Mon Dec 28, 2020, 07:37 AM

Name a Time When the Death of a Fictional Character Really Threw You [Assume Spoilers Ahead]

For me, the death of Wash in Joss Whedon's 2005 movie, Serenity was pretty upsetting.

This does not mean that I was unmoved by Shepherd Book's demise earlier in the film. But Book was no longer living with the group by the time of the movie's events, so I had an inkling of what might happen. His character was older, as well, but most significantly, I had watched enough of Whedon's work to come to expect that there would be some sort of sacrifice.

Whedon had a habit of killing off beloved characters and I accepted that as part of his story-telling repertoire. For the story to have impact, a price must be paid by the heroes. (I was totally expecting Pepper Potts to be killed off in the first Avengers movie.)*

When Wash was killed, the moment felt real and disturbing and traumatic. I had one work-friend who had only just discovered Whedon's Firefly " 'Verse" and he declared that he would never forgive Whedon for killing off Wash that way.

What about you guys? Any fictional character deaths that you did not see coming, or just couldn't accept?

* I may not dislike Gywnneth Paltrow as much as others do, but it sure wouldn't have broken my heart to see the last of her in that particular movie franchise.

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75 replies	Author	Time	Post
Name a Time When the Death of a Fictional Character Really Threw You [Assume Spoilers Ahead] (Original post)	Collimator	Dec 2020	OP
MASH Henry Blake. They just didn't do that in comedy shows back then. It was done soooo well.	mucifer	Dec 2020	#1
Beat me to it.	Lochloosa	Dec 2020	#2
Yes, sometimes the emotional impact and honesty	Collimator	Dec 2020	#6
My girlfriend at the time was furious	SCantiGOP	Dec 2020	#70
Not even the cast knew until Gary Burghoff walked into the OR.	AngryOldDem	Dec 2020	#72
Ole Yeller	Maxheader	Dec 2020	#3
Yes that and Bambi. I won't watch movies were animals die to this day	Walleye	Dec 2020	#4
same here. If a movie features an animal I will ask if the animal dies	yellowdogintexas	Dec 2020	#35
The two that immediately came to mind already here: MASH's Col. Blake and Ole Yeller	hlthe2b	Dec 2020	#5
Beth... Little Women	50 Shades Of Blue	Dec 2020	#7
I expected someone to bring her up.	Collimator	Dec 2020	#8
Yes! And when Rachel so callously spoiled the ending for him, lol.	50 Shades Of Blue	Dec 2020	#9
Yes, when Stephen King killed off the main character's girlfriend in...	AmyStrange	Dec 2020	#10
Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Tywin Lannister, ... Pick any Game of Thrones Character	Xipe Totec	Dec 2020	#11
This message was self-deleted by its author	Chin music	Dec 2020	#13
NEVER fall in love with a George RR Martin character.	yellowdogintexas	Dec 2020	#36
I think the main characters will generally end up how they did on the TV show	NewJeffCT	Dec 2020	#41
Corum in Michael Moorcock's two trilogies	exboyfil	Dec 2020	#12
West Wing Mrs. Landingham....	redstatebluegirl	Dec 2020	#14
Yes!	AirmensMom	Dec 2020	#30
I liked Debbie too	redstatebluegirl	Dec 2020	#32
A friend of mine was so upset	Collimator	Dec 2020	#33
Yes!	A_Woman_from_MI	Dec 2020	#57
Yep.	AngryOldDem	Dec 2020	#73
Garp. Affected me for days.	NRaleighLiberal	Dec 2020	#15
+1 for Garp. Great pick!	Earthshine2	Dec 2020	#17
"In the World According to Garp, we are all terminal cases."	Mike 03	Dec 2020	#21
Wash's termination gives exact meaning to the term "sudden death."	Earthshine2	Dec 2020	#16
Ah, yes. The Death of Captain James T. Kirk.	Collimator	Dec 2020	#34
Murder of Dobby in Harry Potter, even though I'd read the book.	sinkingfeeling	Dec 2020	#18
Same here.	AirmensMom	Dec 2020	#31
don't forget Hedwig, Harry's owl.	yellowdogintexas	Dec 2020	#37
I'm still not over that one.	Nevilledog	Dec 2020	#56
Spike from Cowboy Bebop n/t	gay texan	Dec 2020	#19
"Bang."	sakabatou	Dec 2020	#39
YES!!!!	gay texan	Dec 2020	#50
I think episode 24 hit me harder than 26.	sakabatou	Dec 2020	#54
Jo, the boy street-sweeper in Bleak House. nt	July	Dec 2020	#20
"Move along there, toughie." I could tell he would die. _ Bleak House_ is my favorite Dickens novel	tblue37	Dec 2020	#46
Boromir in Lord of the Rings.	bluedigger	Dec 2020	#22
That was so sad!	electric_blue68	Dec 2020	#59
Ruth, last show	llashram	Dec 2020	#23
Wilbur Larch. Owen Meany. John Irving knows how to rip your heart out	NRaleighLiberal	Dec 2020	#24
And never forget Fuzzy Stone...N/T	flotsam	Dec 2020	#48
Fuzzy. of course.	NRaleighLiberal	Dec 2020	#49
With John Irving	RobinA	Dec 2020	#68
The kid in "Pay it Forward"	Shrek	Dec 2020	#25
Yep, walked out of the theater like WTF was that? nt	Phoenix61	Dec 2020	#29
Message auto-removed	Name removed	Dec 2020	#26
Aeris Final Fantasy VII. Because, like superheroes, theres always a way back.	Volaris	Dec 2020	#27
Your choice is a really good one. I am going to go to a lesser known series/characters.	Ferrets are Cool	Dec 2020	#28
Ned Stark in Game of Thrones	NewJeffCT	Dec 2020	#38
Pyrrha Nikos in RWBY	sakabatou	Dec 2020	#40
Lonesome Dove. Deets and Gus.	Smickey	Dec 2020	#42
The many women Little Joe was fond of.	zanana1	Dec 2020	#43
Luther Mahoney, on Homicide: Life on the Street.	Dem2theMax	Dec 2020	#44
Other than Bambi? Another Joss Whedon character, when Angel killed Gile's girlfriend in Buffy.	Midnight Writer	Dec 2020	#45
Yondu Odonta	adamas	Dec 2020	#47
When Billy (Sam Bottoms) was killed in The Last Picture Show	TexasBushwhacker	Dec 2020	#51
John Hurt's character in Alien	TexasBushwhacker	Dec 2020	#52
Oh, yeah, several....	electric_blue68	Dec 2020	#53
Person of Interest.	Dem2theMax	Dec 2020	#55
Would u (at your leisure) be up to chatting...	electric_blue68	Dec 2020	#61
I would need to re-watch it to have a proper discussion.	Dem2theMax	Dec 2020	#62
Don't want u spending money in these	electric_blue68	Dec 2020	#63
I checked Netflix, and POI was there until the end of September.	Dem2theMax	Dec 2020	#67
Gandalf	A_Woman_from_MI	Dec 2020	#58
Spock, in The Wrath of Khan.	consider_this	Dec 2020	#60
Easy Rider - the end haunted me for days. nt	leftyladyfrommo	Dec 2020	#64
NCIS Season 2 Finale...when they shot Caitlin in the head...	Wounded Bear	Dec 2020	#65
You have to give the writers credit for the misdirect.	Collimator	Dec 2020	#66
Shenandoah, movie with Jimmy Stewart	avebury	Dec 2020	#69
Edith Bunker	Totally Tunsie	Dec 2020	#71
Emma in Terms Of Endearment	AngryOldDem	Dec 2020	#74
Most recently, Kate McKenzie out of Last Tango In Halifax	musette_sf	Dec 2020	#75

Response to Collimator (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2020, 07:42 AM

mucifer (22,264 posts)

1. MASH Henry Blake. They just didn't do that in comedy shows back then. It was done soooo well.

IMO much of MASH doesn't hold up well. Some episodes are better than others.

But, killing off Henry Blake was the best decision they could make for the actor's departure.

Name a Time When the Death of a Fictional Character Really Threw You [Assume Spoilers Ahead]

1. MASH Henry Blake. They just didn't do that in comedy shows back then. It was done soooo well.

2. Beat me to it.

6. Yes, sometimes the emotional impact and honesty

70. My girlfriend at the time was furious

72. Not even the cast knew until Gary Burghoff walked into the OR.

3. Ole Yeller

4. Yes that and Bambi. I won't watch movies were animals die to this day

35. same here. If a movie features an animal I will ask if the animal dies

5. The two that immediately came to mind already here: MASH's Col. Blake and Ole Yeller

7. Beth... Little Women

8. I expected someone to bring her up.

9. Yes! And when Rachel so callously spoiled the ending for him, lol.

10. Yes, when Stephen King killed off the main character's girlfriend in...

11. Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Tywin Lannister, ... Pick any Game of Thrones Character

36. NEVER fall in love with a George RR Martin character.

41. I think the main characters will generally end up how they did on the TV show

12. Corum in Michael Moorcock's two trilogies

14. West Wing Mrs. Landingham....

30. Yes!

32. I liked Debbie too

33. A friend of mine was so upset

57. Yes!

73. Yep.

15. Garp. Affected me for days.

17. +1 for Garp. Great pick!

21. "In the World According to Garp, we are all terminal cases."

16. Wash's termination gives exact meaning to the term "sudden death."

34. Ah, yes. The Death of Captain James T. Kirk.

18. Murder of Dobby in Harry Potter, even though I'd read the book.

31. Same here.

37. don't forget Hedwig, Harry's owl.

56. I'm still not over that one.

19. Spike from Cowboy Bebop n/t

39. "Bang."

50. YES!!!!

54. I think episode 24 hit me harder than 26.

20. Jo, the boy street-sweeper in Bleak House. nt

46. "Move along there, toughie." I could tell he would die. _ Bleak House_ is my favorite Dickens novel

22. Boromir in Lord of the Rings.

59. That was so sad!

23. Ruth, last show

24. Wilbur Larch. Owen Meany. John Irving knows how to rip your heart out

48. And never forget Fuzzy Stone...N/T

49. Fuzzy. of course.

68. With John Irving

25. The kid in "Pay it Forward"

29. Yep, walked out of the theater like WTF was that? nt

27. Aeris Final Fantasy VII. Because, like superheroes, theres always a way back.

28. Your choice is a really good one. I am going to go to a lesser known series/characters.

38. Ned Stark in Game of Thrones

40. Pyrrha Nikos in RWBY

42. Lonesome Dove. Deets and Gus.

43. The many women Little Joe was fond of.

44. Luther Mahoney, on Homicide: Life on the Street.

45. Other than Bambi? Another Joss Whedon character, when Angel killed Gile's girlfriend in Buffy.

47. Yondu Odonta

51. When Billy (Sam Bottoms) was killed in The Last Picture Show

52. John Hurt's character in Alien

53. Oh, yeah, several....

55. Person of Interest.

61. Would u (at your leisure) be up to chatting...

62. I would need to re-watch it to have a proper discussion.

63. Don't want u spending money in these

67. I checked Netflix, and POI was there until the end of September.

58. Gandalf

60. Spock, in The Wrath of Khan.

64. Easy Rider - the end haunted me for days. nt

65. NCIS Season 2 Finale...when they shot Caitlin in the head...

66. You have to give the writers credit for the misdirect.

69. Shenandoah, movie with Jimmy Stewart

71. Edith Bunker

74. Emma in Terms Of Endearment

75. Most recently, Kate McKenzie out of Last Tango In Halifax