When our favorite fictional character passes away or dies a tragic death, it can feel like a huge loss. Some might even feel a real sense if grief.
Robert Rowney, a staff psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic, said that we feel sadness when we lose a character because we spend so much time learning about their lives. We see the characters losses, their loves and their own griefs.
We begin to empathize with them. Rowney said it's completely normal to feel sad when they die.
We wanted to know which television character deaths hit the hardest for people.
Redditor RIGORR_MORTIS asked:
"What was the saddest death in any TV Series?"
If you're a fan of any of these shows, you might want to grab a tissue.
Futurama
"Seymour the dog in Futurama."
- wanderingstorm
"I normally skip 'Jurassic Bark' as I know I can't handle it. But upon a recent re-binge-watch from beginning to end I decided to put on a brave face, knew what I was getting into, braced myself, and watched it along with all the other episodes."
"I had to stop watching because I couldn't see the TV through my tears."
- LittlestSlipper55
sad happy tears GIF by HULUGiphyThe Good Place
"Chidi wasn't the saddest but made me cry when he went to the door."
- reilmb
"I just watched the finale a couple nights ago and cried through the whole thing for like umpteenth time. Chidi was hard to watch but Jason just hit harder for me. Something about him being so carefree, happy go lucky and still being the first to go...man. Then he waits like 1000 Jeremy Bearemies just to go and break our hearts again"
- LilPudz
season 2 2x5 GIF by NBCGiphyBuffy the Vampire Slayer
"Buffy's mom."
- user deleted
"Yes, that was one of the most crushing deaths in any series. Second would have to be Ms. Calendars' death in season 2."
- Jllbtvs
"This was the first one that came to mind, I think it's because it feels so raw and real. It's not done to further the overarching plot, it's just random and sudden and shocking and just f*cking destroys you, like death does in real life."
- nada_accomplished
Breaking Bad
"The kid from Breaking Bad on the bike."
- A_Reddit_Commenter19
"The moment Todd really became unredeemable."
- Blastspark01
"I don't see it as the moment he becomes irredeemable, but as the moment you see who he really is."
- GeebusNZ
Breaking Bad Crying GIFGiphy"Andrea was worse."
- DerpDerpersonMD
"That's the worst moment in breaking bad. It's one of those moments that's so awful you almost resent the writers for putting it in there. In a way it shows you Jesse would feel, just wishing it wouldn't have happened. That show always blows my mind with how their able make you to feel such strong emotions."
- BDady
The documentary Planet Earth.
"That polar bear in the Planet Earth (2?). Can't watch it again, absolutely devastating seeing it just give up and die next to the walruses because it has no energy to hunt anymore."
- Swaggernuggets69
"God the one where the baby elephant wanders the wrong direction in the dust storm was so painful."
- Keyspam102
"No but the baby flamingo with its legs covered in salt?!"
- IsabellaGalavant
M*A*S*H
"Henry Blake from MASH."
- KayBeaux
"'His plane was shoot down over the Sea of Japan, there were no survivors.' That part always gets me."
- Jack1715
"The clang of that dropped instrument after Radar gives the news. Silence <clang!> back to work. The enormity of the impact, and the inability to deal with it was especially tough."
- theservman
Scrubs.
"Ben Sullivan (Brendan Fraser) Scrubs."
- luvgun21
"Scrubs handled death so well."
"I still think about the Steak Night episode, and the one from Season 1 where all 3 of them have a patient that dies."
"And of course when Dr. Cox approved those I'll fated organ transplants, watching him lose that last patient was heart wrenching."
"It gets remembered as a mostly goofy show, but when it came time to be serious, it really didn't pull any punches, and it didn't do the typical sitcom thing of immediately following a heavy moment with a sh*tty joke to break the mood."
- Shaun32887
scrubs screams internally GIFGiphyWhen fiction meets real life.
"Any character they kill off because the actor actually dies."
- mustang-and-a-truck
"Coach on Cheers - Nicholas Colasanto. He died in between seasons, and so they wrote it into the show when the fourth season came back that he was gone. The last moment of the last episode of Cheers is Ted Danson straightening the portrait of Geronimo, which hung in Nicks dressing room and they hung on the set in remembrance of him."
- HeyYoEowyn
"When Phil Hartman was murdered they had to kill off his character on Newsradio. It's a completely heartbreaking episode to watch. The actors are openly weeping and obviously devastated."
- I_Crush_Your_Head
"Yes. John Spencer aka Leo McGarry, West Wing."
- thewarnersisterDot
If you cried at any of these fictional deaths, it's okay! It's actually really good to cry.
Crying releases stress, restores emotional balance, improves our mood, and even detoxes the body.
So binge watch your favorite show and cry on.
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Redditor _ReDd1T_UsEr wanted to discuss the reasons why many of us decided to cut some people out of our lives, so they asked:
"What was the reason why your friendship ended with someone?"
Sometimes a person just has to go.
Planning Stages
Weekend Sunday GIF by DisneyGiphy"I stopped being the first to always initiate plans, and that was that."
Witty-Surround-6541
"I once asked a friend to plan our next breakfast + walk outing, since I always did that. He wrote me a letter ending the friendship. Stunning!"
fermat9996
Pants on Fire
"Habitual lying became too annoying and disruptive to tolerate."
Hosscatticus_Dad523
"When you constantly are thinking... this math ain't matching lol. People that lie all the time make me sick. I've told multiple friends that you don't have to lie to me."
"I feel so much better when someone can trust me and feel comfortable telling me a hard truth than an easy lie."
"Even if the truth made me feel some type of way, I'm still glad it was honest. I've even said thank you to people in the past that have been honest with me, good or bad! Some people just can not help lying about things. I wouldn't be able to ever keep a story straight if I did that."
__eden_
Bad Behavior
"He kept having kids with different girls and bailing on them. Coming from a 'went out for a pack of smokes' Dad myself, I just couldn't watch it anymore. Bailed after the third one. Think he's up to 6 now."
KingGuy420
"Reminds me of one of my ex-friends. She kept having kids with MULTIPLE guys (all of them were one-night stands), I don't think she even knows who the baby daddies are."
"She also kept begging me and people for money for pot, and she also bragged about having OnlyFans. She'd also make up stories about being in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend (she'd also cheat on him/tell people her and him they broke up, which they weren't)."
wisconsinking
Reasons
"I was a bad person and they ended it for perfectly sensible reasons. I would have done the same. I've changed, but I don't blame them for not reconsidering contact."
tabletopsidekick
"I’ve been there. I was a bad person and lost friendships and family relationships. I tried to apologize to everyone I hurt."
PDXGalMeow
"I also accepted that they don’t want me in their lives anymore. I learned that I made my mistakes, I learned from them, and I accept their choices. I don’t self-hate anymore and I try to be a better person in general. I hope you are doing well and practicing self-love and forgiveness."
PDXGalMeow
Money Issues
Donald Duck Money GIFGiphy"I lent them $20 and then they avoided me so they didn’t have to pay me back. Worth the $20."
BuickAssault
"I don't ever expect prompt returns of small amounts of money between my friends... we all buy each other rounds or buy the food for the BBQ or whatever. It ends up evening out over time I think we'd notice though if someone was always taking and never giving and then they'd probably get cut off too."
Badloss
In the immortal words of Cyndi Lauper... "Money Changes Everything."
Lack of Support
Happy Planning GIFGiphy"She joined a pyramid scheme selling butt-ugly leggings and it took over her whole life. When I finally told her it was negatively affecting our friendship, she accused me of not supporting her 'business.'"
LeftandLeaving9006
Oh Driver
"I was basically a taxi for my friends so I dumped them all."
Bullfrog_Little
"This one I can understand but depends on the situation. Not all of my friends had cars in high school, so our group needed to have me and my sh*tty '94 Plymouth Sundance come, or they couldn't do anything. I didn't mind at all then, but I definitely would these days."
Hoopajoops
"I remember I used to drive around with my buddies all the time before they had licenses. When one of my friends got his and a car I said sweet now you can drive me around for a bit, he replied that he wasn't gonna waste his money on gas like that. See ya, haven't really spoken to him since."
DontcallmeShirley_82
2063
"How's this for oddly specific: Friend since 1980, was hanging out at a bar in 1992 and there was a dispute of over a $15.00 bar tab. I was in the right, but whatever - he held a grudge for years."
"Ran into him in 2017 and we were both too old to care. Started to see each other now and then. 2023 and we're at this local bar for a show and got into a fight about $15.00 a ticket."
"Maybe he'll call me in 2063."
The68Guns
Exhausting
"She was a taker, constantly. When I needed something she made it about her yet again. Exhausting to be around."
LordyIHopeThereIsPie
"I'm going through this right now. Can't tell you how many texts I have from her in the past few days telling me that I need to get over myself, need to stop making myself the victim, have been a terrible friend, have never been there for her."
"She's the most narcissistic person I know and everyone does everything for her. She has one of the easiest lives ever and anytime anything bad happens to her she believes that everyone is against her and she's the victim here. It's pure insanity. There is no talking sense to people like this."
cheeseburgerwaffles
Life Changes
point pointing GIF by Shalita GrantGiphy"I've lost like all but two of my 'friends' because I stopped drinking and doing hard drugs."
ConcertTerrible8877
"Same here dude. My circle is small but hey at least it's a circle I know I can go to."
Miss_mayonnaise
Oh, how things change when the booze dries up.
How much fun were you really having?
Do you have any stories about cutting off a friend? Let us know in the comments below.
Curious to hear from ex-lovers who've been there, Redditor Lishasquarepant asked:
"What caused your last break-up?"
These Redditors found they and their significant other were no longer on the same page.
"Simply, we grew apart."
– catetheway
"Same, I feel like Michael Scott everytime I try to start another relationship. 'No question about it, I am ready to get hurt again.'"
– Gthew
Happier Apart
"Same. We loved each other like siblings, not spouses... Ugh! Lovely man though who now has a fab girlfriend. We are good friends and much happier apart."
– MoxieHasKnottyBits
No Regrets
"Same. And it f'king sucks, but that’s life. It’s been a year and I still hate every second that she’s not in my life, but at the same time I know she’s happier now than she would’ve been if we stayed together."
– throway35885328
Having no communication is the worst part.
Silent Partner
"He slowly got distant. I believe he lost interest and didn't dare be honest with me about that."
– GaiaNatur77
The Late Blame Game
"I had that happen as well, but then he pinned it on me being distant and not affectionate enough."
"My guy, if you pull your hand away every time I try to hold it, I'm gonna stop trying to hold it. And if I ask if something's up and you repeatedly tell me everything is fine, I'm going to believe you. Don't wait till I'm at my worst moment and then reveal you had issues with me for 3 months and break up with me for it being 'my fault.'"
– Billielolly
"Everything Is Fine"
"Oh man, the asking repeatedly and getting a 'nothing' reminds me of a story."
"My friend used to ask her ex this every time he was unusually quiet. He’d always say he was fine, then at one point, told her to stop asking because it was making him feel weird."
"So she did."
"Six months later he initiated a divorce because she didn’t care about his feelings anymore."
"Like…don’t ask for sh*t then get pissy when you get what you want."
– TheRealJackReynolds
And then there are those who were not invested in the relationship for a long time.
The Struggle Is Real
"He seemed to struggle with the concept of not f'king random people."
– spanglesandbambi
Leaving The Problem
"He moved to his country because he missed his family. So he only sent a WhatsApp message saying he was going to stay there. I would have preferred a call at least to break up a marriage."
– kattia12
New Life
"Something similar happened to my cousin. He married her in the US, they had a baby together.. a few years go by, he misses home, goes back to visit.. His family had an arranged marriage ready for him 🤦🏻♀️ He ended up with a new wife and new baby. Hasn’t came back."
– MysticalMom7
A Foreign Custom
"It just seems so surreal that a grown a** adult with a wife and baby would leave his family behind for an arranged marriage. I'll never fathom the mentality."
– ro0ibos2
Ouch
"I wasn't having sex near as often as she was."
– YourWordsMatter
Breaking up is hard to do.
But a good thing to remember is that love can be found again and the new relationship can be even better than the previous one.
And that's something that can't be recognized until you look back in retrospect.
We all have to kiss a few toads.