Recommended for you
There's nothing worse than falling in love with a brand-new TV show, becoming invested in the plot, and following the storyline for years, only to have one of your favorite characters just get killed off. It's enough to make you scream at your television screen and curse the very writers who came up with such a twist of fate.
For me, this moment of anguish came back in 2009, when George O'Malley, the lovable Grey's Anatomy character, unexpectedly died following a bus accident. But it's safe to say that all fans of TV, no matter the genre, have experienced that same heartache over a fictional passing at one point or another.
So, let's take a little trip down memory lane and revisit the saddest TV deaths of all time, according to diehard fans of some classic shows.
Scroll to see what fans say are the saddest TV deaths of all time...
20th Century Fox
Henry Blake – M*A*S*H*
MASH premiered in 1972, and viewers weren't strangers to tragedy and grief. The series was set in the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, where members took care of injured people amidst the Korean War. Even so, the death of Commanding Officer Henry Blake still sent a chill down all of our spines.
Portrayed by McLean Stevenson, Henry's demise came during the finale of Season 3. While flying over the Sea of Japan on his way home, his plane was shot down, and he died. Then, the news of his tragic ending was announced to the rest of the characters in the operating room. Talk about a shock.
Sony Pictures Television
Jane Margolis – Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad sparked quite the intrigue when it came out back in 2008. The show follows Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who discovers he has terminal cancer and transforms an RV into a meth lab to secure his family as best he can financially before he passes away.
But Walter isn't the character we're focusing on here. It's Jane Margolis (played by Krysten Ritter), the tattooed girlfriend and landlord of Jesse Pinkman, a dealer working with Walter. Breaking Bad went on for five seasons, but Jane's heart-wrenching death came in Season 2, when she overdosed on heroine and choked on her own vomit. The worst part? Walter watched as she just suffocated and didn't intervene.
ABC
Gary Mendez – A Million Little Things
A Million Little Things was always a drama that tackled hard life realities. The very plot of the series centers around a friend group from Boston who comes together after one of their own commits suicide. In the wake of the tragedy, they all decide to start confronting their own demons and living their best lives.
But sadly, Gary Mendez, portrayed by James Roday Rodriguez, didn't get the happy ending we all hoped for. The comedic yet romantic character wound up beating breast cancer, only to develop lung cancer. And even though it seemed like he was responding well to treatment, Gary ultimately dies in the last episode of A Million Little Things via assisted suicide. The irony is just devastating.
NBC
Dr. Greene – ER
After debuting in 1994, ER became a hit medical drama that ran for a whopping 15 seasons. The show follows doctors at the Chicago-based County General Hospital as they save lives while grappling with their own personal problems. But in another messed-up twist, the long-standing character Dr. Mark Greene, played by Anthony Edwards, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
It was Season 7 when he found out he had an inoperable brain tumor, and fans held onto hope as he battled the cancer for two years. Nonetheless, he died in Season 8, and it's still a loss that may fans can't get over.
ABC
Will Gardner – The Good Wife
While death is a surefire way to spice up a plotline (and potentially increase viewership), no one saw Will Gardner's death coming in the legal drama The Good Wife.
The show premiered in 2009, and after portraying Will Gardner for five seasons, actor Josh Charles reportedly wished to leave the show once his contract ended. And rather than writing him off in some vague or mundane way, the show's creators decided to kill him on screen instead. So, Will was shot in the neck by his own client in the courtroom, and fans had absolutely no time to prepare for his disastrous exit.
20th Century Fox Television
Joyce Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Anyone who watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer was used to seeing the titular character slay vampires and demons on a regular basis. Not to mention, Buffy even died twice herself.
But that didn't make her mother, Joyce Summers, death any easier for audiences. Why? Well, Joyce, played by Kristine Sutherland, passes away due to a terrifying yet natural cause–a brain aneurysm during Season 5. The loss served as a striking reminder that life, even without supernatural threats, is still so fragile.
ITV
Matthew Crawley – Downton Abbey
The British drama series Downton Abbey quickly took viewers by storm after it debuted in 2010. They got to be flies on the wall, watching the lives of the Crawley family in the early 1900s.
However, after following Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary's enemies-to-lovers journey for two seasons, the Edwardian heartthrob was suddenly killed off. He'd just married Mary and become a father when he got into a fatal car accident that ripped him from the Downton Abbey universe forever. Viewers who tuned into the shocking episode, which aired during Christmastime in 2012, were understandably horrified.
CBS
Kate Todd – NCIS
Finally, while NCIS is still running to this day and has experienced plenty of plot twists throughout its 23-season tenure, Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd's demise way back in season 2 still haunts fans.
In the finale entitled "Twilight," she died after getting sniped in the head by assassin Ari Hawswari. The decision to kill Kate reportedly came because actress Sasha Alexander wanted to leave NCIS. While it might bring viewers some solace to know that her exit was a decision she made for herself, many still wish she'd been given a less dreadful fate.
Looking for more TV & entertainment news? Follow us on Facebook so you never miss a thing!
