Game of Thrones, Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars…did I bring up any memories of late night binges that ended with your bedroom floor littered with snack wrappers and tear-soaked tissues? Certain T.V. shows seem to love pulling the rug out from under you with the life of your favorite character cut short. I believe we’ve all shared similar stages of grief for these lost fictional lives.
1.) Shock
Is that blood? That’s definitely blood. That’s…a lot of blood.
Some shows are so eager to spring surprise mortality on us, they do it a little too quickly. So quickly, that there may not even be time to register that death before another one is coming up (*cough* Game of Thrones).
2.) Denial
They’re not dead. They can’t be dead. They’re important! There’s still so much that can happen in this storyline!
Arguably the most popular form of coping with the emotional trauma that virtual death brings, denial can also just rub salt in the wound. Especially in shows where magic is prevalent, there’s that sliver of hope that screams, “They could come back! Honestly, how many times have the Winchester boys died on Supernatural?” Some series like Once Upon a Time or Supernatural do make characters emulate invincibility. However, sometimes, they really are gone.
3.) Tears
Sometimes just a single drop sliding dramatically down your cheek, other times, a torrential downpour of decidedly unattractive sobbing. Either way, you’re always going to need more tissues.
The crying usually begins at the moment that the character’s death really hit you. And just when it begins to die down, the show pays homage to the character with a heartfelt funeral, slow-panning shots of the deceased’s family, or fuzzy flashbacks of their life (generally the point of their life where they had more hope in their eyes).
4.) Anger
I’m done with this show! I can’t go on without *insert dead character of your choice.* It will never be the same!
You’re angry at the director, the screenwriter, even the author if your show of choosing was based on a series of books. But most of all, you’re angry at the character or event that was responsible for your darling’s death. A tyrannical king, an illness, a demon from the fiery pits of Hell, whoever they are, you want them to suffer and you want it now. It is best to avoid antagonizing you during this stage because you’re on the brink of explosion at all times.
5.) Resignation
I guess…I guess they’re really not coming back…
Regardless of the sin committed by the show, you simply have to keep watching to find out what happens next. You tell yourself that you’ll never forgive them but you blindly hit next episode until the next catastrophe sends you into fits of doubt and despair.