The thousand and one reasons to kill a character in series
Sometimes we wonder why. Sometimes you do not understand. At other times, we’re downright pissed off. In any case, there is always an explanation. Examples.
We simple spectators are ignorant. And that rhymes with addiction. We love a series, we like a character in particular and we want to keep it with us as long as possible. Mourning sometimes proves difficult, especially when you do not understand why the character should die . Because we do not have all the cards in hand. Here is what goes on behind the scenes and explains everything.
Sara Lance / Black Canary in “The Arrow”
Sister of Laurel, also a former conquest of Oliver aka The Arrow, Sara was given for dead from the beginning. Since the accident of Oliver’s boat, which had also made him believe it disappeared forever. In short, years later, the Black Canary landed and greatly helped Oliver in his taf to clean the city. Until she takes an arrow and falls from a building, dying instantly . Too bad, the fans loved it. Then the screenwriters and producers have brought him back to life, to tear it off, and it’s gone. Then they created a series called “Legends of Tomorrow”, around her. Big change of plan.
Rita in “Dexter”
Dexter’s girlfriend and wife, Rita was the ray of light of Dexter. As well as all the spectators. Problem: Dexter continued (as always) his small outings and ended up falling on a tough, trinity. Their mano a mano game ended dramatically, the opponent killing Rita, in his bathtub, when Dexter had eliminated him and thought he had escaped. Wrong. A death that was not necessarily planned for this character but that the producers saw as the best possible end in season 5 . And for the history of Dexter in general.
Stringer Bell in “The Wire”
Slowly but surely, the character has grown considerably. At Avon Barksdale’s base deputy, he becomes important when he finds himself in jail for a while. Then his intelligence makes the difference. He becomes the boss, he maneuvers everything behind the scenes, expands his network, fricots with the politicians … Fans love him too much . And this is what motivated the producers to kill the character, with the agreement of the actor, Idris Elba. They did not want and could not let the message pass that the life of a drug trafficker is noble, enviable, a success. The life of a gangster is difficult, risky, and ends badly. Omar had the same treatment, for the same reasons.
Kate Todd in “NCIS”
Then there, it is clearly the actress who wanted to be dezangled. Sasha Alexander was not ready for the rhythm of work required for the shooting of a series, long, constant, taking. Despite her extraordinary performance as a secret service agent, she did not hold the blow physically and nervously. Exhausted, she asked the producers to find a solution , that her character leaves the plot for good. So at the end of Season 2, she took a bullet and went away.
Lexa in “The 100”
Basically, we find ourselves a century after an apocalypse erupted on earth and some survivors live in an ark. After a while, they realize that their resources will not suffice forever and that we must return to earth, see if there is any way to resume their life there. So they send 100 young prisoners, minors, in designated voluntary mode, knowing full well that it stinks the suicide mission. Among them, Clarke, who will meet one of the few survivors left on earth, now formed into tribes, Lexa. These two women will then lead a romance. The actress Alycia Debnam-Carey who played Lexa was recruited in 2015 in “Fear The Walking Dead” . Question timetable, it was no longer manageable. She would have missed at least half the third season. Then the producers took the lead: after a scene of love with Clarke (long awaited by the fans), Lexa dies taking a ball to save her lover. A sudden but stupid death that made the fans crazy, to the point that they threatened to kill the showrunner Jason Rothenberg. How did you react to their dead?