With Brian's death in the latest episode of Family Guy, the people of the Internet are in a state of furor. There's a lot of frustration floating around at why the creators would kill off such an important character 12 seasons in. With such concern over a recent character death, I find it appropriate to discuss when the right time to make such a pivotal story decision in any form of media is.
Nowadays, killing main characters is seemingly taboo in serialized TV shows and movies especially. Even the mentioning of potentially wanting to do something like that sets passionate fans ablaze. Why the story conservatism? From a narrative point of view, a death is one of the most thrilling plot twists because viewers have bonded with the character and are sad to see them go. This also opens new interactions allowing the survivors to apply lessons taught by a friend or mentor and seek a deeper understanding of what transpired. It's the "Why me?" moment everyone feels after a loss. The grievance process gives way to a clearer worldview and understanding of one's purpose in life.
I believe there's a lot more that can be said on the matter, but I'd like to open the topic to your opinions. Do you think death should become a more frequent mode of plot advancement in entertainment? Does killing off long standing characters hurt or help narratives? What are some examples of effective character deaths in TV shows, movies, or videogames? What are some bad examples?
Nowadays, killing main characters is seemingly taboo in serialized TV shows and movies especially. Even the mentioning of potentially wanting to do something like that sets passionate fans ablaze. Why the story conservatism? From a narrative point of view, a death is one of the most thrilling plot twists because viewers have bonded with the character and are sad to see them go. This also opens new interactions allowing the survivors to apply lessons taught by a friend or mentor and seek a deeper understanding of what transpired. It's the "Why me?" moment everyone feels after a loss. The grievance process gives way to a clearer worldview and understanding of one's purpose in life.
I believe there's a lot more that can be said on the matter, but I'd like to open the topic to your opinions. Do you think death should become a more frequent mode of plot advancement in entertainment? Does killing off long standing characters hurt or help narratives? What are some examples of effective character deaths in TV shows, movies, or videogames? What are some bad examples?