Killing off Characters

LawnGnome · 12-04-2006, 10:50 PM

I knew it was coming as we all did, but I am sick to death of shows killing off interesting characters just for the heck of it. To shock and awe us... but thats only a temp gain. Almost all major shows (movies included) kill off the most interesting characters. In the long run it hurts the shows and the movies.

Lets look at Eden if she died tonight. She was a character who had a talent, we got to know some things about her and finally had a developed character to move along with. They then decide for a ratings boost that they kill her and soon to be others off the show. This is supposed to leave us on the edge of our seats because anybody could be next. For me it leaves me looking once again for something else to watch.

Shows like 24 really pushed this to new limits killing off a new character every episode it seems. Tons and tons of just wasted characters who died for what? Thrill factor? ratings? All temp gains. In the long run, the fans lose out.

Even kids books like Harry Potter are killing off characters left and right. A KIDS book. Lame as lame can get.

Now here we had a good new show in Heros. Tons of Characters and all slow to develope. When we finally start to get to know a few they start killing them off. While Eden is only the first wasted character, she certainly wont be the last... after all thats the trend these days.

I am disapointed that they would have to stoop so low after what could and should be such a great and different kind of show but it falls in the same cliches as all the others today... :roll:

hyzmarca · 12-04-2006, 11:04 PM

Its a story. People die. The deaths of certain characters are less about ratings and more about driving the plot in most instances, and this is certainly true for 24 and it seems to be true for Heroes. Eden's death was not a bad death at all. I mean, they didn't drop a helicopter on her (I'm talking to you, ER).

However, one thing to remember is that this is television. No one stays dead except for Bucky and -
Ahem, No one stays dead except Uncle Ben, and at this point its only a matter of time. I'm hoping for cyborg eden in season 2.

Tadgie · 12-04-2006, 11:04 PM

I agree that killing Eden seemed little forced, and could have been done without, but I really think that for this and some other shows, it's not something that should be avoided like the plague. The reality factor weighs heavily on the writers, and in the real world, people die. While it runs a very real risk of being overdone, so far it doesn't seem that bad. We have to wait and see how it goes after the break though.

phoenix23 · 12-04-2006, 11:05 PM

i completely agree.

especially about the HP thing. it's a children's book and J.K. is on a killing spree.
it's a terrible way to get ratings.

but in a way, it's reality.
these characters are placed in dangerous situations that in reality they would not survive.
heroes, no matter it's scifi genre, has been realistic in that sense.
who dies and lives, what they would do and wouldn't do.

it does get to be too much death, but it's realistic.

the LOST deaths? not so much. haha.

LawnGnome · 12-04-2006, 11:07 PM

I am in no way advocating they avoid killing off characters. My point is more the other way around that they seem to go out of their way to kill off characters for only a ratings boost. A main character or established character's death should be rare and powerful.

This was simply a waste and in step with a growing trend on all shows these days.

tobnameless · 12-04-2006, 11:14 PM

What? Someone dies? Who saw that coming? Certainly not me? No one ever dies. Oh wait, I'm the only one who is immortal.

hyzmarca · 12-04-2006, 11:20 PM

Actually, the killing off of characters left and right is one of the things that makes Harry Potter so good, for a kids book. They're in the middle of a war against a corrupt and murderous being of unspeakable power. People are going to die. Sanitized G.I.JOE violence is one of the reasons that kids shows of the 80s are far less compelling when you watch them as an adult. Oh sure, we're having the equivalent of WWIII against a bunch of fanatical terrorist who want to take over the world, but no one even gets injured.
People die in war. People die in battle. Killers kill people. And in some ways life isn't worth any more than the cost of a bullet. These facts really shouldn't be glossed over.

The trick to writing a children's entertainment is to not write down to them. Far too many children's books and shows treat their audience like idiots. The only that that them like reasonable people are the ones that a beloved by both children and adults, like Harry Potter, Sesame Street, Rocky and Bullwinkle, some of the better Loony Toons, and many others.

BaseballerX · 12-04-2006, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobnameless

What? Someone dies? Who saw that coming? Certainly not me? No one ever dies. Oh wait, I'm the only one who is immortal.

Yeah i plan on living forever.....So far so good.

LawnGnome · 12-04-2006, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyzmarca

Actually, the killing off of characters left and right is one of the things that makes Harry Potter so good, for a kids book. They're in the middle of a war against a corrupt and murderous being of unspeakable power. People are going to die. Sanitized G.I.JOE violence is one of the reasons that kids shows of the 80s are far less compelling when you watch them as an adult. Oh sure, we're having the equivalent of WWIII against a bunch of fanatical terrorist who want to take over the world, but no one even gets injured.
People die in war. People die in battle. Killers kill people. And in some ways life isn't worth any more than the cost of a bullet. These facts really shouldn't be glossed over.

The trick to writing a children's entertainment is to not write down to them. Far too many children's books and shows treat their audience like idiots. The only that that them like reasonable people are the ones that a beloved by both children and adults, like Harry Potter, Sesame Street, Rocky and Bullwinkle, some of the better Loony Toons, and many others.

Thats the difference between reality and entertainment. However as I said I am not opposed to the killing off of characters, but I feel they go out of their way to kill them off thus wasting the established character for only a ratings boost. All the shows these days are doing it... and for entertainment I dont want to invest time and thought into a character only to have them killed off for no reason at all. It only makes me lose interest in the show.

Mahumba · 12-05-2006, 12:01 AM

Like any plot device, its abuse is a rather clear sign of sub-par writing skills. Whoever is plotting out the story arc has found a new toy and is beating it into the ground until it breaks rather than play conscientiously with it so it can remain entertaining.

You can only go to the well so many times.

In total (if only between LOST and this show) the death of characters seems to be an ends unto itself ("Look! We're edgy!") rather than an integral and important story element that the story simply cannot do without (the death of Spock, or of the 'main character' in Psycho's infamous shower scene, for examples).

I've often wondered what Hollywood would look like with real writers instead of the formula-addicted dialog vending machines whose tired abuse of cliche is something we currently 'get' to watch.

Lucky us.