Egads, they killed off whatshisname!

[donutsweeper]

Continuing the lazy (I mean, *ahem* surprising and powerful) writing of TV these days four characters were killed off on shows I watched Monday and Tuesday. Is it sad that I'm only surprised that there were characters killed in only 3 of the 5 shows?

Of the deaths, the best (least awful?) written one was sadly completely unsurprising and I had assumed was coming. One death was off screen and poorly done, one a *sigh you have to be kidding me* kind of thing (although, I guess it's possible the person isn't dead) and the last had a totally ridiculous deathbed confession addition to it that went entirely against previously established canon.

The deaths happened in The Flash, NCIS and Blindspot (2 deaths).

*sigh*

Comments

[rabecka.livejournal.com]

What really annoys me (and the writers just don't seem to get it), is that my enjoyment of a show is based largely on the characters. If I don't care about them, or like the team dynamics, I quickly lose interest. When a character I like is killed off, it often kills my interest in the show. I'd say this is especially true of shows that attract a fandom, and even when a show ends, if the characters survived, so does the fandom. You just need to look at ST (going strong for decades), vs TW (imploded).

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Same here- it's all about the characters. On occasion I have tried to watch a show where I was more interested in the world building than the characters and it's never worked out. I fear that character development takes time and effort and tptb just don't care about that kind of thing anymore.

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

I don't even watch NCIS and I was kind of annoyed at hearing about them killing that character off-screen.

Sadly, "The Flash" death was completely unsurprising, but really unfortunate.

Like rabecka said, I get into shows for characters. For me, it doesn't matter how well-written a show is, as soon as a bunch of characters start departing my interest wanes significantly.

Stacey

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Flash's death was just so... expected, I guess is the right word? Which is kind of sad.

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

Very. I wish they had been more creative.

Stacey

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

That offscreen death kind of had to happen that way, though, as apparently the actress and TPTB both had this kind of Taylor Swift "never ever ever getting back together" thing going on. :D And honestly? I'd SO MUCH rather her off-screen death than her off-screen reunion and theoretical happy future relationship with the Very Special Agent. That would have been even worse.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Ok, true. It was still a pathetic death though. (And there were about 80 million other ways to have Tony go off into the sunset)

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping there will be EPIC amounts of fix-it fic.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Probably! I kind of wish I cared enough to look for it.

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

Right now, I wish I DIDN'T. I'm still hoping this particular fixation will wear off as quickly as it came on.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I totally understand that feeling and wish you a speedy recovery to notcaringland.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

I don't watch NCIS anymore (because of how they started going to crap after Ziva showed up), but did they kill her off?! Please?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually watch the whole episode (not enough alcohol in the world for that) but yes, she was killed off screen and then her death was used to propel the plot along to where tptb wanted it to go.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Ah.
So stupid. Can't they think of, oh, I don't know, actual storyline?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Probably, but that would have required not only effort, but talent as well and.....

[ride-4ever.livejournal.com]

Oops...if I had read your posts in chronological order I would have known that TWD was not one of the shows to which you were referring.

(And I thank the magical realism of due South that when a great character is dead that doesn't necessarily mean gone -- Bob Fraser is an example.)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I love ghost Bob (and ghost Ray's dad who I forget the name of). I've seen other shows where dead people return for an episode here and there either in flashbacks or as hallucinations or whatever and it can be done *really* well, but only if you care about the character in the first place and the writing sometimes isn't good enough for that.

Oh! I also love ghost!grandma. That two episode arc of dueSouth with Victoria and then the aftermath of the shooting is probably one of my favorites of any show. It's just so good.

[ride-4ever.livejournal.com]

Ha! You did not forget the name of RayV's dad...in canon they only ever call him "Pa Vecchio".

And oh ghost!Martha Fraser! It makes me chortle when Benton says to Bob "how is she?" and Bob says "Not dead enough, son!"

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Ooh awesome icon!!

Poor Vecchio, I can't believe they never named his dad.

(I LOVE that 'not dead enough, son' exchange. Also the little glimpse we get of her in the end, checking on him.)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Oh, that pesky talent requirement...