I know it has aired in America, but the death of the character mentioned happens tonight in the UK. I'm already spoiled from ages ago, but perhaps it might be an idea to put something about Non-US Six Feet Under fans in the title?

And I gotta agree with you. Tara's death was more shocking to me than Buffy or Doyle's, but I still like that they're mentioned in the article.

Apocalypse | September 27, 22:35 CET

Tara's was more shocking to me, but that's probably because I saw it in real time (didn't start watching regularly till a few episodes into Season 6). We had gotten all caught up, so Buffy's death in The Gift, while overpoweringly moving, wasn't so shocking, because I already knew she was coming back, albeit as damaged goods.

Had I been an original fan, having watched each episode in real time, I think I would have had a heart attack when the camera closes in on that ironically cheery, sunny cemetary.

Chris inVirginia | September 27, 22:43 CET

I'll have to agree about Tara's death as well, I never saw it coming. And Anya's death in season 7..that was surprising as well as just plain heartbreaking. *sniff*

buffyfanatic18 | September 27, 22:44 CET

All deserve mention...and lets not forget about poor Fred and Wesley!

Calledon | September 27, 22:51 CET

I think that Anya, Tara, Joyce, & Jenny are just a few of those who had shocking deaths. Then again, out of all of the characters that have ever died on Buffy or Angel, whose hasn't been shocking? Though, my #1 shock would definitely be Anya's death. It was so quick and out of nowhere and so cruel! I loved every second of it.

Christopher | September 27, 22:55 CET

Jenny's was shocking because it was the first... and signaled a willingness to kill off a main character (frankly, i guess Jesse's was too for the same reason, but there wasn't enough time to get attached to the guy).
Doyle's because he was one of only three main characters at the time.
Joyce because we've been led to believe she was getting better... and it was natural.
Anya's because it was so violent and so out-of-the-blue.
Tara's because.. well... it was SUCH a shock. And right after she and WIllow had made up.
Angel's (the first time) because it was so heartwrenching.
Fred because she was the emotional heart of the group... and who would have the heart to kill her off?
And Buffy's, of course, because she was Buffy, the titular heroine, all-invincible. Even though I think in some ways it was the only way to end that storyline, and it was fairly predictable that she'd be back somehow, since the series was continuing.

They were all shocking, in their way, for different reasons. I guess my vote would be Tara, for the same reason as CiV - I saw it in real time, unspoiled, whereas by the time I started watching most of the others had already happened. I'd put Jenny up there as one of the most shocking too – so unexpected, and so brutal.

acp | September 27, 23:12 CET

I wasn't very shocked by Anya's death, just because it was the last episode of Buffy. I kind of expected that a couple characters would be killed off.

vampire dan | September 27, 23:25 CET

Heck, I was shocked by all of them. It would be hard for me to list them in some ascending order of surprise.

That was an interesting list of TV deaths in the article. I had forgotten about LA Law -- really wanted the character gone, but never expected the elevator shaft. And I was truly shocked over Henry Blake's death, despite the fact that I had heard he was leaving the M*A*S*H. Never expected it.

The fact that Joss got away with killing off so many characters, and they were all shocking and worthy of this list, is testament to his skills in providing us with characters and stories that matter to us.

palehorse | September 27, 23:35 CET

I thought Buffy's death in The Gift was incredibly moving and made perfect sense, but it wasn't quite shocking. There was a sort of build up to it, throughout the whole episode, and even Jenny's death began with Angel frightening her before the chase so it wasn't entirely unexpected, even though it was very suspenseful.

Tara's was probably the most shocking, because it wasn't during an epic battle like Buffy's or Spike's or Angel's or Anya's, one second Willow and Tara were so happy, Warren appears suddenly and shoots, even then we think of it hitting Buffy or Xander, but then we realise it's Tara as well, and unlike Joyce's, which was pretty unexpected but natural, this was completely violent and brutal.

I had always really loved Anya, I felt her and Xander were two of the characters that I most identified with, but it was the final episode so all bets were off, although I had the feeling that this time they weren't going to kill off any of the core four or Faith, so I knew some of The Potentials were definitely going to die as well as supporting characters. Unfortunately I had heard about Anya's death before I saw Chosen which did ruin the effect quite a bit, but I mean we weren't going to see any more of her after Chosen so it wasn't quite as bad as Tara where it wasn't even a season finale.

But it's great to see that people still remember these events, because they all were very effecting and beautifully acted.

Razor | September 27, 23:50 CET

That's the other thing about Tara's death, it wasn't a finale. Good point, Razor. It might have been a little more expected, or lessened the shock. But the fact that it was just another episode gave me even more of a "Holy Sh!t" reaction.

two_guns | September 27, 23:54 CET

I was spoiled on Tara's death, but it was still shocking. I knew about Jana Kalderosz and Angel--I got into Buffy during season 3, so I knew about those before I went back and watched them--but Jana's death is still a real kick in the gut.

Of the non-Whedon deaths listed, Stringer Bell's is the biggest shock for me (although d'Angelo Barksdale was equally deserving of a place on the list).

On edit: I almost forgot about the (non-)death that most upset me: when Lorne is beheaded in Pylea. I actually had terrible dreams inspired by that one.

[ edited by tehipite_tom on 2005-09-27 22:51 ]

tehipite_tom | September 28, 00:14 CET

By far Tara's death affected me more than any fictional death ever has- affects me to this day. Buffy's had been hinted at form some time, so was not a real shock and was not ever felt by me to be final. But Tara, oy. I wish I could bring her back now- thanks, Jet Wolf!

Dana5140 | September 28, 00:47 CET

And why is Spike's death left off our lists? Because he was "already dead" so to speak? If you were not spoiled in season 7 and did not follow Angel, Spike's death too, while foreshadowed, was very tough on some of us.

angel fan | September 28, 01:02 CET

Yeah, Tara's death was the most shocking. Anya wasn't really shocking to me, I never saw her die and it was war time in the final episode. Tara was completely out of the blue. If Anya would have died in Selfless then that would have really shocked me. I remember Jenny's death clearly the first time, which was completely unspoiled for me. It did come out of the blue too, and the sounds her spine breaking was skincrawling. Spike's death was really spoiled by him coming back to Angel. I don't even see it as a death, I see it more as a transfer from one show to another.

Koos | September 28, 01:17 CET

Buffy's was shocking. Doyles wasn't though.. I would say Cordelia's was the most and maybe Wesley's. Tara's I went in spoiled (not that I wanted to be spoiled >:( ) so I can't say.

charisma | September 28, 01:41 CET

I read a review early on that said when Principal Flutie was eaten, they knew this was a different type of show. So I would like to throw him into the unexpected deaths. And Fred's although I shouldn't have been so surprised. I knew by then what Joss was capable of.

Lioness | September 28, 02:38 CET

Koos, you NEVER saw Anya die? How!?

Christopher | September 28, 04:08 CET

Now that you mention that, Halfrek's death was pretty shocking to me as well. D'Hoffryn summoning and killing her was just so sudden and unexpected, and Anya's reaction was so sad. It was really heartwrenching.


I think that may be because it was edited out of broadcasts in the UK, because Buffy was broadcast at a time when small children were still awake, so they cut out all the gruesome scenes (beheadings, etc.).

Storyteller | September 28, 13:40 CET