10 Worst Ways Shows Wrote Off Characters When Actors Left

10 Worst Ways Shows Wrote Off Characters When Actors Left

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the worst ways shows addressed a character’s absence when an actor left. We’re excluding characters who were written off because an actor died, although many shows have dropped the ball in that department. Spoilers!

Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg“The Goldbergs” (2012-23)

Jeff Garlin spent nearly a decade playing the Goldberg family’s chair-dwelling patriarch. During Season 9, Garlin exited the sitcom amid accusations of inappropriate behavior on set. In addition to filling the void with preexisting footage, the old “out of town on business” trope was used. When the time came to walk Erica down the aisle, though, they resorted to cringey CGI and a stand-in whose face was awkwardly hidden. Season 10 commenced with the revelation that Murray passed away, although they skipped over the initial grieving period. But hey, this made leeway for “Field of Dreams” references! The show already lost one major character when actor George Segal died. It couldn’t afford to lose another, making us wish the show simply ended the previous season.

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Lexa“The 100” (2014-20)

Even if you never caught an episode of this dystopian drama, chances are you’ve at least seen images of Lexa. Despite only being a recurring role, Lexa became one of the show’s most recognizable faces, not to mention an LGBTQIA+ icon. Actress Alycia Debnam-Carey was in high demand, as she also landed a main role on “Fear the Walking Dead” around this time. While Debnam-Carey pulled double duty for a while, she could only commit so much time to “The 100.” The showrunners thus decided in Season 3 to give Lexa a tragic death, which didn’t go over well with fans. In fact, it’s become the go-to example for the “bury your gays” trope, something the show was never able to move past.

Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow“Three’s Company” (1977-84)

“Three’s Company” made stars of its initial trio, with Suzanne Somers being a breakout. Somers felt she was worth more than her salary, demanding her $30,000 per episode be increased five times, along with a piece of the profits. When her request was rejected, Somers left, but she still had a contract to fulfill. Chrissy spent most of Season 5 out of town, occasionally calling her roommates. It was a phoned-in phasing out. Usually popping up in closing tags, Somers went from co-lead to glorified cameo. Somers wouldn’t appear in the season’s final few episodes, or the rest of the series for that matter. Jenilee Harrison filled in as Chrissy’s cousin Cindy, who in turn was substituted with Priscilla Barnes’s Terri.

Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper“The O.C.” (2003-07)

Marissa Cooper wasn’t anyone’s favorite “O.C.” character, but she was an important one who deserved better. The writing was on the wall that Season 3 would be the last for Mischa Barton, who was interested in pursuing new horizons. The producers presented Barton with two options. Marissa could sail off into the sunset with the door left open for her return… or she could be killed off. It appeared Marissa might get a happy ending with her father inviting her to move to Greece. On her way to the airport, though, Marissa dies in a tragic car accident. The creative team saw this as a bold move that could increase ratings. Instead, it was a rage-quit moment, with the following season being the last.

Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley

“Downton Abbey” (2010-15)

Dan Stevens was prepared to start a new chapter by the end of “Downton Abbey’s” third series. With Matthew Crawley being such a beloved character and an integral part of the show’s early success, creator Julian Fellowes suggested reducing Stevens’ role with room for his return. Stevens wanted a clean break, however. That’s what he got, with Mathew dying in a car crash right after Mary welcomed their son into the world. While Fellowes argued that he didn’t have a choice but to kill Matthew off, his exit didn’t have to feel so random. It was also repetitive, as Sybil also died that year after giving birth. “Downton Abbey” continued and Stevens’ career is still doing great, but fans never got over Matthew’s sudden exit.

Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher

“Shameless” (2011-21)

Fiona was the glue - or at least the tape - that held the Gallaghers together. Emmy Rossum was ready to leave at Season 9’s conclusion. To an extent, we can see why now was the time for Fiona to move on. Fiona’s siblings had mostly grown up, and new opportunities were coming her way. What we didn’t buy is that Fiona left without bidding her siblings a proper farewell. Yeah, it was nice that she gave them half of her $100,000, but skipping her goodbye party because it would be too sad just didn’t sit well. These kids already had one maternal figure who abruptly left. The fact that Fiona never came back to visit over the final two seasons also seemed out of character.

Kevin Costner as John Dutton “Yellowstone” (2018-24)

Kevin Costner was the face of this ratings juggernaut, although he didn’t expect the series to eat up so much of his time. Costner agreed to return as John Dutton for a fifth and final season. The 2023 Hollywood labor disputes caused the production to be delayed longer than anticipated. Eager to produce his passion project “Horizon,” Costner exited halfway through the season. While he clashed creatively with co-creator Taylor Sheridan, Costner said he was open to returning down the line if certain conditions were met. Instead, Sheridan burned a bridge, lazily having John Dutton be murdered off-screen. Sheridan claims that John was always going to meet a tragic end, but without Costner’s involvement, it was hardly the sendoff that a cowboy deserved.

Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney“Laverne & Shirley” (1976-84)

The show is called “Laverne & Shirley.” You can’t have one without the other. Well, that’s not the way Paramount saw it. When Cindy Williams became pregnant, her new contract stipulated that she work on her due date. Refusing to sign, Williams departed the sitcom. She only appeared in the first two episodes of Season 8, which reveals that Shirley is getting married to an Army medic named Walter Meeney… who we never see outside of his body cast. In the final season’s third episode, we learn that Shirley skipped town with her new hubby without even bidding Laverne a proper farewell. She just left a brief letter behind. While Laverne later finds more pages, it was still an empty note to go out on.

Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker“Archie Bunker’s Place” (1979-83)

Edith Bunker was the heart and soul of “All in the Family.” When Jean Stapleton expressed her desire to leave after nine seasons, creator Norman Lear agreed the show should go out on top. CBS thought otherwise, as the sitcom was still pulling in high numbers. The compromise was a new show called “Archie Bunker’s Place.” Although the series focused on Archer’s work life at the bar, Edith dropped by on five occasions before dying from a stroke off-screen. This made for a poignant storyline, but Edith’s death ultimately felt like a cruel sacrifice to the ratings gods. Nobody wanted to see Archie move on without Edith. Lear himself was reluctant to go through with the decision, feeling like he was killing a real person.

Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper

“Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)

Between salary disputes, clashes with the creators, highly publicized substance use, and legal battles, Charlie Sheen’s departure from “Two and a Half Men” was one of the messiest in TV history. When the show returned for its ninth season following a hiatus, the bad blood was on full display at Uncle Charlie’s funeral. While it is kind of funny just how mean-spirited Charlie’s exit is, it all goes downhill with the arrival of Ashton Kutcher as his replacement. The next four years felt like a bad dream, culminating with a revelation that Charlie might not be dead after all. If the train didn’t do Charlie in, though, the piano did. Nobody won here… except for the CBS executives who squeezed every cent they could get.

Which TV exit enraged you the most? Let us know in the comments.