We know TV characters have to die. Sometimes, it’s the villains that we’re ready for and cheering about. Other times, it’s the good guys sacrificing themselves for something bigger. Then there are simply the shocking deaths that we just didn’t see coming. 2024 had a great mixture of them all.
Some deaths hit us the hardest. We still can’t think of the shows without thinking of those deaths. In some cases, they’ve just hit the right time despite bring filmed months or years earlier. Other deaths are purposely poignant for the social climate of the world. After all, entertainment isn’t just there for entertaining purposes.
As we get ready to say goodbye to 2024, we look back at the character deaths that destroyed us the most. The aim is for broadcast deaths only, but there are a couple of basic cable and premium cable deaths that sneak in here.
Ben on Snowpiercer
I am trying to keep this to broadcast only, but there are some shows that just hurt more than others. I also feel like I can get away with Snowpiercer since it was on basic cable for a while. Snowpiercer brought us the death of a beloved character we wanted to see get to New Eden. All Ben wanted was to see land and be able to walk on it without a suit. He dreamed about it, especially as he was originally going to go with Layton before Melanie asked him to stay on Snowpiercer.
Ben never made it. When it was clear Snowpiercer and Big Alice couldn’t uncouple, he had to go outside and do it manually. He knew there weren’t any suits for the outside, but he didn’t tell Till that. He made his sacrifice without anyone realizing until it was too late, and that’s what hit the hardest for us. Even most of us didn’t realize what he was going to have to do until it was too late.
George Sr. on Young Sheldon
Some deaths we know have to happen. When Young Sheldon season 7 was confirmed as the last season, we knew what that meant. George Sr. would have to die. It was already set up in the canon of The Big Bang Theory.
Yes, it hurt as much as we thought it would. It wasn’t the death that made it so hard, though. It was the way everyone reacted. Watching Georgie step up as the man of the house was so bittersweet, but again, it fit the canon so perfectly. We watched as Mary tried to figure things out herself and just allowed Georgie to do it all, knowing his mom was a mess. I’m so glad it only lasted a few episodes, because my heart was broken.
Lois on Superman & Lois
When it comes to series finales, Superman & Lois hit the mark ever step of the way. The voiceover from Clark at the end to share what his life was like in the end was beautifully done, but it did bring a bittersweet moment. We had to face the death of Lois Lane, and it was every bit as heartbreaking as we expected.
We learned that Lois’s cancer came back, and this time, she couldn’t fight it. Her family surrounded her with love and tears, and I was a balling mess as I watched it. I’m so glad it didn’t take long for Clark to end up reuniting with her in the afterlife!
Asher on The Good Doctor
The sixth episode of The Good Doctor season 7 brought a death we did not see coming. Dr. Asher Wolke would become the major casualty of the final season, and it came in such a haunting, socially important way. With so much hatred against Jewish people, the show decided to show what that looked like for people.
The moment still sends chills down my spine. It was horrendous and heartbreaking to watch as Asher was beaten to death. Asher had spent a long time coming to terms with who he was and his faith, and it all ended like this. It just wasn’t fair.
Nadia on The Cleaning Lady
The Cleaning Lady brought two devastating deaths. One of them was done off-screen due to the untimely death of Adan Canto—we’ll come back to that! The other was Nadia, who was so close to getting to rid off into the sunset.
She was just about to get on the helicopter when Ramona Sanchez got to her and stabbed her. Nadia had managed to find a way to turn her life around. We had so much hope for her, and then the show does that to us. Ugh, that hurt!
Arman on The Cleaning Lady
The untimely death of Adan Canto led to the need to figure out what to do about Arman on The Cleaning Lady. It was never going to be easy considering how important Arman was to the story, but it is always better to honor the actor rather than recast when possible. That’s what the show did.
In the end, Arman’s death was one of honor and sacrifice. He saved Thony. I don’t think this death would have hit as hard had it not been for the reason it had to be included in. To be honest, Arman was destined to stick around for longer had it not been for Canto’s death.
Vic on The Penguin
The premium cable network, HBO, brought us a wonderful version of The Penguin’s story. We got to see a man who slowly became more and more of the sociopath that we knew him as. Okay, he always was a sociopath, but we slowly saw how he became more comfortable in being that as well as how he gained power.
There was one person who seemed to keep him human: Vic. This young man was there from the beginning, learning all about the life of crime and how to succeed. And then he said the wrong thing. As Cobb saw Vic as a son, he knew what he needed to do. He killed Vic without looking back, leaving him for anyone to find.
Chloe on Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy has brought some of the hardest deaths throughout its history. The death of Chloe Yasuda is going to go up there, especially considering the circumstances. It did lead to a big ending for Mika, though.
Chloe had been diagnosed with rectal cancer. There was hope for her to fight it, though. And Mika was going to be there every step of the way. However, it was Mika’s need to be there and to work hard that led to Chloe’s death. Mika fell asleep at the wheel, leading to an accident that would eventually kill Chloe and almost kill Mika. It’s something that it seems she’ll take to her grave about, and it destroyed her and us.
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