Tag: lost

Six TV Deaths I Actually Mourned

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I honestly cannot remember the last time that a tv show or a movie moved me to tears. And this is an accomplishment considering I feel like a whiny, needy mess inside. McDreamy’s death didn’t do it for me. Inside Out didn’t either. And Me and Earl and the Dying Girl failed to cue the waterworks. So, in order to prove that I, in fact, am not a complete robot, I thought I’d make a companion to “Three TV Deaths I Rather Enjoyed.”

Some of these bring out feelings off bitterness rather than sadness because they were completely unnecessary deaths that were simply put in for shock factor, but I’m still upset. And, yes, it’s been years. I can hold a serious grudge (I’m looking at you, Shonda Rhimes).

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Allison Argent (Crystal Reed), Teen Wolf

I always appreciated that Allison wasn’t your typical female lead on a sci-fi show. She didn’t need saving. She completely held her own. She was bad-ass with a bow and arrow. She fought against her family and their werewolf hunter ways. She wasn’t just the girlfriend of the main protagonist. Allison Argent was her own character, which made her death even more unnecessary. Personally, I don’t think it moved the plot any further. I’m a fan of Kira and her relationship with Scott, but it shouldn’t have come at the expense of Allison.

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Lexie Grey + Mark Sloan (Chyler Leigh + Eric Dane),
Grey’s Anatomy

Hey, a double-whamy death that actually did make me cry. Mark and Lexie was the Grey’s couple for me (Sorry MerDer) and I’m still bitter that these deaths happened. Meredith lost yet another member of her family (don’t even get me started about this new sister that has popped up now). The deaths, again, weren’t necessary. Mark gave a speech of rom-com proportions only to have Lexie kick the bucket. And then he died of a literal broken heart. No thank you. You’re damn right that they deserved the hospital memorial.

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Sun + Jin Kwon (Yunjin Kim + Daniel Dae Kim), Lost

Another two-fer. You’d think that getting within an episode of the finale would mean that all the characters were safe…nope. Sun and Jin bit the dust right before the series finale. Sun and Jin were separated more than they were together throughout the whole of LOST and their reunion scenes all pulled at these tough heartstrings. Add in the fact that Jin probably could have lived if he pulled a Rose, and you’ve got a sad Kate. Shame on you, Man in Black, shame on you.

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Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), Glee

This one might be cheating a little since his death wasn’t planned, but I’m going with it. Coming at a time when Glee’s quality of episodes was pretty crappy, this episode (“The Quarterback”) is a definite standout. The songs didn’t feel contrived, the song selection was on point, and the acting seemed natural because everyone was in actual mourning. It even made me feel for Finchel, and that pairing was typically the bane of my existence. I wasn’t even bothered that we weren’t given a reason for his death either. Life imitated art and the episode was heart-wrenching in the best/worst possible way.

25 Favorite Television Characters

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My intense love for certain fictional characters generally stems from four reasons:

  1. I wish they were real so I could marry them,
  2. I wish they were real so they could be my best friend,
  3. We’re the same exact person except they have a significantly better wardrobe and a hot boyfriend,
  4. Their life is so shitty that all I want to do is reach through the screen and give them a hug.

There’s also a line between characters I genuinely like as characters and not because their portrayer was obviously created on a day that God was channeling The CW Network. Is Ian Somerhalder good looking? Uh yeah. Do I worship the altar of Damon Salvatore? No. Stefan5eva. And it goes both ways. So, taking in no (or as little as I could) consideration of how much I love/hate the actor or their face, these are my favorite television characters: In alphabetical order…

Andie McPhee
“Don’t play dumb. When dumb people play dumb, it’s very disconcerting.”

You’re going to see a lot of Type A personalities on this list, because I have a great love for the straitlaced constantly stressed workaholic who is always on the precipice of a complete mental breakdown. Enter Andie, the future Harvard medical school grad who finally cracked under the pressure of being a severe perfectionist and started hallucinating her dead brother, Tim.

Annie Edison
“I’ve been worried about how uptight I am and how I’m no fun. And then I was worried I wouldn’t fit in here or be able to hang out with you guys. But you know what? Why don’t you ever ask yourselves whether you can hang with me? Why am I always the one who has to adapt?“

Forced to attend community college after suffering from a nervous breakdown and narcotics addiction, book-smart Annie has always been my favorite member of the Greendale 7.

Caroline Forbes
“So you‘re saying that now I’m basically an insecure, neurotic, control freak on crack?”

Prior to joining the League of the Undead, Caroline Forbes was my least favorite character on TVD. Seemingly shallow yet overwhelmingly insecure, the future vamp was not my cup of tea. Since being turned into kick-ass Vampire Barbie, that title has been passed on (congratulations, Bonnie!) and Caroline has become my favorite. Who knew all it took was becoming a night-walker to make me like you…

Cassie Ainsworth
I stopped eating, and then everyone had to do what I said. That was powerful. I think it was the happiest time of my life.

Generation 1 of Skins will always be my favorite, thanks in large part to the eccentric but lovably innocent, Cassie.

Chandler Bing
I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?

Each Friends character is amazing in their own right, but Chandler is hands-down my favorite. I’d never want to date a Chandler, but as my BFF4LYFE? Hell. Yes.

Chuck Bass
“So you’re finally learning there are upsides to pissing off your family?”

Chuck Bass is an ass. He sold his girlfriend for a hotel. He wears purple sparkly suits. Worst of all, he bumped uglies with Jenny Humphrey. And I could seriously care less.

Cristina Yang
“I have an MD and a PhD. I’m a freaking cardiothoracic surgeon. I’m supposed to be studying for my boards, the most important exam of my life. And I’m locked in the bathroom crying because of a boy!”

It took three seasons for me to appreciate Cristina Yang. I was a big fan of her and Burke, but after he left her at the altar and she was so happy to finally be free, that moment made me a Cristina fan. Yes, she can be callous, emotionless, and, well, a bitch, but she always means well.

Debra Morgan
“We can play who’s the better asshole. But I guarantee you I’ll win.”

Deb is a character that grows on you. Her dropping an F-bomb every five seconds was initially annoying as all hell and her bitchy, cold demeanor seemed impenetrable. But I guess falling for a serial killer aka your adopted bro’s real bro and then almost becoming a victim of his tends to soften people up…spoilers?

Hannah Rogers
“I’m not beautiful. And that’s okay, because I’ve got other stuff. And eventually I will remember what that other stuff is and why it’s more important. It’s just taking longer than I thought.”

As much as I wanted to like Amy, the lead female character of Everwood, I never found her particularly relatable. Her “nerdy,” deer-in-the-headlights bestie on the other hand? Instant favorite.

Jack Shephard
“But if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.”

I have a tendency to like characters who are hated by the general viewing population. And it pains me that Jack is one of them. The Man of Science turned Man of Faith had one of the most compelling arcs on LOST and if his ultimate sacrifice didn’t make you cry the Pacific Ocean, we can’t be friends.

Jason Stackhouse
“Sometimes you need to destroy something to save it. That’s in the Bible or the Constitution.”

He’s pretty. He’s dumb. He’s pretty dumb. And it’s one of the many reasons why I love him. A serial ladies’ man with a heart of gold, Jason always has the best of intentions even when he eventually effs everything up.

Jesse Pinkman
“For what it’s worth, getting the shit kicked out of you? Not to say you get used to it, but you do kind of get used to it.”

I’ve never wished happiness for a character more than for Jesse. Poor guy has had it rough. Yeah, he’s a murderer, a drug dealer, and an addict, but he’s also been playing the role of Walter White’s bitch for far too long.

Jim Halpert
“A lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with a girl I work with. But I think even then I knew that I was waiting for my wife.”


Oh Jim Halpert. You have set the bar for my future husband so impossibly high. I would brave the Dunder-Mifflin offices to work alongside Jim.

Matt Saracen
“You don’t care about me. You left me for a better job. Your daughter left me for a better guy. Carlotta left me for Guatemala. My dad left me for a damn war. Everybody leaves me. What’s wrong with me?”

Thrust into the spotlight after the first string quarterback is paralyzed during a game, Matt Saracen overcame all odds to become the starting QB the small, football-loving town of Dillon, Texas, needed. He navigated thru the perils of wooing Coach’s daughter and the arrival of his MIA parents. And he was a good friend to the ever-annoying Landry, and that more than anything makes him a hero.

Michael Scofield
“Preparation will only take you so far. After that you got to take a few leaps of faith.”

He may hold a serious grudge and talk like a serial killer, but the guy’s kind of a bamf seeing as he broke out of two prisons, successfully broke his wife out of a third, and helped clear his brother of a murder charge.

Nathan Young
“We had it all. We fucked up bigger and better than any generation that came before us. We were so beautiful!”

A smart-ass with an even smarter mouth, vulgar-mouthed Nathan was my favorite Misfit from the start. Let’s hope he wiggles his way out of prison soon so he can return with all his immortal glory.

Phil Dunphy
“I’m the cool dad. That’s my thing. I’m hip. I surf the Web. I text. LOL: laughing out loud. OMG: Oh my God. WTF: Why the face? Um you know, I know all the dances to High School Musical.”

He knows all the dances to High School Musical. ‘Nuff said.

Quinn Fabray
“I may not look like the head cheerleader anymore, but I’m still her on the inside.”

I get the hate that Quinn gets, the former HBIC of McKinley was needlessly cruel at first to pretty much every member of glee club. But Quinn hasn’t been season 1 Quinn since well….season 1. At her core, Quinn is someone who was dealt a super shitty hand and just wants someone there at the end of the day. And I don’t think anyone can argue with that.

Ron Swanson
“I’m not big on charities. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Don’t teach a man to fish and you feed yourself. He’s a grown man. Fishing’s not that hard.”

Ron Swanson is my best friend. But seriously. If my best friend worked for the city government and grew a mustache (amongst other things) she’d be Ron Swanson.

Schmidt
“Schmidt happens.”

Douche-bag characters are often one-dimensional and they remain only douche-bags for the entirety of the series. Luckily for Schmidt, douchey as he may be, the New Girl writers took a trip to the Wizard and blessed him with a brain, heart, and courage.

Seth Cohen
“Dude. You’re a Cohen now. Welcome to a life of insecurity and paralyzing self-doubt.”

Unabashedly nerdy and self-deprecating,  leave it to Orange County to make the tousled-hair, pop-culture enthusiast the laughing stock of the Harbor School.

“Stiles” Stilinski
“I’m 146 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone, okay? Sarcasm is my only defense.”


Stiles may be one of the only true “humans” left on Teen Wolf, but he has the super-human power of sarcasm to get him thru the day. And it’s not like every other word I say is sarcastic…not at all. Clearly, we were not meant to be bffs.

Summer Roberts
“Ew. But I like it.”

As Marissa started get more and more annoying with her drug and drinking problems, Summer got more and more endearing by falling for the nerd and showing off her geeky side (Princess Sparkle, helloooo). A tiny whirlwind of shopping bags and boho dresses, Summer, thankfully, easily overcame her rich bitch trope to become the best female character on The O.C.

Veronica Mars
“Congratulations, you’ve been named World’s Biggest Cockroach. This award is given in recognition of your unparalleled lack of humanity. Bravo. You’re going to die friendless and alone.”

If the voice inside my head manifested into a person, it would be Veronica Mars. Shamelessly snarky and unbeatably honest, it’s easy to see why she was either revered or abhorred by her peers. The teen sleuth had her character flaws: she was easy to piss-off, meddled in everything, held grudges like whoa, and served payback like a bitch. But in tandem, she was fiercely loyal to those who upheld the Mars Code of Ethical Behavior and was never afraid to put it all on the line for a friend.

Wes Mitchell
“I am way too hungry to be mature about something like this.”

I started planning my nonexistent wedding to Wes immediately after the pilot of Common Law aired. A former lawyer who swapped depositions for an LAPD badge after sending an innocent man to prison, Wes is a classic OCD-level perfectionist. He constantly clashes and bickers with his partner and (arguably) best friend, Travis, because of his laid-back stance on life. And while I feel like the show presents Travis as the guy we’re supposed to immediately root for, Wes’ personality is much more to my druthers. It also doesn’t hurt that he likes flashy cars and dresses like a GQ fashion spread, either.

Top 5 OMGWTF Lost Moments

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Lost has been off the air for more than a year now and I still miss its presence. I truly miss having my brain rocked every Tuesday and then having to immediately log on to Lostpedia to figure out what the hell happened. So, in honor of one of my most favorite shows ever, here are the moments that literally made yell, “WHAT?!” at the screen…and as always, click the banners for video.

5. Not Penny’s boat

I floved Charlie. So for me, watching him die was one of most upsetting moments of Lost. Especially since he didn’t have to lock himself in the room before Patchy launched the grenade.

4. Jin is “dead.”

The entire Ji Yeon episode tricked us into thinking that both Sun & Jin made it off the Island and they were going to live happily ever after with their little girl. But sadly, the adorably huge panda stuffed animal was not for his future daughter and Sun and Hurley brought Ji Yeon to his grave. Then watching Jin supposedly blow-up with the freighter in the season finale was heartbreaking. Sun’s scream seriously just echoes in your ears. Of course, he doesn’t die, but at the time it was still shocking.

3. “We have to go back!”

I never thought the Losties were ever going to get off the Island, and if they did it would be in the series finale. Obviously the season 3 finale shattered all of those expectations with the first flash-forward, which revealed a very chic-looking Kate and a druggie, beard-sporting, alcoholic Jack.

2. “Where the hell is the Island?!”

Ben turns a frozen donkey-wheel deep underground. There’s an eerie noise and a violently bright light and poof! The Island’s gone. WTF.

1. Locke in the coffin

I was so sure that in true Lost fashion, there was going to be a fade-to-black before we actually saw who was in the coffin. So yes, I was one of those people who stupidly followed the camera, leaning over the side of my couch, as if THAT would help me see who was inside. And when I realized they were actually going to show it and it was Locke, I was floored.

Three TV Deaths I Rather Enjoyed

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I don’t wish death or unfortunate situations on anyone…in the real world that is. Television characters, on the other hand, there are some occasions where I root for the earthquake, for the brain tumor or for the villain. Okay, that made me sound like a horrible person, but I think everyone has that one character they wish would just curl up and die. I have multiple, but here are my top three. And in all of these situations, I feel like I am in the minority of people who were thrilled when these three characters went into the light.

So here they are, three tv character deaths that made me a highly satisfied viewer. Click the images for videos of the moment they met their maker.

3. Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell), LOST

Elizabeth Mitchell is a wonderful actress, but I never liked Juliet. She was a wedge between my precious Jack and Kate, I could never get myself to trust her character and her soft, monotone voice always pissed me off. When the magnetic forces surrounding the swan worksite started to pull her down the tunnel of doom, I got giddy. When Sawyer couldn’t rescue her from the tunnel of doom, I was overly excited. And when she finally bit the dust in Sawyer’s arms, I was the happiest Lost fan on the planet. As Juliet got sucked down into the darkness, I distinctly remember saying, “I always hated her.” I was met with looks of horror and disgust from my viewing mates and thus received a chorus of “You’re such a bitch!” in return. A ‘bitch’ I may be, but that didn’t change the fact that Juliet was dead.

2. Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), The O.C.

Marissa was one of those characters I hated from the start. I never saw the appeal of her character. But most of all, I hated her relationship with Ryan. She was no where near good enough for him (Taylor&Ryan FTW). So when Volchok ran the car off the road and the car went up in flames, (as much as I love Ryan) I would have been fine with both of them exploding if it meant Marissa was gone. But luckily, only the rich bitch bit snuffed it. Side note, other than her time in the slammer, what has Mischa Barton been doing lately? She seems to have dropped off the map, although, I admit that “The Beautiful Life” had potential to become a guilty pleasure of mine.

1. Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Grey’s Anatomy

In my opinion, Denny Duquette is the worst character they have ever introduced on Grey’s and that’s including Teddy & Owen. According to many featurettes and interviews I’ve seen, Denny was originally intended to only have a 3-4 episode arc, but Shonda Rhimes & Co. saw the potential of a relationship between Denny and Izzie and kept giving the little bastard material. Did it make for an interesting story line? Sure. Did it make for a drama-filled finale? Definitely. But did Denny need to keep reappearing for ghost!sex, “go in to the light” moments and other random times? Hell no. The moment Denny finally flatlined is still my most satisfying Grey’s moment to date.

RECAP: Lost, The End

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Congratulations Lost, last night I was reduced to a blubbering mass of salt water. This morning when I downloaded and rewatched the finale, I was once again drowning in a pool of my own tears. After the Lost end-title card faded away for the last time, I was numb with shock. Part of the temporary paralysis was from severe dehydration, but it was mostly from the knowledge that this was truly The End. After having a bit to stew in my feelings, I have come to grips with the following: Did every mythological question get answered? No. Was it the finale I was expecting? Not in the slightest. But did it bring the series to a satisfying end? Yes, “It worked.”

In the final moments of season one’s fifth episode “White Rabbit”, Jack Shephard speaks these profound words, “If we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” When Oceanic 815 crashed, the majority of the survivors were strangers to each other. In between battling smoke monsters and eluding capture from less than friendly island dwellers, friendships were forged and relationships were created. In the end, the losties shared an unbreakable bond that stood the test of time. When each found their untimely end, be it on the Island or off, they did not die alone. They created the “Sideways World” or the in-between, in which the losties were forced to live alone with the intent of finding each other so they could all “die” and move on together.

I’m beginning to buy into Lost ultimately being the story of Jack’s test, Jack’s search for redemption. Of course, the other losties each had their own test and search for redemption, but I think the fact that the show began and ended with Jack means something. There’s also the fact that everyone was waiting for him in the church to move on. Together they all finally passed over.

There were several moments in the finale that had me squee-ing and sobbing like a pathetic little fangirl, the biggest one being when the stupid love triangle was finally resolved. Kate. Chooses. Jack. Did my couple finally win out for once?! I think it did. The reunion of Jack and Kate made me so incredibly happy, I actually got a happy ending for the couple I was rooting for in the end. Pretty much all of the “aha!” moments made me teary-eyed: When Sun looks at Jin and says, “I remember,”; the way Claire said “Charlie” when he recognized her; and pretty much the entire Sawyer / Juliet scene. I hated Sawyer and I hated Juliet. They both tried to infringe on the epicness of Jack / Kate, and at first I wasn’t even thrilled that the third and fourth wheels hooked up. But the recognition scene and Juliet’s untimely death in the season premiere were so well acted that they melted my ice heart for Sawyer and Juliet.

The last ten minutes of the finale were as close to perfection as television can get (minus the Jack / Kate reunion, which was perfection…can you not tell how happy I am about that?!). Christian’s revelation about the fates of Jack and the losties, everyone finally settling themselves in the pews to pass on, Vincent laying down next to Jack, Jack’s face when he realized his friends made it off the Island, and the last shot of Jack’s eye closing were all amazing. No words were necessary, the scenes spoke for themselves…and they were perfect.

Yes, I still have questions…okay about a thousand, and yes it would have been nice to know what the hell was with Walt , who gave Boone his “aha!” moment, and who the skeletons were down in the Heart of the Island. But right now, I am content with having the mystery live on in my mind–or at least until the season six dvd is released on August 24. Lost has always been open to everyone’s interpretation, having it end like that seems fitting.

If I should ever find a frozen donkey wheel in the bowels of my basement, I would rewind these last six years. Thank you Lost for entertaining me, confusing me, and making me yell “WHAT THE …” at the screen too many times to count.

Namaste.

screencap from daydreaming.

RECAPS: Season Finales

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This past week of television season finales was fully loaded with break ups, make ups, hook ups, surprising and not-so-surprising pregnancies…and guns. A multitude of guns. Out of the four season finales I watched this week (One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210 and Grey’s Anatomy), a stunning total of eight main characters were fatally shot. Of course in Grey’s Anatomy there was a sheer number of the dead or injured by the end, but honestly there were only five we truly cared about. And okay, 90210 did not literally have fire arms on the show, but I think Matt Lanter’s guns are licensed to kill.

I’m going to start with One Tree Hill. On the whole, I found this episode to be extremely lack-luster. Brooke and Julian are engaged, great for Brooke (look at that honker of a ring), but I will always remain a loyal Brucas believer. Haley’s pregnant (nice work, Nate). The amount of screen time devoted to characters I could give a rat’s ass about is truly testing my patience. I don’t care about stubbly Grubbs trying to get into the British lady’s pants again, which I can only imagine would happen if he elected to wear a paper bag over his head. I loved Chase when he had a purpose aka Brooke’s boyfriend in season four, but now he’s a waste of screen time. In short, the following characters need to be given the axe for the final season of One Tree Hill: Grubbs, Miranda the Brit, Chase (unless he gets a more interesting and important story line), Mia, Alex, Alexander, Josh, and most importantly, Quinn and Clay. In the final minutes of the finale, PsychoKatie makes a comeback and shoots both Quinn and Clay. I have to admit, I flipped a lot of serious shit at that moment. Totally did not see that coming. Okay writers, you have a golden opportunity here. By leaving the fate of these two characters hanging in the balance, it would be too easy to kill them both off and make season eight entirely focused on the main characters we actually like. And on the same note, enough with all of the deranged and psychotic characters. I think PsychoDerek, PsychoNannyCarrie, and PsychoKatie have filled the quotient of crazies allowed to roam free in Tree Hill. I may sound like a broken record, but seeing a OTH finale like this just reminds me of how awesome this show used to be. Remember the season two finale with the dealership fire? Now, THAT’S a finale.

On to Gossip Girl…Damn. You. Jenny. Humphrey. Jenny and I definitely to do not get along, she messes with all the relationships I love on the show. Chuck and Blair almost had a happy reunion, but nooooo… Jenny HAD to be “lonely” and do the nasty with the one person she shouldn’t, Eric HAD to find out why Jenny is drowning in tears and running eye liner/mascara, Dan HAD to get all macho and deliver a complimentary knuckle-sandwich to Chuck, and of course this all HAD to happen at the moment when Chuck was presumably going to propose to Blair. FML. Then poor, heartbroken Chuck gets shot for protecting Blair’s engagement ring just a few minutes later. Chuck Bass is the only character that needs to be alive come fall. I don’t think the writers would go there, but still, my smooth-talking man-whore better be healthy as a horse in the fall.

I’m going to gloss over 90210 and  skip Glee/Lost since those weren’t season finales. Teddy and Ivy as regulars next season? Gag me. Silver and Teddy / Dixon and Ivy reuniting? Gag me. Teddy and Ivy need to crawl back into the holes they came out of and let Silver and Dixon realize they belong together. Also, the members of the 90210 gang are supposed to be juniors? Right and Lea Michele is supposed to be playing a character born in 1994.

Okay, Grey’s Anatomy. Holy hell. I have been on the brink of writing this show off my weekly schedule of television watching ever since the introduction of ugly ginger Owen, the merger with Mercy West and the break up of Mark and Lexie. But Thursday’s finale was insane. Meredith and Derek have never been a favorite couple of mine, but watching Meredith’s silent scream when Derek was shot (by the way, nice work Sarah Drew, you got McDreamy shot) and her plea to the gunman to kill her instead was unbelievably heart wrenching. Not to be insensitive, but I could care less whether anyone shot during Grey‘s finale lives or dies. McDreamy is obviously safe, no McDreamy = no program. Alex is getting in the way of my Mark and Lexie and I’ve hated Owen from the beginning. The deaths of Reed and Charles had no impact on me, other than a sudden jump when the gun fired (I hate loud noises). I just wish Gary Clark had taken down Arizona and April while he was at it. God, I sound like such a horrible person. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the finale was amazingly written, amazingly acted, and amazing in general. I was definitely shaken up by the end.

Hopefully the next batch of season finales will be tad bit lighter. I’m guessing Lost isn’t going to give that to me (SERIES FINALE SUNDAY! *sob*) but I’m assuming the regional show choir competition in Glee will not include a GSW, but who knows…I’m not one to question Puck’s bad-ass guns.

screencap from IMDB.