# TV characters that you can't believe survived the whole series (Open Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893 "2016-06-08T23:41:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/21 "2016-06-09T16:10:50Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > The whole fleet was infiltrated with Cylons, and the Cylons couldn’t find and destroy the fleet?? It wasn’t part of the plan. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/22 "2016-06-09T16:16:34Z")
Dr. Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/23 "2016-06-09T16:48:44Z")
Jennifer Keaton. I wasn’t a big Family Ties fan when the show first ran, but even when I did kind of enjoy it, she would get under my skin. Even though it was a sitcom, that show would have been served well by having a tragedy two-part episode about her or something. Or maybe she goes to live with some cousins. Anything. As an aside, as far as reruns go, Family Ties does not hold up – it is awful. I can’t believe that I watched any of it as a kid. I’d rather watch reruns of Three’s Company or The Ropers. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/24 "2016-06-09T17:07:51Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Dr. Smith. If I were Don West, I would have gladly pulled the trigger myself. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/25 "2016-06-09T17:21:14Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If I were Don West, I would have gladly pulled the trigger myself. “Never fear, Smith is here!” POW 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/26 "2016-06-09T17:58:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Sawyer on “Lost”. I can’t believe the other people on the island didn’t sneak up on him while he was asleep and off him. Technically, none of them survived the series. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/27 "2016-06-09T18:27:19Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Gilligan. I often joke that if I were a castaway on that island, I’d have been pushing to kill and eat him about halfway through the first season. How many chances to get rescued got blown because of something stupid Gilligan did? They probably got marooned in the first place because of Gilligan. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/28 "2016-06-09T18:44:05Z")
**Justified** Boyd Crowder managed to live throughout the series. Despite being shot in the chest by Raylan in the first episode. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/29 "2016-06-09T18:52:34Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > They probably got marooned in the first place because of Gilligan. :smack: Sort of - “If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost.” So without Gilligan, they’d be dead, not marooned. ---
**Author:** ![Totenfeier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Totenfeier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totenfeier)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/30 "2016-06-09T19:00:28Z")
After all, Scotty wore a red shirt… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/31 "2016-06-09T19:10:25Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > They probably got marooned in the first place because of Gilligan. :smack: In one [episode](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333771/), they hear news over the radio about a board investigating their disappearance, possibly blaming the Skipper for the loss. They do a re-creation thing. Turns out, the Skipper ordered Gilligan to drop the anchor. Which Gilligan did. But it wasn’t tied to the boat. Ergo, it _was_ Gilligan’s fault. (Although, as usual this is contradicted a bit in another episode. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/32 "2016-06-09T19:26:05Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Sort of - “If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost.” So without Gilligan, they’d be dead, not marooned. Seems they were “lost" anyway, albeit in a difference sense. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/33 "2016-06-09T20:02:50Z")
Ugh… “different" sense ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/34 "2016-06-09T21:05:03Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Sawyer on “Lost”. I can’t believe the other people on the island didn’t sneak up on him while he was asleep and off him. > . Yep. The first time he stole stuff then “sold” it back. Or just ousted him from the camp. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/35 "2016-06-09T21:09:17Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > TV Tropes has a whole [category](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustEatGilligan) for this: “Just eat Gilligan.” Yes, and liek they say \*"Evidence from the show itself actually helps Gilligan’s case. Statistically speaking, out of 98 episodes, only 37 involved a direct possibility of escaping the island. Of those 37, only 17 potential rescues were foiled as a result of Gilligan’s actions. Admittedly, that’s still a lot of rescues for one man to screw up, but the series also has a large number of episodes where Gilligan’s actions save everybody — from death, enslavement, imprisonment, etc. \* ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/36 "2016-06-09T21:09:45Z")
I always saw Paulie Walnuts as a survivor who, while not the brightest bulb, had an instinct for self preservation. Edit to add that he didn’t seem to have an instinct for proper cold weather gear when chasing Russians through the Pine Barrens! ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/37 "2016-06-10T01:44:54Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Giles on Buffy… he left for a bit and then was an occasional character… but really thought he’d have bought it by the end. Joss Whedon authorized an official comic book extension of the \*Buffy \*series. So far they have done seasons 8, 9 and 10. Giles was killed by Angelus in the series, but, of course, he got better. Well, actually, he was brought back to life at first as a hormonal 12 year old, but he got better from that, too… ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/38 "2016-06-10T16:09:59Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > **Justified** > > Boyd Crowder managed to live throughout the series. Despite being shot in the chest by Raylan in the first episode. I was sure Raylan or Boyd wasn’t going to make it out. I was very surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/39 "2016-06-10T16:32:15Z")
E.B. Farnum in _Deadwood_- such a sleaze and weakling you’d think somebody would have plugged him just for the satisfaction of it. Titus Pullo in _Rome_- always in dangerous lines of work and always starting and finishing fights; you’d think he’d have died of sepsis or at least lost use of a limb from one of his many wounds. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893/40 "2016-06-10T16:34:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, and liek they say \*"Evidence from the show itself actually helps Gilligan’s case. Statistically speaking, out of 98 episodes, only 37 involved a direct possibility of escaping the island. Of those 37, only 17 potential rescues were foiled as a result of Gilligan’s actions. Admittedly, that’s still a lot of rescues for one man to screw up, but the series also has a large number of episodes where Gilligan’s actions save everybody — from death, enslavement, imprisonment, etc. > \* Thank you for this - my memories of Gilligan are mostly ones where he saves the day or where he gets blamed incorrectly for something (in particular, there was an episode where the Professor thought the island was sinking - turns out that he was measuring based on a stick in the lagoon that Gilligan had some sort of trap tied to that he kept moving into deeper water. This mostly illustrated that unless working with coconuts, the Professor was an idiot). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-that-you-cant-believe-survived-the-whole-series-open-spoilers/756893.md?page=3)