Best and Worst Character Deaths

[tharpdevenport]

Jarok's suicide in "The Defector". What happened to him and what he lost had reflections of communist regimes, specifically thinking of the old U.S.S.R. and before.

And the story of how Yar died, as told by Sela.

I seem to recall the death of an ensign under cover in "Lower Decks" was also somewhat powerful.

It's surprising how many of these one-shot characters had better deaths than stars.

 

[FormerLurker]

The only thing that would have made Khan's (Montalban) death more classic would have been if he had lived long enough to see Enterprise warp to safety, screamed "KIRKKKKKKKK!!!!!" with his final breath, then boom goes the Genesis device.

Lame deaths:Jadzia *, Tasha Yar, and every goddamned helmsman that gets zapped to dogshit just so a regular cast member can drive the ship.

* What was the deal with Jadzia's death? I'd heard that Terry Farrell wanted out of her contract, but if the powers-that-be deemed it necessary for her to go out senselessly like a punk, that seems a dick move on their part.

Like the rest of DS9's cast, Terry Farrell signed a six year contract in the beginning. When it expired, she told B&B she was moving on, but asked them to, and I quote, "Please, please, please" not kill Jadzia. She was willing to come back for special appearances, but she needed a less labor intensive ongoing role for whatever reason that I don't remember, preferably on a sitcom.* So of course, they killed her.



*Which is what she got.

 

[GreenBlood]

As a group, all those Red-Shirts who beamed down to planets, then were the first to die - those were the worst character deaths. The worst part of it was, we all new those red shirted crewmen would never leave that alien planet alive.

 

[HIjol]

Worst Trek - too many to choose, but Tasha and the Tar Pit are up there
Worst Nu-Trek - NuKirk copying Spock's death...bad news, and I did like both NuMovies

Best Trek, non-Sentient - Enterprise D on Veridian III
Best Trek, Sentient - tie
Lal, hands down...I tear up just thinking about her
Spock in II because, well, goddamn!

Best NuTrek, non-Sentient - George's step-father's Corvette
Best NuTrek, Sentient - George Kirk going nacelles-deep

 

[SicOne]

The only thing that would have made Khan's (Montalban) death more classic would have been if he had lived long enough to see Enterprise warp to safety, screamed "KIRKKKKKKKK!!!!!" with his final breath, then boom goes the Genesis device.

Lame deaths:Jadzia *, Tasha Yar, and every goddamned helmsman that gets zapped to dogshit just so a regular cast member can drive the ship.

* What was the deal with Jadzia's death? I'd heard that Terry Farrell wanted out of her contract, but if the powers-that-be deemed it necessary for her to go out senselessly like a punk, that seems a dick move on their part.

Like the rest of DS9's cast, Terry Farrell signed a six year contract in the beginning. When it expired, she told B&B she was moving on, but asked them to, and I quote, "Please, please, please" not kill Jadzia. She was willing to come back for special appearances, but she needed a less labor intensive ongoing role for whatever reason that I don't remember, preferably on a sitcom.* So of course, they killed her.



*Which is what she got.

Thanks for the info, FormerLurker.

 

[FormerLurker]

You're welcome.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Saw another one-shot character die, professor Galen in "The Chase". His death was more believable and emotional then Data's, for example.

 

[eyeresist]

Like the rest of DS9's cast, Terry Farrell signed a six year contract in the beginning. When it expired, she told B&B she was moving on, but asked them to, and I quote, "Please, please, please" not kill Jadzia.

Except DS9 was Ron Moore's show, not B&B's.

 

[FormerLurker]

Ron Moore was the Line Producer, but B&B called the shots about what he could do with it. A Line Producer has limited power to begin with, and if the Executive Producer/s are nitpicking micro-managers, most of that power is illusory. Don't make the mistake of taking listed credits as sign of authority.

 

[eyeresist]

There's no evidence B&B were behind the decision to kill off Jadzia.

 

[Green Shirt]

One of the worst in terms of shocking - Marta in Whom Gods Destroy

 

[F. King Daniel]

Blowing her up was a "holy shit!" moment. Didn't expect it from TOS.

 

[Trek Survivor]

Actually, it was Ira Behr's.

Ron Moore was the Line Producer, but B&B called the shots about what he could do with it.

Oh great - more "B&B The Boogie Man" nonsense.

Let's get this straight - Brannon Braga (the second "B") had NOTHING to do with DS9.

Berman sat above Behr, and could veto ideas when he felt he needed to - but the way in which Jadazia died was down to Ira Behr. Fact. The fact she had to die was down to Ira Behr. Fact. He talks about it in the DS9 Companion - they couldn't think of a realistic reason why Dax would leave the station, and Worf, at this time of war. So they killed her.

Personally, I would've gone for some "top secret mission" that only Dax (through one of her past lives) could undertake. I liked Jadzia; I didn't want her to die. Let her turn up at the end of season 7 and give her and Worf a happy ending.

There's no evidence B&B were behind the decision to kill off Jadzia.

Correct.

 

[f14peter]

I seem to recall the death of an ensign under cover in "Lower Decks" was also somewhat powerful.

It's surprising how many of these one-shot characters had better deaths than stars.

that would be Sito Jaxa, the young Bajoran who's demise, although occurring off-screen, would get my vote for "best" if defined by most moving or poignant.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Data's death is also easily one of the worst. I think I just blocked it out of my memory.

If Spock had died permanently in TWOK as originally planned, it would have been a beautiful end to the character. I guess they were thinking fans would react the same way for Data sacrificing himself for Picard. Only in this case, it wasn't as threatening a villain, it was a much more contrived situation that necessitated the sacrifice, and the death scene wasn't as masterfully staged as 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one'.

 

[xvicente]

good deaths:
Spock (of course)
Edith Keeler (poor sad Kirk)
Miramanee (poor sad Kirk II)
Rayna (poor sad Kirk III)
Kirk (fake in Amok time)
Peter Preston
Khan
Kirk (while saving the E-B, alas actually sucked into a terrible plot device)
McCoy's dad
Lal
Kruge (Kirk had ENOUGH OF HIM)
That girl ensign from "Lower Decks"
David Marcus
Gorkon
Sarek
The Romulan Commander
Abe Lincoln (melkot illusion) <-- that spear really scared me as a kid.
The crewwoman that was turned into a chalk cube and we were told she could be restored -- then the cube was crushed. That scared me too.

bad deaths:
Kirk (the real)
Data
Shinzon
Jadzia Dax
Tasha
Wesley (shoud have been permanent, Q ruined that)

 

[plynch]

Best: tie: Spock and George Kirk. The opening set piece in Trek 09 is the best part of JJTrek. Beautiful visually, writing, pacing, music, all.
With Spock's in TWOK we are reminded the caliber of acting among the TOS principals.

Worst: nuKirk in ID reenacting Spock's. Wow. That's such a cheesy fail. Plus the Spock yell. Woof. Thank god the helm is changing in that rendition of the franchise. I'm hoping again.

I kinda like the surprise, space-is-dangerous, kinda realistic deaths, like Yar, Dax, and Kirk, though part of me still wants an epic send off for my beloved childhood hero. "Oh my" is lame. IMHO

 

[Lance]

Lame deaths:Jadzia *, Tasha Yar, and every goddamned helmsman that gets zapped to dogshit just so a regular cast member can drive the ship.

Good point. One that springs immediately to mind is that guy who shows up in "Where Silence Has Lease", for the only scene in the episode where Wesley Crusher isn't at the helm, and has the bad luck to get snuffed by Nagilum. Lucky for Wesley, hey?

So where the hell exactly was Wes right at that moment, anyway? In the john?

One of the worst in terms of shocking - Marta in Whom Gods Destroy

Also a pretty good call. In an episode as frequently goofy as that one, it's one of the most startling things, this moment where Garth callously and heartlessly pulls a completely unpredictable plot development out of the bag -- and suddenly becomes a much more credible threat as a result (he really *is* mad).

 

[Melakon]

Sort of surprised Dexter Remmick hasn't been mentioned yet. Might not be the best, or the worst, but his demise in "Conspiracy" was controversial at the time.

 

[Claudia]

Now that "Conspiracy" was mentioned - I thought that the loss of Walter Keel (i.e. when they find the blown up ship) was a really poignant moment. The shock on the faces of Picard and Crusher was quite tangible.

Other than that:

best: Spock, Lal

worst: Tucker... the whole episode was contrived, but this was just the icing on the cake.