When the main character dies on a television series, fans sometimes need a break or a moment to catch their breaths, because the loss is so overwhelming. With hours invested, sometimes years, it is hard to say goodbye. Over the years, television has provided endings to some of our favorite characters that have been unbelievable, heartfelt and unforgettable. Years later, viewers can remember what they were doing when their favorite television characters said their final farewells.
Here is a list of the 10 best death scenes on TV:
Lt. Colonel Henry Blake – M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H has the 9th most-watched television episode in TV history with over 105 million viewers. M*A*S*H was must-see TV for 11 seasons and 255 episodes. It was shocking to viewers when they felt like they had lost one of their family members with the death of Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson).
In a somber moment, Radar (Gary Burghoff) comes into the operating room and informs everyone that Lt. Colonel Herny Blake’s plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan and that there were no survivors.
Rita Morgan – Dexter
Dexter seems like he is turning over a new leaf because the love of his family outweighs his thirst to kill. In Season 4, “The Getaway,” it is discovered that there are rarely happy endings for serial killers.
Wanting to leave Miami to start a new life, Dexter has one last piece of unfinished business, which is to kill Arthur the “Trinity Killer” (John Lithgow). But before Dexter finishes the deed, Arthur tells him that it is already over. When Dexter gets home, he finds his son, Harrison, sitting in a pool of blood, with his wife Rita's dead body in the bathtub.
Dr. Derek Shepard – Grey’s Anatomy
Patrick Dempsey broke a lot of fans' hearts with his departure from Grey’s Anatomy. It was not as if he left to go to another hospital. The decision was made to kill his character.
After getting hit by a truck, his wife Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), realizes that he would not be able to overcome his injuries and makes the painful decision to take him off life support. There is a long pause as viewers watch the nurse cut off the machine and, with his wife’s hand on his chest, he takes one last breath.
Dr. Mark Greene – ER
For eight years, Anthony Edwards brought into our living rooms the patriarch of the night time melodrama ER, Dr. Mark Greene. He was the main character of the series and the only original character to die.
Dying from a terminal brain tumor with a patch on his left eye, his daughter puts headphones over his ears as he listens to a ukulele-playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Dr. Mark Greene takes his last bow after 182 episodes on the critically acclaimed NBC drama.
Christopher Moltisani – The Sopranos
Since the death of his dad, Christopher (Michael Imperioli) viewed Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as his second father. Their relationship made it difficult for viewers to watch Tony end Christopher's life.
In season 6's “Kennedy and Heidi,” Christopher and Tony get in a car accident. Christopher is seriously injured and Tony realizes that he is still on drugs. He starts to dial 911, but then stops, reaches through the window and squeezes Christopher’s nose so he cannot breathe. Christopher’s eyes roll back then glosses over as his final scene comes to an end.
Omar Little – The Wire
Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) with a facial scar whistling, “A Hunting We Will Go,” made for HBO’s The Wire's most notorious stick-up man. People on the street were afraid of him and he was hard to kill as he always sported a bulletproof vest, a shotgun, and a large caliber handgun while he rode around the streets of Baltimore.
Omar’s lucky streak of survival came to an end in Season 5's “Omar is Dead.” While waiting to buy a pack of Newport cigarettes, a gun goes off, there is a shot to the back of Omar’s head and he falls to the floor. The lady cashier screams and there stands a nervous young boy holding a gun. With a look of astonishment, he checks Omar to make sure he is dead, drops the gun and runs out of the store. Ironically, the series toughest character gets killed by a young child.
Gus Fring – Breaking Bad
Chilean American Gustavo “Gus” Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was a drug lord who owned a chain of restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos and was affectionately known as the “Chicken Man” in AMC’s Breaking Bad.
In season 4's “Face Off,” Gus says his final good-bye in one of the best-celebrated endings to a villain of all time. The room blows up, causing the fire alarm to go off. Gus calmly walks out of the room and it appears that he survived the explosion without a scratch on him. He straightens his tie, but when the nurses see him, they have a look of horror because the other half of his face is gone, muscles and tendons exposed, as he collapses to his death.
Shane Walsh – The Walking Dead
In Season 2's “Better Angels,” Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), Rick Grimes' (Andrew Lincoln) best friend, says his good-bye.
Shane walks Rick out into an open field. Rick asks Shane, “So this is where you going to do it?” and Shane smartly replied that it was as good a place as any. He tells Rick that it is not going to be easy, but Rick’s wife and his son will get over him. Rick tells him that he is going to have to kill an unarmed man and tries to hand Shane his gun. As Shane gets closer, Rick pulls the knife out of his back holster and stabs him in the chest. Rick cries out, “This is you not me!” weeping over his best friend’s dead body.
Glenn Rhee – The Walking Dead
Glenn (Steven Yeun) was one of the most beloved, if not most revered, characters on The Walking Dead. He first appeared in the second episode, where he saved Rick. That made him a favorite character from the start.
In the first episode of Season 7, “The Day You Come, When You Won’t Be,” Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) surrounds Rick’s group, informing them that someone is going have to pay for killing his people. After he gives an unforgettable monologue, he plays a game of duck, duck, goose before he decides to bludgeon Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) to death with his bat, Lucille. Daryl (Norman Reedus) punches Negan in the mouth, causing him to punish another victim.
Glenn is kneeling behind Negan trying to grasp what he just witnessed. There is a long pause as Negan states, “Back to it,” striking Glenn in the top of the head twice. Glenn rises with his left eye bulging out of his head gurgling, telling Maggie, “I will find you.” Negan finishes him off with a series of vicious blows to the head as The Walking Dead fans drowned in a puddle of tears saying goodbye to one of their favorites.
Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Talisa - Games Of Thrones
Season 3's Games of Thrones episode, “The Red Wedding,” will go down as probably the greatest cast send-off in television history and is the reason why it ranks number one on this list.
Robb Stark (Richard Madden) attends his uncle’s wedding to the Frey’s household when things go very bad. Angry at Robb because he broke his oath to marry a Frey woman, instead marrying Talisa (Oona Chaplin). The Frey household kills the Starks, their men who attended and even Robb’s wolf, Grey Wind.
His pregnant wife Talisa gets stabbed several times in her stomach. They shoot Robb with arrows while everyone in Robb’s party has their throats cut. It is a total massacre as Walder Frey (David Bradley) smiles with joy.
Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) begs for her son’s life but to no avail as he is stabbed several times in his chest. Catelyn screams out in agony then her throat is cut.