This week we heard rumors that Santana would be leaving Glee, and fans threatened to never watch the show again should the gossip prove true. That happens about half the time, it seems, when faithful viewers give up watching a favorite show because they don’t approve of a certain character’s exit, whether it be because the actor left on their own accord or were fired.
So, group, spill it: What show could you not hang with after your favorite character split?
Lucy Hallowell: When Jenny left The L Word. Oh wait, SHE NEVER FUCKING LEFT.
Elaine Atwell: Lately it’s become a badge of honor for shows to kill off one of their main characters, just to prove how maverick-y and unpredictable they are. It can be a great choice to prove that the world of the show dangerous and there isn’t a moral center to cling to (Game of Thrones) or it can just rob a narrative of its central conflict.In this latter category I would put Boardwalk Empire, which I totally gave up on after they killed Jimmy Darmody, one of the series’ two protagonists. After his death, the show was reduced to an orgy of blood spatters and beautiful woman sleeping with Steve Buscemi. PLUS ALSO they killed Jimmy’s bisexual wife, for no reason whatsoever.
Grace Chu: The rude, unnecessary and cruel departure – no, murder – of Dana Fairbanks on The L Word haunts us to this day.
Dana Piccoli: Dana Fairbanks did not leave. She was unceremoniously offed. Sorry, still bitter.
I grew up watching The Cosby Show and wanting to be as cool as Denise Huxtable.(She was also a massive crush, which I was not aware of at the time.) When she moved on to A Different World, I was so excited and got all wrapped up in the students of Hillman College. However, when Lisa Bonet left ADW, it just wasn’t the same. Jasmine Guy’s character of Whitley was just so unlikeable, and not even Dwayne Wayne and his awesome glasses, or Freddie’s adorable voice and face could make her more palatable. I hung on for a couple of seasons but my heart wasn’t in it with Bonet gone.
Dara Nai: Am I the only one who likes The Good Wife even more, now that Will Garner is gone? I’m sure Josh Charles is a great guy, blah blah, but man, I Could. Not. Stand. his character. But stop watching a show because a star left? Most of my fav shows have great ensembles. I can’t think of one I would stop watching, just because one person left. Not even if that person was the incredible Sandra Oh.
Heather Hogan: One of the dumbest creative decisions ever was when NBC tried to prolong The Office after Steve Carrell‘s departure. The show was already flailing around aimlessly in a beet field by the time he decided to go; there’s no way it was going to find resuscitation without its most powerful comedic life source. What a pitiful experience watching that once great comedy crawl and limp and stagger drunkenly toward the finish line. I also want to go on record as saying that Glee is fuuuuucked without Naya Rivera. I mean, it’s fucked anyway, but it’s especially fucked without her mad skills (and fan base). There’s been a lot of speculation that Orange Is the New Black is going to suck in season two without Laura Prepon, but I hope less Alex means less Piper, means more Taystee, Poussey, Crazy Eyes, Sophia, and Big Boo! That’ll be the opposite of suck! That’ll be true glory!
Valerie Anne: I have a hard time quitting shows I’ve watched for more than two seasons, even when they treat me wrong (see: Glee), and when I do, I usually phase them out slowly, feeling guilty all the while (see: Bones). But Private Practice, which I was watching because Addison was one of my favorites, I dropped like a hot potato the episode before Dell died. I was spoiled before I saw it, and I absolutely refused to watch it happen. He was easily the best part of that show, and I couldn’t bear to watch him go. Not even for Addison. I heard Xander was later a bad guy on that show (like, a really bad guy) so I’m glad I quit when I did, quite frankly.
Kim Hoffmann: I was pretty blown away when Shannen Doherty left her role as the infamous Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210 after Season 4 (out of ten seasons) with no return for the series finale. Even Dylan eventually rode back into town. It was game-changing.
Erika Star: It was hard to get behind Scrubs once Zach Braff‘s JD left the show. No one was as awkwardly hilarious, or could deliver an inner monologue that spoke to my own raging insecurities quite like John Dorian.
Trish Bendix: I am still not over Cat’s death on Lip Service. I continued to watch the show, of course, but it was hard to deal with not only her absence, but Frankie’s, too.
What show did you lose interest in after a fave left?
