10 Off-Screen TV Deaths That Completely Failed Their Characters

Within the world of television, it has always been important for characters to receive a proper send-off, that’s why it can be so disappointing when characters are completely failed by disappointing off-screen deaths. Often, this can be a result of actors abruptly deciding to leave a series, behind-the-scenes controversies, and just poor planning and writing. It can be upsetting when an otherwise engaging and well-produced TV show does not provide characters with an appropriate end to their story and instead just lazily reveals that they died.

TV deaths that completely failed their characters became even more disheartening when the series diverted from an already existing book or comic book series, as this meant their character’s arc had a natural conclusion that was never depicted on screen. Sometimes a character’s death was used to drive forward the development of different characters within the show in a way that failed to recognize their individuality and right to a proper well-thought-out character ending. Off-screen deaths that fail the character can have a major impact on a viewer’s enjoyment of the overall series.

10 Andrea Harrison

The Walking Dead (2010 – 2022)

Andrea Harrison was a major character in AMC’s The Walking Dead whose offscreen death was in stark opposite to her importance within the show’s narrative. In the Season 3 episode “Welcome to the Tombs” it was revealed that Andrea died off-screen by suicide to avoid being turned into a walker after she was bitten by a zombified Milton Mamet, the righthand man of the Governor. Andrea had just faced an important moment of character development and personal growth, and her death, which did not happen here in the original comics, was a disappointing moment that failed her character.

9 Stannis Baratheon

Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019)

In Game of Thrones, Stannis Baratheon met his end in the fifth season finale “Mother’s Mercy” with an off-screen death that implied he was executive by the vengeful blade of Brienne of Tarth. A disappointing end to his character, Stannis was killed off in Game of Thrones before he died in the books and did not get to complete his narrative as originally envisioned by George R. R. Martin. According to director David Nutter, Stannis death occurred off-screen because it was too “gratuitous” to depict, (via Vulture), which was surprising considering the horrific deaths seen on Game of Thrones.

8 Joyce Summers

Buffy the Vampire Slayers (1997 – 2003)

The mother of the titular chosen one in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Joyce Summers was revealed to have died of an aneurysm off-screen in the Season 5 episode “The Body.” An important figure in Buffy’s life, Joyce’s death represented major changes in Buffy’s family dynamics as the normal life she had became just a distant memory. While Joyce’s death helped to serve Buffy’s character development, it did Joyce herself an injustice as her potential in the series was never fully realized, and while she did learn her daughter was a Slayer this could have been more fully explored.

7 The Sixth Doctor

Doctor Who (1963 – 1989, 2005 – Present)

The long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who has traditionally shown the Doctor’s regeneration on-screen as they symbolically died and were reborn with a new actor. However, the Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker did not return for his regeneration episode as he it interfered with other acting roles, and while this was understandable it did his character a disservice. As the only Doctor to not have a regeneration scene in the more than 60-year history of Doctor Who, viewers did not get closure on his tenure and his character’s arc felt incomplete.

6 Dr. Lawrence Kutner

House (2004 – 2012)

The off-screen death of Dr. Larence Kutner on House was a shocking development that was handled badly and completely failed his character. The behind-the-scenes reason for Kutner’s death was that his actor, Kal Penn, wanted to leave the show to take up a position with President Barack Obama as associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement. However, to achieve this Kutner was revealed to have committed suicide in the Season 5 episode “Simple Explanation.” Without any foreshadowing or signs of mental anguish, Kutner’s death came out of nowhere and did not do justice to his character.

5 Susan Ross

Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)

As the fiancé of George Costanza on Seinfeld, audiences could have expected the character of Susan Ross to be a mainstay of the popular sitcom. However, it was abruptly revealed that Susan died from toxic poisoning from licking too many letters filled with invitations to her and Geroge’s wedding. Susan was killed off in Seinfeld Season 7 partly because George’s actor Jason Alexander “couldn’t figure out how to play off” Susan’s actress Heidi Swedberg (via THR.) While this was an undesirable reason, Seinfeld failed Susan’s character through such a sudden and unceremoniously bleak end to her story.

4 Steve Gomez

Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

Hank Schrader’s partner and close friend within the DEA Steve Gomez was an important figure throughout the five seasons of Breaking Bad whose off-screen death was a disappointing end to someone who had been present since the show’s earliest days. While Hank’s death at the hands of Jack Welker and his Nazi gang was a shocking moment within Breaking Bad, Gomez’s murder happened off-screen, and audiences were not privy to his final words or actions. While this was a disappointing conclusion to his life story, Gomez would reappear in the prequel series Better Call Saul.

3 Pierce Hawthorne

Community (2009 – 2015)

Chevy Chase’s run on Community ended in controversy and his character of Pierce Hawthorne was revealed to have died off-screen in the Season 5 episode “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics.” While Chase was notoriously difficult to work with, the character of Pierce had some great moments and deserved better than to receive such an abrupt end to his narrative arc. An important part of the Community ensemble, Pierce was not the only major character to leave the show as Donald Glover as Troy Barnes would also depart the series two episodes later in “Geothermal Escapism.”

2 Tracy McConnell

How I Met Your Mother (2005 – 2014)

As the mother in How I Met Your Mother, it was surprising when Ted Mosby’s wife Tracy McConnell was revealed through voiceover narration to have died off-screen from a terminal illness. Sadly, Tracy’s character was killed off to allow Ted to end up with Robin in the series finale which felt like a disappointing conclusion to such a long-awaited character and lackluster, albeit predictable, end to the popular sitcom. There was a How I Met Your Mother alternative ending where Tracy lived and stayed happily married to Ted, which felt like a better conclusion to her story.

1 Charlie Harper

Two and a Half Men (2003 – 2015)

The gruesome off-screen death of Charlie Harper on Two and a Half Men was influenced far more by behind-the-scenes controversies than by a desire to give his character a proper send-off. The reveal in the ninth season premiere that Charlie was killed after being hit by a subway train came after Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men for his public rant against the series creators. This sudden and violent death felt out of line with Charlie Harper’s character and for longtime viewers of Two and a Half Men was a sad and unceremonious end to his story.

Sources: Vulture, THR