Given the shocking events of the Dexter finale, the second to last episode of Breaking Bad, I started thinking about other character deaths that affected me as much. I came up with a this list of characters deaths that I couldn't watch the first time, and still have a hard time sitting through when I go back and rewatch some of my favorite TV shows. These are sorta in order from least impactful to most, but each one of these deaths affected me a great deal, and made being a fan boy pretty fucking hard. One's should can only be crushed so many times.
With that being said let us begin...
10. Andrea Le Cerva, The Sopranos
One has to feel bad for Andrea, she had a certain naivety, denial about who she was involved with and how dangerous her situation had become. When watching the Sopranos you really start to believe that Chris is gonna leave the family for his love. However, he ends up being a very weak individual and the family sends Silvio Dante to clean up the mess. that scene is so long, so stretched out as Silvio drives Andrea to the "Hospital" to see Chris and it is not till they stop in the woods do we and Andrea realize that this is the end for her. Her naivety and denial made her a very likable character. The mistreatment she suffers at the hands of just about everyone, especially Christopher, made her a very likable character and the one we most rooted for to make it out alive.
9. Curtis Lemansky, The Shield
Lemon head was the nicest, kindest member of the sociopath, criminal police gang on the shield. the most lovable member of the Strike Team without a doubt. He gets set up to take the fall for all the team's misgivings and Shave Vendrell ultimately drops a grenade in his lap to keep him from informing on the rest of the team. The hardest part of that scene after seeing Lemansky's eviscerated body is Shane crying out "I'm sorry Lem, I'm sorry." To this day I can barely watch this scene and it gives me a very emotional reaction. The last time I rewatched the Shield I skipped this episode.
8. Andrea, Breaking Bad
Andrea was killed to teach Jesse a lesson. He had to watch, and by this point in Breaking Bad the entire fandom of that show is #teamjesse. His reaction to her brutal murder is completely heartbreaking. It is so hard to watch and her death is only on screen for second but what it does to the lovable Jesse is almost unimaginable. Of all the people involved with Jesse that have died during this shows run Andrea was the most likable and maybe not exactly the most innocent but the most undeserving of brutal slaughter.
7. Stringer Bell, The Wire
I could pick a few deaths from the Wire. I could have just as easily gone with Omar Little but I think we expected his end to be as bloody as it was. The murder of Bell comes as something of a surprise. We spend that episode thinking somehow he is gonna slip out of the mess he has crated and that it is Avon Barskdale that is gonna go down. Proving what a conniving bastard he is he gets the drop of Stringer and Little along with another hired gun kill him out right. Bell's last line is "get on with it" as he accepts his fate and the gunshots ring out we start to realize that we were kind of rooting for Bell.He was a nicer, cleaner, vicious drug lord. Had they killed off Bubbles there might have been a riot. Series creator David Simon, once summed up Stringers death bu saying people like this die, that's just how it is.
6. Rita Morgan, Dexter
In what becomes a recurring theme over the last half of the Dexter series run, Dexter fails to kill a very bad guy and pays a terrible price for it. the first death is that of Rita, his loving wife. Rita's back story makes her such a sympathetic character and as we watch Dexter learn how to love her, we cannot hope but fall in love with her as well. The worst part of this scene is baby Harrison sitting there in her blood and we see the next chapter of Dexter being born. We feel bad for Aster and Cody who lost their dad, lost Rita, and finally lose Dexter and their half brother Harrison. I cannot watch this scene and now when I rewatch Dexter I can barely even watch this episode. The death of Rita crushed me as a Dexter fan, even though we needed to see how a demented killer like Dexter would deal with this level of heart break.
5. The Red Wedding, Game of Thrones
The visual impact of the Red Wedding was lessened a Little for me because I knew it was coming. By the time of Season three episode 9 of Game of Thrones i was ahead of it in the books. I knew what was going to go down, but when Talisa Stark, pregnant mind you, gets stabbed in the belly repeatedly I had to turn away. It did not help that one of my closest fan girl friends was rant texting me totally freaking out. I have this episode on my DVR and I can watch the first 30 minutes but I always find a reason to leave the room or turn it off before we get to the conclusion. This was a very powerful scene, different from the book version in a lot of ways, but very powerful TV none the less.
4. The Vendrell Family, The Shield
This one is hard. By the last season of the Shield we are rooting for Shane to die. We want Vic Mackey to catch up to him, kill him brutally and let us get back to our days. Shane killed Lemonhead, he betrayed the team, and he threatened to turn rat. Shane had to go, and we all wanted him dead....however when he buys the roses, the toys, and writes his final note we suddenly to not want him to go out like this. rather than go down, go to prison, or lose his family Shane makes the choice to go out on his own terms. It is beyond sad, and even the ever tough Vic freaks out when he learns of the slaughter. I can actually watch this scene now, but it brings tears to my eyes every time.
3. Harry "Opie" Wilson, Son of Anarchy
Opie was one of the most beloved members of SAMCRO. He loses his wife, his father, marries a porn star, tries to be a good dad, tries to go straight, tries to be a good man, only yo get caught up in club business that is not really any of his own making. This is a guy that cannot deal with the betrayal of the club and the murder of half his family. I think we see Opie deconstruct and even after getting vengeance against the DEA, he never gets a chance to avenge the murder of his father. Ultimately it leads Opie to make the choice to take one for the team and finally bring to an end all of his pain. Opie was a fan favorite and when he tells Jax "I got this" we know that the end of his suffering his near, and ours is just beginning.
2. Debra Morgan, Dexter
The death of Debra is very fresh in my mind. I got a sticker on Get Glue, that I had survived the Dexter finale, but I really didn't. When Dexter steps into her hospital room and we know the choice he is gonna make I texted a friend of mine and said simply, "no. not Debra." The people who actually deserve to die in the Dexter finale, and I am talking about Dexter himself, do not. And the innocent victims of his madness do. Debra came unglued by the things she did in defense of her brother whom she love, probably a little too much. His need to kill destroyed her life and in a way it is nice that her suffering comes to and end, but when he has her on the boat, and is gonna but her into the ocean like all of his other victims I had to look away. Debra was our favorite foul mouthed female character on this show and her death has left me empty on the inside.
1. Ned Stark, Game of Thrones
I guess the first clue that Ned Stark isn't gonna live is he is played by Sean bean who literally dies in everything he acts in. I had not read the books when I watched season one of Game Of Thrones and I remember thinking to myself there is no fucking way that they are gonna kill this guy off. When Joffrey gives his little speech and we come to realize Ned truly is gonna lose his head we are all hoping that Yoren will grab us and hide our eyes from the awfulness of the fall of the head of House Stark. Ned has an out, and we think to save the realm from war even the despicable Joffrey will let him take it. All of that gets pulled away from us and we realize that no one is safe anymore. hero or not when people make poor choices in Westeros they die. No one is safe and we watch every episode of that show now will a certain level or nervousness as to how will George Martin and the shows producers crush our souls next.
With that done, I need some therapy cause i don't want to live. That is of course till the next fandom comes along and we open our hearts to more heartbreak. Its tough business being a fan boy sometimes.
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