[This article contains major spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2 of “The Last of Us” and for 10 older shows dating back to 1975.]
Shocking TV viewers these days is harder for a variety of reasons, and that is true of even major character deaths. Audiences may be tipped off by internet leaks and rumors — or, in this I.P.-driven age, by source material. Millions of “Game of Thrones” watchers were floored when the Red Wedding episode aired on HBO in 2013; millions of George R.R. Martin readers were not.
But for the many viewers of the HBO series “The Last of Us” who haven’t played the video games, Sunday’s episode most likely came as an immense shock. (The episode, the second of Season 2, is drawn from events in the video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, from 2020.) As when Rosalind (Diana Muldaur) fell down the elevator shaft in “L.A. Law,” or when Omar (Michael K. Williams) was murdered by a child in “The Wire,” the death of Joel (Pedro Pascal) was jaw-dropping. It felt in some ways like a throwback.
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It remains to be seen how Joel’s death will change the complexion of the show, but it will be fundamentally different without him. As we ponder how that might take shape, we look back at some shocking character deaths that changed everything.
‘M*A*S*H’
Season 3, Episode 24 (Airdate: March 18, 1975)
McLean Stevenson in a scene from “M*A*S*H.” His character got on a plane and never came back. Credit…CBS
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