Jade Reed
15 TV Characters Who Should’ve Been Written Off Earlier
Television shows have a way of keeping characters around long past their expiration date. Sometimes writers struggle to let go of fan favorites, even when their storylines have run dry or become repetitive. Other times, a character’s death or exit could have created powerful emotional moments if it had happened earlier in the series.
1. Hank Schrader – Breaking Bad
Hank’s cat-and-mouse chase with Heisenberg provided some of the most intense moments in television history.
His discovery of Walt’s secret in the bathroom was perfectly timed and shocking.
However, his final confrontation in the desert felt unnecessarily drawn out.
The character had already served his narrative purpose by uncovering the truth about his brother-in-law.
An earlier exit would have preserved his dignity and spared viewers the painful desert scene.
His death, while impactful, came after his character arc had essentially concluded.
The show could have maintained its tension without prolonging his storyline into the final episodes.
2. Littlefinger – Game of Thrones
Known for his cunning, Petyr Baelish pulled strings across Westeros, setting major plotlines in motion from Ned Stark’s downfall to Joffrey’s assassination.
By Season 7, his schemes became transparent and almost comical.
The brilliant strategist suddenly made obvious mistakes that didn’t match his established intelligence.
His final trial at Winterfell felt rushed and anticlimactic.
Ending his arc in Season 6 would have preserved his reputation as a formidable player.
Instead, viewers watched a once-great character become a shadow of his former self, stumbling through predictable plots.
3. Claire Littleton – Lost
Claire started as a sympathetic pregnant woman trying to survive on a mysterious island.
Her early storylines about motherhood and survival resonated with audiences.
After giving birth to Aaron, her character lost direction and purpose.
The writers seemed unsure what to do with her, especially after she disappeared into the jungle.
Her return in later seasons felt forced and confusing.
The infection storyline and her bizarre behavior contradicted her earlier characterization.
Writing her off after Aaron’s birth would have given her a complete story arc without the weird zombie-like phase that confused fans and diminished her impact.
4. Laena – House of the Dragon
As Vhagar’s rider and a Targaryen by marriage, Laena Velaryon enriched the political dynamics of Westeros.
Despite her potential, the show never fully developed her character beyond being Daemon’s wife.
Her childbirth death scene was dramatic but felt rushed and underdeveloped.
Introducing her earlier demise would have freed up screen time for more developed storylines.
The show struggled to balance its massive cast, and Laena unfortunately became a casualty of that juggling act.
Her exit could have happened sooner without significantly altering the main plot threads.
5. Eddie – Stranger Things
Eddie Munson burst onto the scene as the charismatic leader of the Hellfire Club.
His guitar solo in the Upside Down became an iconic moment that fans still discuss.
His heroic sacrifice was moving, but it came almost immediately after his introduction.
The character didn’t have enough time to truly integrate with the main group.
Alternatively, keeping him alive would have been better than the rushed death.
His exit felt like the writers created him specifically to kill him off for emotional impact.
Either develop him across multiple seasons or introduce him later in Season 4 for a more streamlined story.
6. Peach – You
Representing the darker side of Beck’s world, Peach Salinger’s fixation on Beck and suspicion of Joe fueled the show’s suspense.
Her death came at exactly the right time in the first season.
Actually, this is one case where the timing was nearly perfect.
However, the show spent too many episodes building up to that moment.
Condensing her arc into fewer episodes would have maintained the suspense without dragging out the inevitable confrontation.
Her character served as an obstacle, and obstacles work best when they don’t overstay their welcome.
A quicker resolution would have kept the pacing tighter and more thrilling.
7. Rick Grimes – The Walking Dead
Rick Grimes was the heart and soul of The Walking Dead for eight seasons.
His leadership and moral struggles defined the show’s early success.
By Season 7, his character had become repetitive, cycling through the same emotional beats.
The Negan storyline dragged on far too long, and Rick’s responses became predictable.
His departure in Season 9 felt overdue rather than shocking.
Ending his story after defeating the Governor or even after reaching Alexandria would have been more impactful.
The show proved it could survive without him, suggesting his extended presence wasn’t as essential as producers believed.
8. Andy – Modern Family
As the charming nanny, Andy brought energy to the Pritchetts, and his budding relationship with Haley added genuine sweetness and chemistry.
Once that relationship ended, the show kept bringing him back for awkward cameos.
These appearances served no real purpose and only reminded viewers of what could have been.
Giving him a proper send-off when he got engaged would have been cleaner.
Instead, the writers couldn’t commit to either keeping him or letting him go.
This indecision created storylines that went nowhere and wasted Adam DeVine’s comedic talents on meaningless scenes.
9. Nathan – Misfits
Nathan Young brought outrageous humor and immortality to the original Misfits gang.
His crude jokes and inability to die created countless hilarious situations.
When actor Robert Sheehan left after Season 2, it was actually the perfect time.
The character had completed his emotional growth and found love.
The mistake was trying to replace him with similar characters rather than moving in a new direction.
His exit was well-timed, but it exposed how much the show relied on his energy.
Perhaps he should have left even earlier, allowing the ensemble to develop more balanced dynamics before his departure.
10. Cersei Lannister – Game of Thrones
Every appearance of Cersei Lannister was magnetic; her cunning and complexity made her impossible to look away from.
After blowing up the Sept of Baelor, her story reached its natural peak.
Sitting on the Iron Throne was her ultimate goal achieved.
The final two seasons had her simply staring out windows and drinking wine.
Her death beneath the Red Keep was anticlimactic for such a powerful character.
Ending her reign in Season 7 would have given the final season room for more developed threats and prevented her character from becoming stagnant and boring.
11. Michael Dawson – Lost
Michael’s desperate search for his son Walt was genuinely heartbreaking in the first two seasons.
His determination to be a good father drove compelling storylines.
His betrayal of his friends to save Walt was shocking and well-executed.
That would have been the perfect ending for his character.
Bringing him back in Season 4 as a guilt-ridden crew member on the freighter felt unnecessary.
His redemption arc was predictable and didn’t add much to the overall mythology.
Keeping him gone after he sailed away with Walt would have preserved the impact of his controversial choices and maintained the emotional weight of his sacrifice.
12. Lexa – The 100
As a groundbreaking figure on The 100, Commander Lexa combined political savvy with a meaningful connection to Clarke, representing LGBTQ+ stories on screen.
Her sudden death from a stray bullet was poorly handled and sparked significant backlash.
The timing and method felt cheap and disrespectful.
If she had to die, doing so in battle would have honored her warrior status.
Alternatively, keeping her alive longer would have allowed proper development of her romance with Clarke.
The rushed exit satisfied no one and became an example of the harmful trope of killing off LGBTQ+ characters unnecessarily.
13. Stannis Baratheon – Game of Thrones
Stannis Baratheon believed he was the rightful king of Westeros, and his rigid sense of duty defined his character.
His military strategies and moral conflicts created interesting storylines.
The show’s version of Stannis became increasingly unlikeable compared to his book counterpart.
His decision to burn his daughter Shireen destroyed any remaining sympathy viewers had for him.
His death immediately afterward felt rushed and unsatisfying.
Ending his story before the Shireen incident would have preserved some dignity for the character.
Instead, the show turned a complex figure into a simple villain and then quickly disposed of him without ceremony or impact.
14. George – Grey’s Anatomy
From the start, George O’Malley captured hearts as the lovable intern.
His friendship with Meredith and his personal insecurities made him so easy to root for.
By Season 5, his character had run out of meaningful storylines.
The disastrous marriage to Callie and unrequited love for Meredith had been exhausted.
His heroic death saving a stranger was moving but felt sudden.
Writing him off a season earlier would have prevented the aimless wandering his character did in his final episodes.
His exit was emotional, but it came after a period where the show clearly didn’t know what to do with him anymore.
15. Maya – Pretty Little Liars
Maya St. Germain was Emily’s first serious girlfriend and represented an important coming-out storyline.
Her free-spirited personality contrasted nicely with Emily’s more reserved nature.
Her mysterious death became another puzzle piece in the show’s convoluted mystery.
However, her storyline felt incomplete and rushed.
The show never fully developed her character beyond being Emily’s love interest.
Giving her either more screen time to become fully realized or writing her off earlier without the murder would have been better.
Her death felt like shock value rather than meaningful storytelling, and the resolution of her murder plot was disappointing and confusing for invested viewers.
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