It’s unusual that killing off a character would please anyone, but most of the time, the production has handled it correctly and it’s time for the character to depart. But what about those moments when it was evident that someone else should have taken their place? Here’s a list of times when shows killed off beloved characters and the audiences were enraged:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Tara Maclay
Tara was a late addition to the group, but a wonderful one, as a modest witch who grows involved with fellow witch Willow. Her unsure, quiet manner was a welcome departure from the Scooby Gang’s more boisterous or snarky characters. So it came as a shock when Tara, of all people, was killed by a random bullet fired by a man after Buffy. While the cliché of “kill the gays” was likely a factor in fans’ dissatisfaction, viewers were also disappointed that none of Willows’ future love interests ever matched up.
2. How I Met Your Mother – Tracy McConnell
Cristin Milioti as Tracy was joined to the HIMYM cast in Season 9. Ted and Tracy’s romance finally comes to fruition in the final season, after a long journey. Milioti is well cast, more cute than gorgeous with natural charm and comic timing. Despite everything that had happened over the previous nine years, fans were expecting to see Ted and Tracy marry and have a happy life together. The series finale, however, took a turn when it was revealed that, while Ted has been telling his children the story, their mother has been deceased for six years. Ted has been a single father since she went away from an unexplained illness.
3. Grey’s Anatomy – Lexi Grey
Lexi Grey’s death is still the most painful of all the fatalities on Grey’s Anatomy, and there have been a lot. Lexie was killed in an aircraft crash alongside Cristina, Meredith, Mark, Arizona, and Derek on their way to a different hospital for surgery. The plane’s tail part fell off, causing it to fall into the forest. Lexie was buried by a chunk of the plane that was wedged between her pelvis and legs. Perhaps it was Meredith‘s gut reaction, Mark’s refusal to let go of her hand, or maybe we’d just grown particularly fond of Little Grey over the years.
4. Game of Thrones – Olenna Tyrell
So many characters have died in Game of Thrones throughout the seasons that it almost feels inappropriate to include the program on this list. The death of Olenna Tyrell, on the other hand, devastated people even more than the Red Wedding. Before she died, she finally admitted to murdering Joffrey, and Jaime’s expression was priceless. At the very least, she managed to get the final word in. The character’s demise was as fair as it could have been, but that didn’t make admirers any less sad.
5. Orange Is the New Black – Poussey Washington
Fans of Orange Is the New Black weren’t the only ones who were saddened by Poussey’s death. One of the primary instigating incidents for the upcoming season’s jail uprising is her accidental smothering by a CO during a nonviolent march. In actual life, Poussey’s name was used to establish a criminal justice reform initiative.
