6 TV characters killed off at VERY short notice
The modern age of TV has brought us many memorable characters, but sometimes the rules of the biz dictate that great characters have to leave us prematurely.
Whether it's scheduling conflicts, budget limitations or personal gripes on set, numerous shows have had their stories changed at the last minute due to the early departure of a central player.
Here's a quick rundown of some unexpected exits – and how the shows might have looked if the characters in question had stuck around.
1. Tuco Salamanca– Breaking Bad
Unhinged drug lord Tuco (Raymond Cruz) was introduced in the first season of the show, and his erratic and intense energy made for a genuinely terrifying antagonist. Continually dipping into his own supply, addict/kingpin Tuco was intended to be Breaking Bad's main villain before he had to be written out due to Cruz's availability.
Show creator Vince Gilligan told us back in 2012: "The original intention was to have him be the main bad guy for that entire season, but unfortunately, he had prior commitments after the first episode on a TV show called The Closer – it was a real bummer for us, and I heard through the grapevine a real bummer for him, too, because he was enjoying his time with us."
What would the show have been like without the unsettling and fastidious Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) as the central villain? Would poor old Hank have made it through alive?
It seems we'll never know.
2. Jason Gideon – Criminal Minds
Mandy Patinkin's departure from Criminal Minds during season three was a shock for many. Up until that point, the show had very much revolved around his character, Jason Gideon, and while he didn't die (at first), his exit certainly felt a tad unnatural.
Which makes sense, considering Patinkin left the show abruptly due to his feeling uncomfortable with the gruesome subject matter. Following his sudden departure, the actor said the show was "destructive to his soul", adding that he was unaware the writers were going to "kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year".
Of course, Patinkin went on to find success in the Showtime series Homeland, and the Criminal Minds writers eventually killed off his character a full seven and a half years after writing him out of the show.
Gideon got a like-for-like replacement in David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), while Thomas Gibson became increasingly prominent as Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner. But Patinkin's departure also led to Criminal Minds becoming less of a star vehicle and more of an ensemble show, allowing the series to survive Gibson's own ignominious departure.
3. Caitlin Todd – NCIS
Sasha Alexander left NCIS due to a gruelling shooting schedule, leaving the writers to come up with a worthy storyline to not only replace her, but to provide some newfound motivation for the remaining characters throughout the following episodes.
After asking to be let out of her contract, Alexander was allowed to depart,with her character, Agent Caitlin Todd being assassinated by Mossad double-agent Ari Haswari. Todd's death in the second-season finale then became something for the remaining cast to avenge, forever changing the course of the show.
Not only that, but but Alexander's exit led to the introduction of Cote de Pablo as new regular Ziva David, whose on-screen partnership with Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) elevated the procedural to new levels of popularity.
4. Mr Eko – Lost
The Lost producers say fan-favourite Mr Eko's death during season three was planned from the beginning. The drug runner masquerading as a priest became one of many Lost characters to meet his demise at the hands of the mysterious smoke monster, but actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has always maintained he asked to leave, saying he felt "the character was complete".
Indeed, executive producer Carlton Cuse admitted he wanted the character to stick around for longer, but Akinnuoye-Agbaje had to go, becoming the fifth central Lost survivor to die. His performance won over critics and fans alike, with co-creator Damon Lindelof telling the LA Times: "I think the audience may feel that Mr Eko was taken before his time."
Many fans felt there was a lot more story left in the character, even after he helped Locke find his faith again. And even though the producers claim to have planned his departure, we can't help but wonder how Lost would have played out with Mr Eko sticking around – might he, not Locke, have been the Man in Black's vessel in the last two seasons?
5. Dr Lawrence Kutner – House
During its fourth season, House added a new member to the Doctor's diagnostic team – and then almost immediately took him away again the following season. Dr Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) shows up to assist House with his medical mysteries in season four, episode nine, before dying by suicide in season five, episode 20.
It was a short run for a character that had provided a much-needed dose of humble levity to the show, but Kutner's departure was inevitable once actor Penn decided to join the Obama administration as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement. (Fancy.)
The writers were quickly faced with how to remove Kutner from the show and ultimately decided to have the motivation behind his death be the one mystery that even the previously infallible House (Hugh Laurie) couldn't solve.
We're not sure House would have been the same without its lead character's struggle to deconstruct Kutner's sudden passing – an event which haunted him right up until the series finale.
6. Dolores Landingham – The West Wing
The late Kathryn Joosten was often seen by fans as providing a sort of 'voice of the people' as the president's secretary Dolores Landingham on The West Wing. Hence the upset and outcry when her character was killed off.
At least the story behind her departure made for an interesting tale. It's claimed the actress was smoking with showrunner Aaron Sorkin during production on the second season and, after expressing her interest in another project, Sorkin began thinking of a way to write her out of the show.
His idea was to have Mrs Landingham killed in a car crash off-screen, causing President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) a fair amount of personal anguish. The resulting episode, 'Two Cathedrals', ended up earning Sheen an Emmy nomination.
Out of necessity came what's widely considered as one of The West Wing's best episodes. Arguably, the recognition Joosten's departure brought to the series went a long way to making it the well-respected institution it became.
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