The 7 Saddest TV Deaths That Had Us All Weeping Like Babies
If done properly, a television death can affect us as deeply as the loss of an actual friend or family member.
Having become accustomed to these individuals’ presence throughout a series’ run, having to suddenly say goodbye to characters we’ve slowly fallen in love with is never easy, especially when their death seemingly comes out of nowhere. Upsetting any expectations we had in regards to their ongoing story arc, a well-executed TV death can leave us feeling hurt, surprised, and weeping into our couch pillows for days (perhaps even weeks) to come.
While there’s no shortage of memorable death sequences depicted in our favorite TV series, some continue to linger on in our imagination years after they were initially shown. From hard-boiled DEA agents to pluckish zombie apocalypse survivors, here are some seven TV deaths that left us utterly speechless.
Warning: Spoilers for Dexter, Game of Thrones, Lost, The Walking Dead, Supernatural, Breaking Bad, and Futurama.
Rita Morgan (Dexter)
Just when it seemed like Michael C. Hall’s moral serial killer Dexter Morgan might be settling into a normal life with his wife Rita, his old archenemy Arthur Mitchell re-emerged to disrupt the couple’s idyllic plans for the future. Destroying three lives with one fell swoop, the Trinity Killer wound up getting the last laugh against his eventual murderer Dexter, having successfully killed Rita mere hours before his own demise. While Rita’s murder might have been horrendous enough, the real tragedy is that Trinity left her infant son bathed in a pool of his mother’s blood, setting Harrison down the same path to becoming as unstable a serial killer as his father before him. Seeing all this transpire and knowing Harrison’s grim fate, all we can say is: Mitchell … you sick, depraved monster.
Hodor (Game of Thrones)
In a series characterized by shocking deaths of long-running characters, Hodor’s death might very well take the cake as the series’ most upsetting. The lovable gentle giant who remained by Bran Stark’s side from Game of Thrones’ first season onward, Hodor became a permanent fixture in Bran’s story arc in the lands beyond the Wall. Unfortunately for viewers, Hodor’s steadfast service to Bran came at a harrowing cost, leading the kind-hearted stable boy to sacrifice his life to ensure his friends’ escape. In many ways, it’s a death Hodor spent his entire life preparing for, but one that doesn’t make it any easier to accept once we actually see it take place.
Charlie Pace (Lost)
Ever since Desmond told Charlie about the repeated premonitions he had about his imminent demise, fans braced for the inevitable death of Lost’s resident ex-rocker-turned-reformed drug addict. While we all had to steel ourselves for Charlie’s death, nobody could’ve predicted just how hard it would be to say farewell to the character at the end of Season 3. Willingly sacrificing his life to secure his friends’ rescue, audiences could only helplessly watch as Charlie slowly drowned in front of our very eyes – but not before delivering one final, desperate warning to Desmond about Naomi’s apparent deception.
Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Glenn’s sudden death in The Walking Dead was the exact moment millions of viewers stopped watching the show. In many ways, this addled zombie apocalypse survivor served as the heart and sole of AMC’s flagship series, thanks in large part to his endearing relationship with Maggie and their various attempts to start a family together. Even with all their bright dreams for the future, Glenn and Maggie’s hopes for a happy marriage came to a screeching halt with several swings from Negan’s barbed wire baseball bat. Of course, the fact that he never lived long enough to meet his infant son just makes his demise all the more traumatizing.
Bobby Singer (Supernatural)
It’s difficult to say exactly which was more heartbreaking: Bobby Singer’s initial death following a fatal gunshot or his eventual departure into the great beyond after Sam and Dean burn his flask. No matter which of these goodbyes hit you the hardest, it remains achingly apparent that Bobby’s death in Supernatural stands out as one of the most heavy-hitting moments in the show’s continuity. Having become a surrogate father figure for the two Winchester boys, watching Sam and Dean lose their paternal mentor left us all reaching for the nearest tissue box, weeping aloud as we heard the grizzled monster-hunter level one last “idjit” at his two faithful pupils.
Hank Schrader (Breaking Bad)
When Breaking Bad first began, audiences might have initially viewed Hank Schrader as the bullying, overly masculine D.E.A. agent who regularly shamed his meek brother-in-law, Walter White. As the series drew on, however, it soon became clear that Hank was the closest thing the series had to a well-meaning protagonist, whereas Walt … well, Walt was the show’s overarching villain. With that in mind, Hank’s shocking death at Jack’s hands left virtually every viewer (not to mention Walt himself) absolutely devastated. In spite of their deep-seated antagonism for one another in the series’ final season, Walt and Hank proved their mutual love and admiration for one another in Hank’s final moments alive – even if Jack himself made up his mind to kill Hank minutes before Walt began passionately pleading for his life.
Seymour (Futurama)
Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows the heartbreak that comes with seeing our faithful animal companions pass away. Exploring this touchy subject with the utmost sensitivity, “Jurassic Bark” focuses on Fry rediscovering the fossilized remains of his long lost dog, Seymour, as well as his various attempts to resurrect his furry best friend. Believing that his lovable pet likely moved on after he entered cryogenic stasis, Fry ultimately decides against reviving Seymour. But as the final scene of “Jurassic Bark” tearfully shows us, Seymour never forgot about his hapless human. Obeying his owner’s final command, Seymour patiently awaited Fry’s return outside Panucci’s Pizza for 12 long years, eventually passing away at the same spot Fry left him over a decade prior. Perhaps the most sobering moment in Futurama‘s history, if this TV death doesn’t make your eyes well up as though someone were cutting an invisible onion, absolutely nothing will.
