19 Shocking Death Scenes We’ll Never Recover From

When we watch our favorite TV shows we know what we’re seeing isn’t real…but that doesn’t mean we get any less invested in the characters and storylines. When our beloved characters get killed off it can be downright distressing and emotionally draining, especially if you didn’t see it coming. The grief can feel almost real. Grab some hankies, as here are some of television’s most shocking death scenes we’ll never recover from.

1. Teri Bauer on ’24’

The TV show 24 was full of twists and turns and many death scenes, but none were quite as shocking at the scene where Jack Bauer’s wife met her fate. The scene came as a shock because it followed a pretty successful few hours of Jack saving the day otherwise…until Nina shot Teri in the stomach. Wha-at? The fact that she had just told Jack that she was pregnant added to the loss.

2. Charlie on ‘Lost’

Lots of people kicked the bucket throughout the six seasons, but one that hit particularly hard was when Charlie died heroically trying to save his friends. We knew it was a suicide mission and his death had been prophesied by Desmond, but that didn’t make it any more shocking and heart-wrenching when his drowning face appeared in the window of the flooding underwater substation as he relayed his final message.

3. LT. COL. Henry Blake on ‘M*A*S*H’

Henry Blake’s unexpected death came as a real shock on M*A*S*H because he was en route home after an emotional goodbye with his Army pals. Rather than a happy ending, word came that his plane was shot down over the ocean in Japan and fans were crestfallen. The producers were trying to make a point about the horrors of war, and they did. That, and they wanted to make a point to actors like McLean Stevenson wanting out of a hit show. They killed him off to send the message that there would be no returning to the show down the road. The term “McLeaned” is still used in Hollywood today.