[Sweetsister]

There have been many deaths in the show, however the character died I’m just calling it a “kill” for this thread. Which kills do you think “made sense” as the story progressed and which do you think were bad (could be timing, cause of death, effect on the show…)
For me…(and I’m not including everyone just those that stand out to me , your choices may differ)

Good Kills…Ed, Otis, Shane. IMO these deaths helped the plot as well as affecting some characters and their behavior going forward. I also say Dale was a good kill, his loss affected every member of the group and it seems that Hershel had kind of filled his shoes as the voice of wisdom and conscious. T-Dog, although I wish he had a larger role throughout his death in that episode made sense to me.

Bad Kills…Lori..too soon led to Ricks visit to crazy town because they had no closure. Oscar and Axel, both bad kills in my book, again too soon. Andrea bad kill, just the way it went down did not make sense to me and I felt cheated for a main character to go like that.

[Maztarded]

Andrea was definitely for me, the worst kill!
She could have survived and not die, I'm still trying to process that she's dead. I always was waiting for the time when they redeemed her character and made her the strong and 'badass' character she is in the comics.
Unfortunately that day never came, and I feel let down we had to see her go like that.
I also felt that Patricia who died in season one was sort of a waste of life, I don't have a issue with how she died but its because of why she died, she opted out which in my opinion is wrong! you should go down fighting and not surrender.
I also agree with you about the Oscar and Axel, a lot of character development could have happened but I love the way Thomas was killed! 'Shit happens'

[Viridiana]

They could have left Jacqui alive, I liked how she instantly told everyone Jim was bit.

[Serenity@sea]

I did not feel that T-Dog was a good kill. It was done basically just to keep Lori's death a surprise. It also felt that after a full season of keeping him in the background, they didn't know what to do with him, so they killed him off.

It didn't help that the pre-season interviews stated that he would have a larger role in S3.

[Jon W]

I'm going to call two "Bad" Kills and two "Good" kills

Bad: Dale. I completely understand that it was because of 'real world' issues, but it was a stupid death, completely avoidable, and it didn't really advance the story at all (with the exception of Daryl 'doing the dirty work' for Rick).

Bad: Oscar. The sole purpose for him being killed was to show how dangerous the attack on Woodbury was without killing off one of the main characters. Shoddy storytelling, which always annoys me.

Good: T-Dog. While I agree with many that he went 'too soon', he went out ... well. He was protecting someone else in the group and made the needed sacrifice.

Good: Shane. Absolutely critical and the 'correct' thing to do from the story point of view. It had a *huge* impact on a number of characters - especially Carl.

[Maztarded]

They could have left Jacqui alive, I liked how she instantly told everyone Jim was bit.

Ohh was that her name... I thought her name was Patricia haha.
I just disliked how she committed suicide with Jenner rather than fight until the end.

[stickoffury412]

Good kills. Amy (developed Andrea) , Otis (proved how bad Shane was) , Sophia (eventually developed Carol) , Shane (furthered Rick, neccessary storyline) . Lori (developed Rick and Carl just bad timing) .

Bad kills : Andrea (I don't even need to explain why), Dale (Herschel should have taken his place), Jacqui (potentially interesting character, seemed unlike her to opt out)

Kills that didn't register for me: Axel (barely knew anything), Oscar (barely knew anything) , Patricia (see last two) , Jimmy (who? ). T-dog (barely knew anything about him)

[Serenity@sea]

I'm going to call two "Bad" Kills and two "Good" kills

Bad: Dale. I completely understand that it was because of 'real world' issues, but it was a stupid death, completely avoidable, and it didn't really advance the story at all (with the exception of Daryl 'doing the dirty work' for Rick).

Bad: Oscar. The sole purpose for him being killed was to show how dangerous the attack on Woodbury was without killing off one of the main characters. Shoddy storytelling, which always annoys me.

Good: T-Dog. While I agree with many that he went 'too soon', he went out ... well. He was protecting someone else in the group and made the needed sacrifice.

Good: Shane. Absolutely critical and the 'correct' thing to do from the story point of view. It had a *huge* impact on a number of characters - especially Carl.

I thought the purpose of Oscar's death was to show Rick sliding further into the rabbit hole. It was Rick seeing "Shane" that caused his death. If he hadn't hesitated, he would have shot that guy before that guy shot Oscar.

[walkerbait13]

Good kills. Amy (developed Andrea) , Otis (proved how bad Shane was) , Sophia (eventually developed Carol) , Shane (furthered Rick, neccessary storyline) . Lori (developed Rick and Carl just bad timing) .

Bad kills : Andrea (I don't even need to explain why), Dale (Herschel should have taken his place), Jacqui (potentially interesting character, seemed unlike her to opt out)

Kills that didn't register for me: Axel (barely knew anything), Oscar (barely knew anything) , Patricia (see last two) , Jimmy (who? ). T-dog (barely knew anything about him)

Are you a mind reader stick?? That's the same exact way that I feel. Some character deaths were good and needed to develop the plot/characters, others were bad and didn't even make sense plot wise.

[stickoffury412]

Are you a mind reader stick?? That's the same exact way that I feel. Some character deaths were good and needed to develop the plot/characters, others were bad and didn't even make sense plot wise.

Heh thanks

[Jon W]

I thought the purpose of Oscar's death was to show Rick sliding further into the rabbit hole. It was Rick seeing "Shane" that caused his death. If he hadn't hesitated, he would have shot that guy before that guy shot Oscar.

I agree, sort of... but the fact is, they still could have shown Rick thinking it was Shane (i.e. 'down the rabbit hole') and not killed Oscar.

<grin> You know, a good wound would have been better in that situation...

[DwarfToss]

Not sure why everyone mourns Andrea so much. She hooked up with the two biggest villains so far, Shane and the Governor. What was in store for next year, an affair with a biter?

[DeadZedHead]

Most of the kills moved the story along. The most powerful were Jim, Sofia, Shane, and Merle.

Lori, Otis, Penny and Oscar's death were not as strong but important.

To me the only deaths that were pointless were Tdog who died in the same ep as Lori's more important death and Axle who died just as he started to contribute to the show.

[Bitergram]

Hah. Everyone hates characters and begs them to die then gets pissed when they die (Andrea).

To me the only bad kill was Oscar, and only because I missed it the first time I watched it.

Best kill? Tomas. Easily.

[Serenity@sea]

I agree, sort of... but the fact is, they still could have shown Rick thinking it was Shane (i.e. 'down the rabbit hole') and not killed Oscar.

<grin> You know, a good wound would have been better in that situation...

I agree with you. Oscar had a lot of potential.

His death scene was very anti-climatic and was almost a "blink and you miss it" situation.

[Jon W]

I agree with you. Oscar had a lot of potential.

His death scene was very anti-climatic and was almost a "blink and you miss it" situation.

Total agreement - that is one of the reasons that I called it a 'bad kill'. There were so many other ways that the writers could accomplish the same goal (Rick down the rabbit hole, and attacking Woodbury is dangerous), but they went for the easy way out.

[stickoffury412]

Poor Oscar. I really didn't even have time to care about him. That's why Mazzaras writing rubbed me the wrong way. Not because he killed minor people all the time but because he killed minor people and writes last minute so I'm sure oscar or Axel could have been spared had Mazzara planned Andreas death a little better

[d2daybreak]

Good Kills: Amy, Jim, Sofia, Shane, Lori (though I would have liked it to happen a few more episodes later allowing for a longer
prisoners arc), and Milton.

Bad Kills: Jacqui (seemed out of character), Dale (only done because DeMunn was leaving the show), T-Dog (only done for shock
value), Oscar (only done for shock value - could have been shot, but not fatally wounded and had same effect), Axel
(only done for shock value), Merle (I feel there was more of the Dixon Brothers arc to be told), and Andrea (pandering).

[slimymeteor]

Good: Shane, Sophia, Jim, Dale, Tomas, Merle, Milton, Otis
Good death scenes but bad timing: Lori, Axel, T-Dog
Bad: Andrea, Oscar

Not sure if Duane counts since his death was off-camera, but the reveal of his fate was pretty moving.

[**PHAGE**]

IMO Axel was a necessary type of kill. Although I would have liked him to have survived longer because I liked the character, sudden deaths would be a likely occurrence in such a dystopian world. Some people would die suddenly without other survivors really getting to know them. If every death on TWD was preceded by a vast amount of exposition about the victim then I think the show would become extremely ponderous. Axel's death didn't do much to further the plot or reveal anything about the other characters, but it served as a harsh reminder of the world that Rick and co live in.

On the other hand to many sudden deaths would reduce the quality of writing on the show to cheap shock tactics, which have no longevity. A sudden death is good once in a while due to the setting of the show, and for that reason I think Axel's death was a good kill, it served the big picture. I don't see why you have to know someone in order to be affected by their death on some level?