I09: 12 Weakest Deaths in SciFi

[prion]

http://io9.com/5049753/12-weakest-de...iction-history

excerpt:

9) Carson Beckett. Actually, there have been so many deaths on Stargate that left us unsatisfied, from Janet to Martouf to Her-ur (who shoulda been a contender!). But at least none of those other characters were killed by an exploding tumor, which apparently is the cutting edge in space terrorism. Watson has a tumor that was due to explode and kill everyone and Beckett insists on removing it instead of putting Watson in isolation. He gets it out in time, but then it blows up and kills Beckett and the bomb-disposal team. And yes, I know Beckett later comes back, but it's his clone or something.


REST AT LINK ABOVE

[Browncoat1984]

I don't think its a case of Carson's death not being satisfying, I think its a case of fans being unhappy with the fact that he died, because lets face it, whether or not Carson's death was satsifying wouldn't change the fact that he shouldn't have died in the first place.

You do have to give credit to the writers though, when they kill off a character they sure do know how to pull at your emotional strings. I bet many people shed a tear over Carson and Janet's deaths, as opposed to characters like Tasha Yar - you could care less that she died.

Shepherd Book - I think the biggest problem with him dying is that you never felt like he was really used to his full potential in the series. Book's death didn't have the same emotional impact on me that it did on Wash or Carson because those were well used characters who were developed well. Not that Book was developed well, I just think that his development was not complete as a character. Here's hoping we'll learn more about him in a sequel/prequel

Marcus Cole - much loved character, and Joe has gone on record as saying he might have reconsidered had he known that Claudia was going to leave. Remember that when Marcus was killed he didn't know that Claudia was going to be back. I think it would have had a much larger impact had Claudia come back the following season. Blame the original network that B5 was on for that one.

The Lone Gunmen - nothing to say about those guys. I was so miffed that they died because in the preview it just said one of them was going to die. It just went along with the X_Files' trend of killing off well-loved characters when it suited the show *sigh* I'm surprised that Skinner survived long enough to be put into the main credits at the end.

Captain Kirk - not disappointed that the character died, just how he died. I don't mind that they killed him off as much as his death was meaningless

Trip - he's not dead, he's working for Section 31 in the Enterprise post-series novels

Boba Fett - again, he's not dead

Trinity - my roomate and I watched the last Matrix movie last year and when she had her ten minute "I'm dying" speech we just kept on shouting "die already and get on with the movie!"

I'm surprised that Tasha Yar didn't make that list...but then nobody cared about Yar did they? Jadzia Dax isn't on that list either, or Kes, even though she's techincally not dead yet.

[Sepik]

Trip - he's not dead, he's working for Section 31 in the Enterprise post-series novels

YES! YES! Exactly! xD

[carrollwoman]

I didn't know the lone gunmen die! I saw the x-files but not their spin-off - I was wondering whether they made an appearance in the new xfiles movie (still not seen yet either).


Did trip die as well - i lost interest in enterprise about middle of season 3. Glad to see him in stargate though!


I think I need to pry my fingers away from gateworld for a bit and check out the other shows.

[Andromeda Galaxy]

I think Carson's death was pointless. they could've easily let carson save the day and move on with the show. I never understood why they even killed him.
WTF!

[Jeff O'Connor]

I'm very surprised Jadzia wasn't on the list. She's a very commonly complained-over character in that regard.

[Infinite-Possibilities]

Does LOST count as Sci-Fi? Hasn't like every single death on that been pointless? Especially the first 5? Pretty sure those are the only ones I've seen so far.

[Pitry]

Hmmm. I thought B5's Marcus' death was actually really really well done.

But I would agree with both Shepherd Book - I mean, what was the point (although killing off Wash was also very stupid IMO), and the 6th Doctor - although it did give me the chance to see his regeneration scene, lol.

and oh, yes, exploding tumours.

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Jacob Carter/Selmak... that was a pretty pointless death to be honest.

[Pharaoh Atem]

5) Louanne "Kat" Katraine. She was one of my favorite characters on Battlestar Galactica, maybe because she was the only one who ever really called Starbuck on all her ****. So I was bummed when she got turned into a drug addict, and then it turned out she's an imposter who stole the name Louanne Katraine and is involved in running contraband. She may even have helped the Cylons infiltrate human society prior to the attacks. Even though I usually love Jane Espenson's writing, I really didn't like the episode "The Passage," in which Kat suddenly gets a whole new backstory as a smuggler, before being "redeemed" by sacrificing her life in a radiation field. It felt sort of cheap, as if the show was turning one of its coolest characters into a whole different person before disposing of her.

compelty agree

i would also like to add

spoliers for bsg S4 ep ties that bind

Spoiler:

cally's death via airlock .....she didn't deserve it

[Pitry]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Jacob Carter/Selmak... that was a pretty pointless death to be honest.

It's a bit like Wash's death, methinks. "It's the end so let's kill a character for dramatic effect."

Sometimes, it can be done well - as mucha s I love Janet, I think her death warranted one of the best SG1 episodes ever (likewise with Carson, despite the bad tumour plot, the episode itself I found stunning) ... but then there's a pointless death that is also done pointlessly just cos it's the end, and that's where I put Jacob and Wash.

(The Shepherd's jsut plain "HUH? What on Earth was that for!")

[rarocks24]

Surprised Jadzia Dax isn't on the list.

Getting killed by an imposter Gul Dukat seriously takes the bait of worst SciFi deaths.

[The Prophet]

Does LOST count as Sci-Fi? Hasn't like every single death on that been pointless? Especially the first 5? Pretty sure those are the only ones I've seen so far.

Death's on Lost aren't really pointless; they're more a part of the show than other Sci-Fi/ TV Series; part of it's mythology. Sure, characters do occasionally come back; but when they're placed in Life & Death situations; we're not sure whether this character will be fodder (like Arzt) or whether they'd deepen the mythology of it some more (like Charlie).

[Pitry]

Surprised Jadzia Dax isn't on the list.

Getting killed by an imposter Gul Dukat seriously takes the bait of worst SciFi deaths.

I dunno, you know what? I loved that they had the guts to do that. She doesn't get killed heroically on a mission, saving lives, but she has a quick, unexpected, pointless death that could and should have been avoided.

The way it happens more often than not in life and frankly, a shame IMO it doesn't happen more often in science fiction.

[Pharaoh Atem]

Surprised Jadzia Dax isn't on the list.

Getting killed by an imposter Gul Dukat seriously takes the bait of worst SciFi deaths.

well she was killed off beucase the actress didn't wanrt to come back so....she had it coming