# Best TV Character Departures **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030 "2009-01-06T03:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/1 "2009-01-06T03:13:09Z")
When an actor leaves a TV show, the character is often simply written out or simply “moves away.” But sometimes the producers decide to build a story or at least an explanation around the departure. Maclean Stevenson (Henry Blake) got the full treatment in M_A_S\*H in an alternately funny/sentimental last episode ending in a dramatic denouement. Michael Conrad (Phil Esterhaus) in Hill Street Blues died (offscreen) in the throes of passion with Grace Gardner, leading to Furillo’s epitaph “And a legend is born.” What other characters received a worthy sendoff? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/2 "2009-01-06T03:58:02Z")
Although I’ve never seen the episode, the departure of Diana Muldaur’s character from _LA Law_ was impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/3 "2009-01-06T04:28:06Z")
Tasha Yar in TNG had a pretty worthy send-off. Especially if you count _Yesterday’s Enterprise_, which adds even more depth and meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/4 "2009-01-06T04:34:34Z")
Jack Soo died during the production of _Barney Miller_. His character, Nick Yemana, was supposedly killed by his own coffee (a joke in the show). There was an excellent tribute episode where the other cast members talked about Soo and showed clips of some of Yemana’s best scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/5 "2009-01-06T04:35:33Z")
Marcus on “Babylon 5” ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/6 "2009-01-06T04:38:34Z")
I think Mike and Gloria’s departure on _All in the Family_ was incredibly touching. Archie and Mike hugged – _sincerely_, for pete’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/7 "2009-01-06T04:46:18Z")
> [@Ataraxy](#): > > Marcus on “Babylon 5” I prefer the way Londo and G’Kar went out myself. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/8 "2009-01-06T04:51:32Z")
Bobby Simone’s (Jimmy Smits’) death on _NYPD Blue._ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/9 "2009-01-06T04:59:04Z")
I think [Mr. Hooper’s death](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YZTvDZHRFrU) on _Sesame Street_ was important for a lot of us. ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/10 "2009-01-06T05:10:32Z")
On _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, Tara’s death was completely unexpected. She was the perfect character to have a long, sappy, and drawn-out death sequence, and I thought that the abruptness of it combined with a quick shot of Willow’s reaction and the blood spatter worked really well. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/11 "2009-01-06T05:52:13Z")
Chef on “South Park.” ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/12 "2009-01-06T06:02:21Z")
Chuckles the Clown on Mary Tyler Moore. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/13 "2009-01-06T06:34:18Z")
Diane’s departure from CHEERS was well done (largely because it got rid of the most annoying character on the show). MAMA’S FAMILY wasn’t exactly art, but I loved how they wrote out Rue McLanahan’s character (she choked to death on a catfish tail— off camera-- when the actress went to work for The Golden Girls). The worst departures would include Bill McNeill (Phil Hartman) on NEWS RADIO (though admittedly there was no delicate way to work it in since his death was so high profile), the fustercluck that was VALERIE/VALERIE’S FAMILY/THE HOGANS, DESIGNING WOMEN (especially when they brought Suzanne back for the really ill conceived spin-off), and Esther Rolle/Florida from GOOD TIMES (about the time James stretched out good in his grave she met and married an atheist and abandoned her children, then came back a season later without ever mentioning the second husband). ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/14 "2009-01-06T06:41:50Z")
On LOST: Charlies death was really moving. Especially since the episode just before really changed him from an annoying fuck-up to a courageous hero. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/15 "2009-01-06T06:43:14Z")
The oldest Cunningham brother (was it Chuck?)… anyway, Richie and Joanie’s brother. He went upstairs and was never seen again. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/16 "2009-01-06T09:05:59Z")
Joel Robinson on MST3K. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/17 "2009-01-06T09:11:48Z")
When I saw the thread title, the first one I thought of was Henry Blake…lost over the sea of Japan. So you beat me to it! The cast did not know until Radar read aloud the telegram that Henry Blake’s character did not make it home. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/18 "2009-01-06T09:51:10Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > The cast did not know until Radar read aloud the telegram that Henry Blake’s character did not make it home. According to [this guy](http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2006/06/more-on-henry-blakes-demise.html), that’s not quite true. The cast got the pages a few minutes before shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/19 "2009-01-06T12:36:00Z")
Lady Margery Bellamy in _Upstairs, Downstairs_. All during her final episode, you can see what’s coming in little hints in the dialog: there’s a quarrel in the household that’s upset her because she’s going away on a long trip and wants things settled before she leaves. She’s going to see her daughter in New York. It’s April 1912. She has to catch the boat train to Southhampton. The punchline comes after she’s gone, at the very end of the episode when her husband sends “a marconi-gram” to her aboard the ship… HMS Titanic ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030/20 "2009-01-06T13:17:50Z")
I’ll second Marcus. That was completely heartwrenching. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-character-departures/480030.md?page=2)