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Most difficult character kill off/write off in a TV show


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25 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Jason Gideon (Mandy Patankin) leaving Criminal Minds.

Coach from Cheers suddenly dying in real life was a bummer.

Alan, the lawyer in Chicago Hope.  His death was such a surprise to me, I stopped watching the show I was so pissed off.

Henry Blake - M*A*S*H.  That was heart-wrenching.

 

Good call. Literally had a visceral reaction to this when it aired. Nobody saw that coming. 

 

Was that a result of Maclean Stevenson's contract demands? 

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2 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Good call. Literally had a visceral reaction to this when it aired. Nobody saw that coming. 

 

Was that a result of Maclean Stevenson's contract demands? 

 

However, after three seasons Stevenson began chafing (as did Wayne Rogers) at the fact he was playing second fiddle to the wisecracking Hawkeye (Alan Alda), and asked to be let out of his contract during the show's third season. The writers reluctantly accomplished this transition in the final episode of Season 3, in which Henry Blake was discharged, only to board a plane that was shot down over the Sea Of Japan, killing everyone on board (a part that was added after the scripts were distributed as to engender genuine emotion from the actors as they were genuinely unaware of that part of the storyline).

 

http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/McLean_Stevenson

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2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

However, after three seasons Stevenson began chafing (as did Wayne Rogers) at the fact he was playing second fiddle to the wisecracking Hawkeye (Alan Alda), and asked to be let out of his contract during the show's third season. The writers reluctantly accomplished this transition in the final episode of Season 3, in which Henry Blake was discharged, only to board a plane that was shot down over the Sea Of Japan, killing everyone on board (a part that was added after the scripts were distributed as to engender genuine emotion from the actors as they were genuinely unaware of that part of the storyline).

 

http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/McLean_Stevenson

Thanks for taking the time to look that up and post it. Not a good career move for Stevenson, imo. 

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I was amazed when they chopped the head off Sean Bean's character in GOT!  I was new to the show and binge watching at that time and I couldn't believe they killed off the guy I perceived to be the star of the show.

 

That was before I realized they were going to kill off EVERYONE eventually.  LOL.

 

ALSO:  When Tony Soprano KILLED Christopher!  That was totally unexpected and it kind of hit me hard!  That was one of the absolute most dark moments in the show.  If they threw that in there for shock value, it worked!

 

 

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28 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Thanks for taking the time to look that up and post it. Not a good career move for Stevenson, imo. 

 

My pleasure, K-9.

 

Seriously ... there's nothing wrong with being the number two WR!!!!

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11 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

I was amazed when they chopped the head off Sean Bean's character in GOT!  I was new to the show and binge watching at that time and I couldn't believe they killed off the guy I perceived to be the star of the show.

That's why having Sean Bean play Eddard Stark as the only truly recognizable actor by almost anyone watching was a brilliant casting decision.

 

I'll throw in George's deceased fiance from envelope licking in Seinfeld.

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1 hour ago, Gugny said:

 

However, after three seasons Stevenson began chafing (as did Wayne Rogers) at the fact he was playing second fiddle to the wisecracking Hawkeye (Alan Alda), and asked to be let out of his contract during the show's third season. The writers reluctantly accomplished this transition in the final episode of Season 3, in which Henry Blake was discharged, only to board a plane that was shot down over the Sea Of Japan, killing everyone on board (a part that was added after the scripts were distributed as to engender genuine emotion from the actors as they were genuinely unaware of that part of the storyline).

 

http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/McLean_Stevenson

 

It went in spinning.  That was a rough one. And the OR just keeps going.... quietly. 

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3 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

I was amazed when they chopped the head off Sean Bean's character in GOT!  I was new to the show and binge watching at that time and I couldn't believe they killed off the guy I perceived to be the star of the show.

 

That was before I realized they were going to kill off EVERYONE eventually.  LOL.

 

ALSO:  When Tony Soprano KILLED Christopher!  That was totally unexpected and it kind of hit me hard!  That was one of the absolute most dark moments in the show.  If they threw that in there for shock value, it worked!

 

 

 

I actually expected Tony to either leave him to die on his own or kill him himself.  Christopher was a mess and a risk.

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