8 TV Shows That Killed The Main Character Early

8. Love/Hate - Darren (Lifespan: Three Seasons)

Controversial Irish drama Love/Hate takes a gritty look at Dublin’s criminal underworld, as seen through the eyes of naive gang member Darren. Or at least that’s how it began. 

The first two seasons followed Darren through various betrayals and heartbreaks, including losing his girlfriend over his lifestyle and murdering his evil boss. It also explored his friendship with side character Nidge, who became so popular with viewers the show gradually shifted focus towards him instead. 

As a result Darren became more of a side character in his own show, and after more heartache he ended season three with a bullet in the head after Nidge betrayed him to save his own skin.

Love/Hate is a prime example of a show starting out with one premise before evolving into something else. Darren's death underlined the cruelty of the crime underworld, and the following seasons followed Nidge’s rise to power as well as the impact of Darren's death on his conscience.