TV characters usually really feel like pals, particularly if we spend time with them week after week.
Saying goodbye is at all times robust. Nevertheless it’s worse when the characters do not even get the send-off they deserve.
There have been many terrible send-offs, starting from characters simply disappearing, by no means to be heard from once more, to being killed off in ridiculous methods.

Many characters appear to undergo from Chuckie Cunningham Syndrome — right here one week, gone the subsequent, by no means to be heard from once more.
Each traditional collection does this.
Golden Women’ pilot featured Coco, a homosexual servant who quietly disappeared earlier than the present’s official first episode.
All within the Household had an honest send-off for Henry Jefferson, however after his going-away celebration, he disappeared from the characters’ recollections in addition to from the Jeffersons’ residence.
And naturally, there’s Chuckie Cunningham himself, who went upstairs in the future and by no means got here down.
There are many TV characters who did not get the send-off they deserved each on traditional and trendy collection. We selected 13 of TV’s worst send-offs; please scroll down to take a look at our picks!
Paige Larson – Days of Our Lives
Days of Our Lives has had some ridiculous exits through the years (Don Craig going to the mailbox, fully disappearing, and never even being talked about once more till 30+ years later involves thoughts!). However one of the crucial egregious was Paige Larson’s dying in 2015.
JJ and Paige had a promising love story till the writers destroyed it.
Twisting JJ out of character to show him right into a drunk who slept with Paige’s evil mom was dangerous sufficient, however Paige’s pointless dying by the hands of the Necktie Killer simply as the 2 have been discovering their method again to one another was unforgivable.
And so as to add insult to harm, Paige is barely talked about within the years since, until it is a part of a revenge plot in opposition to Ben for killing her. The character deserved higher than this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4p6wKnrgMs
Mateo Rendón Osma – The Good Physician
The Good Physician went to all the difficulty of bringing Mateo again from Guatemala to be Lim’s love curiosity and controversial addition to the workers at St. Bonaventure.
However then he disappeared.
Did anybody purchase the after-the-fact clarification from his ex-girlfriend that Mateo compulsively travels to avoid wasting the world? He and Lim did not even get a goodbye scene, making his quick inclusion within the collection appear pointless.
Stevie Hammer – Chicago Med
Equally, Stevie was imagined to be one more of Will Halstead’s love pursuits. She confirmed up in the beginning of Chicago Med Season 5 with an conceited perspective and a historical past with Will.
Whereas she wasn’t a very likable character, the best way she was written out made no sense. After spending half her time at Med coping with her mentally in poor health mom’s homelessness, Stevie instantly left city to finalize her divorce… and reconciled together with her ex-husband offscreen.
This was a foolish and abrupt exit, and she or he was rapidly changed with one other blond that Will had historical past with. Was there a degree to her being there within the first place?
Dana Lewis – Regulation & Order: SVU
We weren’t pleased with Stabler’s sudden disappearance in 2012, however Regulation & Order: SVU rectified that when he returned to the franchise. His foil, Dana Lewis, is one other story.
Dana was a comparatively minor character, however nonetheless. Her major function was to by accident make life tough for Stabler whereas pursuing justice.
So why carry her again after Stabler left, particularly if the one cause was to disclose that she’d been masking up a homicide for years? They may have left her character alone.
Richard Wheatley – Regulation & Order: Organized Crime
Wheatley was the Moriarity to Stabler’s Sherlock. After being unfairly exonerated in Kathy’s dying, he and Stabler started a harmful competitors of one-upmanship. They pushed one another’s buttons whereas Wheatley wreaked havoc all through New York Metropolis.
Since he was such an vital character, he deserved a greater send-off than a lacking physique after a theoretically unsurvivable auto accident.
The writers needed to maintain the door open in case Dylan McDermott is accessible to return (he is migrated over to the opposite facet of the legislation on FBI: Most Wished now). However come on! What sort of ending was that?
Linda Reagan – Blue Bloods
The choice to kill off Linda Reagan was one of many long-running cop household drama’s most controversial.
Amy Carlson selected to not return for Blue Bloods Season 8, so the writers killed her off. However followers came upon after the very fact; her dying was offscreen.
When actors aren’t obtainable, writing out their characters turns into difficult. Nonetheless, Linda was the closest factor to a Reagan household matriarch and permitting her to die offscreen felt disrespectful.
Mon-El – Supergirl
Mon-El had a life within the current that included a romantic relationship, but he randomly needed to return to the longer term.
Supposedly, this was the one method to reserve it, however his exit made no sense.
He and Kara had been by means of rather a lot, but neither of them had an issue with him needing to vanish into one other timeline. This choice was clearly not character-driven.
Mulan – As soon as Upon a Time
As soon as Upon a Time has a foul behavior of writing poor character exits, however Mulan’s was among the many worst.
Her heartbreak over Philip and Aurora was comprehensible, however her disappearance with out clarification proper after she joined the Merry Males was not.
Her sudden disappearance was a blow to each the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and viewers of coloration. And to make issues worse, when she lastly got here again on As soon as Upon a Time Season 5, we STILL weren’t given any clarification, nor was she given something extra to do than be a sounding board for Ruby’s love life.
Prue Halliwell – Charmed
That is one other case of a personality dying between seasons. Not less than there was some indication this one may be coming, however nonetheless.
Prue’s life hung within the stability on the finish of Charmed Season 3, just for the brand new season to open together with her already lifeless.
Whereas the actress’ unavailability performed a component on this, simply as Amy Carlson’s did on Blue Bloods Season 8 Episode 1, it nonetheless felt too abrupt. Followers wanted closure that they by no means received, and the collection by no means appeared the identical afterward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF0na7Q6qIc
Molly – Burden of Fact
Molly and Luna’s breakup was comprehensible. Luna was caught in jail for a criminal offense she did not commit, and there was no telling when she may get out.
However did that imply Molly needed to disappear into skinny air?
She was nonetheless Billy’s niece, and so they did not have a falling out, so far as we all know. But she was by no means talked about once more as if she by no means existed.
Jimmy/Henry James Olsen – Smallville
This exit wasn’t simply mindless. It was complicated, too.
Jimmy died simply after studying the reality about Clark. However wait! He wasn’t Jimmy.
Henry James Olsen glided by his center title regardless that his youthful brother had the identical first title. Severely?
Dave Rygalski – Gilmore Women
It is okay to interrupt up as a result of one individual strikes away. It is even acceptable to do it after attempting to do long-distance and discovering it is not working.
Nevertheless it’s not okay that Dave merely disappeared. Hastily, Lane was single once more.
After investing emotionally on this couple, the least we deserved is a scene the place they agreed to go their separate methods.
Cordelia Chase – Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This one is a bit totally different from the remainder of our checklist. Cordelia did get a touching, lovely swan track, in any case.
However we have now an issue with the best way it was dealt with behind the scenes. Charisma Carpenter had been promised that her character would not be killed off if she returned for a remaining episode.
The writers broke that promise, and that is not cool.
Your flip, TV Fanatics! Was your least favourite send-off on this checklist? Or is there one we missed that you just’d like to rant about?
Hit the massive, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us!
Jack Ori is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is accessible on Amazon. Comply with him on Twitter.