s a piece of rebar he gets pushed into by a vampire. Not exactly as impressive as the other battles he’d been through in 327 episodes. And he isn’t the only character from Supernatural to appear on this list…
Castiel, Supernatural
Castiel really did his best to work in the best interests of everyone in the Supernatural-verse, even defying fellow angels in the process. He was killed and resurrected multiple times, and ultimately sacrifices himself and gets dragged into the Empty, but not before telling Dean he loves him—a statement Dean basically seems to ignore. Ouch.
Regina, Once Upon A Time
Like many characters on this list, Regina had a redemption arc that took her further than Evil Queen—and yet, she never gets her happily ever after. Unlike other characters in the series who got their happy endings, Regina loses the love of her life, who leaves her and ultimately perishes in a fight. Though she gets to be Good Queen in the end, it’s not really something she ever wanted.
Kitsis/Horowitz, Once Upon a Time
Lena Luthor, Supergirl/Arrowverse
Lena Luthor was set up to be one of Supergirl’s most compelling players. She rejected her family’s legacy of villainy, built a company for good, and even took down her brother Lex. She had the makings of both a hero and a potential big bad—prime storytelling gold. Instead? The final season shoved her to the sidelines, leaving her to drift through a forgettable side role.
Berlanti Productions, Supergirl
Lexa, The 100
The loss of Lexa was yet another character death in The 100 that rankled fans—but there was a good reason for it, as Alicia Debnam-Carey was leaving the show to star in Fear The Walking Dead. However, people weren’t pleased with the way it was handled, saying the character had the potential to do so much more.
Bonnie Bennett, The Vampire Diaries
Fans remarked that Bonnie was probably the most selfless character on the series—and though she gets something of a happy ending, it only comes after the untimely death of the person she loved, Enzo. So, in a way…
Outerbanks Entertainment, The Vampire Diaries
Enzo St John, The Vampire Diaries
Who got more of a raw deal—Bonnie, or Enzo? A lot could’ve been done to send off his and Bonnie’s characters, but instead, he was part of the carnage after Stefan made a deal with the devil. The fact that Stefan killed him in such a brutal way, and in front of Bonnie, was adding insult to injury.
Outerbanks Entertainment, The Vampire Diaries
Wallace, The Wire
It’s incredible now to watch The Wire and see Michael B Jordan in one of his earliest roles. His turns throughout the course of the first season—from canny and clever lookout who takes care of other kids in the projects, to his unintentional involvement in Brandon’s killing and the emotional fallout from that, are extremely painful to watch, knowing what ultimately happens to him.
Even the show’s creator called him the “emotional center” of the first season, which makes his fate even more brutal.
Blown Deadline Productions, The Wire
Fiona Gallagher, Shameless
“Selfless” and “sacrifice” get tossed around a lot, but Fiona Gallagher actually lived them—flaws and all. Time and again, she put her siblings first, only to have the universe yank the rug out the second she found love or a little financial stability. Instead of being celebrated, she was taken for granted, rarely shown the understanding she deserved. Fiona earned a better ending than the one she got.
Bonanza Productions, Shameless
Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars
There are two kinds of deaths that repeat themselves on this list and stick out: There are the ones where a character redeems themselves and still has an unhappy ending. And then there are the ones where we spent years waiting for resolution for a character—only for them to get bumped off in an unceremonious way.
The fate of Logan Echolls in Veronica Mars combines both of these. His loss also ensures Veronica never gets the happy ending that she very much earned by solving her best friend’s murder in season 1.
Silver Pictures, Veronica Mars
Tara Maclay, Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Though we knew Tara, we were really only just inches below the surface at the time her character was killed off on Buffy. It served as a stepping off point for Willow’s revenge arc that followed—but it was a nasty way to end one of the few lesbian relationships on TV at the time, and played into a tired trope of needlessly killing off LGBT characters.
Mutant Enemy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cordelia Chase, Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel
When it comes to lists of characters who deserved a way better ending, Cordelia Chase is usually the one who tops the list. She completely redeemed herself over the course of both series, going from a mean girl to an integral part of Angel’s team—and then, poof, she was in a coma. For what seemed like forever. But the truth was, what happened to her had a lot to do with behind-the-scenes drama.
Mutant Enemy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Truth About Cordelia
After the coma, Cordelia “ascended” and never appeared on the show again. According to Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia, the real reason why her character was written off was infuriating. She claims that Joss Whedon—who has since been exposed as having some extremely questionable behavior toward the leading ladies on his shows—was mad that she had gotten pregnant, and fired her.
Mutant Enemy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
