We're in a new "Golden Age of Television"…not to mention a "Golden Age of Unexpected TV
Deaths." With the dramatic uptick in the quality of TV shows came a commitment to keeping audiences
guessing with as many surprises as possible. That means almost no character is safe. Here
are some deaths from the first half of 2016 that threw us for a loop. It should go without
saying, but...spoilers ahead.
Ziva David - NCIS
Former Mossad officer and NCIS agent Ziva David, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, was one
of the most beloved characters on the most-watched drama on TV. And when De Pablo left the show
to pursue new roles in 2014, her character's story was wrapped up with a nice sendoff.
So there really wasn't much need for Ziva to ever be mentioned on NCIS again, which
is why it felt particularly cruel when it was announced that the character had died—offscreen!—in
a missile attack on her family home.
"Vance got a call."
"Ziva…"
Denise - The Walking Dead
Emmy-winner Merritt Wever really had a nice arc going as Denise on The Walking Dead. She
took over as town doctor in Alexandria after her predecessor's untimely demise, she entered
into a romantic relationship with Tara despite a fear of commitment, and she even survived
a hostage situation. She outlined her reasons for diving into love with an impassioned monologue
on a supply run with Daryl and Rosita, explaining she finally felt ready to stand up and fight
for her life. Only to be cut off by an arrow through her eye and brain, shot from the woods
by a lurking Dwight.
"Makes me sick, that you guys aren't even trying. Because you're strong and you're smart.
And you're both really good people. And if you don't wake—up—and face your..."
Robin Hood - Once Upon a Time
The long-running ABC show that has deftly thrown together fairy tale icons, mythological
characters, and Disney favorites only got darker and more complicated in its fifth season.
Especially for Robin Hood, who just could never catch a break. First, he found out his
beloved Maid Marian was actually Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West. And then Hades threatened
the life of his other true love, Regina, forcing Robin to sacrifice himself to save her.
"Sorry, ladies first."
"No!"
Ramsay Bolton - Game of Thrones
Murderer, sadist and serial rapist Ramsay Bolton was arguably the most evil character
in the entire run of Game of Thrones. Which is saying something on the show that gave
us Joffrey Baratheon. And since bad people thrive on Game of Thrones, we expected him
to outlive...everyone. But after Ramsey goaded Jon Snow into war, their conflict erupted
into the bloody "Battle of the Bastards." Finally face-to-face with Jon, Ramsay tried
to avoid a physical fight by firing arrows at him—only to be tackled, beaten bloody,
and tossed into a dungeon, where he suffered the final indignity of being eaten alive by
his own dogs on the order of the wife he once gleefully tortured.
Hodor - Game of Thrones
Fans finally learned how Bran Stark's protector, Hodor, got his name.
"Hodor? Hodor!"
But it came in one of the most heartbreaking plot twists in the show's history. Turns out
his name was really Wylis—but in a time-travel mishap, Bran inadvertently showed young Wylis
a vision of his own death while serving as a human barricade against a horde of zombies.
The poor kid collapsed screaming "hold the door," while in the present day, Hodor made
the ultimate sacrifice.
"Hold the door! Hold the door! Hold the door! Hold the door!"
We're really gonna miss you, big guy.
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