Grey’s Anatomy already began its 19th season, which will see the departure of protagonist Meredith Grey, with the showrunners recently teasing her exit. While fans wait for Meredith to sign off, there are plenty of other characters who bid farewell on TV that Redditors have admitted to enjoying.
From sci-fi shows such as Fringe to dark fantasy series along the lines of Supernatural, the character’s exits range from the protagonists either leaving to pursue something else or passing away as part of a larger sacrifice. The Redditors have provided solid reasons as to why they feel the departures did the characters justice.
Martha Jones Prioritizes Her Self-Worth Over Adventure In Doctor Who
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There are plenty of great Martha Jones episodes in Doctor Who, but her departure might be the best. Redditor FuIIofDETERMINATION liked her exit because “she knows what’s healthiest for her, and even with the marvels of time travel and exploration, she takes her personal happiness and says a gracious goodbye.”
Martha left after saving the world but realized that the Doctor would never return her feelings. Rather than trap herself in a situation where she would always feel heartbroken, Martha left for the sake of her mental health. It was a mature decision and worthy exit, as Martha avoided the heartbreaking departures other companions had to be in charge of her own destiny.
Rita Morgan’s Demise Completely Changed Dexter
The titular character’s wife Rita was considered among the best characters in Dexter for being the only genuinely good person in a series about serial killers. Her shocking exit arrived when it was revealed she was slain by the Trinity Killer, with Redditor mortepa writing that they “still get choked up thinking about how Rita left…a must-see.”
Rita’s death was surprising since Dexter had just killed Trinity, which meant the latter had done the deed earlier. It completely changed the course of the series – Rita’s death was tragic, but a few characters have departed with a demise that made such a huge impact.
Sgt. Phil Esterhaus Received A Tribute On Hill Street Blues
Redditor Passing4human liked Hill Street Blues’ way of writing off Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, acknowledging that it “sadly resulted from the death of his portrayer, Michael Conrad.” The actor’s passing led to the character’s demise, who was revealed to have breathed his last in his lover’s company.
Hill Street Blues is about the lives of the staff of a police station, with Esterhaus’ roll call of “Let’s be careful out there” becoming iconic. The show paid tribute to the character by having the roll call repeated even after his demise. Esterhaus’ exit was both poignant and befitting his character.
Arizona Robbins Gets Her Happy Ending In Grey’s Anatomy
Redditor yourartmattersxo writes that “people underestimate Arizona’s send-off. She got her family back.” Arizona was once considered among the best characters in Grey’s Anatomy before she made several terrible decisions that cost Arizona her wife, and she was forced to share custody of her daughter.
Her departure saw Arizona reconcile with Callie amid her move to New York, which meant that their family was whole once again. Although this exit was relatively abrupt, it tied up all the loose ends in Arizona’s story to leave the show on a happy note after years of feeling lost and alone.
Doug Ross’ Left ER After His Actions Caught Up To Him
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Redditor Jeremy_Paramount’s opinion of Doug’s departure is that “the build-up was great, with his repeated rule-breaking escalating to the point where he was jeopardizing his own career.” Doug left the series after his maverick attitude nearly got him charged with a criminal offense before he decided to leave for Seattle.
Doug’s exit stayed true to his character’s inability to play by the rules, and it made sense that he needed to go away after the estrangement his actions caused with his friends. Rather than deliver any heavy-handed departure, ER chose to provide a solid reason for Doug to bid farewell.
Darth Maul Accepted His Fate In Star Wars Rebels
Since the character’s true demise didn’t take place in a movie, there are certain things Star Wars fans don’t know about Darth Maul. The former Sith apprentice’s real exit came in Star Wars: Rebels, where he was slain by Obi-Wan Kenobi so that the latter could protect Luke Skywalker.
Redditor Demiface thinks that this exit “is a perfect end for Maul’s character and his relationship with Kenobi.” Maul was Obi-Wan’s archenemy for years before their final showdown brought closure to their dynamic. Maul got a definite demise rather than the ambiguous one he received in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, with the character accepting his fate.
Walter Bishop Redeemed Himself Before His Departure In Fringe
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Fringe’s finale sees Walter Bishop traveling to the future to prevent a multiversal disaster but being separated from his family. Redditor King_Allant loved this exit because it was a “redeeming sacrifice and final goodbye, and is the perfect send-off for one of the greatest characters on television.”
Walter had earlier threatened the universe himself through his research, so his decision to head to the future to stave off a universal disaster was his way of making right for his own mistakes. The exit completed his character development while giving fans a satisfying finale.
Opie Winston Signed Off In A Blaze Of Glory In Sons Of Anarchy
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Opie Winston’s exit in Sons of Anarchy came through his death, which Redditor deadmanwalkin791 found to be a worthy departure because he “went out in a blaze of glory.” As it happened, protagonist Jax was given an impossible decision to choose one of his gang members to die in prison, with Jax choosing himself.
Opie stepped in to spare Jax by sacrificing himself, ending up being beaten to death. Although the scene itself isn’t pretty, Opie’s exit proved how loyal he was and that he went out on his own terms.
Nikki And Paulo’s Grisly Demise In Lost Served Them Right
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Few characters have been as universally hated as Lost’s Nikki and Paulo. The only good thing that came out of their role was their exit, which Redditor Madking3573 loved since the “creators literally had them buried alive because they were so hated by fans.”
The characters’ unpopularity led to their less-than-pretty deaths, where Nikki and Paulo were left paralyzed from spider bites and assumed to be dead – the other survivors buried them, not knowing they were still alive. Since Nikki and Paulo were so superficial and unlikeable, viewers actually commended their grisly exit as fan service.
Ellen And Jo Died Together In The Most Fitting Way In Supernatural
In Supernatural, Ellen and Jo perish when they sacrifice themselves to enable protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester to escape. Redditor Righteous_Itch loved their exit, writing that “theirs was probably one of the best send-offs. Their death was so very them. Gutsy to the end.”
The mother-daughter pair of hunters always put themselves in harm’s way to take down supernatural beings. Due to this, their sacrifice played right into their established characterizations. Ellen and Jo gave their lives so that the heroes could avert the apocalypse, making their departure from the show worth it in the end.
