Every once in a while, a TV character dies. Most of the time, the deaths happen on-screen to maximize the drama. But on occasion, the death happens offscreen. And when the character is a major one, or even just a fan favorite, it's almost always a wasted opportunity. Here is a list of some of the most disappointing off-screen deaths on TV.
King Charles, "The Borgias"
During Seasons 1 and 2, King Charles was one of the most intriguing characters on the show. Gallant toward women, yet willing to allow his men to rape and pillage the towns that lay before his war machine, Charles was a man of contradictions. Despite being pious, he was also bloodthirsty, and the scenes between him and the Pope always crackled with energy.
But at the start of the episode "Truth and Lies," Cardinal Sforza confirms that King Charles has died offscreen, after hitting his head on a doorway. Even though it was his fate in real life, the death would have had more impact if viewers saw it happen, and the King had so much screen time that he really deserved an on-screen farewell.
Jonas Quinn, "Stargate SG-1"
For the first five seasons, the SG-1 team included Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c, and scientist Daniel Jackson. But when Michael Shanks wanted to leave the show to focus on other projects, Daniel Jackson was written out of the show. His slot on the team was then filled regularly during Season 6 with recurring Season 5 character Jonas Quinn.
But when Shanks decided that he wanted to return to the show on a regular basis, Jonas gets sent back to his home planet. Quinn was a recurring character in Season 7, which was the last time he was seen on screen. By the time Season 10 rolls around, one character mentions that Quinn's home planet has fallen to the Ori. When SG-1's allies (presumably Quinn and several others) can't be contacted after the Ori siege, Quinn is presumed dead.
For a character that was a part of the show for three seasons (and a main member of the SG-1 team for a full season), it seems a bit ignominious for Jonas Quinn to not get an on-screen death. He clearly deserved one last scene where he could be shown fighting the Ori and dying valiantly.
"Being Human" (UK)
The original version of this urban fantasy series featured a couple of characters that were too cool to have died offscreen. One, Tully, is the werewolf who turned George, and only appeared in one episode before viewers learned he had died.
Another great character that was intriguing enough to deserve an on-screen death was the creepy vampire Daisy. She showed up frequently in Season 2, only to get a passing mention as a vampire hunter's recent kill at a later date.
