Never get too attached to a TV character
Thrones, even Simpsons, killed off characters
Viewers of The Good Wife were stunned by the shocking death of heartthrob Will Gardner on Sunday’s episode of the CBS legal drama.
But Gardner wasn’t the first — nor will he be the last — TV character to make a jarring departure. On zombie epic The Walking Dead, gruesome, stunning departures are a way of life.
Gardner — a main character portrayed by Josh Charles since the series’ debut five seasons ago — was shot and killed in a Chicago courtroom by a crazed client.
But once the episode aired, the Twitteratti lit up the social media site with posts expressing sadness, astonishment — and fury.
One viewer called for a group hug, while another issued a plea for a counsellor to treat jolted fans. Yet another viewer expressed hope that, like Dallas long ago revealed Bobby Ewing’s death to be only a dream, The Good Wife would show Gardner stepping out of his shower next week.
Other viewers vowed never to watch the show again.
Gardner was a rival lawyer and former lover of the character played by series star Julianna Margulies.
His death and Charles’ decision to exit the show had been well-guarded secrets. Charles, who entered the series with a four-year contract, opted not to re-up when it expired after last season.
In recent years writers and producers have not hesitated to see off beloved series characters. Even series stars have found themselves toe-tagged in the TV morgue.
Walking Dead has been a league leader at whittling down its original cast. Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), Shane (Jon Bernthal) and Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) among others were all part of a grisly buffet for the ravenous zombies.
Fantasy epic Game of Thrones had star Sean Bean’s character Eddard (Ned) Stark publicly beheaded at the end of its first season. In Season 3, most of the remaining members of the Stark clan — including King of the North, Robb Stark, his wife Talisa and mother Catelyn — were massacred in the notorious Red Wedding episode.
Other recent casualties include Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) from Netflix’s popular political drama House of Cards, who dies when Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) pushes her in front of a train. Period drama Downton Abbey has lost a number of key characters, including heraldic hunk Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens). His car crash death was the apex of the series’ sudsy drama.
Comedies have also been rocked by shocking deaths of characters, most notably Roseanne’s Dan Conner (John Goodman), who died of a heart attack at his daughter’s wedding.
Cartoons have also embraced morbid mania. Last year, Family Guy character Brian the dog was hit and killed by a car, while The Simpsons has killed off good-living Maude Flanders and chain-smoking teacher Edna Krabappel (Edna’s voice, Marcia Wallace, died in real life.)
And on South Park, they killed off Chef, and poor little Kenny dies at least once a year.