5 Shows that got better after losing main characters
Here’s a look at five TV shows that actually managed to get better after losing their main characters.
Through a confluence of unconnected circumstances, a number of successful television shows will be losing main characters this season. While a TV show continuing on after losing one of its protagonists isn’t unprecedented, it is unusual. The recent spate of high-profile departures is likely due to the rise of the #MeToo movement. Both House of Cards and Transparent lost their lead actors as the result of an allegation of sexual impropriety.
However, Roseanne lost its eponymous lead and became reincarnated as The Connors due to its star and creator’s hateful comments on social media. And Suits lost a co-protagonist and a key member of its supporting cast due to a desire to move on to other projects and to become British royalty. And Better Call Saul lost its chief antagonist as the result of natural storyline progression. The question now becomes whether or not those shows will thrive in the wake of losing some of their main characters.
More than a setting or a narrative hook, viewers continue to watch their favorite shows because they are emotionally invested in their protagonists. That’s even the case in shows with ultimately unlikable lead main characters. You want to see if Tony Soprano, Walter White, and Alicia Florrick can overcome the odds and defeat their enemies in spite of their significant flaws. Once that core investment is removed from the series, it can be difficult for it to continue. And it’s even more unlikely for a show to improve after losing a lead character. But it’s not impossible.
As proof, here five shows that actually got better after losing a main character.